'Frost Proof'    the most reliable of the cold-hardy selections, rated by Paul Bonine of Xera Plants (our original source) as good to 5F. Slower and more compact than other types, with narrow foliage and an upright habit to 3' by 3' with time. Besides its cold hardiness it's a useful variety for it's compact size and flower production. Takes full sun well, and though slow it's dependable and survives and thrives when others cut and run. rev 6/2020

'Mystery' (not currently in production)  the well known classic, with very large leaves, long internodes and 4" wide double flowers in late spring. rev 6/2020

‘Radicans’     flowers   to just 1’ tall, 3’ across, with 1" wide flowers produced from spring through fall. This variety regularly displays white and greyish streaks on its very narrow, shiny dark green leaves but the true "Radicans Variegata" is even more heavily marked. rev 6/2020

hybrid (unnamed)  cute little critters   this was something we got by mistake as URCs, and a fortunate mistake it was! Instead of the listed Aloe variegata, we got this little gem. Which may fool some of the people, some of the time, but not us, ever. Rounded leaves with bumps, not lines, you can barely feel them, and little pointy tips. Sometimes one or plantlets will remain bigger and solitary, and smaller pups can micropropagate themselves madly. An excellent container plant. Part sun or all shade. Flowers every year, we'll see what these look like. Protect from cold outside USDA zone 9/Sunset zones 16-24. rev 2/2018

'Green Gold'  compact clusters of dark green leaves speckled with gold spots. Hard, dense, relatively slow growing. rev 2/2018

'Green Ice'   budded 4"    typical leaf pattern variations    a wonderfully chunky, compact, difficult-looking-but-actually-easy study in pale, ghostly grey green stripes and stars against a deep forest green background. The usually-winter flower display is very nice, coral orange tubular flowers displayed on very thin spikes reaching 1-2' above the tightly nested dome of foliage. A slow grower to an eventual 12" x 12" (!!) or even more in venerable display specimens (!!!) this is a hybrid between Gasteria 'Little Warty' and Aloe variegata. Keep it as dry as possible once temps drop below 50F, frost protected if outside. Mostly full sun to half shade, maybe more. rev 3/2018

'Midnight'  coral flowers    (not currently in production)  a slender, stiff, rough leaf, almost black, that comes from Gasteria x Aloe. This a great one to combine in a dish garden, seeing that it gets not much bigger that a foot tall and wide at full clumping maturity. This color would show off special gravel underneath, or colored glass, or polished pebbles. Stalks of orange flowers appear in summer. Sun or part shade, little watering, takes quite a bit of cold for this usually-tropical class of succulent, to 26-32F. USDA zone 9/Sunset 9, 16-24. rev 6/2017

'Royal Highness'  young plant   Gasteria batesiana hybrid x Aloe aristata, this old hybrid grows as a rosette of dark green leaves spangled with tiny white dots that sort of almost line up in informal rows. Tall, narrow stalks of light pink to light coral orange semi-bubble flowers sport natty light green tubular mouths. Sun/mostly shade, or houseplant, or indoor/outdoor porch-patio. Will take outdoor conditions in Northern California over winter if protected from frost and cold, wet soil conditions. For a while, at least. rev 8/2020

Gasteria   a genus of 20 or so species of succulent plants distinguished by leathery strap-shaped leaves and flowers shaped like stomachs (origin of the genus name). Some species grow quite large and can make spectacular display specimens. Closely related to and hybridizing easily with Aloe. Asphodelaceae. Southern Africa. rev 4/2020

batesiana   dramatic   a handsome, easy-to-grow, slow succulent, indoors or out, with long, thick, green and white leaves with a cool to touch, bumpy texture. Starts out in a rosette but will turn into a spiral as it gets older. Blooms every year, stalks of salmon and green flowers. Low maintenance, great container subject. Will take shade all day or some morning sun. Little water, especially in winter. Gasteria is all the good looks of Sean Connery without the maintenance. Sunset zones 17-24/USDA 10. rev 3/2012-Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy. All Suzy.

bicolor     classic Capitola landscape   flowers         a summer rainfall species of the Eastern Cape, highly variable. This form produces long, flattened, broad green leaves to 6-10", mottled with light spots which can aggregate into bands with age, or not, depending on the plant. The clumps look all gentle and approachable until your arm finds the very short, almost invisible spine hiding at the very tip of each apparently smooth leaf. Tall, unbranched flower stalks bear small, very inflated light salmon to deep coral red flowers with green mouths strung vertically, held drooping down against the stalk. The flowers are wonderful but not the primary reason to grow this plant, the display is what you get from the little dynamo  v. liliputana, immediately below. Also only mature plants flower, which can mean a couple of years or more of reaching size. Enjoy it for those wonderful, captivating leaves and sturdy, architectural form. Older plants can also form a caulescent trunk up to 8-12" tall. Considered easy and dependable with good drainage and no frost or extended cold/wet winter soil conditions. rev 4/2021

v. liliputana      little alligators  a small clumping selection (or hybrid), our form has shiny, light and dark green leaves with little sharp tips, and forms a tight clump. Those cute little coral colored balloon flowers appear in spring. Stays under a foot tall, so it's a nice one for the windowsill or small pots. My favorite, and one of my very favorite succulents of all. Part sun or shade. USDA 9a/Sunset zones 17-24. rev 4/2021

glomerata  why it's my favorite succulent   flowers, closer   clustered leaves    very hard, tightly clustered grey green leaves slowly become a dense, semiglobular cluster. Under short days loooong arching spikes bearing chains of small, pendant, round, coral orange pink flowers that provide much more color than you'd think possible from such a small, slow plant. Easy but slow, also forgiving, rewarding and always very classy. Sun or bright shade, easy indoors or out as long as it doesn't stay hot and wet or spend much time below freezing. A natural porch/patio subject, growing into a real bragging-rights specimen. USDA 9a/Sunset zones 17, 21-24. rev 2/2018

hybrid #2    nice clump   flowers   2g crop   we get lots of new varieties in under the wrong or suspicious names, and this is one. It's a good grower, nice, small, tubular pink, white and green flowers on a very tall stalk, but for now it's still just "number two." rev 4/2021

'Litttle Warty'   clump    a little charmer, so easy and undemanding. A succulent for shade or as a houseplant. Small clump of green and white leaves with small bumps, feels smooth and cool like a reptile! Margins and tips are edged in pale jade, against dark green. Slow growing but steady. Flowers every year, little 'stomachs' on a stalk.  Sunset zones 17-23/USDA 10. rev 5/2013-Suzy Brooks

maculata    upright    long, thick leaves of dark green with bumpy white dots. For now, to 6" tall, more later.  Plant in well drained soil in the garden or in containers. Interesting to behold and touch and so easy to grow. Part shade, water when dry, but protect from cold outside Sunset zones 17-24/USDA 9. rev 5/25014-Suzy Brooks

pillansii    a variable but often large grower with strappy, spotted to banded distichous (opposite, non-spiraling) dark green leaves. In late winter it produces tall spikes of light coral pink flowers with yellowish mouths that produce copious nectar and are favorites with hummingbirds. It is highly variable across its range and can vary in size from 5-8" tall by 8-16" across, with a variety of  leaf shapes and spot/band patterns. This form we're growing looks like it will reach to at least 6-8" tall by 10-12" across for a single rosette. Offsets freely by short stolons to form big clumps. This species is unusual in being just a winter-rainfall grower, unlike all the rest which can experience rain at other times of the year. Thus it can actually do quite well outside in California, growing either in pots or garden sites. It will take light to moderate frosts but requires good drainage in all situations. Part to mostly shade exposure, those big green leaves can scorch in full sun. Southern and Western Cape, South Africa, Namibia. rev 4/2020

'Royal Highness'  like a dotted (vs. striped) Haworthia, with narrow, tubular, slightly inflated flowers that are coral at the base and striped green and white towards the tips. A hybrid of the sturdy G. batesiana and the Haworthia-like Aloe aristata (or more properly Astroloba, or Aristaloe aristata). The botanical name aristata does sound aristocratic but in fact means bristly or fringed. To 4-6" high and wide, clumping, slowly, with age. Reports indicate this can tolerate 25-20°F but it should be kept relatively dry under cool conditions. rev 2/2021

'Solana'   young plant   dark green, shiny, tiny pale green dots are stippled on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. As leaves enlarge and mature the dots enlarge, and arrange into typical loose rows on the backside. No flowers yet, guessing 6" by 6". rev 4/2021

Gaura lindheimeri 'Passionate Rainbow' PP17002  flowers  this plant is great for foliage as well as flowers, with dark leaves of green, pink, and cream that provide some nice contrast in the garden. Pink flowers cover the plant from summer to frost on dark stems. Makes a dense, compact mound, about 18" tall and 20" wide. Good choice for drifts of color but still small enough for a container. Easy to grow and maintain. Sunset zones 6-9, 14-24/USDA 7. rev 7/2011-Suzy Brooks

Geranium  evergreen to deciduous clumping, running, or trailing perennials, mostly low growers, with flowers ranging from white through blue, purple, and red (no yellows). Mostly used in mixed gardens but occasionally as large scale ground covers. This is not where you will find the common red zonal geraniums, ivy geraniums, or Martha Washington geraniums, all of which are classified as Pelargonium. Geraniaceae. rev 2/2003

'Bloomtime'     flowers    very similar to the sublime and irreplaceable 'Rozanne,' this is a lighter lavender pink flower but otherwise very similar appearance. A knock-off, but a very nice and useful one. Also very long-blooming and highly low-chill insensitive, a huge bonus for us here, where almost all other perennial blue/purple geraniums slowly decline and fail except in our colder winter areas. Same growing info/parameters as for 'Rozanne.' rev 5/2018

'Bob's Blunder'   late summer    small, dark bronze to bronzy green leaves, small deep rose pink flowers spring through fall, low grower, compact habit and evergreen foliage (here). Excellent for containers due to that last feature, it always has interesting foliage. USDA zone 4. rev 8/2020

‘Brookside’   (not currently in production)   closeup, flowers and foliage  a clumping to scrambling deciduous perennial 18-30" tall with heavy spring through fall production of rich medium blue flowers, with minute but well defined violet red veins on the petals. This is the same
color as the famous ‘Johnson’s Blue’ but the flower is smaller, and the latter lacks the well defined petal veins. Overall it looks like a more deeply colored, slightly more gracile G. himalayense, but is reportedly a hybrid of  G. pratense and G. clarkei ‘Kashmir Purple.’ This is a relatively recent hybrid, and a good one. It is showy, adaptable, and blooms a long time. The deeply cut, lacy leaves can reach 7" across on mature plants. rev 7/2004

x cantabrigense  CAMBRIDGE GERANIUM  closeup    habit  an evergreen perennial in our area, at least partly so, but deciduous with much cold. This is a vigorous, dependable hybrid involving G. macrorrhizum, it has a similar pungent, resinous smell just like that species, but weaker. To 12" tall, a single plant will clump to 3’ wide but it travels and multiple plantings will quickly intergrow to form drifts or banks of foliage and flower color.. Small, dense, rounded dark green leaves are slightly cut, with an exceptionally shiny, lustrous quality. Burgundy and bright red tones develop on the leaves with colder weather. Flowers are a deep lavender or mauve pink, borne over much of the year beginning in late winter. Sun to part shade, average to little summer watering, frost hardy. It overwinters well in areas of mild winters but likes a little direct sun or it tends to get rather thin. Likes rich soil, summer watering. Frost hardy, Sunset all zones. rev 4/2003

‘Biokovo’  closeup    habit    nice planting  very light pink flowers, almost white sometimes. Leaves are slightly larger and the plant is somewhat bigger than G. cantabrigense. This is considered to be a more desirable form than the regular, dark lavender pink form. It is stunning in used quantity when in bloom, has a rather formal appearance, and looks good either massed in borders or spotted in informal woodland gardens or loose perennial borders. The flowers are particularly nice when backlit and if so the plant should be sited to take advantage of this effect. Foliage has similar fall and winter tones. Also spelled ‘Biokova.’ Both versions seem to refer to a mountain range in Croatia, but my Croatian is rusty and I can't figure out which is correct, and both may be. rev 5/2006

