year-round color - notes
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND
Year-round Color with CA
Native Plants
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
May 1 & 4, 2010
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
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Gardening is like enjoying wine…
http://www.michaelassociates.co.uk/blog/tag/wine-tasting
© Project SOUND
http://trishatruly.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/cheap-fun-wine.jpg
You start out with an unsophisticated palette…..
© Project SOUND http://image64.webshots.com/164/3/81/7/480438107hZNkhp_ph.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2202/2718224697_869cec8834.jpg?v=0
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http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
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The subtle colors of the native plant cycle
Restraint (sophistication; appropriate; restful; ‘earth-friendly’)
Appreciation for the cycle of seasons and our connection to them
Expressing our S. CA natural heritage – our unique ‘look’ that others so covet
Relieving the pressure of the ‘Disneyland Gardens’ syndrome (a mass of perfect, bright blooms 12 months out of the year)
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Trick # 1: Choose a workable color
scheme – one you like
Helps limit your plant choices
Makes the garden look like it has a plan
Allows you to choose sophisticated combinations
If you desire year-round color, you’ll need to choose a scheme that is feasible
http://www.justbynature.com/images/HDColor33a.gif
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© Project SOUND
Let’s choose our state colors, and work from there
The combination of blue and gold as official colors in California were first used by the University of California, Berkeley in 1875.
Blue represented the sky and gold the color of the precious metal found by forty-niners in the state's hills.
The Secretary of State began using blue and gold ribbons on official documents as early as 1913.
In 1951, the State Legislature passed legislation makign blue & gold the official state colors.
This color scheme also has the advantage that there are lots
of native plants with yellow & blue flowers © Project SOUND
Trick # 2: Plant an evergreen background
Will look good/green all year long – and may also provide colorful flowers or fruits
Provides a backdrop for the real show – whatever you decide to plant in front of it
Can be one or several species – but all should be medium to dark green for best effect
Possible choices: Toyon Coffeeberry or Redberry –
Rhamnus Cercocarpus Even non-native plants
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND
Remember: fruits/berries and leaves can
be an excellent source of fall color
Coffeeberry – Frangula (Rhamnus) californica Holly-leaf Cherry – Prunus illicifolia
© Project SOUND
If you don’t like the idea of a living backdrop,
then use a dark or colorful wall/fence
http://www.phillipoliver.net/0406scene2.jpg
Remember, the goal is to ‘accent’
the colors of your plants
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Trick # 3 : use hardscape for year-round
color (even without plants)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1035/1150078518_14c1fdc25f.jpg
© Project SOUND
One you have a backdrop, you’re ready to
add some colorful shrubs
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Some of our longest-flowering shrubs and
perennials are in the sunflower family…
so we decide to use yellow as our primary color
http://image57.webshots.com/157/1/52/8/2588152080044943617JdrPNe_fs.jpg
© Project SOUND
CA Bush Sunflower – Encelia californica
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Trick # 4 : extend the bloom season of
some shrubs with judicious summer water
Choose only plants that can take summer water (Zone 2 to 3)
Water only as much as needed – over watering leads to disease, shortened life
