Mediterranean Garden
California is one of only five Mediterranean climates on earth, with long, warm, and dry summers followed by cool, rainy winters. Plants from these climates are popular and flourish in California gardens. The plants in this section are from the other Mediterranean climate areas, except for the large oak trees which grew here before the garden was planted.
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Description |
| Achillea millefolium 'Little Moonshine' | Moonshine Yarrow | This yarrow has lemon-yellow flat-topped flower clusters held high over silvery grey foliage from spring through fall. |
| Achilleamillefolium ‘Sonoma Coast’ | Sonoma Coast Yarrow | Achillea millefolium, a dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to Europe, Asia and North America, including California. This variety is native to California. |
| Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ | Catlin’s Giant Carpey Bugle | A low growing ground cover that spreads by runners. This variety of Carpet Bugle has large bronze tinged leaves and flower spikes 8 inches high with deep indigo flowers. Grows well in shade. |
| Alyogyne huegelii 'Santa Cruz' | Blue Hibiscus | A hardy and adaptable tall evergreen shrub from southwest Australia, with large scented light blue flowers that are similar to hibiscus. |
| Anchusa azurea | Alkanet, Anchusa, Italian bugloss | A larger and showier version of a forget-me-not, open and spreading, covered with bristly hairs. It has clusters of small, bright blue flowers from summer into fall. |
| Anchusa capensis | Summer forget-me-not, Bugloss | A vigorous short lived perennial or biennial often grown as a self seeding annual. New growth along the stems is red and it produces bright blue flowers from summer into fall. |
| Anigozanthos 'Harmony' | Kangaroo Paw - Harmony | Long lived upright perenial from southwest Australia with strappy sword-like green leaves in fans. Yellow flowers with reddish stems on tall branching stems. |
| Artemesia Powis Castle | An evergreen shrub with flat sprays of finely divided, aromatic leaves, green when new, maturing to silvery gray. Rarely flowers; grown for its foliage. Hybrid of garden origin, believed to be a cross between A. arborescens, native to the western Mediterranean region, and A. absinthium, more widely native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. | |
| Carex Testacea | Orange New Zealand Sedge | Finely textured, glossy leaves begin life as olive green and age to a distinct orange-red as it matures |
| Catananche caerulea | Cupid’s Dart | Pearly-papery buds that open into lovely semi-double, purple-eyed, lavender-blue, 2” blooms |
| Convolvus cneorum | Silverbush, Shrubby Bindweed | Fast growing evergreen shrub with white flowers native to coast from Spain to Albania |
| Echium plantagineum ‘Blue Bedder’ | From Mediteranian, fast growing into an impressive mound of blue, cup-shaped blooms with pink buds | |
| Echium wildpretii | Tower of Jewels | Other worldly conical clusters if glistening redish pink flowers |
| Euphorbia characias (dwarf) | Mediterranean Spurge | Native from Portugal and Spain to Turkey, with big chartreuse flower heads, sap can be toxic |
| Helictotrichon sempervirens | Blue Oat grass | Cool-season bunchgrass Native to southwestern Europe, from France to Italy, blue-gray leaves and light tan, mid-summer flowers |
| Lavandula angustifolia Munstead | Lavender | This wonderfully fragrant “English Lavender” cultivar is known for its especially deep purple flowers that bloom over an unusually long season |
| Santolina chamaecyparissus | Cotton Lavendar | Evergreen Shrub native to Portugal, with narrow, aromatic, dissected and lobed, gray leaves with bright yellow flowers |
| Teucrium betonicum Madiera | Madeira Germander | A glorious multitude of showy 6”violet-rose spikes are held upright from top to bottom, heart-shaped, sage green foliage |
Achillea millefolium 'Little Moonshine'
Moonshine Yarrow
This yarrow has lemon-yellow flat-topped flower clusters held high over silvery grey foliage from spring through fall.
Advantages: Attracts butterflies, bee friendly, evergreen, perennial, ground cover and fast grower
Bloom Period: Spring to Fall
Height: 8"
Width: 12"
Light Requirements: Full Sun - Part Shade
Water Requirements: Low water, drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric).
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Achillea millefolium 'Sonoma Coast'
Sonoma Coast Yarrow
Achillea millefolium, a dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to Europe, Asia and North America, including California. This variety is native to California.
Advantages: Attracts butterflies, bee friendly, evergreen, naturalizes.
Bloom Period: April through August
Height: 12-18"
Width: 18-24"
Light Requirements: Full or morning sun
Water Requirements: Low water, drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric).
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Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant'
Catlin’s Giant Carpey Bugle
A low growing ground cover that spreads by runners. This variety of Carpet Bugle has large bronze tinged leaves and flower spikes 8 inches high with deep indigo flowers. Grows well in shade.
Advantages: Evergreen groundcover that does well in shade, spreads by runners, bee friendly, easy to grow.
Bloom Period:Spring, early summer
Size: To 8 inches tall, 24 inches wide.
Light Requirements: Shade to part shade
Water Requirements: Medium
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Alyogyne huegelii 'Santa Cruz'
Blue Hibiscus
A hardy and adaptable tall evergreen shrub from southwest Australia, with large scented light blue flowers that are similar to hibiscus.
