Common name:Century Plant
Botanical name:Agave americana
This agave is fast growing to about 6-10' tall x 8-13' wide. Wide, grey leaves have stiff terminal spines and recurved teeth on margins. It prefers full sun and well-drained situations. It is prone to agave snout weevil which will eat the roots and leaves. After blooming, which could take several years, it will die but will send up new pups from around the base. Some people are allergic to the sap. Removal is difficult if unwanted.
Common name:Greenleaf Manzanita
Botanical name:Arctostaphylos patula
This is an evergreen multi-branched shrub 3-7' high with interesting smooth reddish bark which shreds on older branches. It has very small pink flowers in spring and dark brown fall berries. It has fair to poor browse value for deer. It can be found in open pine forests froum 2000-5000' elevation and occasionally to 9000'. It occurs in the Sierra Nevadas from Kern County north to the Coast Ranges. -Cornflower Farms
Common name:Orchid Spot Rockrose
Botanical name:Cistus purpureus
This is a consistently good performer, with leaves of 1-2" inches that are dark green on top, and grey and hairy beneath. Its long, blooming 3" wide flowers are a reddish-purple color with a red spot at the base of each petal, and are quite attractive. It has yellow stamens.It can be pruned regularly. This plant is a small evergreen shrub with narrow wavy-edged aromatic leaves.
Common name:Mexican Weeping Bamboo
Botanical name:Otatea acuminata aztecorum
An exotic plant that has tall fronds that sway in the wind like a kelp bed forest.
Designer: Holland Garden and Irrigation
Photographer: GardenSoft
Incorporate compost 6" into your soil to retain water, reduce compaction, feed earthworms, and provide valuable nutrients to your plants.
Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.