'Cambridge Blue'  as blue as it gets   well  .  .  .  definitely a bluer pink though. Same culture etc. as for the other forms. rev 6/2021 

'Crystal Rose' PP20,809  (not currently in production)  flowers   a shocking pink version, really lights up the landscape. Otherwise same habit/size/behavior etc. The best out there in one package for color, compact habit and neatness? rev 4/2016

'St. Ola'  (not currently in production) flowers   this is the pure white form of G. cantabrigense, growing as the typical small mound with dark green, minty foliage, reddish stems, and dark buds. rev 4/2011

‘Dusky Rose’   (not currently in production)   leaves and flowers  this was acquired under that name but is probably G. sessiliflorum ssp. novazealandii ‘Rubrum’ or ‘Nigricans.’ Grows as a low, matting clump to just about, 4-6" high and 12-18" across. Small leaves (1 1/2") are almost round; color is dusky burgundy with a slight glaucous or whitish bloom on the surface, margins are cut. Small solitary pale salmon pink flowers are scattered across the center of the clump from April through September. This is used primarily a reddish purple foliage perennial, for full or mostly full sun, average soils and average watering. It is very good with silver, gold, blue, or blackish foliage. Probably good for Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24, and probably hardy to USDA zone 8 or 7. rev 7/200

‘Johnson’s Blue’   (not currently in production)   closeup    more flowers  much like G. himalayense, but with petals flatter on the outer edge and a slightly lighter central eye. Longer blooming and more evergreen, but G. himalayense is probably a better, more vigorous garden plant, in our opinion, due to a shorter bloom time. Culture like that of G. himalayense, including its strong preference for a good winter chill for best growth. Without good vernalization it will decline and eventually be overgrown. rev 4/2003

'Jolly Bee'    (not currently in production)   flowers   very similar to 'Rozanne,' but the flowers are slightly smaller sometimes. Basically identical performance and specs. A great variety and very warm-winter tolerant. rev 5/2008

'Katherine Adell'   flowers, with foliage   a low, mounding, clumping selection that bears cut foliage splashed with maroon on the leaf. Pale pink flowers are sprinkled across the top in spring and summer. Heavier bloom with age. Relatively tolerant of mild, warm, wet winters. Zones 14-9, 14-17/USDA zone 7. rev 1/2011

maderense   (not currently in production)   stand back - flower explosion!!   flowers up close    the unholy mother of big geraniums, growing into a 4-5' tall ball of pink flowers by mid-spring. A biennial, must be mature when going into short days in order to initiate flowers. The crown is supported by the main trunks as well as the heavily reflexed leaf stalks. Hundreds of pink flowers open from distincly fuzzy pink buds. Naturally an, understory plant, it does well in  full sun to part shade near the coast, requires shade inland. Plant dies after flowering and reseeds heavily. Drought tolerant. USDA 9/Sunset 14-24. rev 6/2015

maderense white form    (not currently in production)  just as spectacular, with white flowers, sporting a tiny red center. rev 6/2015

x magnificum    (not currently in production)   closeup    nice clump    more flowers    respectable fall color    a clumping deciduous perennial grown for its dark purple flowers produced from spring through fall. Spreads slowly from the base, and has hairy, dull, quilted leaves with coarsely cut margins. This is frost hardy, but prefers a strong vernalization period and often languishes in the mildest winter climates. Sunset zones 4-9, 14-17. rev 6/2011

‘Mavis Simpson’    closeup    clumping deciduous perennial spreading quickly from the base, to 18" tall. Bears shell pink flowers with darker purple veins intermittently all year, heaviest in late spring. Good in sun or part shade with regular watering. Frost hardy.

‘Phillipe Vapelle’    closeup    that would properly be "Feeleep Vapayay," except of course we here at the nursery are inherently lazy and so know it by something closer to "Phil Vappl." So much easier. A low clumping, semievergreen to evergreen grower to around 12", no more, with deeply veined, almost quilted, fuzzy, grey green leaves. Pale lavender flowers, lined with deeper purple, appear heavily in spring and then off and on until fall. This variety is well worth planting just for foliage alone, and the wonderful lavender flowers thrown in for free make it one of the best. It is tolerant of mild winters, unlike many other deciduous clumping varieties. Sun to part shade, average soils and drainage, relatively drought tolerant when established. rev 11/2014

'Pink Penny'   (not currently in production)   flowers   here's one to scramble through the garden, dotting the landscape with magenta pink flowers summer through fall. Also suitable for hanging baskets, spilling over walls or pots, groundcover, and as a rose companion. About 12-15" tall, 15-18" wide. Sun, part sun, or bright shade. Average watering. Sunset zones 2-11, 14-24/USDA 5. rev 6/2012-Suzy Brooks

reniforme    (not currently in production)  densely set dark green leaves with a silvery sheen, low, spreading and slightly mounding habit, spreading at a moderate rate by rooting in stems. In full sun it is more silvery, in full light shade leaves are larger, greener and plants spread more quickly. Spikes of spidery deep rose magenta flowers in rounded clusters above the folaige make a great show in midsummer. An excellent, very drought tolerant groundcover for sun or shade, and very showy to boot. Good landscape examples can be seen around the entrance areas of the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden. South Africa. USDA zone 9? rev 5/2015

‘Rozanne’ PP 12175    Opal Cliffs    my yard    can't have too many of this one    this chance British garden hybrid (G. himalayense x G. wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety' ) gets to about 18" tall (slowly!) by 2' across. Large, 2 1/2" flowers are lavender blue and produced from early summer through fall. Essentially this one has flowers almost identical to G. ‘Brookside’ in size and color on a habit more like G. sanguineum but taller, and with nicer leaves, in this case dark green, coarsely cut and gently marbled with white. Likes good drainage and as much chill as you can provide (at least around here). This is a good one for combo containers also, with its forgiving, mounding habit. rev 7/2004

‘Russell Prichard’    closeup    garden plant  a deciduous perennial to under 12" tall, with singly cut, light green leaves to 2" across. Leaf lobes are somewhat rounded, and the foliage has a very slight glaucous cast. This fine variety produces a long show of intense magenta rose pink flowers, to 3/4" across, from spring through fall. Sun to part shade, average watering, frost hardy. Zones 4-9, 14-17, 21-24/USDA zone 7. rev 2/201

Gerbera    TRANSVAAL DAISY   clumping evergreen to mostly deciduous perennials. Typical large, daisy-like flowers are usually doubled and come in a wide range of colors, white through yellow, orange, red, and burgundy violet. Native to Africa, South America and Asia, with the horticulturally important G. jamesonii native to Southeastern Africa near Pretoria. rev 8/2020-Luen Miller

Geum   tough, usually evergreen clumping perennials producing basal foliage and upright, often tall spikes of small, simple flowers. Closely related to Potentilla and strawberries they are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica. One species, G. aleppicum, is found across high latitudes of Europe, Asia and North America. It also occurs in northeastern California, along with two other essentially montane species. USDA zone 5/Sunset all zones. Rosaceae. rev 2/2021-Luen Miller

Cocktail Series     'Alabama Slammer'    'Banana Daiqiuri'   'Mai Tai'   'Tequila Sunrise'    'Totally Tangerine'   semi-double, pastel blooms for weeks in early summer in this series. Mounds of easy care green foliage 8-10" tall, to 12" wide with flowers to 18" above, tempting butterflies and hummingbirds. Sun, good drainage, regular watering. Good choice for borders, walkways, or containers. rev 5/2014-Suzy Brooks

'Firestorm'   PP23179   clear, pure orange   soft and fuzzy, dark green leaves form a pleasing mound of foliage but then add these large, semi-double orange flowers and it's a knockout! Repeat bloomer, 12-14" tall. Spectacular in groups or spot them around the border or in pots. Sun, average watering. USDA 5. rev 5/2016-Suzy Brooks

rivale 'Flames of Passion'   January 2018 flowers  hot 'n heavy color action from this new selection, with strong color produced from mature new growths possible almost any time of year it's growing. The semidouble flowers are deep cherry red towards the petal edges, more melon or dark salmon red towards the interior, with bright golden stamens for extra definition and deep burgundy flower stems for class. Color deepens slightly as the flowers age in cool weather, we'll see how they do later in the heat. They definitely drop cleanly when finished. Total height is 15-20" tall and wide when blooming, medium to dark green foliage should be evergreen for most West Coast gardeners. Plant habit remains always tight and compact, cut it back when you feel like it. Full to half sun, average soil, drainage and watering requirements. USDA zone 5/Sunset almost all zones. rev 2/2018

Gibasis pellucida  BRIDAL VEIL   foliage and flowers   Stella's favorite bed!   the houseplant of the old days, hanging down to 2-3' from containers and blooming its tiny white flowers on wiry stems. Dark green leaves have purple undersides. Blooming is best with bright light, either outside in a protected place or indoors. Regular watering. USDA zone 9a (no frost!). Invasive in Southeastern US states, possibly here if you're adjacent to wetlands in Southern California. rev 6/2016-Suzy Brooks

Ginkgo biloba  (not currently in production)  MAIDENHAIR TREE    mature tree in fall color    'Autumn Gold' fall color closeup    young specimen of 'Autumn Gold'    ancient conifer, the oldest living seed bearing plant. Needles are flattened, blade-like. If pollinated, female trees bear fleshy, unpleasantly pungent fruits, with edible seeds within that have the flavor of pistachios or pine nuts. Most recommend planting only grafted trees, and seedling trees are grown by us primarily for use as grafting understock, or as bonsai plants. However this species has probably been extirpated from the wild, and is the last of its genus, family, order and class left on earth. Planting at least some female trees will help keep this species from going extinct and ensure its genetic diversity. Ginkgoaceae. China. rev 8/2020

‘Autumn Gold’  (not currently in production)  has a reputation for wonderful gold color. It tends to not produce a leader, and grows as a multileadered, upright, rounded to swept shape tree. Introduced by Saratoga Horticultural Research Foundation. rev 1/2003

Ginger, edible varieties (for ornamental varieties see Alpinia) rev 3/2020

Thai Ginger  (Alpinia galanga)  GALANGAL, GREATER GALANGA, THAI GINGER  my nice mostly-juvenile-phase backyard plant    upright mature-phase culms, most trailing stems are still juvenile    wider mature-phase leaves    1g order ready to load, most tops still juvenile  phase  a clumping, rather narrow, gracile ginger relative to 5-6' tall, with wonderfully fragrant foliage and rhizomes. Responsible for one of the characteristic flavors of many Southeastern Asian cuisines, it is especially characteristic of Thai cuisine and has been described as "lemony-ginger".The flavor of your fresh rhizomes will be different from and distinctly superior to any dried form. Narrow, dark green juvenile leaves reach 6" long, mature-phase leaves (2nd to 3rd year) are longer, wider and with noticeably longer internodes. Slender terminal flower spikes are produced by those mature-phase culms and bear, in late summer to fall, a few scattered small, spidery, fragrant, creamy white flowers with yellow markings. Reported root hardy (i.e. top-deciduous) to USDA zone 7-8 (roughly Sunset zone 5) it grows well through the almost-truly-tropical USDA zone 11. Can be sited in mostly sun, but it seems to like the combination of warmth and half shade best. For best growth give it rich, moist soil. It makes a very effective, compact, lush, bamboo-like container plant. Another galanga, Lesser Galanga (A. officinarum, but often also applied to Kaempferia galanga) is also used as a spice but is currently quite rare in the nursery trade. The terms greater/lesser refer to plant size, not desirability. Southeast Asia. Zingiberaceae. rev 3/2020

