Silver foliage 2016

© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2016 (our 12th year)

© Project SOUND
Silvery Delights:
gardening with white, gray
and silver foliage
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH (emeritus) & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
December 3 & 8, 2016

Rediscovering Eden: S. California Gardens
for the 21st Century
© Project SOUND

Two important
contrasts in S.
CA (and other
Mediterranean)
gardens
© Project SOUND
Green vs. non-green
Light vs. dark

California landscape painters use these
contrasts to create lovely paintings
© Project SOUND
http://oceanquigley.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-series-of-california-landscape.html

As do the best landscape designers
© Project SOUND
https://sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/when-a-wheel-barrow-wont-do/

Our California native gardens succeed best when
they take advantage of these contrasts
© Project SOUND

Many classic European ‘white gardens’ feature flowers
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/white-gardens/

Gardens with white flowers are
enchanting by day
© Project SOUND
http://wefollowpics.com/moon-garden-all-white-flowers-and-gray-foliage-white-forget-me-nots-tulips-daisies-and-money-plants-combined-with-
hostas-and-silvery-astelia-foliage/

…and even better with the fading light
© Project SOUND
Another name for white gardens is ‘moon gardens’

While temperate gardens showcase white flowers,
Mediterranean gardens excel with light foliage
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/482307441324344276/
http://youreasygarden.com/simple-ways-to-use-white-in-the-garden/

Why do temperate and Mediterranean gardeners
achieve their whites in different ways?
 Temperate gardens are shadier
(and therefore darker)
 They have more shade trees and
more overcast days
 Bright white flowers and foliage
really brighten up shadier gardens
 White stands out better than the
more muted silvery foliage types
 Fortunately, temperate climates
also have many white flowers – but
less silvery foliage - to choose from
© Project SOUND
http://blog.theenduringgardener.com/holiday-at-sissinghurst/p1010369_2/

Why do temperate and Mediterranean gardeners
achieve their whites in different ways?
 Mediterranean climate gardens are
sunnier (and therefore brighter)
 They have fewer/less dense trees and
fewer overcast days, brighter sunlight
 Gardens are already light; whites don’t
stand out as well
 More muted silvery foliage – with a
little color to the mix – looks better
than neutral white in a bright garden
 Fortunately, mediterranean climates
also have many native silvery foliage
plants to choose from – temperate
gardeners envy us our silvery foliage
© Project SOUND

Two concepts important for designing with
light-colored foliage:
1. How much contrast is
there between light and
dark (e.g. the degree or
range of contrast)?
2. Is the lighter foliage ‘cool’
in tone (blue-green),
‘warm’ (silvery-green;
silver/gold) or neutral
(bright white; neutral
gray)
© Project SOUND
warm cool

Dark colors make us feel…
 Solid, grounded
 Heavy
 Somber
 Sober
 Calm, serene
© Project SOUND
You probably would not like
a garden that was all darks

Dark colors ‘recede’; light colors ‘advance’
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/white-gardens/

© Project SOUND
http://www.freshdesignpedia.com/interior-design-ideas/ready-for-the-summer-
furnishing-ideas-for-indoors-and-outdoors.html
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-Windham-6-ft-H-x-6-ft-W-White-Vinyl-Fence-
Panel-73002103/202297437

Large garden or small, background should be dark
(unless there’s a really good reason to do otherwise)
© Project SOUND
http://www.gardenista.com/posts/trend-alert-black-fences/

Creating a ‘dark’ garden background
 Planting dark evergreen shrubs
 Painting walls/fences a dark,
preferably grayed, color
 Creating areas of shade
© Project SOUND
http://indulgy.com/post/WYfDcpGxQ1/the-white-garden-sissinghurst
http://www.bobvila.com/slidesho
w/awesome-accents-17-ways-to-
make-any-space-pop-with-color-
46922#.WEIU5mcU-Uk
http://www.readingeagle.com/life/article/garden-of-the-week-linda-yeager

Dark colors are usually used for
background…but not always
© Project SOUND
Light colored foliage can serve as a background for
darker accent plants

