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Jasminum  vines and scandent shrubs, with flowers that are usually fragrant to some degree in horticultural forms. Oleaceae. rev 9/2011

angulare  flowers  very fragrant, starry white flowers from late spring through fall, held upright in clusters. It grows up and out, to 10-15', and how you treat it will determine if it's a shrub, groundcover, or vine. Trim back in early spring for shrubbery, let it go unaided for a groundcover, and tie it to something or let it sprawl on support for a vine. It's evergreen to 20-25F, with beautiful dark green leaves. A nice one to grow in a container with an obelisk in it. Will take sun or part shade and wants regular waterings. Coming from South Africa, it won't take too much cold, USDA zone 9/Sunset 16-24. rev 9/2011-Suzy Brooks

humile ‘Revolutum’    wonderful flowers    habit    this is the true “J. revolutum,” not an inferior clone masquerading, which is really just the normal form of J. humile. Every yard should have one. This, the real McCoy, has much larger leaves, AND much bigger flowers to an inch across, AND they're are fragrant, AND it blooms year around. The flowers are intense, almost golden yellow, against bright green leaves. The fragrance is strong, quite noticeable away from the plant, and is very much like that of Sweet Peas. It has a semivining habit like a climbing rose and gets 12-15' tall and wide without restraint. Full to part sun, average watering, but very tough and drought tolerant when established. Evergreen and hardy in Portland, Oregon, USDA zone 8, and undamaged at 8°F there. USDA probably zone 7, at least/Sunset zones 6 and higher. rev 8/2019

officinale 'Fiona Sunrise'   flowers and leaves, August    leaves start out chartreuse and quickly mature to gold, and stay gold, sun or shade. Not a rampant grower, just acceptably fast (enough), climbing by scandent branches to 6-10' tall, and eventually covering moderately larger areas. Fragrant white flowers are produced in small terminal clusters from fall through spring, depending on winter temperatures. This is a great foliage-color plant to use against any dark wall or fence, or other plant. Just be careful about reflected-heat burning on naked stems. Along with J. sambac (Arabian jasmine) the dried flowers of this species can be used to make jasmine tea. USDA zone 7/Sunset 5-9, 12-24/USDA 7. rev 8/2019 

polyanthum    PINK JASMINE    closeup    habit    showy buds    famous for almost choking-strong fragrance, this is rightfully the most common vining jasmine in the trade. It grows as a fast, twining evergreen vine with small, fine textured, pinnate leaves and bears massed clusters of small, showy, deep pink buds that open to heavily fragrant white flowers. Heaviest bloom is in winter and spring, but plants can be almost everblooming in cool summer, warm winter climates (us!). Sun to part shade, average to little summer watering. Damaged by frost below 25°F. Western China. rev 9/2011

Jovibarba heuffelii    JOB'S BEARD, HENS AND CHICKS    small rosetting succulents native to mountains of southeastern Europe. Jeez these things are slow! Just what you need if it's in a small pot, which they usually are. I've confused them more than once with Sempervivums, which they closely resemble and which they are sometimes classified with, but they seem to always be at least slightly hairy and consistently show narrower, more sharply pointed leaf tips. Also they grow as much tighter clumps and must be cut apart instead of dividing easily like the Semps. Rosettes are monocarpic (die after flowering) but new plants bud from the base of the parent rosette. Flowers are always greenish, versus usually pinkish in Sempervivum, and are held on relatively long spikes. All are very frost hardy but need good drainage, and prefer highly-mineral soils or soil mixes. All are cold-hardy to USDA zone 3. Crassulaceae. rev 3/2019