Globularia 'Blue Eyes'   amazing flowers    possibly one of the parent species (G. indubia), Huntington Botanic Gardens  a semiwoody, shrubby perennial to about 24" tall by 4' or more across at full maturity. It produces amazing blue and white bicolored flower clusters in a very good display from early summer through late fall against grey green leaves held in a pleasantly open habit. This a natural to mix in with other Mediterranean landscape plants such as manzanita, rock rose and Grevilleas and should receive similar watering. It can survive in the fog belt on zero summer watering when established. We first received this from a grower who knew nothing about its origin, preferred conditions or parameters. It appears to be a hybrid involving Canary Island species (G. indubia, G. sarcophylla) but more as we learn it. Sun to half shade, moderate to very little summer watering when established, ultimate cold hardiness unknown but certainly good for USDA zone 9 (8?)/Sunset zones (5?) 8-9, 14-24. Plantaginaceae. rev 6/2014

Gopmphostigma virgatum  OTTER BUSH  white flowers on silvery branches   an upright then mostly spreading medium-sized evergreen shrub that makes a dramatic, silvery, windswept-looking statement in your garden or landscape. Single white flowers sprinkled heavily along the branches from spring through fall help the effect, making the silvery leaves more silvery and calling more attention to its presence. Online references say this is a wet grower but my plant has survived two long, dry years without watering after their first winter, so it is much more drought tolerant than suggested. After 2-3 years it can accumulate dry twigs underneath and is best cut back hard in mid to late winter. Sun to half shade at most, 4-6' tall by 6-8' wide, unpruned. Undamaged at my house at 25F, reported by others to be reliably hardy to USDA zone 8 and very likely zone 7 as well. South Africa. rev 8/2018

Graptopetalum     succulents, great foliage and nice flowers. Mexico. Crassulaceae. rev 3/2013

pachyphyllum    foliage   a tiny treasure! Little rosettes of blue green with leaf tips colored pink to purple form dense, compact clusters that exclude weeds. Just the plant for a windowsill, in its own small pot or even better as one element in a dish garden. It is also nice used growing under other succulents asa  groundcover or filler. To only inches tall and spreads out, producing short, open spikes of pale yellow flowers with petals flushed red, in summer. This genus is very close to, and hybridizes with Echeveria. Sun or part shade, good drainage, average waterings in summer, less in winter. Protect from frost if kept outside in winter in Sunset zones 16-24/USDA 10. Mexico. Crassulaceae. rev 3/2013

'Black Magic'  closeup  black maroon leaves with a coral pink splash in the center. rev 8/2008
'Chocolate'  light chocolate brown with a coral pink splash. rev 8/2008

Graptosedum   if you cross a Graptopetalum with a Sedum and this is what you get. rev 8/2018

'Bronze'   close    wonderfully colored, rosy latte rosettes are a well behaved addition to well drained soil in the garden, spilling over walls or rocks, or in containers, being the wingman to other showier plants. Under a foot tall but goes sideways. Sun or part shade. Also known as 'Vera Higgins' in the trade. Protect from cold outside Sunset zones 8, 9, 14-24/USDA 8. rev 5/2013-Suzy Brooks

'Francesco Baldi'    flowers against foliage  from parents, Sedum pachyphyllum and Graptoveria paraguayense comes rosettes of tan and silvery blue with yellow starry flowers. Growing up about a foot and then arching over, it's a natural for spilling from wall pots or as groundcover.  Give it soil that drains well, sun or part shade, little watering, and protect from cold and frost outside USDA 9a/Sunset zones16-24. rev 8/2014-Suzy Brooks 

Graptoveria hybrids between Graptopetalum and Echeveria. They range in form and hardiness. refv 1/2014

'Debbi'  rosette   flowering   note the spelling, this seems to be the correct form. Leaves are a chipper rosy pink when young, then amethyst with  lavender and pink tones when older. This is chunkier, narrower and rosier than the very similar 'Perle,' and also flower stalks are more branched. Flowers are also slightly darker. But they are close, very close, and we only identified and separated this variety recently. Protect from frost. rev 2/2011

'Fred Ives'   giant rosettes   interesting flowers   this is a Graptopetalum paraguayense x Echeveria gibbiflora hybrid, producing large (over 12" across) rosettes of rather narrow, blue green leaves that quickly sun-color to coppery plum, especially under cool conditions. It forms short branched plants to a foot or two tall. Tall, very tall, over 2' tall in fact, very open spikes hold small, starry, pale yellow flowers with soft apricot shading on the reverse, with bloom occuring in winter. This is a big, impressive specimen succulent that shows up a lot because it is a survivor. It tolerates commercial production well, meaning it isn't too picky about wet soils or humid environments and it can be sold into many areas of varying climates. It is also one that survives East Coast humidity better than most, and that speaks for its adaptability. Supposedly this is hardy to 25F (Sunset zones 8-9, 12-24, USDA zone 9) but occasional comments surface from the PNW and other areas suggesting it is much hardier (USDA 8a or 8b?). Crassulaceae. rev 2/2010

'Fred Ives' crested form   crest   this big, beautiful, dark lavender and tan succulent, in its crested form, may not get as large as its uncrested mama, and will grow slower, but it remains a handsome specimen! The new leaves grow in a line instead of in a rosette, looking intriguingly bunched up. This is a nice one to start off that collection of novelty succulents. A terrific choice for containers, in sun or part shade. Takes regular summer watering in well drained soil and much less in winter. rev 2/2012-Suzy Brooks

'Olivia'    flowers against background rosettes   a small, clumping, rich olive green rosette with russeted, coral pink leaf tips, it produces simple and elegant flowers in summer. Coral red buds open to pale yellow flowers against coral red stalks, petals are speckled with light maroon red. Always low, and a good pupper it will take sun in cooler areas, needs part shade inland to prevent scorching. Water spring through summer, taper off in fall. Deals with cold best when kept dry. USDA zone 9/Sunset 16-24. rev 7/2015

Grevillea    the third largest genus of Australian native plants, after Acacia and Eucalyptus. They are native to Australia and a few other sites east of the Wallace Line, which divides Java and Bali, including Sulawesi (G. elbertii, a tropical tree) and other Indonesian islands, New Guinea (G.papuana, tropical tree) and even remote New Caledonia (G. gillivrayi, G. meisneri, G. exul). Weighing in at an incredible current 340 species it is easily one of the world's most important groups horticulturally, and will provide centuries of new hybrids and species selections to add to the already large number of fine forms. The species vary considerably in flower, leaf, growth habit and are adapted to a wide range of soils and climates. To me they are easily and clearly the most variable genus in the family named for variability. Proteus, the Greek water-god, could change his shape at will. One of the best features of most Grevillea species and hybrids is their extended blooming periods. Most also attract hummingbirds, which feed gluttonously on the nectar just as their counterparts, native Honeycreepers, do in Australian gardens. Unlike their close relatives the Hakeas, the Grevilleas will bloom when young, or as container plants. They are easily separated by the fact that Hakeas retain their seed pods, Grevilleas do not. Their succulent, proteoid roots make them very forgiving as container plants, tolerating erratic or inadequate watering very well. Propagation on many Grevilleas is extremely difficult and unpredictable though, most of the reason for inconsistent availability from year to year.

    Fertilizing   Almost all Grevilleas need little or no fertilizing in California soils. If used, fertilizers should be of moderate strength and low or completely lacking in phosphate. Phosphate toxicity shows up initially as yellowing foliage, progresses to blackened leaves, and can eventually kill the plant. Almost all will benefit from iron applications, especially the sawtooth or herringbone-leaf varieties. Easiest is to just make use of the iron almost always present by acidifying the soil when planting. In most cases a cup or two of sulfur or other pH-dropping agents, placed a couple of feet away from the new plant, will provide a permanent fix by offering the roots a hyper-acidified zone within which iron is always available. Most of what is seen as "chlorosis" has actually turned out to be virus, betrayed by occasional mosaic-break patterns, which true iron deficiency will not induce. Certainly this virus (or viruses) was  imported as resident when the varieties first arrived here, almost as certainly present at or soon after introduction to the trade there. Iron will suppress symptoms but probably doesn't cure or inhibit the causative agents. We have been able to select out what seem to be virus-free lines for some of the varieites, but others are not so easily cleaned. Assume this agent or agents can move between other members of the Proteaceae, and most likely will if your clippers and cutting tools aren't sterilized with 2% bleach between plants.

     Watering   Most selections need just occasional summer water once well established, which should be applied away from the immediate crown if at all possible. This is especially important in soils which might contain Oak Root Fungus (=California, almost everywhere there are gardens!). In the coolest coastal areas they may need no summer watering at all. Most will tolerate and benefit from irrigation at least once a month, a few absolutely need it, and some will tolerate substantial warm-season irrigation. Most trade forms can actually withstand complete winter inundation as long as the water is moving through the soil to some degree, and is never boggy, stagnant or sour. Almost all must dry down in summer though, at least at the crown. rev 2/201

‘Austraflora Fanfare’  flowers   wonderfully silky buds    habit shot   a very showy, very low, very tough, very drought tolerant, very frost-hardy, weed-smothering evergreen groundcover that is disease and insect resistant, highly deer, rabbit and gopher resistant when established, and can be planted wide centers with discrete (vs. sprinkled) irrigation (for easier weed control). Planted from one or five gallon containers, this is how you cover a lot of ground at a relatively low price. Sound good? Well that's not all - it draws hummingbirds, pollinators and beneficial too! But wait, there's more! It is pretty enough to be used commercially as a cut flower and for cut foliage filler. The flowers are very showy and well-displayed, but the attractive sawtooth leaves are also quite striking, all year, and especially when emerging all bronzy and silky and sprinkled with flower buds. It is faster and more garden-tolerant alternate to the slower, more particular and more difficult to propagate G. gaudichaudii.  It is also very similar to its sister ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle,’ but 'Fanfare's'  leaves are longer, to 7", more deeply and evenly cut, and frost and drought tolerance are both slightly better. Habit is quite prostrate, usully under 12" tall if not crowded, by at least 10-15’ across, and very dense. The heavy show of dark red flowers in toothbrush clusters is displayed from winter late through mid-summer, into fall in cooler coastal areas. Make young plants denser with tip pruning. Full sun to full, bright shade, infrequent to little or no summer watering, takes heavy soils but needs average drainage. It was undamaged at 25°F, recovered from the crown at 20°F and will survive somewhat colder. Chlorosis is seen, as with all sawtooth types, and is best corrected by foliar sprays or spot-soil acidification treatments. Reportedly a found spontaneous seedling hybrid of G. x gaudichaudii and G. longifolia. UC Santa Cruz. rev7/2020

'Bonfire'  flowers  much like a more compact, finer, smaller scale version of G. 'Long John,' this time G. wilsonii x johnsonii. Leaves are much more feathery and finely cut, and plant habit is lower, to about 4-6' tall by 6-8' across. Flowers are on short sub-terminal clusters, with about 8-10 to each cluster, and bloom is primarily spring with occasional bloom through fall. The flowers are a shiny deep rose red, are showy and well displayed, and are highly attractive to hummingbirds. Overall this is a showier plant than 'Long John,' because although the individual flowers are smaller there are many more of them and they are better displayed. This is about as frost hardy as G. 'Long John,' so figure about 25F and Sunset zones 8-9, 14-17, 21-24/USDA zone 9.  rev 5/2007-Luen Miller