Light/pale colors make us feel:
 Happy, peppy
 Light (not heavy)
 Excited
 Summery
 Like they are coming
towards us
 Near by; close to us
© Project SOUND
You probably would not like
a garden that was all pastels

Light colors make us feel bright & summery
© Project SOUND

Ways of creating ‘light’ accents in the garden
 Flowers with white/pale colors
 Plants with white/silvery foliage
 Hardscape
 Pots and planters
 Garden art
 Walkway materials
 Mulch, boulders, etc.
 Lighting
© Project SOUND
http://pittsburghoutdoorlighting.com/tag/pittsburgh-landscape-lighting/

Light/pale colors are usually
used as garden accents …
but not always
© Project SOUNDhttp://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/blog/2013/12/winter-garden-tools/

Two concepts important for designing with
light-colored foliage:
1. How much contrast is
there between light and
dark?
2. Is the lighter foliage ‘cool’
in tone (blue-green),
‘warm’ (silvery-green;
silver/gold) or neutral
(bright white; neutral
gray)
© Project SOUND
warm cool

These two concepts help explain why temperate
gardeners are so enchanted by mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND

Let’s look at some actual landscapes
© Project SOUND
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02407/Harlowcarr2_2407849b.jpg
Clearly, a very high contrast garden

What about this temperate white garden?
© Project SOUND
High contrast/neutral white

Another high contrast/neutral white design
© Project SOUND
This is essentially the classic temperate zone ‘white garden’

Another moderate contrast/cool silvers
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Bright white is neutral
Warm, light colors :
silvery greens and
golds

More ‘moderate contrast/warm silvery foliage’
© Project SOUND

Where do Mediterranean gardens fit?
© Project SOUND

European mediteranean gardens feature
many plants native to their region
© Project SOUND

More Mediterranean
gardens
© Project SOUND
 Moderate contrast – fewer darks
 Mix of warm and cool silvers – but often more warm
 Use of mulch – usually light colored – and other
hardscape as design elements

Where do S. California native plants fit?
© Project SOUND

Which look is most appropriate for S. CA?
© Project SOUND

Advantages of designing with white/silver
foliage (rather than white flowers)
 Many such plants are water-wise
 Foliage doesn’t fade (like white
flowers do)
 Many have best color in sunny
places; but some are fine in low-
light situations
 Many to choose from (both S. CA
natives and other mediterranean)
 Lots of variability:
 Size
 Texture
 Brightness
© Project SOUND

Benefits of designing with silver/light foliage
 Color is long-lasting (often year-
round), not seasonal; easier to
design with stationary contrasts
 Easy to produce masses/swaths of
color – year-round
 Many size/height options: trees to
low-growing plants
 Colors tend to be soothing –
whether you choose warm or cool
silvers/lights
 Foliage texture adds additional
interest
© Project SOUND

Let’s discover some design clues by
studying Mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND
Start with a good dark background

One common attribute of Mediterranean
gardens: trees with silvery foliage
© Project SOUND

Some of the best native trees with silvery
foliage are the manzanitas
© Project SOUND

Several manzanitas have silvery leaves
 Bigberry manzanita
(Arctostaphylos glauca)
 ‘Lester Rountree’ manzanita
 ‘John Dourley’ manzanita
 Whiteleaf Manzanita
(A. viscida ssp. viscida)
 Diablo Blush Manzanita
(A. auriculata)
 Ghostly Manzanita (A. silvicola)
 Ian Bush Manzanita
(A. densiflora x A. pungens)
 Laguna Manzanita
(A. glandulosa adamsii).
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
*Bishop manzanita – Arctostaphylos obispoensis
©1993 David Graber

© Project SOUND
*Bishop manzanita – Arctostaphylos obispoensis
©1993 David Graber
©2011 Chris Winchell
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=13958
 Foothills of coastal mountains, Monterrey
and San Luis Obispo Counties
 Arctostaphylos obispoensis Eastwood [family
ERICACEAE], Leafl. W. Bot., 2: 8. 1937