Most S. CA native plants need a dormancy period in late summer/fall – but some still bloom then
Plants from riparian and Sonoran Desert communities naturally grow in late summer/ fall – can be used for fall color
© Project SOUND
* San Diego Sunflower – Viguiera laciniata
http://image57.webshots.com/157/1/52/8/2588152080044943617JdrPNe_fs.jpg
© Project SOUND
* San Diego Sunflower – Viguiera laciniata
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1962,1963
Local endemic: San Diego Co. south to Baja/Sonora
Arid Diegan Sage Scrub is typically the preferred habitat of this species
Shrubby slopes at lower elevations
http://image38.webshots.com/38/0/77/98/2467077980044943617gnUeOB_fs.jpg
Some believe this species should
be Bahiopsis laciniata
© Project SOUND
San Diego Sunflower – like Encelia but
more delicate looking
Size: 1-3 ft tall
1-3 ft wide
Growth form: Sub-shrub with woody base
Many herbaceous stems – mounded form
Evergreen to semi-deciduous
Foliage: Medium green
Leaves hairy & resinous; coarsely toothed & fairly narrow
© 2005 Aaron Schusteff
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Bahiopsis_laciniata.html
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Flowers are pure gold
Blooms: May bloom year-round with
a little water
Main bloom usually Jan-June
Flowers: Typical sunflower head, but
delicate looking – to 1” across
Color: bright golden yellow ray & disk flowers
Showy and cheery
Seeds: Typical for sunflowers –
eaten by birds & animals
© 2005 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
Sunflowers are easy to
propagate from seed
Use fresh seed
Most need no special treatment for good germination
Plant in late winter –like the rainwater
Seedlings are often quite hardy
http://hazmac.biz/050725/050725ViguieraLaciniata.html
© Project SOUND
San Diego Sunflower
is easy to grow Soils:
Texture: just about any – sandy to clay
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to part shade –
probably best in full sun near the coast
Water: Winter: adequate – but no
standing water
Summer: occasional to regular water will keep it looking nice (Zone 2 to 3) – good for transition areas.
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© 2005 Aaron Schusteff © Project SOUND
San Diego Sunflower
– lots of spring color
As an accent shrub – adds early color and keeps on blooming
Great on slopes and hillsides – soil stabilization
Fine with native grasses, shrubs, annual wildflowers – choose nice color contrasts
Great addition to the habitat garden – attracts butterflies, other insects & birds
http://camissonia.blogspot.com/2010/03/well-ill-be-bramble-green-hairstreak.html
Bramble Green Hairstreak (Callophyrs
dumetorum)
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
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© Project SOUND
Viguiera parishii – a desert species
Full sun
Very well-drained soils
Low water (Zone 1-2)
http://www.delange.org/Viguiera/Viguiera.htm
http://www.delange.org/Viguiera/Viguiera.htm
http://www.azhikinggallery.com/galleryintro.asp?galleryid=spurcrossranch_042107
© Project SOUND
Trick # 5: use ‘season extenders’ –
shrubs with a long blooming season
Give a sense of continuity through the seasons
Get a lot of bang for your buck - and many are long-lived
Can be used as the ‘backbone’ of your color plan – use other plants as accents
Are often readily available in native plant nurseries/sales – they know what people want!
© Project SOUND
Trick # 6: use light/bright colors to add ‘light’
to dark areas – use light/dark contrast
Adds a cheerful note in winter & a cool note in summer
A little color goes a long way in dark areas of the garden
© Project SOUND
* Canyon Sunflower – Venegasia carpesioides
© 2002 Lynn Watson
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© Project SOUND
* Canyon Sunflower – Venegasia carpesioides
The single species of its genus
Found in Southwestern CA from central Ca to Baja
Locally in the Santa Monica, San Gabriel Mtns.