Advantages: Hardy, drought tolerant, frost tolerant, long flowering period
Bloom Period: Summer to fall
Height: 6'-10'
Width: 6'-10'
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Low
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Anchusa azurea
Alkanet, Anchusa, Italian bugloss
A larger and showier version of a forget-me-not, open and spreading, covered with bristly hairs. It has clusters of small, bright blue flowers from summer into fall.
Advantages: Easy to grow, vibrant blue flowers all summer, self seeds. Can get a second bloom if spent flowers are cut back.
Bloom Period: Summer to fall
Size: 3-5 feet high by 2 feet wide.
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Moderate, resists drought when established
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Anchusa capensis
Summer forget-me-not, Bugloss
A vigorous short lived perennial or biennial often grown as a self seeding annual. New growth along the stems is red and it produces bright blue flowers from summer into fall.
Advantages: The bright blue flowers and red new growth add color to the garden. The flowers are edible in salads. Self seeds, can be treated as an annual. Cutting back after blooming will produce more flowering. Attracts bees and butterflies.
Bloom Period: Summer into fall
Size: 2 feet tall by 1 foot wide
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Water Requirements: Low to average water.
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Anigozanthos 'Harmony'
Kangaroo Paw - Harmony
Long lived upright perenial from southwest Australia with strappy sword-like green leaves in fans. Yellow flowers with reddish stems on tall branching stems.
Advantages: Easy care; Long bloom period; Flowers for cutting; Attracts hummingbirds; Hardy to 25 degrees.
Bloom Period: Spring to fall
Size: Foliage:2-3 feet tall Blooms: 4-6 feet tall
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Low
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Artemesia Powis Castle
An evergreen shrub with flat sprays of finely divided, aromatic leaves, green when new, maturing to silvery gray. Rarely flowers; grown for its foliage. Hybrid of garden origin, believed to be a cross between A. arborescens, native to the western Mediterranean region, and A. absinthium, more widely native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.
Advantages: Rarely flowers; grown for its foliage
Bloom Period: N/A
Height: 2'to 3'
Width: 4'to 6'
Light Requirements: Sun to light shade
Water Requirements: Low
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Carex Testacea
Orange New Zealand Sedge
Advantages: Ideal for spilling over rocks, massing in borders
Bloom Period:
Height: 30"
Width: 30"
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Medium
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Catananche caerulea
Cupid’s Dart
Pearly-papery buds that open into lovely semi-double, purple-eyed, lavender-blue, 2” blooms
Advantages: Tough and easy to grow, can be divided and self-sows! COLD HARDY and deer resistant, plus butterflies!
Bloom Period: Blooms for months
Height: 2"
Width: 20"
Light Requirements: Sun
Water Requirements: Fairly drought tolerant
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Convolvus cneorum
Silverbush, Shrubby Bindweed
Fast growing evergreen shrub with white flowers native to coast from Spain to Albania
Advantages: tolerates rocky soils, cut back in winter to renew
Bloom Period: Late spring to fall
Height: 2' to 3'
Width: 3' to 4'
Light Requirements: Sun to light shade
Water Requirements: Low
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Echium plantagineum ‘Blue Bedder’
Advantages: Goof proof, bee-loved and blue, this bountiful bloomer, is deer resistant too
Bloom Period: Blooms for months
Height: 20"
Width: 20"
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Low to avg water
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Echium wildpretii
Tower of Jewels
Advantages: Deer resistent, bug proof, totally drought tolerent, and adored by hummers
Bloom Period:
Height: 8'
Width: 30"
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Avg no summer water
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Euphorbia characias (dwarf)
Mediterranean Spurge
Native from Portugal and Spain to Turkey, with big chartreuse flower heads, sap can be toxic
Advantages:Super easy to grow, drought tolerant and not fussy about soil, and it’s deer and gopher resistant!
Bloom Period:
Height: 2.5'
Width: 3'
Light Requirements: Sun
Water Requirements: Low
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Helictotrichon sempervirens
Blue Oat grass
Cool-season bunchgrass Native to southwestern Europe, from France to Italy, blue-gray leaves and light tan, mid-summer flowers
Advantages: Best near coast
Bloom Period:
Height: 2'
Width: 2-3'
Light Requirements: Cool sun to part shade
Water Requirements: Low
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Lavandula angustifolia Munstead
Lavender
This wonderfully fragrant “English Lavender” cultivar is known for its especially deep purple flowers that bloom over an unusually long season
Advantages: Edible flowers, not fussy about soil, deer resistant
Bloom Period: Early summer through fall
Height: 24"
Width: 30"
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Low
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Santolina chamaecyparissus
Cotton Lavender
Evergreen Shrub native to Portugal, with narrow, aromatic, dissected and lobed, gray leaves with bright yellow flowers
Advantages: Cut back in late winter or spring to renew
Bloom Period:
Height: 1' to 2'
Width: 1' to 3'
Light Requirements: Sun
Water Requirements: Low
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Teucrium betonicum Madiera
Madeira Germander
A glorious multitude of showy 6”violet-rose spikes are held upright from top to bottom, heart-shaped, sage green foliage
Advantages: Cut back in late winter or spring to renew
Bloom Period: May through July
Height: 4'
Width: 4'
Light Requirements: Sun
Water Requirements: Low
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