California Natives at Merritt Summer 2009

Our California native plant collection is growing. All of the plants are ready for fall planting this October.
Aesculus californica
Anemopsis californica
Aquilegia formosa
Arbutus menziesii
Arctostaphylos paharoensis 'Warren Roberts'
Arctostaphylos pallida
Arctostaphylos uva ursi 'San Bruno Mountain'
Armerica maritima
Baccharis sp. (low)
Berberis aquifolium
Ceanothus sp. (similar to C. grisus horizontalis
Dormera peltata
Epilobium canum
Erigeron divergens
Eriogonum arborescens
Eriogonum compositum
Eriogonum douglassii
Eriogonum giganteum
Eriogonum saxitile
Eriogonum wrightii
Erogonum umbellatum
Festuca glauca
Festuca 'Siskiyou Blue'
Fremontedendron californicum
Galvesia speciosa
Globularia sacrophylla
Hazardia detonsa
Heuchera cylindrica
Hierochloe occidentalis
Iris douglasiana
Lupinu arboreus
Mahonia nevinii
Manzanita sp. (low)
Melica imperfecta
Mimulus various
Myrica californica
Nasella cernua
Nasella pulchra
Oxalis oregana
Penstemon cardwellii
Penstemon heterophyllus
Penstemon sp. (garden collected from Rancho Santa Ana Garden)
Penstemon sp. (wild collected Valerymo CA 4500')
Penstemon spectabilis
Prunus ilicifolia
Rhododendron occidentale
Romanzoffia californica
Salvia 'Bee's Bliss'
Salvia clevelandii 'Celestial Blue'
Salvia leucophylla
Salvia munzii
Salvia munzii x brandegeii
Salvia sonomensis
Sidalcea malviflora v. asprulla
Sisyrinchium bellum (dwarf)
Sisyrinchium californicum
Stryax officinalis
Tellima grandiflora
Vaccinium ovatum
Verbena lilacena

Salvia sclarea 'Turkestanica alba'

Salvia sclarea 'Turkestanica alba' setting bud, before bloom, in bloom
Betsy Clebsch in "The New Book of Salvias" calls the plant "... stately in structure" and "... is among our most arresting border plants." In my garden, this perennial salvia has been a friendly companion. When it is out of bloom it is low, rough-leaved, and evergreen. About May when it starts to grow--it becomes taller, the leaves get larger, and the bloom spike with white flowers begins developing. The plant could get to two feet. Early in June the bloom spike adds another foot or more. Perhaps two weeks later the flowers open and is in bloom for about two weeks.

I always have enjoyed this plant because it seems to thrive with little care. It self-sows here and there in a mannerly way. It has naturalized in central Europe. It requires some water, not much, through the summer and seems to do equally well in sun or part shade.

We are selling Salvia sclarea this coming Fall 2009 sale. Also, if you cannot wait, we can sell on any Friday afternoon when volunteers are propagating.