Shaded canyons, moist wooded slopes & stream banks in southern oak woodland, chaparral and coastal sage scrub below 3000'
http://kristamaxwell.com/garden/images/photos/native_plant_album/Venegasia%20carpesioides.JPG
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3611899047_a65fb22e49.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
Canyon Sunflower is like a daintier, perennial version
of the Annual Sunflower Size:
3-5 ft tall
3-6 ft wide
Growth form: Sub-shrub with a woody base
Shape mounded to irregular – think ‘chrysanthemum-like’
Drought deciduous
Foliage: Bright to medium green – very
woodsy looking
Leaves shaped like annual sunflower
Some think it has a disagreeable odor
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/venegasia-carpesioides
© Project SOUND
Flowers will light up
the garden
Blooms: Long bloom period – at least
most of spring
Usually from Mar/Apr to June, then again in cooler fall
Flowers: Lovely yellow sunflower heads
Large – ‘dahlia-like’ – 2” across
Color looks spectacular against bright green foliage or dark background
Attract many pollinators
Seeds: attract seed-eaters
© 2004 Dr. Daniel L. Geiger
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Image:Venegasia_carpesioides_02.JPG
© Project SOUND
Canyon Sunflower
likes shade & water
Soils: Texture: very adaptable – clay is
fine
pH: any local
Light: Likes some shade altho’ OK in full
sun
Excellent choice for high shade under tree, N side of structures
Water: Winter: adequate
Summer: looks best with some water (Zone 2 to 2-3) but quite drought tolerant
Fertilizer: fine with an organic mulch
Other: prune back hard (like Encelia) after fall bloom period)
© 2010 Anna Bennett
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© Project SOUND
Canyon Sunflower solves
some garden problems
One of our best choices for showy flowers in shady places – consider it for any dark area
Good choice for bank/slope stabilization - excellent for shady ‘creek banks’ – natural or man-made
Great for rain gardens
? Near the vegetable garden
Great with Melic Grass & shade-loving annuals like Chinese Houses, Baby Blue-eyes
http://santabarbarahikes.com/flowers/index.php?action=show_item&id=37&search=
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Image:Venegasia_carpesioides_02.JPG © Project SOUND
Trick # 7 : use white foliage to give the
illusion of color in any season
© Project SOUND
Viguiera laciniata, Diplacus puniceus, Diplacus
aurantiacus, Encelia farinosa
http://image42.webshots.com/42/1/15/68/2307115680044943617JstPeE_fs.jpg
© Project SOUND
Trick # 8 : Use fall-blooming shrubs/perennials
for a boost of color in Sept-Oct
For yellow/white flowers consider:
Goldenbushes Mock Heather Rabbitbush Coyote Bush Goldenrods Mulefat
For orange/red CA Fuschia – several
different colors Buckwheat (seed heads)
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Coast Goldenbush – Isocoma menziesii
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Two Coastal Goldenbushes
Similar growth habit and flowers; fall blooming (Aug-Oct) Coast Goldenbush: foliage lighter; leaves rounder, softer, Sawtooth Goldenbush: foliage stiffer, prickly
Coastal Goldenbush – Isocoma menziesii Sawtooth Goldenbush – Hazardia squarrosa
© Project SOUND
Goldenbushes are easy to grow in our
area… Soils:
Texture: any, even clay
pH: any, even alkali
Light: full sun best
Water: Young plants: need some water to
get going – plant in fall
Summer: little to moderate (Zone 2); looks better with occasional water
Fertilizer: none (although probably wouldn’t hurt it)
Other: even tolerates seaside conditions Cut back yearly in the fall after
bloom © Project SOUND
Yellow-flowered bush sunflowers can add color during
nearly every season
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© Project SOUND
Trick # 9: use masses of color – in
selected areas, as accents
Mother Nature’s garden: Massed flowers used as accents –
against a background of green or gold
Massed color is not required all year long – it’s often a seasonal treat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13828934@N00/3413979138/
© Project SOUND
CA Prickly Phlox – Leptodactylon californicum
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
CA Prickly Phlox – Leptodactylon californicum
Outer Coastal ranges from central CA to Orange Co
Locally in Santa Monica & San Gabriel Mtns
In scrub vegetation - Ceanothus cuneatus, Adenostema fasciculatum – usually on E. or W-facing slopes
AKA *Linanthus californicus
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/leptodactylon-californicum
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5654,5802,5803
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/157072/ © Project SOUND