© Project SOUND
Bishop manzanita: silvery foliage
 Size:
 5-10+ ft tall
 5-10 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Woody shrub/small tree
 Dense, mounded form
 Attractive, dark red bark
 Foliage:
 Typical simple, rounded to
lanceshaped manzanita leaves
– somewhat leathery
 Color: blue-green to gray-
green – pretty color due to
leaf hairs
http://www.worldbotanical.com/arctostaphylos.htm
©2006 Steve Matson

© Project SOUND
Pretty flowers & fruits
 Blooms: late winter/early spring –
Jan-Mar is usual
 Flowers:
 Small, white, urn-shaped
flowers typical for manzanita
 Attract hummingbirds,
butterflies, large bees
 Fruits:
 Small (1/2 inch or less) ‘apple’
of the manzanitas
 Edible and tasty – birds will
eat if you don’t use them
 Ripen in summer
©2016 Susan McDougall
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences

© Project SOUND
Bishop manzanita: typical
of Central Coast species
 Soils:
 Texture: adaptable (even clay)
 pH: best with neutral to
slightly acidic (pH: 6.0-7.0)
 Light:
 Full sun on coast
 Part-shade everywhere else;
fine under trees (bright
shade)
 Water:
 Winter: need to supplement
most years
 Summer: occasional (Water
Zone 1-2 to 2)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: use an organic mulch
©2011 Chris Winchell
Most manzanitas have a nice,
natural shape and need little
pruning. Can be pruned up to
small tree.

© Project SOUND
Bishop manzanita
 Nice evergreen foundation or
background shrub
 Good under pines & other tall trees
 Foliage color provides a nice accent
for other green shrubs
 Fine on dry slopes
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/63--arctostaphylos-obispoensis-
san-luis-obispo-manzanitahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctostaphylos_obispoensis

© Project SOUND
‘Lester Rountree’ manzanita
 Hybrid: A. pajaroensis X ? A. obispoensis
 8-10 ft tall & wide
 Open, sculptural growth habit
 Light blue-green foliage – almost a gray-
blue cast – nice as accent color
http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/category/california-native-plants/page/2/
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/268090756_f6a54c9577.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mechanoid_dolly/4943065895

Use ‘Lester Rountree’ in
place of an olive tree
© Project SOUNDhttps://www.pinterest.com/explore/mediterranean-garden/
The size is better suited for a
smaller landscape

© Project SOUND
A waxy cuticle layer prevents moisture loss.
 A common adaptation in
plants from dry climates
 Often found in combination
with succulent (water-
storing) foliage
 Clues to a plant's surface
type can often be found in
its species name:
 argentea denotes silver in
general
 glauca defines the moodier
cast of waxy blue-greens.

Inspiration from a Spanish garden: Palacio, Palma
del Río, Provincia de Córdoba
© Project SOUND
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/carmona-22.html#1
Manicured shrubs chosen for their foliage color

Light foliage
medium-size
shrubs
 Lavender – Lavandula spp
 Lavender Cotton – Santolina chamaecyparissus
 Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina)
 Artemisia – Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Silver Queen’
© Project SOUND
Some common choices
Usually dense foliage with
small leaves – perfect for
either natural or manicured
look

The Artemisias are hard to beat for silvery
foliage that ranges from white to gold
© Project SOUND
http://prairie476.rssing.com/chan-7188697/all_p5.html
California sagebrush is known to most
gardeners – but other great species merit
attention

© Project SOUND
Coastal Sagewort - Artemisia pycnocephala
© 2005 George W. Hartwell
‘David’s Choice’ Coastal Sagewort is readily available
and well-loved

© Project SOUND
*Silver wormwood – Artemisia ludoviciana
http://redrockcanyonopenspace.org/education/biology/sage/

© Project SOUND
*Silver wormwood – Artemisia ludoviciana
©2012 Jean Pawek
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/draw_tiny2.pl?e4e3fcf507
 Much of North America, from Canada south to
Mexico
 Locally – San Gabriel Mountain range
 Aka ‘Prairie Sage’ in the nursery trade; widely
available (best to get local source type)
http://www.crossconservation.org/encyclopedia/prairie-sage