'Canberra Gem'  partly shaded plant a fast shrub to 6-10' depending on situation and pruning. Short, prickly needle-like green leaves get about an inch long and protect small, showy, condensed clusters of spidery rose red flowers, showing color from early winter through spring. It is used occasionally as a cut flower. Adaptable, tolerating both severe drought and summer watering, clay soils (if drainage is good), and reasonable cold. Hummingbirds like it, it is useful for detering foot traffic, it makes a good screen, gets broad enough to smother weeds, deer won't eat it almost ever, and of course uses very little water when established. What is sold here in California, usually as just "Canberra," is almost certainly 'Mrs. Clearview David.' Both were imported and trialed by Saratoga Hort in the 1950's. When both were re-imported by Ray Collett at UCSC in the 1970's it was clear that the real 'Canberra' was not in the trade here, but 'Clearview David' was - as 'Canberra'! The two are very close, and confusion at the cutting or liner stage is hard to avoid. As 'Pink Pearl' is considered a synonym (incorrectly applied) we continue to sell what we think is the real, Australian-version of 'Canberra', but under the name of 'Pink Pearl.' Got that? Sun to half shade, frost hardy to 12-20F. Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24/USDA zone 8. rev 5/2019

dimorpha   FLAME GREVILLEA, OLIVE GREVILLEA    why you grow it     dark coral red against dark green     silky hairs, leaf reverse   we've sold this fine variety over the years, but it never received a "right proper" introduction. Also it got a slightly different name, as we're now using Peter Olde and Neil Mariott's The Grevillea Book as our reference (those two seem to know the subject best). This form of the species grows into a very useful-sized shrub to 3-6' tall and wide, pleasantly open (so you can see all those intense orange flowers), upright and vase-shaped in form, and initiates flowers on any mature wood that experiences chill.  Hummingbirds fight over the nectar, of course, one of the few times fighting is encouraged. The brilliant coral red flowers are eye-catching from quite a distance. Full to half sun, average to very sharp drainage but like most of this genus it will probably - probably! - withstand actual winter inundation as long as the  site dries down at the crown in summer. USDA zone 9 (probably 8a as well)/Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24. Previously sold by us as G. speciosa dimoropha 'Fine Leaf Form'. UCSC Arboretum. rev 9/2020

'Firesprite'  closeup  a fine textured bush to 10-15' tall by 6-8' wide, bearing loose, terminal, upright clusters of large, waxy, deep red flowers with yellow petal bases. The result of G. longistlya x venusta. It resembles G. 'Long John,' and shares a parent, but the flowers are a dark red orange, it grows with a more relaxed habit, and it has more luxuriant and horizontal foliage. For full sun to part shade with good drainage, infrequent watering. Hardy to Sunset zones 8-9, 14-17, 21-24/USDA zone 9. rev 7/2007-Luen Miller

'Flora Mason'  flowers   soft, silky, ferny foliage, a fine silvery indumentum on the undersides. This is mostly a dense, wispy foliage plant that has special in any kind of breeze, which highlights the ethereal silvery leaf undersides. It produces small clusters of pale salmon or coral pink and light red flowers, but they tend to be below the foliage and are not the primary reason to use this plant. It is very close to and of almost the same parentage as another hybrid we're re-offering, 'Winpara Gem,' but is showier, lower, broader, a little less vigorous, and with deeper blue green foliage, silvery versus slightly coppery indumentum and mostly green young stems as opposed to the coppery to bright burgundy stems of 'Winpara Gem,' especially where that variety's branches are well-exposed to full sunlight. This makes a great low hedge or screen, or background canvas for contrasting foliage or form, or as a specimen featured all by itself just for its light, silvery wispiness. Sun to half shade, average to good drainage, low water needs but can tolerate almost regular watering, prefers mineral soils but actually not very demanding. A hybrid of two rather tender Western Australian species, G. pinaster (or G. thelemmaniana v. pinaster)  x olivacea, it risks being permanently eliminated at temps below 20-23F, especially if directly exposed to very early morning sun. rev 5/2019

'Frosty Pink'  soft pink flowers and fine foliage   soft, fluffy, silvery mature foliage   big, soft, fluffy and silvery, a big, fluffy, silvery spreading mound of thin, soft, fluffy, silvery green leaves, silvery young stems and small clusters of fluffy, soft silvery pink flowers scattered about. I wanted to lie down and roll back and forth on it but Christine said "No, you can't do that, they're my stock plants." Spring bloom, with mature growth displaying those small clusters of clear light pink flowers somewhat under the foliage, most heavily and noticeably in well-drained, sunny sites and minimal irrigation. . To about 3' tall by 5' or more wide, functioning mostly as a billowing, weed-smothering groundcover with pleasant flowers. Never spectacular, but always noticed, always soft, and silvery, and always nice. Damaged below ~25F but can survive 20F, grudgingly, and not on a regular basis. A useful look to bring forth from your designer's palette of drought-tolerant groundcovers when needed. rev 3/2021

juniperina ‘Lava Cascade'  flowers    at Strybing Arboretum  formerly sold as 'Low Form.' A dense mounding to trailing shrub, with a slightly arching habit, to1- 2’ tall by 6-10’ wide. Dark green leaves are needle-like, 3/4" long by 1/8" wide, with light undersides, prickly. Short, rounded clusters of coral red flowers hang from the branches from fall through spring. This is a great low, tough, frost tolerant, weed smothering groundcover shrub that can be planted from large sizes and being woody, tolerates preemergents. It also covers a wide area and moves fast when planted from a 1g can, so it can be planted on widely spaced centers and established with discrete (drip, hose, etc) watering as opposed to weed-encouraging broadcast irrigation such as sprinklers. Plants with these qualifications fill a coveted spot in the landscape or garden designer's palette and this plant is beginning to see much wider use because of its great characteristics. Hardy to below 7°F without damage. UC Santa Cruz. USDA zone 7. rev 10/2016-Luen Miller

‘Molonglo’  closeup  more flowers    with raindrops, even  habit  a fast, dense, flat to slowly mounding, dark green, weed smothering, hardy, tough, drought tolerant ground cover to 8-18" tall by at least 6’ and as much as 15' wide. Similar to 'Lava Cascade' but darker green and a much heavier bloomer, plus it lies much closer to the ground. The soft, needle-like leaves grow to 1/2" long and have with light undersides. This selection bears an extremely profuse show of light golden yellow, spidery flowers in short, condensed, slightly pendant clusters, in late winter and spring. It is a very neat, compact grower with a rather formal appearance for a Grevillea, and is just outstandingly showy when in bloom. It makes a wonderful show when combined with any of the Rosemaries, but especially selections such as 'Benenden Blue' ('Ingramii,' 'Collingwood Ingram'), 'Ken Taylor,' or 'Rentzel's Irene.' It will cascade down slopes or wall but can also be cut back hard to fit into more restrained places. If pruned, it should be cut before the end of July in order to not interfere with the formation of flowering the following winter. Takes frost to around 7°F without damage, and will probably survive lower. From UC Santa Cruz. USDA zone 7. rev 10/2016-Luen Miller

'Kilauea'   flower closeup   a seedling our propagator Christine Altermann found in growing mixed up with 'Ruby Clusters,' this is very close but more orange in color, showier, and still free of any viruses. Its ultimate specs are unknown but comparing it to the parent variety we are estimating 4-6' tall by 6-8' across at full maturity, unpruned. It is a denser grower and is definitely showier. We're not sure of the other parent, it very well may be a selfed seedling. rev 4/2021

Kings Park hybrids  we've sold these off and on but you haven't been properly introduced:  here's three wonderful new varieties from the legendary and dreamworld-like Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, Western Australia. They have spectacular flower displays in tough yet garden-tolerant packages. All have reliably bloomed off and on throughout the year here, so expect the same anywhere cool mornings can occur throughout the year. They're frost hardy enough to be use in most areas (25-20F?), very drought tolerant (of course) and surprisingly good container subjects as well. Typical Grevillea conditions, just cut them back if they start looking tired, they'll come right back! USDA zone 9/Sunset 8-9, 13, 15-24. rev 2/2019

'Kings Celebration' PP 27899P3    toothbrush flower cluster  flower spike just opening   habit, foliage and lotsa buds!    the most heavy-blooming form? Beautiful silky-furry white flower spikes open to intense cherry red flowers in terminal toothbrush clusters. Tough dark blue green to grey green leaves are finely cut, with contrasting whitish undersides. Upright spreading growth to 5-6' tall and wide.  rev 2/2019

'Kings Fire' PP27875   hot, hot red    end-on    flowers against new growth   silky white spikes  my personal favorite, the hottest and most striking color. Silky-furry white spikes open to glowing red to orange red flowers in terminal toothbrush clusters accented by golden style-tips. Foliage is ultra-dense, ultra-soft and very finely cut, emerging light chartreuse green and aging to grey green, sometimes almost white under hot, dry conditions, with whitish undersides. To 5-6' tall and almost certainly wider. rev 2/2019-Luen Miller

'Kings Rainbow' P27931 flower spike against foliage  the most consistent bloomer and smallest/lowest grower. Warm honey gold flowers with red to light orange styles. Foliage is bright to deep green, finely cut, soft-textured and relatively open but retained well.  rev 2/2019-Luen Miller

lanigera  WOOLY GREVILLEA   a highly variable species found over a wide area of southeastern Australia, from middle-elevations to coastal environments, forests, scrublands and near-desert environments. It was named for its fuzzy foliage and stems. It hybridizes readily and has been grown in California since at least the 1950's and '60's, imported early on by both Saratoga Horticultural Foundation and Western Hills Nursery among probably others. That form, a much taller, more open Australian trade form, is no longer commonly seen. rev 5/2020

‘Coastal Gem’  closeup of flowers and buds  habit at UCSC Arboretum    another example of habit    another  a tight, low, dense, small leaved cultivar with light grey green foliage and tight clusters of rose red, salmon pink and creamy white flowers in winter and spring. This new introduction is lower and tighter than older G. lanigera ‘Jade Mound.’ It seems to want to get about 12-18" tall by 4-5' across fairly quickly, although its ultimate dimensions are still unknown. This appears to be a very showy selection, with masses of flowers borne at the tip of each short axillary branch from fall through spring. Should be hardy to around 25°F and should survive 20°F, probably with damage. An Australian Plant Introduction involving UC Santa Cruz and Koala Blooms. rev 5/202

'Jade Mound'  WOOLLY GREVILLEA  buds, closeup   hot summer + clay +  wet winter soil, Huntington BG        UCSC Arboretum, <2005     distinctive foliage color, spiral pattern leaves and arching branches   narrow sidewalk strip, near Monterey   side view, forced into a life as a low hedge    a compact, low shrub to 2’ tall, 4’ wide with small, narrow, soft, recurved grey green leaves with woolly undersides and minutely hairy twigs and stems. Cream and light salmon pink flowers are displayed along the branches in winter and spring, with occasional flowers at other times of the year after cool spells. This was originally purchased from a UCSC sale in 1990 or 1991 under the name 'Low Form' and appears to be the same as their current 'Cream and Red Form.' It is distinguished by dense, light jade green new foliage that is held neatly along arching branches in a very regular spiral fashion similar very tight, neat fashion features attractive arching branches and nodding stem tips as part of its signature look, and those features help separate it from the very close 'Mt. Tamboritha' and 'Coastal Gem.' It is not as showy as either and usually lacks a really profuse show of flowers at any season, but is probably the best weed-smothering groundcover of them all by a slight margin and has the best foliage presentation. The new growth has a regular spiral pattern that rivals Asparagus densiflorus ‘Meyers.’ Makes a good container plant. Will grow in most soils in sun to part shade with infrequent summer watering. Tolerates frost to 25-20°F. rev 5/2020

