(Centennial Desert Broom, Desert Broom)

This desert-adapted hardy hybrid is a useful shrub for difficult, hot, dry sites. Its parents are the dwarf coyote brush Baccharis pilularis, a native of California and Oregon, and the little known desert broom, B. sarathroides, native to the southwestern United States. A spreading shrub, ‘Centennial’ produces a lush mound of bright green narrow leaves with serrated edges. This is a valuable color in desert regions where most plants bear leaves of muted color or gray. This shrub...

(Coyotebrush, Coyotebush)

In spite of months without rain on the embankments of Los Angeles freeways, this drought-resistant shrub remains green year round. The plant grows as a spreading mound of small, rounded green leaves with serrated edges. It blooms in spring but the flowers are insignificant. They give way to tufted seed pods which mature in fall but many gardeners consider unsightly.

Also known as Dwarf Coyote Bush, this shrub is native to regions of California and Oregon where plants may go for over six months...

(Coyotebrush, Coyotebush, Twin Peaks Coyotebrush)

Counted among the very best of drought-resistant evergreen groundcovers, ‘Twin Peaks’ is a selection of Dwarf Coyote Bush, a native of coastal California and Oregon where plants can go for over six months without rainfall. Though it tolerates drought, ‘Twin Peaks’ can brown and lose leaves in extreme heat. The plants grows as a spreading mound of small, rounded green leaves with serrated edges. Plants bloom in spring but flowers are insignificant and give way to tufted seed pods which mature in fall...

(Blue Water Hyssop, Lemon Bacopa)

This low-growing, spreading aquatic perennial is a water weed found along brackish water edges and wet sands of the southeastern United States from Maryland down to Florida and across to Texas. Its small, succulent, lemon scented leaves create a mat of foliage that becomes dotted with small, violet blue flowers. It creates attractive cover for waterway margins and is commonly half submerged making it an ideal aquarium or pondside plant.

The small leaves of lemon hyssop are oval, lustrous, fleshy...

(Brahmi, Herb-of-Grace, Water Hyssop)

This low-growing, spreading aquatic perennial is a common water weed found along stream margins, pond edges and wet sands of the southern United States and adjacent Mexico. Its small, succulent leaves create a mat of foliage that becomes dotted with small, pale flowers. It creates attractive cover for waterway margins and makes a fine container specimen.

The small leaves of water hyssop are oval, lustrous and fleshy. From spring to fall, lots of small, single flowers are produced along the...

(Beechey's Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo)

A traditional source of tender, edible bamboo shoots in southern China, Beechey's bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to southernmost China and Hong Kong. It was first collected in 1827 in Macao, by a naturalist on a ship captained by F. W. Beechey. This tree-like grass quickly grows into a dense clump with tall, arching culms that create a fountain-like silhouette.

All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections. Beechey's bamboo has wrist-wide, thick...

(Black Timber Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo, Timor Black Bamboo)

Newly emerging green shoots of the Timor black bamboo are edible, but allowing the culms to mature to a towering height proves highly ornamental. It’s native to the island of Timor, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying just north of Australia and among the isles of Indonesia. This bamboo is a very tall, clumping bamboo that produces towering, slightly leaning culms. This tree-like grass quickly grows into a loose, non-spreading clump.

All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms...

(Clumping Bamboo, Hedge Bamboo)

Shrub bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to China. All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections and branched. Shrub bamboo is extremely variable, the culms slender sometimes arching, smooth with no teeth or spines. The culms often emerge green then mature to various shades of yellow/gold often striped. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped and produced in pairs, often many pairs are crowded on the branches. Bamboo flowering is unusual, the flowers are...

(Alphonse Karr Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo, Hedge Bamboo)

The Alphonse Karr bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to China. All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections and branched. Hedge bamboo selection ‘Alphonso-Karrii’ has slender, arching culms which are smooth with no teeth or spines. The culms emerge with a pink tint and mature to a rich gold, striped with deep green. Bright light also brings out pink at the culm joints or nodes. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped and produced in pairs, many pairs are...

(Clumping Bamboo, Golden Goddess Bamboo, Hedge Bamboo)

Shrub bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to China. All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections and branched. Shrub bamboo ‘Golden Goddess’ has slender, narrow, arching culms which are smooth with no teeth or spines. The culms are yellow. The dark green leaves are linear to lance-shaped and produced in pairs, many pairs are crowded on the branches. 'Golden Goddess' is a dwarf selection. Bamboo flowering is unusual, the flowers are similar to other grasses...