© Project SOUND
Silver wormwood: luscious silvery foliage
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 3-5 ft wide (species spreads)
 Growth form:
 Upright to mounded perennial or
sub-shrub
 Many upright stems (somewhat
like Mugwort – bit more shrub-like
 Foliage:
 Lovely silvery to blue-green
foliage – wonderful accent
 Leaves like cross between
mugwort & chrysanthemum -
fragrant
 Roots: net-like roots
© 2005, Ben Legler

© Project SOUND
Flowers are inconsequential
 Blooms: in spring – usually Feb-
Apr in lowland LA County
 Flowers:
 Composite flowers (ray and
disk flowers)
 Flower heads are bell-shaped
(like CA Sagebrush) on
upright stems
 Flowers small, yellow
 Seeds: small, sunflower seeds –
birds like them, and plants will
re-seed
 Vegetative reproduction:
spreads via rhizomes
2010, Ron Bockelman
© 2009, G. D. Carr

© Project SOUND
Easy-to-grow plant  Soils:
 Texture: just about any – not
particular and grows in many
different soils in wilds.
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade; needs
at least a good 4 hours sun for
good color.
 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate water
 Summer: wide tolerance range,
but best with some summer
water (Water Zone 1-2 to 2)
 Other: shallow organic mulch fine
http://khkeeler.blogspot.com/2013/02/sages-garden-sage-and-sagebrush.html
To look good, plants should be
pruned back to 4-5 inches (or
mowed) in fall – treat like
Mugwort or Goldenrods

© Project SOUND
Wormwood: lots of potential
 As a ground cover – alone or mixed
with other natives (prairie planting)
 As an accent plant in front of
evergreen shrubs
 In Mediterranean or herb garden
 As an attractive pot plant
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARLU
© 2010, Ron Bockelman
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Artemisia_ludoviciana

Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Silver King’
 Most like the species in terms of
size, growth habit, appearance
 Blue-green foliage
 Widely available – garden adapted
© Project SOUND
http://www.paintedflowerfarm.com/pages/plants/natives/artem
isia,silver-king.htm

Artemisia ludoviciana
‘Silver Queen’
 A bit more shrub-like and less
apt to spread
 Very silvery foliage
 Refined appearance
 Widely available – garden tested
© Project SOUND
http://www.zelen.cz/detail_galerie_rostlin/Artemisia_ludoviciana_Silver_Queen_pelyne
k_Ludvikuv
https://www.groeneparadijs.com/producten/tuinplanten/vaste-planten/artemisia-
ludoviciana-silver-queen-westerse-bijvoet
https://www.plantes-shopping.fr/articles/artemisia-ludoviciana-silver-queen-
1882.html

Artemisia ludoviciana
‘Valerie Finnis’
 Most refined appearance of cultivars
 Looks like shrubby perennial
 Larger leaves
 Very light, attractive foliage
 Probably the most widely available
© Project SOUND
http://www.ivydenegardens.co.uk/Mixed%20Border%20Herbaceous/artv
aleriefinnis.html
http://www.gardeningimpulse.ie/shop/artemisia-ludoviciana-valerie-finnis/
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1600791/artemesia-
ludoviciana-valerie-finnis-photo

© Project SOUND
Why some plants have
white/silver foliage
 Many silver/gray plants also use
their hairs (trichomes) for
defense against predation
(mostly from insects)
 Some hairs are sharp
 Others secrete unpleasant
chemicals
 Some probably just present
physical obstacles to smaller
insects – or feel ugly to walk on
 Protection is very important to
plants that have a limited
growing season.
Dove Plant - Croton setagerus