‘Mt. Tamboritha’  flowers  idea of habit    deeply colored flower buds  this name is supposedly derived from a nursery, not a collection site, as it is reportedly a low coastal form. It has also en sold in Australia under the names 'Compacta' and 'Prostrate.' This formresembles ‘Jade Mound' but is a little more irregular in growth habit, not quite as dense, has larger, coarser, slightly sparser leaves and is showier in bloom, with larger flowers initiating almost all the time in cooler coastal areas. It is low, has somewhat spiky growth with more or less straight branches. This is notably tough, durable and about as dependable as a Grevillea can be in commercial or other difficult situations. Though not quite as dense as 'Jade Mound' it will still smother weeds and hide wind-blown trash. I've seen it looking great in an abused center-divider planting strip in Sacramento at the end of a long, very hot, dry, dusty, trash strewn, tailpipey-exhausty summer. rev 5/2020

lavandulacea ‘Penola’  closeup  clouds of flowers    young plant    dark buds    at Luis' house     a five star winner, one of the very best of all Grevilleas, which is saying a lot since there are at least 15 or 20 that I claim as my very favorite plant in the whole world. It's the closest approximation of possibly the best of all, G. lavandulacea 'Tanunda,' which is a notoriously difficult and unforgiving production and garden plant. Grow this for its usually heavy, spectacular show of dense, compact clusters of deep red buds that open to rosy pink, red and cream flowers displayed against the almost too-perfect backdrop of the dense grey foliage. Flowers seem to initiate on any mature growth that receives a modest of chill with daylight. So if you get any chilly mornings at all in summer that's all you need. We've seen it in bloom anytime from July until November, continuing almost always until April. Sometimes it flowers July through April. Usually 3-4’ tall by 5-8’ wide, but under hot, dry conditions and in gravelly/sandy soil it can be slower and smaller, and in deeper, richer soils or more summer watering it can become big, 5-6' tall by 15' across or more, also more green and less grey. The species was named for it's foliage, the varietal name originally referred to a range of similar forms found in the Penola area. This was actually the case for many Grevillea varieties, which are now uniform, clonal selections but formerly referred to ecotypes found near those locations. This is one of the showiest cultivars of G. lavandulacea. It makes a good, forgiving, long-lived container plant. This variety is very similar to a hybrid named ‘Poorinda Illumina,’if it isn't in fact that variety confused with and being sold as this selection, according to Brett Hall. Sun, good drainage, very drought tolerant when established. This species is naturally found on sandy soils which become saturated in winter. Probably won't survive below 20F. Southern and southeastern Australia. UC Santa Cruz. rev 10/2018-Luen Miller

'Little Honey'   PP18489 (not currently in production)  lots o' honey!  yes there is, in the flowers! This is a smaller approximation of the great and legendary 'Honey Gem' a now-relatively-old-yet-still-spectacular cultivar. It has never become established here because it is  A) notoriously difficult to propagate,  2) heat-loving and   d) quite frost-sensitive. This cultivar's golden yellow flowers with orange anthers curled tightly in the core "bring home the gold" to the 'Robyn Gordon'-type line, but with the finer texture and considerably more vigorous overall habit (with enough heat and little or no frost) reminiscent of the toothbrush-flowering/herringbone-leaf shrub varieties. It can reach 6-8' tall and up to 10' wide (with enough heat and little or no frost), but with any hard cold expect it to freeze down probably even faster than 'RG' or 'Superb.' For NorCal that means a righteous banana-belt site plus a little zone-denial, or actual overhead protection, or be happy about regrowing it or even replacing it every 25-28F freeze-event. Of course hummingbirds will fight viciously over the rights to your plant. It is a commercial cut flower variety in Australia. Sun or part shade, little watering once established. Sunset zones 16-24/USDA 9. rev 5/2020 -Luen Miller

‘Long John’  flowers    habit    at the Mills Garden  an Australian hybrid of  G. longistyla and  G. johnsonii with a name assigned by our very own grower, the sublime Jeff Brooks. A bold upright to rounded shrub to 8’ tall, 12’ across, with a lush, dense appearance. The extremely long, thin, softly needle-like, divided leaves grow to 12" long by 1/8" wide. It is one of the showiest selections of the genus, bearing terminal spikes of large, waxy, dark rose pink and white flowers of heavy substance, each flower to 4" long. This is one of the few  Grevilleas which makes a good cut flower because it is resistant to shattering. Irresistible to hummingbirds. Probably begins to show damage at around 25°F. UC Santa Cruz. rev 11/2011-Luen Miller

'Moonlight'   closeup    nice UCSC Arboretum specimen    first UCSC Arboretum plant   end-on   large, showy clusters of big, creamy white flowers are produced all year here in our climate. They are loaded with nectar, really loaded, glistening in the sun and dripping down obnoxiously. Best of all they have a wonderful honey-like flavor which crowns this variety, by volume and flavor, as the best human nectar source of all Grevilleas, and very possibly the best of all plants PERIOD. The hummingbirds don't seem to notice, maybe because the flowers aren't colored. Good for us, bad for them. Because if they knew about it there wouldn't be any nectar for us. The large, silvery, deeply cut, almost ferny foliage is highly ornamental either cut or in your garden. This variety is valuable commercially for both cut flowers and for foliage/filler. Mature specimens in favored sites can reach 12-15' tall and wide unpruned. It can also be maintained lower and thinner by occasional pruning to form a moderately good hedge. Full sun to part shade, good drainage, infrequent irrigation but needs a little summer watering in inland areas, best in areas with winter lows above 25F most years if sited without overhead protection, roof, large tree canopy, etc. It makes a decent large container plant with occasional cutting-back to stimulate new flowers and foliage and occasional doses of moderate-strength, low-phosphate liquid/soluble fertilizer solutions. This variety is one of the most popular in Australia. From genetic analysis it appears to be a hybrid between the (sub)tropical G. banksii (almost certainly the white form) and one of the northern rainforest Silky Oak species, G. whiteana. UCSC Arboretum. rev 5/2020

'Ned Kelly' ('Mason's Hybrid')   flowers    Capitola     UCSC Arboretum, 2005   leaf/flower detail     25F freeze damage/recovery (rear) compared with 'Robyn Gordon' (front)     this redo of the 'Robyn Gordon'/'Supberb' cross falls about in between for flower color. This is taller, faster, and slightly more frost tolerant than either, while diagnostically it has red styles that emerge from yellow to orange segments, versus red/red for 'RG' and yellow/orange for 'S.' Larger, faster and more erect than its sisters, its shorter, more truncated flower clusters are held mostly on short laterals off of tall, usually upright to arching main stems, versus being more terminal on mostly horizontal stems as are 'RG' and 'S.' Leaflets tend to be only divided towards the base, leaf outline is more rectangular and less broadly triangular than either 'Robyn Gordon' or 'Superb.' It tends to be about as wide as tall (6-7') whereas its sisters are usually about twice as wide as tall (4-5' x 8-10'). The first name bestowed was 'Mason's Hybrid,' but 'Ned Kelly' is such a much better handle, also a much better story. Neddy was one of the very few Australian bushrangers (outlaws) of the 1800's. He got the bright idea to make armor suits and helmets of riveted sheet metal for a gunfight with the coppers. But the police got the brighter idea of plugging at least two of them in the legs (d'oooooh!!!). He was tried, hanged, buried in an unmarked grave and his remains located only recently. The best thing about Ned was his iron suit, because if he hadn't made it he wouldn't be famous and this variety wouldn't have a catchy name. Typical conditions of soil, water etc. except it will not usually resent regular but intermittent summer watering and it can't take temps very much below freezing for very long. USDA zone 9. UCSC. rev 10/2018

     At one point near the turn of the millenium I spent a lot of time unmixing this in our beds from its sister hybrids, 'Robyn Gordon' and 'Superb' in order to remove its presence from our nursery completely. I felt there was no good reason to raise it, since it falls somewhere between those two in color and seemed leafier with fewer flowers. I also saw no evidence that it was any more frost hardy than the other two, which a few Australian growers claimed. Well. Times change. In January of 2007 we experienced a moderate freeze, just one night at 25F followed by a second night at 26F. Our 'Robyn Gordon' and 'Superb' plants froze to the soil level, no surprise. We spent the next three years rebuilding stock. One source for our 'Robyn' cuttings was a landscape planting near Manuel's house, a mixed planting it turned out. When it became apparent two years later that we had almost all 'Neds' instead of the intended 'Robyns' I checked out our source. The 'Neds' either hadn't froze back, or were only barely touched and had quickly regrown. Thus the true 'Robyns' had only supplied a few cuttings whereas the 'Neds' were not only cut several times they still outgrew the 'Robyns' in spite of substantial harvesting of cuttings. Thusly was 'Ned Kelly' (the plant) rehabilitated in our esteem as well as our product line. rev 10/2018

‘Noellii’  spidery flowers    Lighthouse neighborhood    large scale commercial  a seedling from Australian seed of unknown parentage (“mixed Grevillea seed”) originally raised and selected by the late Noell Morey of Santa Cruz, whom I worked with. In spite of not being as showy as all the glorious more recent introductions, this very adaptable variety is well-liked by landscapers and gardeners alike for its softly verdant green curtains of weeping, needly foliage. It has a light show of spidery rose and light red flowers that do attract hummingbirds, but its main value is for form and texture. Its high garden tolerance is the domestication-selection result of surviving standard American wholesale nursery practices of the 1950's, when little was known of the needs and dislikes of Australian plants. This selection can reach 4-5' tall by over 8' across unpruned and in a happy situation. It takes pruning, and even hedge shearing, very well as long as it isn't cut back too hard. It grows and looks best in full sun to part shade with good drainage and at least some summer watering. It still looks best with low levels of phosphate and fertilizer in general in spite of it's tolerance. Hardy to somewhere around 20°F. rev 5/2020

nudiflora 'Medusa'   why you grow it   2nd year plant, UCSC 2014     sparse yet showy flowers   bizarre flowering habit   a very good trade groundcover form of this species, native to southern Western Australia. It forms a dense mound to 12-18" tall by 6-10' across (with time), thick enough to exclude weeds while putting on an intriguing flower display. While never overwhelmingly showy it is quite pretty, presenting 4-10 intense red and bright yellow flowers in small upright clusters near the distal ends of extremely long, prostrate stems that lay directly on the ground or against any foliage beneath it. If it has a wall or slope or hanging basket to cascade down from the display is always guaranteed to stop foot traffic. It can be respectably showy when massed as a weed-smothering commercial groundcover as the flowering branches lay against the dense foliage of neighboring plants. And hummingbirds will even visit, hovering just above the ground. Flowers start in winter and continue through late spring with off-season bloom on mature branches which experience chill. But the main show is that dense, springy, supply cushiony mat of long ,needle-like leaves, glossy dark green and feeling almost like plastic. They emerge coppery green and are held on glossy, deep burgundy stems. This has proven to be surprisingly durable for a WA native variety, performing far beyond my original expectations as far as durability in production as well as in the landscape, crop time and weed-supressing density. It also has enough cold tolerance to warrant use as a large-scale landscape groundcover, even in commercial situations, throughout most of the Bay Area, the thermal belts of the Central Valley and most of Southern California. Sun to part shade, good drainage except it will withstand very wet winter conditions, moderate to little or even no summer watering except in the hottest areas, usually takes a freeze to ~25F before showing foliage damage. UCSC Arboretum. rev 5/2020

'Peaches and Cream' PP 18,035  (not currently in production)  our very own very first flower bud!   this is a recross of 'Superb,' which itself was a close recross of the original 'Robyn Gordon,' but here again using one differently-colored parent (a white G. banksii instead of the original red). This selection is much paler than 'Superb,' being almost pastel yellow in bud and blush salmon with age. Like all the others this it produces loose skeins of large, grape-like clusters of large, honey-laden flowers that will be one of the strongest hummingbird attracters in your garden. Use it where you need a softer or quieter color than 'Superb' or 'Robyn Gordon,' otherwise size, culture and application are the same To  4-5' tall by 6-7' across. Average to good drainage, better in leaner mineral soils vs. rich, dense ones, no fertilizer especially phosphate, iron applications if yellow, and an almost frost-free climate. Or give it some overhead protection. Or be willing to grow it back from the roots now and then. rev 3/2013 

‘Pink Pearl’  closeup    neat hedge    snaky branches  a dense, mounding to spreading shrub to 4-8’ tall, 8-12’ wide with dark green, needle-like leaves and conspicuous, well displayed clusters of rose pink and cream flowers in winter and spring. It almost looks like a combination of the semiweeping habit of ‘Noellii,’ and the stiffer needles and habit of ‘Canberra Gem,’ but is showier in bloom than either variety. The flowers are borne in terminal clusters on axillary branches. This variety is prickly enough to be really unpleasant to stick your arm in or walk through, so it makes a good barrier plant: no real physical damage, but you don't want to cross through it. Should be hardy to around 20°F, with damage. UC Santa Cruz. rev 2/2020

