| I need help in deciding what to plant on a west-facing slope in my front yard. This is the area just past the sidewalk & before the lawn. I live in Long Beach, CA. Most of the slope gets sun all day. A small portion gets only afternoon sun. It gets very hot here July thru September. I'd like plants that flower, maybe at different times of the year. I like pinks, purples, white, blues. I don't like yellow & orange. I need to consider water usage, too, although I don't want desert plants. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much, Adrienne Snowden |
| Here are some suggestions for drought-tolerant groundcovers: Achillea ageratifolia (Greek yarrow) 2-3" Gray-green foliage; spreading. Achillea tomentosa(Woolly yarrow) 2-4" Grayish foliage in low mats. Alyssum montanum(Mountain alyssum) 4-12" Yellow flowers; gray-green foliage; good for rock gardens. Anacyclus pyrethrum var. depressus (Mount Atlas daisy) 1-3" White daisies with red undersides; silvery foliage. Antennaria dioica (Pussytoes) 1-2" Persistent gray-green foliage in dense mats; excellent for rocky slopes. Arabis caucasica (alpina) Rockcress, 6-9" Soft, gray, spreading foliage; common variety is 'Snowcap'. Artemisia spp. (Sage) 10-15" Silvery foliage; A. schmidtiana (silver mound sage) most common. Aubrieta deltoidea (False rockcress) 4-6" Several varieties; mat-like foliage. Aurinia saxatilis (Basket-of-gold) 8-18" Shear after bloom; good for rock gardens. Callirhoe involucrata (Poppy mallow, winecups) 4-12" Trailing stems with saucer-like flowers. Centaurea montana (Perennial bachelor button) 15-18" Grayish foliage; blue flowers. Cerastium tomentosum (Snow-in-summer) 6" Gray foliage; white flowers; very aggressive. Coreopsis auriculata (Dwarf coreopsis) 5-15" Stoloniferous mats of slender leaves; orange or yellow blooms in summer. Delosperma cooperi (Purple ice plant) 2-4" Succulent foliage turns reddish in winter; purple flowers. Delosperma nubigenum (Yellow ice plant) 1-2" Succulent, light-green foliage; yellow flowers. Duchesnea indica (Mock strawberry) 4-6" Aggressive creeper; looks much like strawberry; yellow flowers; inedible, red fruit. Eriogonum umbellatum (Sulphur flower) 6-12" Showy flower stalk to 8 inches tall; foliage in low mat. Euphorbia polychroma (Cushion spurge) 12-18" Mounds of foliage that change from reddish to green in spring, then scarlet in fall. Festuca ovina glauca (Blue fescue) 6-8" Tufts of grayish, grassy foliage. Frangaria vesca (Runnerless strawberry) 2-6" Native strawberry; small edible berries. Gypsophila repens (Creeping baby's breath) 4-6" Gray-green foliage; trailing Nepeta x faassenii (Catmint) 15-36" Commonly sold varieties are ?Six Hills Giant? and ?Walker?s Low?. Oenothera speciosa (Mexican evening primrose) 6-12" Spreads quickly; may become invasive; pink blooms. Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper Vine) Can use as vine or groundcover; aggressive; red fall color; commonly sold variety is ?Engelmannii?. Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf penstemon) 6-10" Has needle-like leaves and orange-red flowers; takes heat well. Phlox subulata (Creeping phlox) 6-8" Reddish, white or lavender flowers; moss-like foliage. Polygonum affine (Himalayan border jewel) 12-18" Red, showy flowers late in season; excellent ground cover for dry areas. Polygonum aubertii (Silverlace vine) Vine Aggressive vine usable as ground cover. Potentilla nepalensis ?Miss Willmott? (Miss Willmott cinquefoil) 10-16" Strawberry-like leaves; rosy-red flowers that bloom in June and July. Potentilla neumanniana ?Nana? (Dwarf creeping potentilla) 2-4 Very low mat with yellow, showy flowers; aggressive. Prunella grandiflora (Self-heal) 8-12" Dense mat; several varieties; can grow in part shade. Prunella laciniata (Lacy self heal) 8-12" Fuzzy evergreen foliage; can grow in part shade. Prunus besseyi (Pawnee Buttes sandcherry) 15-18" Similar to native sandcherry but with a low, spreading habit; woody plant. Rhus aromatica ?Gro-low? (?Gro-low? Fragrant sumac) 24-26" Vibrant orange-red fall color; very drought tolerant; woody plant; can spread up to 8 feet in diameter. Rosa x ?Sea Foam? (Creeping buttercup) 24-36" Double-white blooms; trailing groundcover or over walls; can spread up to 6 feet in diameter. Santolina chamaecyparissus (Lavender-cotton) 12-18 Blue-gray, persistent foliage in dense mats. Saponaria ocymoides (Rock soapwort) 6-12" Pink blooms in May and June; shear after bloom. Sedum spp. (Stonecrop (sedum) 1-15" Many forms available; not usually competitive with weeds. Sempervivum spp. (Houseleek, hen and chicks) 2-4 Forms dense, evergreen mats; grows in very poor soils. Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ear) 8-10" Furry, gray leaves resemble a lamb?s ear; can be invasive unless flowerless varieties are used. Symphoricarpos x chenaulti (?Hancock? Hancock coralberry) 24-36" Can spread to 12 feet in diameter; stems root where they touch the ground; can grow in filtered shade. Tanacetum densum amani (Partridge feather) 6-8 Finely-cut, silvery-white foliage; yellow blooms in May and June. Teucrium chamaedrys (Germander) 8-12" Dark green leaves; evergreen; erect stems; can be sheared. Thymus praecox (Creeping thyme) 1-4 Low growing, fragrant, evergreen foliage. Thymus praecox ?Pseudolanuginosus? Woolly thyme 1-4 Mat-like, woolly-gray foliage; turns purplish in winter; sparse flowers. Thymus serpyllum (Mother-of-thyme )3-6 Low, mat-forming herb with tiny leaves; gray-green foliage. Thymus x citriodorus (Lemon thyme) 6-12" Lemon-scented foliage. Verbena bipinnatifida (Plains verbena) 3-6 Deeply-cut foliage; sprawling stems up to 18 inches. Veronica filiformis (Birdseye speedwell) 1-3" Grows quickly; blue flowers bloom June through August. Veronica liwanensis (Turkish veronica) 1-4 Dark green leaves and cobalt blue flowers bloom in May and June. Veronica pectinata (Woolly veronica) 1-2 Low growing; gray foliage; evergreen some winters. Veronica prostrata (Prostrate speedwell) 1-2 Dark green foliage; deep blue flowers in short spikes. Zauschneria garrettii (Orange Carpet California fuchsia) 4-12" Good for cascading over walls; orange tubular flowers in September and August. Hope this list is helpful! |
