Let's Talk Plants!

By Susan Lewitt for Let's Talk Plants! October 2021. Red Bush Monkey Flower, Diplacus puniceus aka Mimulus aurantiacus var. puniceus, has...

By Susan Lewitt. Monarchs love milkweed, and happily for San Diego, there are several indigenous species. Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Asclepias...

By Susan Lewitt. Here are some sweet native plants to consider that give you edible treats: Blue Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp....

Have you noticed ice plant all around San Diego? The mats of dry woody material that it forms? Problems with this invasive plant lie in its

If you are thinking about landscaping your front or back yard, try not to overlook this showstopper! There are many things to love about the

Spring in a non-native plant garden can be a wondrous time of colorful blooms from bulbs; tulips, ranunculus, daffodils, etc. But what about

Imagine a natural, low-water garden blooming with the beautiful and unique flora of California native plants, attracting a large diversity

Can I get your attention by suggesting that you grow some wooly knees? Eriogonum (erion meaning “wool” and gonu meaning “knee” or “joint” in

Pick up a postcard of San Diego. What do you see besides iconic landmarks? Mexican Fan Palms, Washingtonia robusta, Canary Island Date Palms

Summer is the time. Time to get out and get some gardening done. Time to stay active in the yard during COVID-19. Time to kill your invasive

The Sumac family, Anacardiaceae, contains a rather odd variety of plants: the yummy, familiar mango, pistachio and cashew but also poison oa

Elton John sang eloquently about the "Circle of Life" but I think it was a limited circle focused on generations. To an ecologist, the circl

Biodiversity impacts us in endless ways. It affects our health, our food, the natural beauty seen around us, air, water, soil, and environme

If you are looking to dive into plants not just native to California, but native to San Diego to give your garden a truly local character, t

When you think about planting your garden, consider California native plants; they can be a perfect fit! Native plants need minimal water,

The Mediterranean climate of San Diego carries the reputation of year-round garden blooms, the forever spring of a warm temperate environmen

The Broomrape family are parasites with specialized structures on the roots for taking food, water and nutrients from the host plants.

One of the plant strategies for surviving in dry climates is the occurrence of annual flowers with long-lasting seeds that will survive seve

By Linda Jones. As I was driving through a newer development recently, I was struck by the similarity of all of the gardens: each had a...

By Bobbie Stephenson. Other than Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve near the coast, San Diego only has coniferous forests on its highest...

By Clayton Tschudy. Native flowers come in all colors, but yellows, blues, and purples are most common. When red does occur, the plant is...

By Linda Jones. I drove up Interstate 5 at the end of March to central California and everything was so alive with color and greenery....

By Bobbie Stephenson. Although most people think of the desert when they hear about a super bloom, this year the flowers in our coastal...

By Clayton Tschudy. The amazing diversity of California native plants provides a treasure chest of incredible horticultural opportunities...

By Linda Jones. My neighbors recently replanted their front garden using several species of California native grasses, along with...

By Bobbie Stephenson. This is February and the spring bloom in the desert is gearing up! March is probably the best time to visit the...

By Clayton Tschudy. In coastal San Diego, we are blessed with several shrubs from the daisy family (Asteraceae) that bloom late in the...

By Linda Jones. The family Solanaceae is an oddity. Some of our most important vegetables and fruits are in this family: tomatoes,...

By Bobbie Stephenson. California fuchsia (Epilobium canum), also called hummingbird flower and hummingbird trumpet, is the best species...

By Susan Krzywicki. Native Plants: Good News, Bad News Popularity is always a double-edged sword. While it is nice to see California...

By Linda Jones. One reason I garden with native plants is to recover a little of the lost habitat for wildlife. One fun plant that...

By Bobbie Stephenson. The evergreen bladderpod (Peritoma arborea; previously Cleome isomeris and Isomeris arborea), with its silvery-gray...

By Susan Krzywicki. Canyons are an important element in the rich, biodiverse natural landscape of San Diego. The La Jolla Historical...

By Linda Jones. Sages are the workhorses of the native garden. Salvia, or sages, can provide attractive habitat, colorful blooms most of...

By Bobbie Stephenson. During the recent native garden tour put on by the San Diego chapter of the California Native Plant Society, a...

By Susan Krzywicki. Editor's Note: The Tecate cypress is an endangered species, and it's one of the many plants that the San Diego Zoo...

By Linda Jones: This time of year is usually the time to plan a walk—through your garden or to a natural area—to enjoy the colorful...

By Bobbie Stephenson. San Diego County is home to three species of wild roses: California wild rose (Rosa californica), bald-hip rose...

By Lee Gordon. Trichostema lanatum, or woolly blue curls, may be San Diego’s most beautiful native shrub, but it has a reputation for...

By Linda Jones. When Spanish galleons sailed up the coast in the 1700s, the explorers called Alta California “la tierra del fuego,” not...

By Bobbie Stephenson. Anna’s hummingbirds are our most common species and reside year-round in many different native habitats and also in...

By Susan Krzywicki. Root zone irrigation for trees has been a staple of conventional gardening, and this technique is being used to mimic...

By Pat Pawlowski. Sorry. You know I mean that Mexican Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) is a VERY good plant. How good? Let me count the...

By Bobbie Stephenson. During these hot summer days, you might want to spend some time thinking about the native species you would like to...

By: Susan Krzywicki. Starting on the adventure of using California Natives can be daunting at times. So many plants…so many new names…but...

By Pat Pawlowski. And just in case your nose doesn’t know, it’s about to get educated. Some California native plants will cause your nose...

By Bobbie Stephenson. Adaptations to Aridity We are having a glorious spring because the rains have been spaced to allow the germination...

By Pat Pawlowski. Well, I do not actually live in a valley, but it is green (at least part of it). Of course, out here in Southern...

By Susan Krzywicki. Wildflowers for your Garden If you have seen those pretty wildflower packets in nurseries, some of which say...