'Poorinda Blondie'    closeup     maximum size, UCSC    why you grow it    more "why"    a fast, bold, vigorous spreading shrub to 5 - 8’ tall and 15’ or more across given enough room, rich soils, adequate water and no pruning. Distinctive dark green leaves have coarsely sawtoothed to short herringbone-patterned edges and are silky-silvery green underneath. They emerge from bronzy-iridescent young shoots, mature to 4-5" long and as with almost all Australian and South African trade varieties are outstanding as cut foliage, either featured or as filler. This variety is one of the showiest of the large, toothbrush-flowered Grevilleas. It is very similar to G. ‘Ivanhoe,’ but with light yellow flowers against rose pink bases versus coral pink, and grows wider but not as tall. Flowers make a very heavy show by late winter but color can be expected on any mature growth which experiences morning chill. Usually undamaged at 25°F, it will show moderate to severe damaged below 20°F. Like most other big, fast Grevilleas ('Red Hooks,'  UC Santa Cruz. rev 2/2020

'Poorinda Royal Mantle'    closeup    weed-smothering mat - July    why you grow it - March   why you grow it - November    patterns    18 months, Eastside Santa Cruz neighborhood   until recently the most popular plant in Australia, now superseded by the Lomandra gang. But it is still the most popular large-scale groundcover, and just check out the images to see why. It is very close to 'Austraflora Fanfare' but its leaves are essentially uncut and thus it appear more lush and verdant. It is also definitely faster, moderately denser, less drought tolerant and less cold hardy, by a couple to a few degrees - degrees F, that is. Growing to less than 12" tall, often under even 6", it can quite easily and quickly cover an area 10-15' across as a mat of dense, dark green leaves in less than 2 years under optimum conditions. New growth and stems are conspicuously and attractively colored, from starting bright pink then bronzy red. Dark red flowers with bright yellow stigma tips, in tight toothbrush clusters to 3" long, appear from early fall through late spring, with sporadic bloom popping off in between as waves of cool weather help initiate flowers under longer days. This variety is often displays symptoms of iron deficiency (see introductory notes, above. Damaged at 25°F, it will explode from harder wood by late spring. Roots and may survive tops being cut back at 20°F and might survive even lower temps (15F?) if shaded from early morning sun - the longer the better. Of course it attracts hummingbirds, and bees, and beneficials, and photographers, and etc. etc. Buy this plant to keep the Earth healthy - and photographers employed. UC Santa Cruz. rev 2/2020

'Poorinda Signet'  flowers   new plant, UCSC  a UCSC Koala Blooms introduction, this plant grows as a dense, spreading, low to medium height shrub to 4-6' tall and wide. Light and dark pink spider flowers in dense clusters make a spectacular, right-proper blowout of light salmon pink color in late winter and early spring. Dense, dark green foliage makes a great backdrop for the lighter colored flowers. Frost hardy to at least 20F, it should be tested in colder northern climates like Portland (Oregon, not Maine). Needs moderate to little summer watering and soil of average drainage or better. A treat for the hummingbirds!. Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24/USDA 9. rev 2/2020

‘Red Hooks’  closeup    more flowers    habit    another plant    new growth  this is a fast growing shrub or small tree to 8-12’ tall, 12-18’ wide, with horizontal to upwardly spreading branches. Pinnate, herringbone-patterned leaves to 5" long have very narrow, broadly separated leaflets, giving the plant a fine textured look. New growth is densely covered with minute, silky brown hairs. Coral red flowers in toothbrush clusters are produced from late winter through late spring, with some appearing throughout the year. Easily recognized by its very striking appearance, with very thick trunks and robust, wandering horizontal branches narrowing to the flat tier-like sprays of almost ferny foliage. Cut it back hard once to several times when young or it will probably blow over. Damaged below 25°F. UC Santa Cruz. rev 11/2011

rhyolitica 'Deua Flame'  flowers and leaves   this was formerly considered to be a subspecies of G. victoriae but is usually treated by itself nowadays. This named selection seems to be just the standard form of the species found in Deua National Park north of Melbourne. This is a rare and endangered plant. It is larger, faster, greener, and showier than its close cousin G. victoriae. It bears lance shaped, deep green leaves and blooms with long, pendant, moderately dense spikes of bright coral red flowers. Bloom is heaviest in late spring and early summer but it flowers all year. Hummingbirds love its heavy nectar production. This is a compact, dense, tough, easy to grow species that is quite heat and drought tolerant, is easy to shape, and is frost hardy enough to be used in most of lowland California. It grows moderately quickly, cuts back well, is quite showy, and has a lush appearance for a plant that doesn't use much water. Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24, possibly zone 5 as well/USDA zone 9. rev 7/2009

‘Robyn Gordon’  flowers    UCSC Arboretum    another UCSC Arboretum plant  until relatively recently the second-most popular plant in Australia. It is an exquisitely showy, long blooming hybrid of G. bipinnatifida with G. banksii. Large, terminal, pendant clusters, to 6" long, of deep rose red to light coral red flowers are borne for most of the year. Individual flowers are quite long, with large bases. Leaves are deeply cut, almost pinnate, habit is relatively dense. To 6-7’ tall and wide. Severely damaged or killed below 25°F. Compare to 'Superb' and 'Ned Kelly.' UC Santa Cruz. rev 10/2018

rosmarinifolia ‘Dwarf Form’  closeup    happy plant  a compact shrub to 3’ tall, 6’ wide at full maturity, bearing soft, broadly needle-like dark green leaves, light underneath, and very showy pink and cream flowers all over the outside of the bush from fall through spring. One of the most successful of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum introductions. This strain has become quite popular in California, since it is showier and much more compact than the type form. Tolerates partial shade, best with some summer watering, especially in hot areas. While some high-elevation populations of this species can take temperatures below 10F without damage this very showy selection is more tender and can be damaged by frost below 25°F, and probably killed below 20°F. Southeastern Australia. UC Santa Cruz. rev 5/2020

‘Scarlet Sprite’  closeup  very close    nice young plant  a fast growing but dense variety, spiky when young but filling in to become a compact rounded plant to 4-5’ tall and 8’ wide, with relatively soft, fine textured, dark green needle-like leaves to 1" long. Showy clusters of spidery rose pink and cream flowers appear heavily in winter and spring. Like a denser, more rounded, softer, much showier G. ‘Noellii.’ This one almost doesn't hurt at all if you stick your bare arm into it. Average Grevillea requirements. Hardy to around 20°F. UC Santa Cruz.  rev 5/2020

‘Ruby Clusters’  closeup  very old plant    new growth  a large, dense, rounded shrub to 6’ tall and 8-10’ wide with relatively hard, dark blue green, narrow lance shaped leaves to 1 1/2" long, with lighter undersides. Dark red flowers to 1" long, in small clusters of up to 25, hang below the branches and make a nice show from fall through spring, with some bloom occurring throughout the year. This is valuable and very attractive as a relatively formal screen or foliage plant, and very pretty when in bloom. However its best use is probably as a hummingbird feeder. The Arboretum at UC Santa Cruz reports this variety to be probably the best hummingbird plant in their garden, and that is saying something. With their collection of Salvias, Ericas, and Grevilleas, I have never seen a higher concentration of hummingbirds anywhere in the world. They report that its everblooming habit, heavy nectar production, flower color and blossom availability make it the most heavily visited plant in their garden. Sun to mostly shade, average to no summer watering. Very adaptable to soils, and will tolerate wet, heavy soils. Damaged by frost at 20-25°F. UC Santa Cruz. rev 11/2011

sericea    PINK SPIDER FLOWER   flowers, spring    dense habit   winter flower and foliage color  this is a fast, easy to grow Eastern Australian species that is highly garden-tolerant, at least as forgiving of warm, humid conditions here as G.'Canberra Gem' or 'Pink Pearl' if not better. It grows quickly into a moderately dense upright shrub to 5-6' tall by 6' or more across, eventually much more. The small, medium green, needle-like leaves are soft and won't poke you at all. Flowers are small, spidery, light rose pink  and appear from fall through late spring, sometimes even right our through cool summers. This form appears to be completely sterile, as I have never found even a single seed capsule besides searching large numbers of plants over several years. Grow it in sun to part shade with at least average drainage and intermittent but some summer irrigation. It is happiest, most compact, showiest and overall most attractive in lean, mineral soils with minimal feeding. Low water using but it will need at least some in areas with really hot summers or in very low rainfall areas. This form is frost hardy to at least 25F, has survived 20F, and should be reliable for USDA zone 9, probably 8a and possibly even 8b (Portland). Sunset zones (5?) 8-9, 14-24. UCSC. Southeastern Australia. rev 10/2018

'Collaroy Plateau'  PINK SPIDER FLOWER (not currently in production - we lost it!)    flowers    originally sent over by Rodger Elliot under its Australia trade name, simply "dark pink form, Collaroy Plateau" or something like that. It is slower, more upright and a little more open than the taller, more willowy common light pink form, and with much deeper rosy pink flowers. The leaves are rounder, darker green, often with slightly recurved edges and more closely set. It's also much harder to propagate. Overall it's a nicer landscape plant in my opinion just due to its noticeably stronger color. However we lost our stock plant and are unsure of its current status at UCSC as its original location is now a driveway. Reportedly everything removed for that project was sent to propagation first so it may still exist in their collection. A third intermediate form also still exists in their collection, about halfway in between in the above two forms in color. As of this revision I am not aware of it being in the trade here. Similar conditions and parameters as for the regular pink form but definitely taller, more open and much narrower, probably to less than 8' wide at maturity. UCSC. rev 7/2020

'Pink Midget'     cute little flowers    a very compact, very dense, low mounding bush with soft-textured, light to medium green, broadly needle-like leaves and small clusters of spidery light pink flowers. It initiates flowers all year for those of us along the coast, indicating chill is at least one way to bring it into bloom but not necessarily the only way. To just 1-2' tall by 2-3' wide, it is a very good small scale shrub or small groundcover for dry areas. The narrow leaves are shiny, light to dark green depending on exposure, soil fertility and plant age, the branches are very supple and forgiving of abuse and the twigs and branches are a nice copper-burgundy. It can put on quite a flower show at almost any season here in our cool-summer climate but is probably restricted to fall through spring in hot inland areas. Sun or part shade, little watering once established. Sunset zones 9, 16-24/USDA 9. rev 8/2020

'Spirit of Anzac' PP29372   flower closeup   another new King's Park Botanic Garden hybrid (Perth, Western Australia), this one honoring the centennial anniversary of Anzac, the cooperative Australia-New Zealand armed forces which has served in so many overseas conflicts. Features large deep red to cherry red flowers that open from whitish buds in horizontally-displayed clusters somewhat like 'Robyn Gordon' but smaller and more compact. The flower buds and bases are a contrasting creamy white, all displayed against very fine but quite dense, dark grey green foliage and whitish stems. Habit is spreading and eventually a medium to tall shrub, 6-10' depending on site, space/crowding and care, and usually wider than tall. Easy to shape, easy to satisfy as far as siting, not picky or difficult to care for. With a little water and an occasional light trim it can bloom all year in climates with intermittent cool spells. Full to half sun, average to good drainage, little summer watering required but looks better with at least infrequent irrigation, and can tolerate up to weekly waterings in very well-drained sites. Good container variety, not sure about cut flower applications,spectacular hit with the hummingbird crowd. Described as hardy to "light frosts," which usually translates to ~25F or so, maybe lower. rev 8/2020

