© 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

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

Gardening is like enjoying wine…

http://www.michaelassociates.co.uk/blog/tag/wine-tasting

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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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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

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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

© Project SOUND

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

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* 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

© Project SOUND

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

© 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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* 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

© 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

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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)

© Project SOUND

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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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/

© 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

© 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

© 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

© Project SOUND

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

© 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'

© 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

© 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

© 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

© 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

© 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

© 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

© Project SOUND

Let’s go see some May color