Prickly Phlox – the name says it all…
Size: < 2 ft tall
1-2 ft wide
Growth form: Drought-deciduous perennial
sub-shrub
Mounded form
Foliage: Bright green in spring/early
summer
Very narrow, sharp leaves – esp. when dry – typical of the native phlox
Roots: deep & vigorous; use a large pot/planter
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/157072/
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© Project SOUND
Flowers are magical…
Blooms: in spring - usually Mar-May in western L.A. Co.; about 1+ month
Flowers: Look like phlox or Vinca – very
old-fashioned look
Color: usually pale magenta, but may be very pale pink – even white
Plant is covered with flowers – literally a mound of blooms
Sweet-musty scent in late afternoon-evening
Attracts many butterflies, hummingbirds & other insects
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/leptodactylon-californicum
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Leptodactylon_californicum © Project SOUND
Phlox like it dry Soils:
Texture: wide variety, but must be well-drained or roots will rot
pH: any local
Light: Full sun
Water: Winter: adequate
Summer: needs summer dry period after flowering – Zone 1 or 1-2
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: cut back the stems after flowering to keep is compact
© 2009 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
Place Prickly Phlox wisely
As an attractive and interesting pot plant – move it during the ‘ugly phase’
In a rock garden – as in nature
Mixed with other obligate summer-dry species (Penstemons; native grasses; annuals)
Away from edges of paths, other traffic areas
Great for dry slopes – other ‘dry problem areas’
http://www.wildscaping.com/plants/plantprofiles/Leptodactylon_californicum.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Leptodactylon_californicum © Project SOUND
Trick # 10: consider using groundcovers
or perennials for accent colors
Often have green foliage for a long period – especially with a little summer water
Can be used in conjunction with native bulbs or annual wildflowers
Some have masses of blooms (Erigeron glaucus)
Others have fewer – but lovely – flowers, fruit, leaves
Sometimes less can be more – the contrast of a lovely flower against green foliage
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© Project SOUND
Sticky Cinquefoil – Potentilla glandulosa
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=23900 © Project SOUND
Sticky Cinquefoil – Potentilla glandulosa
A plant of the West
Much of CA except S. deserts & Great Central Valley
Dryish to moist, open places from seashore to timberline – many plant communities
Many ssp. proposed and/or accepted – quite variable and will no doubt change
Resembles California Horkelia enough to confuse and frustrate, especially when the plants are not flowering.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6824,6838
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/6/poteglan.htm
© Project SOUND
Genus Potentilla Annual, biennial or perennial herb
Somewhat resemble strawberries but usually having dry, inedible fruit (hence the name 'Barren Strawberry' for some species).
Leaves divided into leaflets arranged palmately like the fingers of a hand (3 – 15 leaflets).
Five-petalled flowers are borne over a long period of time from spring to summer.
The flowers are usually yellow, butcan be white, pinkish or red.
Potentilla species are used as food plants by larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) species.
Some species of Potentilla are grown as ornamental plants, while some are used in herbalism
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/6/poteglan.htm © Project SOUND
Sticky Cinquefoil – like a large strawberry plant
Size: 1-2 ft tall
1-2 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial
Erect to tufted
Dies back to woody root in fall/winter
Foliage: Medium green – very hairy &
sticky
Pinnately compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets
Tea or tonic made from leaves
© 2007 Michelle Cloud-Hughes
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© Project SOUND
Flowers are usually yellow
Blooms: Long bloom season – late
spring through summer
Judicious summer water keeps it blooming May-Aug
Flowers: Strawberry-like (or
Horkelia-like)
Usually a bright yellow
Bloom pattern like strawberries
Good butterfly nectar plant
Vegetative reproduction: divisions in spring - easy
© 2006 David McClurg
© 2007 Michelle Cloud-Hughes © Project SOUND
Cinquefoils are easy.. Soils:
Texture: just about any except very heavy clays
pH: any local
Light: Full sun with regular water
Part-shade probably works best
Water: Winter: good winter rains
Summer: very adaptable – Zone 1-2 to 2-3; Zone 2 or more for long bloom season.
