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California Gardening

East Bay plant suggestion? (Dry mostly shade)

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I currently have three dianella tasmanica growing under a Japanese maple, and I'm just sick of them and their spreading. They are just pretty boring. I do like that they are evergreen, I like the size (~3 feet) and I like that they have berries that hang around forever.

Any suggestions for something that is:

1. California native (I'm in east bay of SF near the water)

2. Evergreen or other winter interest that doesn't die back to the ground (thinking like woody ribes, but that' too big)

3. Attractive for bees and birds or produces food for us

4. Can take shade most of the day; these are under some redwoods and get only late afternoon sun, some more than others. One of the plants gets pretty intense afternoon sun, while one gets pretty much no sun. If I need different plants, that's fine too.

5. Is about 3' tall max.

I've considered fuscia, which isn't really native but pretty, monkey flower, which dies back, and ribes, which is too big. I'm also thinking about manzanita, but those seem to be hard to find, especially in a specific size (smaller). Additional suggestions? I'm going to check at Annie's Annual next week and see what's available.

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Comments (4)

Nothing Left to Say
8 years ago
I don't have any specific plant suggestions. I was going to suggest Annie's Annuals. You could try their plant search on the website.
llilibel03zone10bsunset24
8 years ago
Gambelia Speciosa, galvezia speciosa, Island Snap Dragon.

We got ours at the Theodore Payne Native Plant Nursery. It was the only small shrub suited for shade, We have not watered it, it is in total shade (no direct sunlight, and is doing fine. I don't know when the flowers are supposed to come. Haven't seen any yet.
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Thanks so much to Wattleblossum for the great inspiration. I'm embracing the rugged beauty of my difficult garden. I too didn't have much of a clue about north or south facing situations before I bought my house. Boy am I aware now. Of course not long after moving in I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life! The living areas were south facing, the front garden where we invisaged a lawn for our 2 year old was shaded by the house 6 months of the year and pretty much no sun reached the rest, the back yard being higher than the house. But great views of the bush from up there. But rather than wallowing in what seemed at the time bad real estate decisions, I now love my garden (always loved the house) and can see that it will be a very interesting and beautiful place to be, if I succeed in nurturing it. Also thanks to Danili for your suggestions. I'm churning through them. I actually planted a boronia a few weeks ago. It lasted about 3 weeks before curling it's toes and disintigrating in front of my eyes! Am a little scared of them now! A
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The spot is now filled, but my reading is that Erigeron karvinskianus is suppossedly hardy to z5 or 6 (not 15F), but I've never tried to grow it myself. In general things that thrive in CA hate it here, can't grow a thing that likes San Francisco climates (just noting the apparent fact). Also saw recommendation that it prefers cool summers (we don't have that), a comment that it doesn't seem to like summer humidity (we have that), or cold damp winters (we have that), if happy can spread invasively (don't want that). Lol, sounds very iffy and if it really did do well, a nightmare in the making. I appreciate your suggestion, but I think I'll steer clear. No, I have a western wallflower (my own idea...kinda doubtful), blackfoot daisy, and texas craig lily in the hole now. And a purple poppy mallow waiting in the wings in case the something gives up a space.
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gyr_falcon
8 years ago
I am surprised you are able to grow Galvezia in total shade, llilibel. (Since you say yours hasn't bloomed, that isn't your plant in the photo, correct?) I have one beside a shed, where it is in bright reflected light, but no direct sun during the winter (in the summer it will get sun). The leaves are larger than normal, the stems stretched and it hasn't flowered yet. The plant 5' away, but with sunlight, is compact and blooming. It may survive in total shade, but I wonder if it will bloom under those extended conditions.
llilibel03zone10bsunset24
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Ours sounds like yours- stretched stems no flowers. The mandarin gets full sun but anything just to the right is in the fence's shadow all day. I just put the flower box on the fence (full sun) and am looking for something showy and long blooming since the box is centered right in the view from a window.

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