Widely used
medicinal plant
 Tea from leaves for stomach ache or
sore throat
 Tea from roots as laxative
 Dry, powered leaves as snuff for
head colds, headaches, sinus attacks
 Strong tea as wash for eczema,
deodorant and antiperspirant for
underarms and feet
 A wash of the leaves applied to
itching, rashes, swellings, boils, sores
 A poultice of leaves for sores and to
relieve muscle pains
© Project SOUND
http://www.cannonvalleynursery.com/output/moreinfo/Artemisia_ludoviciana.asp
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/artemisia-ludoviciana-valerie-
finnis/classid.2000006631/

Atriplex species form dense shrubs that can be
pruned to formal or informal shapes
© Project SOUND
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/carmona-22.html
They also provide
warm, silvery
tones

© Project SOUND
Other interesting explanations for ‘silvery’
foliage
 The foliage of Saltbushes
(Atriplex species) often has a
sparkly silver appearance,
providing an interesting foliage
contrast in gardens
 Silver appearance due to salt
crystals secreted by special
glands in the leaves
 Allows the plants to live in salty
soils – they simply excrete the
excess salt
 They need to be under some form
of water stress, either drought,
salt, or salt spray

Why are Atriplex prized as
pruned shrubs?
 Fast growth rate; small or large
 Evergreen
 Dense branching pattern
 Small leaves; densely packed on
branches
 Lovely pale foliage colors
© Project SOUND
http://www.jardinbotanico.uma.es/bbdd/index.php/jb-alm-02/
http://www.riomoros.com/2012/03/la-osagra-atriplex-halimus.html

We’ve visited several
local species
© Project SOUND
Atriplex lentiformis
Atriplex leucophylla
Atrip[lex californica

© Project SOUND
Coast Quailbush: best
in larger gardens
 On banks and slopes; good for
erosion control
 As a screen or large hedge
 At back of large beds
 As an edible plant:
 All parts are edible: roots,
young shoots & seeds
 Salty
 As a fire-retardant plant
 As a great addition to the
native habitat garden
http://www.sanjose.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=2
4532&return=s_aQ
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/tips/native_garden_planning-part2.php

© Project SOUND
* Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/native_a-f.html

© Project SOUND
Saltbushes : Habitat plants par excellance!
 Foliage
 Attract beneficial insects to the garden
- lacewings, ladybugs, and hoverflies
 Many weird and fun insects – good
plants for insect-watching
 Attract butterflies (larval food for
some sootywing skippers)
 Fall/winter/spring browse for deer, elk
 Dense cover for birds, rabbits, just
about any ground-dweller
 Seeds
 Very nutritious food source – high in
protein
 Eaten by many creatures (including
humans): don’t fertilize if you plant to
eat them – takes up & stores many
metals
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/atrlen/plant.jpg

© Project SOUND
Four-wing Saltbush used
extensively in Southwestern
 As a shrub in commercial plantings
– low maintenance/little water
 Excellent water-wise hedge
 In plants with a desert plant
palette – used like Salvias or
Coyote Bush - silvery color
 For erosion control
 As a fire-retardant plant – with a
little summer water
 For re-claiming mine tailings &
other environmental problems
 Also used as dye plant (yellow &
‘Navajo Black’ & medicine (emetic)
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
http://www.delange.org/FourwingSaltbush/FourwingSaltbush.htm

© Project SOUND
*Shadscale saltbush – Atriplex confertifolia
Gary A. Monroe, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

 W. North America from CA/OR to ND and south
to AZ and TX. Greatest concentrations: Great
Basin and Colorado Plateau
 In CA, widely distributed in salt-desert shrublands
of the Mojave (Lancaster; Barstow) and Great
Basin deserts and in pinyon-juniper (Pinus-
Juniperus spp.) woodlands, eastern Sierra Nevada
© Project SOUND
*Shadscale saltbush – Atriplex confertifolia
©2009 James M. Andre
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415596
https://plantsofthesouthwest.com/collections/trees-shrubs

© Project SOUND
Shadscale is a silvery medium-size shrub
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Mounded sub-shrub (part-woody);
usually densely branched
 Partly drought-deciduous
 Short-lived (10 years)
 Foliage:
 Leaves simple, rounded
 Silvery green due to excreted
salt crystals
 Used as salty seasoning; young
foliage as cooked greens
 Roots: deep w/ many fine roots
©2012 Jean Pawek
©2012 Neal Kramer
©2015 Steve Matson