'Beacon Hill'    very mature 4" specimen   flowering habit   flowers up close   broad slightly fuzzy leaves show a subtle taupe undertone. Relatively fast grower. rev 8/2019  
'Bugharis'     4" specimen    broad fuzzy green leaves are flushed deep burgundy at the edges, become shiny and brighter red when the flower and begin to spread their crowns.  rev 1/2019
'Iason'   4" plant    (should this be 'Jason'?) Dark grey green leaves, finely hairy texture, flushed dark maroon towards the tips. rev 4/2021
'Randolph'   juvenile plant   silvery-fuzzy green leaves, eventually glowing lime green in their mature phase, with broad, highly contrasting dark maroon tips and outer margins. Forms a cluster of tight rosettes to about 4-5" tall, flower stalks can reach 6-8". rev 4/2018
'Select Red'   juvenile plant    mostly dark maroon leaves have bright green bases. Forms a cluster of tight rosettes to about 4-5" tall, flower stalks can reach 6-8". rev 4/2018

Jubaea chilensis  CHILEAN WINE PALM, CHILE COCOPALM   Sexton House, Goleta   companion tree, Sexton House   Briggs School, Santa Paula 2011   Briggs School 2014    Briggs School 2019   Blue Bamboo Nursery, Santa Cruz 2006    Blue Bamboo Nursery, Santa Cruz 2009    a slow, majestic palm, with the largest trunk of any palm species on earth. Growth rates are around 4" of trunk per year, occasionally 6" but don't count on it. When mature it bears orange fruits about 1-11/2" across with a tiny coconut inside about an inch across. Inside that is a perfect miniature sphere of coconut meat, and inside that is a very small amount of coconut milk. Mature specimens in Chile are often cut such that the apical growth point is removed, leading the plant to continue sending sugar-rich sap up and out of the crown to be harvested and fermented into "palm wine." The species is much-endangered by this practice and is now greatly restricted in the wild. This is a bragging-rights specimen plant you should put in your front yard in order to establish dominance over your neighbor-competitors. (It's also something that you're planting mostly for future generations.) It makes a wonderful compact specimen for many years during its juvenile phase, with neat, clean green to grey green fronds sprouting from the top of its rotund bulb. These particular plants, few in number, were hand-grown by my good friend Clark Magruder in 11"x24" tree bands from seed harvested from the two large plants in Santa Cruz. The tall bands helped maximize deep root formation, which leads to much faster landscape establishment. Specimens tend to move slowly until their roots are about that long, so you should see quick growth response from these after planting. Sun to part shade, average drainage and soil requirements, very drought tolerant when established but much faster when young with at least intermittent summer irrigation.Hardy to USDA zone 8 (7a?). Chile. Palmae/Arecaceae. rev 10/2019   

Juncus  RUSH   grass-like plants that grow as clumps, found growing in a range of habitats and soils. Many will take seasonal inundation followed by very dry conditions, making them particularly useful in California landscapes. rev 5/2010

'Blue Dart'  (not currently in production)  container   spikey and upright blue foliage mix well with other plants in containers or the garden. So adaptable too, takes dry soil or standing water, sun or shade. About 15" tall and clumping. Looks great with rocks and water. USDA zone 5/Sunset all zones. rev 4/2015-Suzy Brooks 

effusus 'Occidental Blue'   (not currently in production)   Dream Inn   nice vigor, with a conspicuously stiff, upright habit, intense blue grey color, and clean presentation. Hardy to USDA zone 8/Sunset zones 5-9, 14-24. rev 5/2010

'Goldstrike'   (not currently in production)   stripe   straight stems of dark green with a gold stripe going up the side. Grows 2-3' tall, great for real water gardens in 6" of water or along side in boggy soil. Good vertical accent in containers, surround with black pebbles for a nice contrast. Sun or part shade. All Sunset zones/USDA 5. rev 3/2013-Suzy Brooks  

inflexus 'Afro'   (not currently in production)   curly leaves     spiral blue rush leaves, to 12-18" long, quite effective by itself in a striking container or used with other plants. Juncaceae. Sun or part shade, infrequent watering required. Hardy to USDA zone 8/Sunset zones 5-9, 14-24. rev 12/2004.

‘Lovesick Blues’    (not currently in production)   nursery plant, best I can do    this species is distinguished by its much more horizontal habit. Stiff, wonderfully steel blue leaves to 2' long. Can be used in masses or spotted as an accent plant against rocks, red foliaged plants, or even used in mixed containers. Hardy to USDA zone 8/Sunset zones 5-9, 14-24. rev 5/2010