Fragaria
Wild strawberry or Sand strawberry. Named from the Latin fragrans, meaning fragrant, and referring to the aroma of the edible fruits. Stoloniferous perennials with white flowers and fleshy red fruits. Prefer full sun and fertile, well-drained, moisture-retentive soil. Forms lush green mats that look best if cut back or mown annually. Hardiness varies. North Temperate zones, Chile.
x ananassa ‘Variegata’: Variegated strawberry. Spreading groundcover to 6" tall with green and cream variegated foliage. White flowers appear in spring and are followed by edible red fruits. Plant in full sun as a ground cover or in containers where it can spill out gracefully over the edges. This is a hybrid between Fragaria chiloensis and F. virginiana. Hardy to 20F.
chiloensis ‘Aulon’: Beach strawberry. Vigorous, large-leafed coastal strawberry selection from Brett Hall. Forms a low, compact mat to 6" high with tri-foliate, toothed, dark green, glossy leaves that blush red in winter. In spring, 1" flowers are followed by red fruits that attract birds. Plant in the sun along the coast and part shade inland, giving little to regular water. Hardy to below 0F. California.
chiloensis ‘Chaval’: Beach strawberry. Spreading perennial with long stolons and small, densely arranged, dark green leaves. White flowers and small, edible fruits appear in spring and summer. Prefers some shade and requires regular garden water. Exceptional selection for use in understory plantings or woodlands. Hardy to 0F. California.
vesca ‘Alexandra’: Wild strawberry. Spreading perennial bearing glossy, rich green foliage and white spring and summertime flowers. Sweet, small red fruits follow the flowers and appeal to birds and humans alike. Plants grow to 10" tall and grow best in full sun with moderate water. Hardy to 0F.
vesca ssp. californica ‘Montana de Oro’: Woodland strawberry. Our selection from Coon Creek in Montana de Oro State Park. Vigorous groundcover to 8" with a wide spreading habit. Tolerant of heavy shade but best with at least half-day light. Fruit is small but tasty. Hardy to 10F.
‘Pink Panda’: Low-growing selection with 1" bubble-gum pink flowers from May to November; this selection seldom fruits. Red stems hold glossy, dark green, tri-foliate leaves. Full sun or part shade. Hardy to below 0F.
‘Red Ruby’: A compact habit (to 3" tall) and deep darkest pink flowers recommend this perennial for full sun or partly shaded borders. The glossy green leaves make a handsome cover for the foreground of beds and borders and combine nicely with silver-leafed plants and ornamental grasses. Hardy to 10F.
Fremontodendron
Flannel bush. Evergreen shrubs varying in size from mounding groundcovers to small broad trees. Fast-growing and tolerant of heat and drought, they are most commonly grown for their stunning yellow flowers that bloom from March to June. Situate away from summer water as it will usually lead to the death of established plants; full sun and well-drained soils are essential. Use caution also to place plants away from foot traffic due to the fuzzy, olive-green leaves with extremely irritating stellate hairs. Wind-sheltered positions are recommended as their rapid growth makes large specimens prone to blowing over in winter storms. Good choice for protected hillsides, accompanying other drought tolerant shrubs, such as ceanothus, manzanita rockrose. Hardy to 15F. California.
‘California Glory’: An upright form when young, growing to 20’ tall or more, but becoming mounding with age. Generous bloomer, over a long period with flowers 3" across, clear yellow above, rusty below and partially cup-shaped. The small leaves are 1-2" across and partially lobed.
‘Ken Taylor’: Durable shrub to 6’ tall and 12’ across with a mounding habit suitable for banks. Flowers are yellow with orange highlights and partly hidden by the foliage. Exceptional when mixed with ceanothus or rockrose.
‘Pacific Sunset’: Upright and vigorous form growing to 12’ tall with long, arching branches. The leaves are 2-3" across and lobed, and the flowers are rich yellow above and below, opening rather flat. Peak bloom is late April and May, then later, sporadically blooming throughout the year.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia. Evergreen or deciduous shrubs grown for their colorful, pendulous flowers with conspicuous extended stamens. Plants often bloom over a long period from summer to autumn. Place in partial shade with ample water. Best utilized as summer bedding or in window boxes, hanging baskets and in containers on terraces. Prefers fertile, free-draining soil in gardens. Hardy to 45F, unless stated. Central and South America, Mexico, Tierra del Fuego, New Zealand, Tahiti.
magellanica ‘Versicolor’: Upright evergreen shrub growing to 2-4’ bearing unusual silver-green foliage irregularly marked with creamy white margins. In full sun or during winter chills, the foliage takes on a striking reddish-purple cast. Use in containers or in sunny borders. Scarlet and violet pendulous flowers appear along the arching branches in summer. Hardy to 0F.
thymifolia: An erect shrub growing to 10’ and featuring a profusion of tiny, dangling, pink flowers, turning reddish with age. The foliage is pale green. Plants are resistant to the fuchsia mite. Hardy to 20F. Mexico to Northern Guatemala.
‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’: A spreading, shrubby plant 2-3’ tall. The leaves are dark bronze, tinged red above and purplish beneath. Plants are covered with drooping clusters of intense, orange-red, long-tubed flowers and bloom all year in mild climates. Somewhat more frost tender than most fuchsia hybrids, but also more tolerant of heat.
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