Fertilizer: not picky – would be fine with ½ strength fertilizer
© 2007 California Native Plant Society
© 2007 Matt Below
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for Sticky
Cinquefoil
As an attractive pot plant – grow like a strawberry
Nice addition to a rock garden – lush-looking with Sedums
Good in mixed groundcovers (with Yarrow, Strawberries)
Along paths and walkways
In a woodland garden
For streamside or bordering a lawn
In the herb garden
http://www.thefloweringgarden.com/potentilla.htm
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/plants/5petal/rose/potentilla/glandulosagland.html © Project SOUND
Trick # 11 : you don’t need a lot of color at any
one time – just some, strategically placed
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Use annual wildflowers for spots of
seasonal color
Spring-Summer are the peak annual wildflower seasons – most species bloom 2-4 weeks
Wide range of color, size, other characteristics – we are extremely lucky
Serial sowing can provide a long bloom season with some species
Clarkias & Gilias do well with serial sowing
Plant in 2-3 week intervals for color from spring to summer
Be sure that seedlings get enough summer water
© Project SOUND
Trick # 12 : use containers for seasonal
color – the ‘color bowl’ trick
Allows you to showcase plants at their peak of flowering – and remove them during their resting season
Allows you to have your color up close – on patio or balcony
Allows you to use bulbs/corms while you are reproducing them – good for rare or expensive bulbs
Works especially well for plants with requisite summer dry period – bulbs & annual wildflowers
Use a single species or mix – bulbs and contrasting color wildflowers are magical!
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/TriteleiaSp
eciesThree
© Project SOUND
Ithuriel’s Spear – Triteleia laxa
http://www.prod.bulbsonline.org/ibc/en/publiek/collection.jsf/Information/spring-blooming-bulbs/triteleia-laxa;jsessionid=AC136357DA08D01EBB6BF2ED0434206D © Project SOUND
Ithuriel’s Spear – Triteleia laxa
Foothills of CA
Locally on Catalina Isl. & possibly in Hollywood Hills
Open forests, mixed conifer or foothill woodlands, grasslands on clay soils from sea level to ~ 6000 ft.
Common where it occurs
Highly variable – may be more than one species/ssp
Favorite garden ‘bulb’ for long time
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102032
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8655,8669
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© Project SOUND http://www.csuchico.edu/biol/Herb/curator/bidwell_park_03-30-05/Slopes_above_Day_Camp_3-30-05.htm
Ithuriel’s Spear in nature – clues to its use
© Project SOUND
Ithuriel’s Spear:
perennial from a corm
Size: < 2 ft tall
< 2 ft wide
Growth form: Perennial from a corm
Summer/fall dormant – dies back to the corm – typical of native bulbs
Foliage: Rather wide, strap-like leaves
Medium-green
Often die back before flowering
Tip: protect foliage from snails/slugs
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Triteleia_laxa
http://www.csuchico.edu/biol/Herb/curator/bidwell_park_03-30-
05/Slopes_above_Day_Camp_3-30-05.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers are irresistible!
Blooms: Late spring/early summer - usually
Apr-June
Varies with rain & temperature
Flowers: Clustered on tall (above native
grasses) naked stalk – kind of like Agapanthus
Flowers usually light blue to pale violet but may be dark violet to almost white
Funnel-shaped like Brodiaeas
favorite pollen and nectar source
for bees & butterflies
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~sac1/images/ChambSchlising1.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Triteleia_laxa
© Project SOUND
Growing native bulbs
from bulbs/corms
Order from reputable sources Far West Bulbs
Teleos Rare Bulbs
Rancho Santa Ana fall sale
Bulbs usually shipped in fall – ready to plant
Easy – just plant about 4-6” deep (they will reach their own preferred depth within a year)
Will multiply – generally need to dig and replant every 3-4 years to keep them productive
This corm can be eaten raw or baked – protect from gophers, etc.
