Landscaping: Even More Favorite Plants

I've been back from Alaska for a month now, and have been getting reacquainted with our newly landscaped yard in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm continuing my Favorite Plants series so I can get to know the plants and how to care for them (see Some Favorite Plants and More Favorite Plants for previous postings). The garden flourished while I was away. The plants benefited from light irrigation to help them get established, and from the temperate Bay Area climate. Following are a few more plants that caught my eye.

The Bush Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus, a.k.a, Diplacus aurantiacus) has orange-yellow blossoms and is thriving in one of the front planting areas. In the same planting area is a Cherry Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus 'Cherry') with lovely red blossoms. Both are still producing flowers in November! Monkey flower is a perennial subshrub that grows 4-5 feet high with multiple stems. The stems grow from overwintering buds at the base of the plant, and blossoms develop on the new growth during the growing season. The plants are sometimes called "Sticky Monkey Flower" because the leaves produce a sticky resin that helps protect the shrub. The flowers resemble a monkey's face, attract hummingbirds and bees, but are deer resistant. The plant thrives in a variety of well-drained soils, and prefers full sun near the coast and partial shade inland.

Sticky Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus)

The Oregon Grape or Holly-leaved Barberry (Mahonia aquifolium, a.k.a., Berberis aquifolium) is a flowering plant that requires shade or partial shade, and thrives under oak trees. This one is well situated in the shade of the oak in the main part of the yard. Oregon Grape is native to Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. It is an evergreen shrub with a compact, rounded growth habit (2-3 feet high and 3-5 feet wide in maturity). The leaves are glossy with spiny edges like holly. Clusters of yellow flowers present in spring, followed by edible, blue-black berries in fall. (Could they possibly produce a dye in the future?) The plant attracts birds and bees.

Mahonia (Mahonia aquifolium)

The California Aster (Aster chilensis 'Purple Haze', a.k.a., Symphyotrichum chilense) is perennial plant that is native to coastal California and blooms from summer to fall. It thrives in loamy clay soil with full or partial sun, is drought tolerant but performs best with some water. California Aster blooms from summer to fall with daisy-like flowers (blue and lavender petals and a yellow center). Butterflies and moths are attracted to the nectar, and birds eat the seeds. For maintenance, cut the plant back to the ground in late fall or early winter. New growth appears in late winter and spreads by rhizomes.

California Aster (Aster chilensis 'Purple Haze')

What beautiful and interesting plants! Note that plant names change continually due to new scientific discoveries and reclassification of plants. Where possible, I like to use both old and new names to help with the transition.