'Sunrise'   nice flowers   cooler temps, deeper color   light July bloom at UCSC plus still blocking weeds after 30 years!!   reported by it's registrars to be a hybrid of G. bipinnatifida x G. 'Clearview Robin.' Grows as a low, moderately dense rounded or spreading ground cover to 2-3' tall by 5-8' across at full maturity. It displays scattered clusters of moderately large light apricot orange to deep, ruddy coral orange flowers, mostly late fall through late spring but it readily flowers off-season on mature stems that see a modest amount of chill. Foliage is noticeably dimorphic, with softer juvenile leaves that have shorter internodes, are more heavily tomentose and slightly cut then changing to larger, harder, smoother 5-lobed leaves as plants reach mature, flowering age. Horizontal to pendant flower clusters are like smaller, shorter versions of 'Superb,' but more orange, shorter, also not as showy nor as prolific. Still that warm, soft flower color is in character with those light-colored leaves, and they always draw hummingbirds (of course!). Well-established specimens are definitely quite heat and drought tolerant, needing little or no summer irrigation and surviving winter lows to around 25-20F before showing damage. It will usually take another 5 degrees or so lower, with varying degrees of sadness. Grows tall enough and dense enough to keep most weeds from coming through plus spreads wide enough to use relatively sparse (i.e. lower-cost) drip irrigation centers. Our last previous crop was planted in 1996, under its original-but-never-registered name 'Wakiti Sunrise.' It took a while for us to re-list it but we think its time has re-arrived: it is yet another tough, showy low-water possibility to add to your design pallette and always fits easily and nicely into Mediterranean-style gardens. Sun to half shade, most soils, somewhat tolerant of poor drainage, USDA zone 9/Sunset zones 7-9, 13-24. UCSC. rev 8/2019

‘Superb’  closeup   habit   silky buds    closeup salmon phase    more flowers  the most popular plant in Australia, deservedly. This is a close recross of the revolutionary  G. ‘Robyn Gordon,’ but with a white G. banksii parent instead of the usual red. It grows as a vigorous, somewhat open shrub to 4-6’ tall, spreading to 8’ or more at glorious, eye-popping maturity. It is very close to its sister except that for color, but is distinctly more vigorous, somewhat larger and its leaves are lighter green in color. Its distinctive flowers come in the same gigantic clusters but are light coral orange (cool) to pale apricot (warm) instead of rose to dark coral red, and they show yellow styles when they first start to crack open. have large, showy, yellow styles. It is a phenomenal nectar producer, to the point that if you slap mature clusters against your palm it will fill with delicious, sweet fluid. This was a traditional Aborigine treat with some species though others are known to accumulate cyanide in their nectar - always drink responsibly. I rank it as the single best hummingbird plant we grow, very possibly the best in existence, if you have the climate to grow it. Site it in sun to part shade, with at least a little summer watering, in soils of average or better drainage. Expect it to severely damaged or killed below 25°F, protect it from any direct early morning sun for best chances of survival in marginal sites or climates. UC Santa Cruz. rev 1/2021

synapheae 'Picasso'   CATKIN GREVILLEA      why you grow it, UCSC,  March 2012    flowers, foliage, stems   in Neal Mariott and Peter Olde's White Gums Nursery, South Australia, spring 1989        almost excluding those weeds    mature foliage   an interesting new variety, providing a massive blast of a late winter color in ivory white to pale yellow that can just about cover the plant. When not in bloom the narrow three-lobed, usually quite bluish leaves contrast nicely against quite red stems. In full sun this will be a low, spreading, 2-3' tall shrub of open habit, reaching 4' tall by 8' wide if allowed. Though a quite open grower, with skeletonized leaves separated by long internodes, it soon becomes a dense mass of stems which with age can exclude tall, fast-growing weeds such as wild oats, Italian rye and musk thistles. In contrast to many other Grevilleas it seems to need either short days or extended cold periods to initiate flower buds, which are produced as terminal and subterminal spikes. In spite of our very cool-summer climate here we only see a single heavy wave of bloom in March and April, even in a much-cooler-than-normal year. Found growing on laterite or sandy loam over denser laterite soils roughly just east of Perth this species demands average-good drainage, and in hotter climates where summer watering is needed preferably coarse-textured mineral soils. It appreciates a small amount of afternoon shade in those hot interior sites but with increasing shade it stretches, especially upward, and begins to grow as a scandent mass by leaning on and weaving through nearby shrubs, fences, dead branches etc. This trait is corrected by strict discipline (pruning). Except for the Central Valley, inland Southern California and similar climates it should be grown in full sun. With age it forms a lignotuber and resprouts after wildfires. Tired plants showing any amount of dead material can be renewed by yet more discipline in early fall, before or just as cool/wet-season growth commences. The species name is derived from its close appearance to the foliage seen in many species of the beautiful and interesting Western Australian Proteaceous genus Synaphea. The common name comes from short, dense clusters of yellow-ivory flowers resembling catkins. This subspecies (ssp. synapheae, vs. ssp. pachyphylla with broader leaf blades, a more northerly and more coastal population) is considered hardy to between 25 and 20°F at least, possibly lower but we have no direct observations yet ourselves. UCSC Arboretum. rev 6/2024

victoriae  ROYAL GREVILLEA, MOUNTAIN GREVILLEA   spring, Snowy Mountains, Australia, ~5000' elevation    Paul Bonine's shot from Portland   a variable species, ranging through mountainous areas of southeastern Australia (NSW, Vict.), sometimes above treeline. I have a picture of a plant blooming in spring (late October there) growing around 5000' elevation. Some forms are hardier than others, those from the vert highest, most cold-hardy populations are generally not as showy and bloom in late spring or summer. Formerly recognized as having six or more subspecies, most are now considered to be separate species by specialists. rev 6/2024

'Marshall Olbrich'   nice, bright winter flowers    best plant I know of, Strybing Arboretum   reported to be a garden seedling found growing in the Western Hills Nursery landscape and display garden, this is either a straight seedling of, or hybrid involving G. victoriae. It greatly resembles the Australian trade form of G. victoriae imported in the late 1950's by both Saratoga Horticultural foundation and Marshall Olbricht/Lester Hawkins, along with then-staples 'Constance,' 'Canberra,' G. diminuta, G. "sulfurea" (a yellow, upright trade form of G. juniperina), G. x gaudichaudii and others. If I dusted off my boxes of slides I could probably find an image of this and some of those others growing at Western Hills back in the mid-1970's. This form produces a strong display of short, pendant clusters of bright red orange flowers at varying times of the year. I have images of it in bloom in February at our nursery, in April in Portland, in June and August at our nursery and in August at Strybing Arboretum. Whenever, they attract copious clouds of quarrelsome hummingbirds. Its silvery grey green leaves form a good backdrop for the flowers or as a background canvas for other plants as well as looking great themselves against fences, walls etc. To about 6-8' tall by 8-10' wide (or more) at full maturity, unpruned. Full sun to part shade, average drainage or better, low to very low water use. This form has been reliably tested in the PNW and is reliabely hardy to USDA zone 8 and parts of zone 7. rev 10/2019

'Murray Valley Queen’  ROYAL GREVILLEA  closeup    habit    another nice plant at UCSC Arboretum  an upright to rounded shrub to 4-6’ tall and wide, with upright to spreading branches and lance shaped dark grey green leaves to 3" long. The flowers are orange red, and hang in short pendant clusters on axillary twigs among the branches. Twigs, flower buds, and new growth of this almost formal looking selection are heavily covered with a beautiful, silky, rust colored indumentum. This is the showiest and most distinctive selection of a very tough species. It blooms over a relatively long season, starting in late winter and lasting through spring. This species occurs at high elevation in eastern Australia, and is often covered with snow. Prefers sun to part shade, good drainage, with average to little summer watering. This form seems hardy to between  5-10°F, according to friends in Portland who have been observing it. From UC Santa Cruz. USDA zone 7. rev 10/2016

'Winpara Gem'  mature blooming plant, UCSC pre-2005   a tall, dense, fine textured upright form that easily reaches 6-8' before spreading to 6-12' wide, eventually forming a wide globe shape left unpruned. It has a delicate, wispy nature but forms dense branches with a silky texture and shears well, and so is actually an excellent hedging subject for narrower spaces. Small rounded clusters of warm coral red orange flowers appear on short axillary branches from older growth, usually fall through spring but it shows signs of initiating with chill here under very long days as well. Leaves have a slight golden or olive hue above and a conspicuously silvery underside, perhaps its best feature, when bent by the wind, the result of very tiny iridescent hairs. This originated as a found seedling, presumed to be a hybrid between G. thelemanniana and either G. olivacea, which forms hybrids in the wild, or G. argyrophylla.  Easy, fast, forgiving, not spectacularly showy as it blooms on older wood until older and throws less vigorous new growth, when it starts to shine. Very useful and much appreciated for its texture alone. It is damaged by frost below 25F but is also one of the very few at our nursery which survived the record 1990 freeze as a newly planted 1g, and still exists today. Then it was helped no doubt by the fact it had critical morning shade. Infrequent summer watering, good drainage, acid soils, cut back as needed. UC Santa Cruz. rev 5/2020

Guava, Blueberry (Luma apiculata)  BLUEBERRY GUAVA, CHILEAN MYRTLE, CHILEAN BLUEBERRY, ARRAYÁN, TEMU    fragrant flowers    tweaky trunks, Los Arrayanes National Park, Argentina    nice small tree, Santa Cruz, Circles neighborhood    nice droughty landscape shrub   luscious fruit     Don Genesey's commercial landscape, Live Oak    young trunk bark   do you like our new name? I invented "Chilean Blueberry" for our first descriptive catalog in 1992. Then today as we discussed adding it to the "edibles" category on our weekly availability our grower Alex Lucio came up with "Chilean Guava," I responded with "Chilean Blueberry Guava" and he finished with "Blueberry Guava." This naming process we go through is like playing fast badminton. We think this is the best name so far for this interesting edible, we hope it catches on. This plant's came (SHRF, 1+70's) then went (80's), then came back (early 90's), then went (~95- and now has come back again. An evergreen tree to 60’ in its native Chile, usually seen in California as an evergreen shrub to 10-15’. Growth is fast when young, narrow and vertical if unsheared. In full sun it grows slowly into a tree, reaching altitude more quickly and showing more leg I mean bark when stretching up towards light in an open-forest-type situation or simulation. Grow it for its lustrous dark green leaves, its fuzzy orangey brown trunks, it's clouds of fragrant white summer (mostly) flowers or its heavy crops of often quite good, blue-black, blueberry-like fruit. As a food crop this is still a first-generation unselected wild plant as far as I can tell. The berries are really tasty and good as is, and mature plants can produce so heavily the branches drooping towards the ground. But the fruits would be even better if they were a little larger, with smaller, less resinous seeds, a reduced remnant calyx at the distal end and a less persistent stem. It is simple to grow from seed and is also hypervariable so it should be easy to improve. In fact it is on my future-project list but is currently number 173 (of 987 total) so if you have the space, time and interest go for it, society will be better for your effort. Site it in sun with at least intermittent irrigation, it's best with deep, infrequent but regular watering. It will tolerate considerable drought when established but looks nondescript and will produce little in the way of flowers or fruit. In at least part shade it is easier, and generally nicer looking, and can be grown much drier while maintaining appearance. Clip it into a hedge or and leave it's naturally open, artistically spreading shape alone, your choice. Survived 20°F in containers here in 1990 with only soft new tip growth damaged, so it's probably good to USDA zone 8. Chile, Argentina. Mytraceae. rev 1/2020-Luen Miller
 