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/TriteleiaSpeciesThree
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Triteleia_laxa_'Queen_Fabiola'
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© Project SOUND
Growing bulbs/corm
plants from seed
Let pods/capsules dry on plant until they start to open; watch – may happen quickly
Generally quite easy with no pre-treatment required for locally – northern/mountain grown may require 1 mo. cold-moist treatment
Sow in late fall in pots or tubs – you can even leave in the same pot for first 2 years
Takes 3-4 years for bulbs to be large enough for flowering
Tracey Slotta @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009/10/seeds-and-cuttings-and-bulbs-and.html
© Project SOUND
Ithuriel’s Spear is one
of our easiest bulbs Soils:
Texture: any but heaviest clays
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to quite shady – best
full sun to light shade
Fine under high trees
Water: Winter: adequate while leaves
are actively growing
Summer: start tapering off water when flowering stalks appear. Needs summer/fall rest – Zone 1
Fertilizer: none to light dose (in pots)
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TRLA16
© Project SOUND
Versatile native bulbs
& corms
Some of the best plants for pots/containers – pair with native annual wildflowers for a great show even on patios
Massed as an accent plant – remember that they need summer/fall dry
With native grasses in a natural meadow or prairie – remember, our native prairies were not just grasses
In rock gardens or along paths
In pollinator/butterfly gardens
http://www.notsogreenthumb.org/shows/chelsea_flower_show/chelsea_flower_show2003_page3.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Triteleia_laxa © Project SOUND
Available from native plant sources & Holland bulb companies
Large, intense blue flowers
Grows well in gardens
‘Queen Fabiola’
http://www.americanmeadows.com/SpringFlowerBulbs/Others/Trite
leiaQueenFabiolaFlowerBulbs.aspx
http://www.marthastewart.com/plant/triteleia-laxa-
queen-fabiola
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© Project SOUND
‘Corrina’
Violet flowers with violet-purple tips & veins
Very showy in early summer
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Triteleia_laxa_'Corrina'
http://www.millergarden.org/garden/summer/summer-8.jpg
© Project SOUND
Trick # 13 : use color contrasts to make
the most of available color
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Triteleia-laxa/
© Project SOUND
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/TEACH/floral/complements.jpg
Complementary colors
Are opposite on the color wheel
Have the most contrast in hue (color) of any color combination
Make a bold graphic statement
Make the brighter hue seem to “advance”
Lively – seem to be constantly in motion
http://www.fiber-
images.com/Free_Things/Reference_Charts/color_wheel.ht
m
© Project SOUND
* Harvest Brodiaea – Brodiaea elegans
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/Brodiaea/Brodiaea_elegans_br3.jpg
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© Project SOUND
* Harvest Brodiaea – Brodiaea elegans
S. OR to N. CA – San Francisco area as well as the foothills – perhaps also in S. CA (much taxonomic dispute)
Found on grassy slopes, gravelly prairies, and rocky bluffs overlooking the sea.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8438,8446
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BREL
© Project SOUND
Brodiaea’s confusing taxonomy
First specimens collected by Archibald Menzies, botanist to the Vancouver Expedition, in 1792.
The first published reference in James Edward Smith's 1807 An introduction to physiological and systematical botany.
The taxonomists have been arguing ever since
Different current systems place the genus in three different families. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group place it in family
Themidaceae. Many other modern authors place it in the family
Alliaceae. Older but still widely used sources such as ITIS
place the Triplet lilies in the family Liliaceae
Brodiaea (or Brodeia) is also used as a common name to refer to three genera, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, and Triteleia. The latter two genera were once included as part of the genus Brodiaea
Gladys Lucille Smith © California Academy o
f Sciences
© Project SOUND
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/3petal/lily/brodiaea/harvest.htm
© Project SOUND
Harvest Brodiaea – an elegant perennial
Size: 1-2 ft tall
1-2 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial from a
corm
Dies back to corm in summer
Foliage: Strap-like leaves
Usualy die back before flowering
Roots: A small corm
http://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/taxpage/0
/0/79/binomial/Brodiaea%20elegans.html
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© Project SOUND
Flowers are sweetly
old-fashioned
Blooms: usually in late spring/early
summer – after the grasses have turned dry
May-June in our area
Flowers: Usually pale violet – may be
darker or lighter – seem to glow when contrasted with golden grasses or CA Poppies
Very attractive open funnel-form
Good for cut flowers
Seeds: Small dark seeds
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BREL
http://www.hillkeep.ca/bulbs%20brodiaea.htm
© Project SOUND
Harvest Brodiaea: easy to please
Soils: Texture: best in heavy clay soils
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to part-shade
Water: Winter: needs good moisture
when leaves are growing – storing nutrients for next year
Summer: cut down water as flowering winds down – dry after that.