© Project SOUND
Seeds are showier than
the flowers
 Blooms: in spring - usually
Apr-Jun in western LA Co.
 Flowers:
 Plants dioecious – separate
male & female plants
 Both types of flowers are
small, yellow-green and
visited by insect pollinators
 Seeds:
 Developing seeds may be
pink in color – very showy
 Seeds dry to gold; eaten by
birds and animals
 Seeds are edible
©2015 Steve Matson
http://www.americansouthwest
.net/plants/wildflowers/atriplex-
confertifolia.html

© Project SOUND
Water-wise and
tough plants
 Soils:
 Texture: best in well-drained;
berm in others
 pH: any local, including alkali
 Light: full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: needs at least 6
inches – supplement if needed
 Summer: wide range in wilds;
best with occasional summer
water (Water Zones 1-2 to 2)
 Don’t over-water in summer;
susceptible to soil fungal
disease
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
 Use a desert mulch:
gravel or none

© Project SOUND
Adaptable Shadscale
 As a silvery accent plant in a water-
wise habitat garden
 As a formal/semi-formal hedge
 In a desert-themed garden
 Around the edges of an edibles or
herb garden
http://chelseanursery.com/?page_id=358
https://plantsofthesouthwest.com/collections/trees-shrubs

Human uses for saltbushes
 Edible uses
 Young foliage as cooked greens
 Fresh or dried leaves as salty
seasoning
 Seeds for flavoring or as
pinole
 Medicinal uses
 Poultice from foliage used for
muscle pains, chest congestion
 Decoction of foliage for
respiratory illness
 Other uses
 Hard wood used for arrow
points, tools
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Pruning Saltbushes - easy
 In the wild, are eaten back
extensively by deer, elk,
rabbits
 In the garden, you are the
browser – with your pruners
 Trim back about 1/3 the
length of branches in fall for a
neat look
 don’t cut back into old wood –
prune like a Salvia
 will rejuvenate the plant
 Can also hedge-shear
 For best habitat value, leave
some branches at the base –
i.e., leave it pruned as a shrub
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg
http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/grass_weeds/wingscale.htm

Important summer/fall contrasts: dark
buckwheat flowers with something light
© Project SOUND
High contrast with white-foliage
sunflowers
Lower contrast silvery Salvias
and golden grasses

S. CA has many light-foliage plants in the
sunflower family (Asteraceae)
© Project SOUND

Many also have attractive (and useful)
textures
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Mediterranean plants have other adaptations that
make them interesting garden specimens
 Further drought-related
adaptations that help make silvers
hardy in warmer, drier areas
include:
 Narrow leaves
 Ability to roll leaf edges
 Finely dissected or lobed leaves
 All these adaptations can be used
to add textural interest to the
garden

© Project SOUND
* Guadalupe Island Rock Daisy – Perityle incana

Nevin’s Wooly Sunflower/Catalina Silverlace
Constancea (Eriophyllum) nevinii

 S. Channel Islands (Santa
Barbara, Santa Catalina, San
Clemente Islands).
 Recently re-classified as
Constancea
 After Lincoln Constance
 An expert on plants of the
parsley family
 6 decade career in CA botany
and systematics (taxonomy)
 ‘Lincoln was the patriarch of
botany at UC Berkeley’
 Found on rocky coastal bluffs,
coastal sage scrub
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Eriophyllum+nevinii
http://www.cnps.org/publications/fremontia/Fremontia_Vol29-No2.pdf
Lincoln Constance
Constancea (Eriophyllum) nevinii
Catalina Silverlace

Catalina Silverlace is satisfyingly simple
to grow
 Soils: any well-drained
 Light: full sun to part-shade
 Nutrients: none needed
 Water:
 low needs; good for water-
wise garden
 Will take occasional water in
summer
 Maintenance:
 Prune back severely in
fall/winter when new growth
is beginning to emerge

