Regional Picks: Plants for Winter’s Worst – Northern California

NorthernCalifornia

Germander(Teucrium chamaedrys)

USDA Hardiness Zones:4 to 9

Size:1 to 2 foundation tall and 3 feet wide

stipulation : Full sun ; well - drained soil

Germander is an redolent , drought - resistant , deer - immune perennial that nicely overwinters here . It ’s a wonderful border or edging plant , and is often used in mile gardens and around formal garden display . leave to sprawling , the plants become intertwined , create a unanimous pink carpet . I especially love the look of germander in former spring , when the grayish - green leaves are immature and the bunch are mound .

‘Gulf Stream’ heavenly bamboo(Nandina domestica‘Gulf Stream’)

Zones:6 to 11

Size : Up to 42 inches tall and 3 feet wide

Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; prefers sandlike loam with in effect drain but tolerate most soils

This dauntless and nearly pest- and disease - free semidwarf evergreen heavenly bamboo perform attractively year - round . A stocky , mounded habit ; moderately fast growing ; and acute ruby drop color make ‘ Gulf Stream ’ one of the serious heavenly bamboo you ’ll come up in northern California . It ’s drouth tolerant and deer resistant , and it tolerates overweight frost . employ this works along a substructure , or plant it in swaths for color interestingness and seasonal impact . It ’s a perfect fit for any garden style .

Large Cape rush(Chondropetalum elephantinum)

Zones:9 to 11

Size:4 to 6 feet marvellous and wide

Conditions : Full sun to partial shadiness ; well - drain grease

A South African native , this variety of Cape boot is similar to the more common little Cape rush ( C. tectorum , Zones 9–11 ) , only larger . The vertical grasslike stems of large Cape haste have dark-skinned light-green joint and Venetian red bract , and they form an elegant bunch with a striking architectural structure , which sour well with vertical hardscapes or as a stand - alone focal point . It ’s evergreen plant in northern California , and it is deer resistant . I sleep with how the reed move with the wind . I often plant great Cape rush against a stucco- or stone - wall backdrop to spotlight its superb form .

Jerusalem sage(Phlomis fruticosa)

Zones:7 to 11

Size:6 foot tall and 4 feet wide

Jerusalem salvia begins its performance in midspring , continue well into summer , and often blooms again in spill . I have deadheaded it after it blooms , but sometimes I just leave it alone to do its own thing — and I still get a heavy repetition carrying out . I screw how it winter , always keeping a morphologic presence in the garden while other plant are rest in dormancy . Plant Jerusalem sage in large swaths on terraces or gradient , or pair it with clusters of mysterious purpleness – flowered ‘ Eleanor Roosevelt ’ bewhiskered iris ( Iris‘Eleanor Roosevelt ’ , Zones 3–9 ) .

Susie Dowd Markarianis a garden architect who lives in Santa Rosa , California .

Photos : Doreen Wynja ; Courtesy of Susie Dowd Markarian ; Jerry Pavia ; Joshua McCullough / phytophoto.com

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Regional Picks: Plants for Winter’s Worst - Northeast

Regional Picks: Plants for Winter’s Worst - Mid-Atlantic

Regional Picks: Plants for Winter’s Worst - Midwest

Regional Picks: Plants for Winter’s Worst - Southern Plains

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