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: may need to provide support; thin corms every 3-4 years – when flowers become smaller
© 2009 Terry Dye
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BREL
© Project SOUND
Brodiaea – easy color
for the garden
Excellent color when massed – really spectacular for 3-4 weeks
In native prairie/grassland plantings – take your cues from Mother Nature
As an attractive pot plant – pair with Clarkias or Red Maids
Along walkways
In a rock garden
In those ‘small, difficult to water’ areas with Penstemons, native grasses
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Brodiaea
SpeciesOne
© Project SOUND
Design tip: Bulbs are invisible 6 months of the year, so place them
around existing shrubs, perennials, and bunchgrasses which will command interest when the bulbs go dormant.
© 2005 Steven Thorsted
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© Project SOUND
Maintenance tip: In early summer, remove the dried stalks for neatness. Be sure to collect the seeds for propagation or for trading.
© Project SOUND
Tip # 14 : make your own ‘sequence of
bloom’ calendar
Note color periods for flowering/ fruiting plants in your garden – do this over several years. You’ll find it fascinating & useful.
If your results differ greatly from our plant information sheets, let me know – I’ll revise the sheets
© Project SOUND
‘Some of the most reliable plants in my garden are California native bulbs. They bring seasonal color and variety to the garden, and give it a sense of place (“This is California!”) and a sense of time: they are the markers of spring glory.’
© Project SOUND
Tip # 14 : make your own ‘sequence of
bloom’ calendar
Visit local native plant gardens/ preserves throughout the year – bring your camera & notebook
Visit native plant nurseries at times when your garden needs a little color – see what’s blooming
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© Project SOUND
Trick # 15 : use selected non-native
species that are compatible with natives
Ones that have special meaning for you
Ones with colors/bloom times not available in natives
Just be sure they are compatible:
Color palette Garden requirements:
Water Soil type Fertilizer
© Project SOUND
Trick # 16 : learn from Mother Nature – relax
and enjoy the differences from year to year
No two years will be exactly alike – rain, temperature & other factors influence timing/extent of flowering
Relax – you don’t need to have ‘oceans of color’ all the time
Try to correlate differences in bloom calendar with weather patterns, garden conditions, etc. This may be important information as we meet climate change conditions
http://www.rizreyes.com/Triteleia_Corrina.html
© Project SOUND
16 tricks for year-round color in a ‘New S.
California Garden’
1. Choose a workable color scheme
2. Plant an evergreen background
3. Use hardscape for year-round color
4. Extend the bloom season with judicious summer water
5. Use ‘season extenders’ as backbone plants
6. Use light/bright flowers to add ‘light’ to dark areas
7. Use silver/white foliage to give the illusion of color
8. Use fall-blooming shrubs/perennials for a boost of color in Sept-Oct
© Project SOUND
16 tricks for year-round color in a ‘New S.
California Garden’
9. Use masses of color – in selected areas, as accents 10. Consider using groundcovers or perennials for
accent colors 11. You don’t need a lot of color at any one time – just
enough, strategically placed 12. Use containers for seasonal color 13. Use color contrasts to make the most of available
color 14. Create a ‘sequence of bloom’ calendar for your
garden 15. Use selected non-native species to fill in ‘gaps’ 16. Relax and enjoy the differences from year to year
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© Project SOUND
Let’s go see some May color