Guava, Common or Tropical (Psidium guajava)  Mexican Cream   unknown variety, downtown Pajaro   trimmed walkway plants, Soquel   flower   a large evergreen shrub or small tree with large ornamental leaves, attractive bark and large, attractive, somewhat fragrant white flowers. The large round to oval fruit are usually quite sweet, usually filled with tiny, hard seeds and have a heavy musky odor when fully ripe. Mature trees can produce heavily. This species prefers warmth but not intense desert or Central Valley heat as well as frost free sites or winter protection. Mature trees can reportedly survive short periods as low as 25F but primary fruiting season is winter so fruit will often be lost. In cool-summer areas many varieties will initiate flowers on mature wood that experiences modest chill and so can bear at any time of year. Small commercial crops are produced from higher ground around the middle of the Salinas Valley. Rare Fruit Growers in the Santa Clara Valley and East Bay hills, the Monterey Bay Area and other favored microclimates in Northern and Central California regularly report success, and it considered well adapted to wide regions of Southern California. Grow it in full sun, in average soils or better and with average to infrequent watering. Very dry summer conditions will affect fall flowering and fruit set. Some varieties are very poor quality in cool areas, you just have to experiment to find the ones suited to your climate. One friend (Matt Ross) in foggy downtown Soquel, almost adjacent to the freeway, reports that three varieties regularly bear excellent quality fruit, but one never got better than you'd expect from unripe pumpkin and was removed. I forget the variety names, I 'll update this when I find out. The largest plant I know of in the Monterey Bay Area is a large tree in downtown Pajaro, just across the bridge from downtown Watsonville. It reaches above the overhead phone cable. Guavas will also fruit willingly as container plants, even when kept small and so they make a good patio, indoor/outdoor or house plants if you are in a suboptimum climate. This species of guava can fruit at 2-4 years from seed so there is a very large number of named varieties, often these are seed lines as opposed to uniform clones. Guava probably originated in Southern Mexico and adjacent Central America but was widespread through nearby tropical and subtropical regions by early prehistoric times (Peru, 2500 B.C.). rev 1/2021-Luen Miller

'Barbie Pink'  GIANT   bumpy green fruit, deep rose pink interiors and reportedly heavenly flavor. To 8-10' in most California situations. rev 1/2021
'Peruvian White'   pale green exteriors with white, honey-sweet flesh, minimal seeds. To 8-12'. rev 1/2021
'Tikal'  large, smooth, light yellow fruit, pink flesh and minimal seeds. To 8-12'. rev 1/2021

Guava, Pineapple (Feijoa sellowiana, also Acca sellowiana)     shrub    flowers    grown for its distinctive fruit as well as a tough, ornamental landscape subject. Flowers initiate on mature wood + chill + daylight, usually appearing by summer here. They are modestly showy, to 1" across with four white, succulent petals and a cluster of silky, brushy, bright red stamens at the center - and they attract lots of hummingbirds. They also attract people like me who enjoy the very sweet, fragrant, slighly resinous petals almost as much as the fruit, but in my experience flowers whose petals are plucked do not set fruit, or at least set at a greatly reduced frequency. Mature shrubs can quickly reach 8-12' tall and wide, with very old, unrestrained heirloom specimens getting even bigger, often with gnarly branches and very interesting, flaky, light buckskin-tan bark. It makes a very good, drought tolerant clipped hedge, with a green/silvery look from the felty leaf undersides. It's very tough as a landscape shrub, surviving easily in our cool Mediterranean coastal zone with zero watering once established, and needing just infrequent deep watering almost anywhere inland to look good. As a patio or walkway tree it can be messy, dropping leaves, flower parts and eventually both ripe and aborted, unripe fruit. Site it in full, hot, dry sun with reflected heat all the way through mostly shady, cool conditions. Depends on what you're after. Not picky about soil, doesn't like really poor drainage or deep, heavy clay. Prefers a Mediterranean-like climate but is also well adapted to more continental climes such as Texas, with hot, humid summers. It's frost hardy to around 10F, and can be grown as far north as Portland, Oregon. Besides California and similar areas a quick skim of Dave's Garden will reveal it being grown in places as varied as southern Florida, Maryland, Mesa, Arizona, Louisiana, northeastern England, even Bulgaria and Southern Bavaria! rev 5/2019

     FRUIT   Oblong green fruits are 1-3" long with creamy white insides and a sweet/tart pineapple flavor. Fruit from seedling trees will always vary in quality, with a very few being too hard, resinous or acidic to ever be good and others, even small ones, being as good or better than grafted varieties. They offer a variety of different and interesting flavors. Almost all varieties, even mostly self-fertile ones, grafted or seedlings, will set much heavier crops with different grafted plants or seedlings nearby to provide dissimilar pollen. Best harvest technique for maximum fruit sweetness and fragrance is to use a thick, soft, well-drained organic mulch (bark chips, redwood sawdust, gorilla hair, etc.) and watch for ripe fruit starting to fall in quantity (usually late October-early November). Clean up those and any early-aborted or old fruit then just check every day or two for whatever has dropped. They'll be as good as they can get and won't start to spoil from resting too long on moist soil. If they are still acidic you can leave them in a bag or bowl for one to several days, the skins get dull and they will begin to soften when they're ready. Fruit that are pulled off the plant, even a little unripe, will always be harder, more resinous and more acidic than self-droppers, will be slow to after-ripen and frequently never achieve good quality. Pick them early enough and they will never ripen.  this tough evergreen shrub grows rather quickly to 12' tall and wide and beeventually forming a small tree to 12’ tall and wide. Oval leaves to 2" long are dark green above, silvery below. White and red flowers are borne along the branches in spring. The petals are edible and good. Fruits follow in early fall. They are oval to round, usually around 2-4 inches long, and have a sweet/tart flavor with a resinous pineapple fragrance. Quality is definitely better closer to the coast. They are best when harvested immediately after they fall from the bush. rev 5/2019

Guava, Strawberry (Psidium cattleianum v. cattleianum)   fruit    Craig and Cory's nice clipped hedge    a shrub or very small tree, usually to about 8' tall, often seen used as an informal or clipped hedge. Will eventually form a very nice small tree when mature, with durable, formal dark green leaves and quite attractive, crepe-myrtle-like bark, often displayed on picturesque, gnarly trunks. The small whitish flowers result in a crop fruit usually by late summer but often over an extended period of time. Fruits are dark red, to about an inch across. This seems responsive to quite modest amounts of chill and flowering/fruit set/ripening often results in overlapping crops. The fruits have a sweet to strongly resinous flavor reminiscent of strawberry when fresh, plus they make an excellent jam. I like them very much as long as they are fully ripened. If under-ripe they tend to be astringent, overly resinous and acidic enough to make the salivary glands at the back of your jaw really ache. The best quality comes when they fall off when touched then are left to ripen a day or two longer. Easiest way, just as with Pineapple Guavas, is to clean up all the fruit on the ground then harvest what falls each day. It is almost impossible from cuttings so commercially is raised from seed. I am aware of no exceptional clones or named varieties that are grafted but plants definitely vary in quality. Our own line is derived from the biggest, sweetest, most heavy and frequent bearing plants we find, and is under constant reselection for improvement. Seedling plants should begin bearing 2-3 year from seed, and some bear as first-year, 1-gallon-size plants at our nursery. Approximately 10-15% are either slow to come into bearing or never produce, and if planted for fruit production they should be removed - without pity! "Give 'em the axe, the axe, the axe! Right in the neck, the neck, the neck!" Sun, average soils, quite drought tolerant when established but at the expense of fruit production, starts to show foliage damage at 28F but about half the plants in the Santa Cruz area survived 19F in 1990, with most frozen down close to the ground. rev 5/2019

Gunnera  herbaceous perennials, some gigantic in size. All seem to like moist but well-drained soils. Widely distributed, from Central and South America, Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Eastern Africa, Madagascar. Gunneraceae. rev 1/2016

monoica  (not currently in production)  teeny tiny  the smallest of the gunneras, coming from New Zealand. Little round, dark green leaves grow under 3-4" tall and spread in rich, moist soil. Use as a groundcover in containers or the garden. Sun or part shade. Flowers turn into little white fruit in winter. Sunset zones 4-6, 14-17, 20-24/USDA 8. rev 4/2014-Suzy Brooks 

tinctoria (chilensis)  leaf, at Richard Josephson's    emerging leaf, spring    6' high plants at Strybing Arboretum   a more familiar Strybing Arboretum view    flower spike    a nice young Santa Cruz plant in sun  this is a huge foliage plant, with leaves to 4' across on petioles to 4' long. The leaves are covered with like cone-like spines, not obtrusive enough to be dangerous but a little obnoxious. It is native to open coastal bluffs in cooler regions of the western edge of South America in Chile, and does well in coastal climates here in California. It is at its very, very happiest planted at the edge of a pond or stream where it can grow its white fibrous roots down into the water for uninhibited drinking. All the very best specimens I know are planted in this way, but it also does extremely well in regular garden soils as long as they are of at least adequate drainage and receive regular watering. I have had gardeners tell me it does well with little summer watering but they always wilt and die for me if I don't keep them regularly irrigated, so be forewarned. I know of many who have maintained large, impressive plantings for many years. It does well in containers but either needs to be stood in saucer of water or needs perfect attention to watering. Probably the best collection of specimens in the US are to be found around the pond at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park. Don Mahoney informed me that a Gunnera expert examined their collection and said that all their plants are G. tinctoria with the exception of one plant at the edge of "Chile" and "South America" which is G. manicata. That species is very slightly larger, very marginally less stiff in habit and leaf presentation, and has minute differences in the petiole vascular bundles. The differences aren't obvious and without careful examination G. manicata would be mistaken for G. tinctoria. Sun to light shade. Sunset 4-6, 14-17, 20-24, USDA zone 8-9. rev 5/2006 

Gymnocalycium saglionis  CHIN CACTUS  (not currently in production)  imagining flowers   like monkey bread [suzy - what 'n heck is "monkey bread"?-Ed.], this is made up of chunky bits, but these are green bits and have a sparkler of dark spines in the center. A large, solitary barrel cactus, it is a giant for this genus. It grows slowly to an eventual 12" wide and up to 3' tall. Funnel shaped white flowers appear throughout the growing season, turning into large, inflated, showy pink fruit. A good choice for containers, or will take a sunny to part shade location with well-drained soil. House/patio plant, or outside with protection from cold and frost outside USDA zone 9/Sunset 9, 16-24. Northwestern Argentina. Cactaceae. rev 10/2014-Suzy Brooks

Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion'  PURPLE VELVET PLANT, PURPLE PASSION (not currently in production) young growth   the ultimate in soft foliage, famous that outrageous purple fur covering the new growth (only). This is a houseplant or porch/patio container subject. The dark undersides of the leaves make it a great subject for hanging baskets, the fur on the new growth across the top make it good for other containers. It likes very bright, cool (60-70F) shade, and no direct sun, but if kept too dark the new growth will emerge without the purple. Doesn't like to sit in a dish of water, and use a light, relatively high perlite/pumice houseplant potting. Cut it back when it gets too much mature foliage to force that great fuzz and keep it from taking over your porch. Ray-less composite flowers are bright orange, initiate under short-day conditions (and so finally appear in winter and early spring), are about 1/2 - 1" across and smell like popcorn (generously) to something else. This grows as a fast, trailing to climbing/scandent vine in its native habitat. This was my very, very first house plant. I planted it in a clay pot filled with dirt, brought in inside to a dark location and watered it furiously. I think it lasted two weeks. Tropical Asia, escaped and weedy in many tropical areas. Compositae/Asteraceae. rev 5/2017 

Gypsypholia fastigiata 'Silverstar'  DWARF BABY'S BREATH  (not currently in production)  blooming plant   this falls between the old rock garden standby G. repens and the traditional cut flower Baby's Breath "gyp" as far as habit and flowers. It forms a compact perennial clump of grey green leaves, with a creeping to barely mounding habit, topped by short clusters of white flowers from spring through late summer. The buds and flower stems are burgundy and provide a nice background hue. Likes full sun, good drainage, average watering, and for best performance, just like its carnation relatives, a cup or two of dolomite or oystershell lime mixed into the planting hole to keep the soil on the sweet side . Caryophyllaceae. rev 5/2011

note: all above text and images ©Luen Miller and Monterey Bay Nursery, Inc. except as otherwise noted