Uses in the garden
 In mixed beds
 As a silver-white accent
against darker green foliage
 In rock gardens – remember,
it grows on rocky cliffs
 In a ‘silver’ garden
 As an informal hedge
 In large pots or planters
 In a fire-resistant ground
cover/shrub
Where ever you would use
‘Dusty Millers’

‘Canyon Silver’
cultivar
 Size: slightly more compact
 Foliage:
 More silver-green; lighter
color
 Lacier leaves
 Flower heads:
 larger and held higher above
the plant
 Slightly flatter
 More showy
‘Canyon Silver’
Species

Frost-tender white-
foliage plants
 When a frost is predicted:
 Water around the plant the
day before
 Cover with a loose cover (old
sheet works well)
 After frost damage occurs:
 Resist the urge to prune
immediately:
 Not all is dead – hard to tell
immediately
 Dead foliage shields new
growth
 Prune once new growth is well-
established (takes several
months)
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Leaf hairs or scales reflect the sun’s hot
rays, cooling the foliage
 Hairy or scaly surfaces also
protect leaves from drying
winds by helping trap
moisture.
 Many are desert (or local)
species.
 Plant names that include
tomentosum, pubescens,
canescens, villosa, or lanata
have downy leaves
 These plants generally fall in
the group of brighter, whiter
grays.

© Project SOUND
Brittle Bush – Encelia farinosa
© 2008 Scott Millard

© Project SOUND
Desert gardeners love
Brittle Bush
 Popular in desert landscaping
 Good choice for mixed dry
borders and rock gardens
 Does well on dry slopes
 Good choice for habitat
gardens
 Good for ‘Evening Garden’
 Don’t plant: choose CA
Encelia instead
 Near coast
 Any area near natural
populations of CA Encelia
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Encelia_farinosa.html
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/encfar.htm

California Brickelbush - Brickellia californica
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
*Wooly brickellbush – Brickellia incana
©2010 Lee Dittmann

 Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of CA, AZ, NV; locally
Riverside and San Bernardino Co.
 First collected from Providence Mtns (JG Cooper)
1860-61 – named by A. Gray [1868]
 MK Brandegee collected - Daggett, Nipton in 1914-15
© Project SOUND
*Wooly brickellbush – Brickellia incana
©2008 Aaron Schusteff
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?BRIN
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Bricke_inc/_Bri_inc.htm

© Project SOUND
Wooly brickellbush: silvery desert shrub
 Size:
 1-4 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Mostly evergreen sub-shrub
 Upright to mounded form
 Foliage usually dense
 Attractive with just a little water
 Foliage:
 Silvery to white color due dense
hairs (trichomes)
 Leaves simple, oval
©2010 Lee Dittmann

© Project SOUND
Flowers: typical
Brickellbush
 Blooms: Anytime from spring
to fall, depending on rains,
temperatures
 Flowers:
 On white-hairy stems
 Distinctive silvery bracts
around the flower heads
 Disk & ray flowers small,
yellow-gold
 Seeds:
 Fluffy seeds are actually more
showy than the flowers
 Seed-eating birds will eat
©2010 Lee Dittmann

© Project SOUND
Drought-tolerant
Brickellbush
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained (or plant
on slope of berm)
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter
rains – at least 10 inches
 Summer: best with occasional
deep summer water (Water
Zone 1-2)
 Other: Shape will likely be better
with late fall pruning (as with many
drought-tolerant Sunflowers)

© Project SOUND
Shot of silver-white
 Attractive accent plant in most
local water-wise gardens
 Looks lovely against evergreen
background plants
 Good habitat plant
 Likely candidate for large
containers
©2010 Lee Dittmann
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Bricke_inc/_Bri_inc.htm
https://dryheatblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/its-111-degrees-garden-visit/

© Project SOUND
White everlasting is
very easy to grow
 Soils:
 Texture: any
 pH: any local (5.0-8.0)
 Light:
 Full sun (best)
 Part-shade – will be more
leggy
 Water:
 Winter: can take short
flooding
 Summer: very drought
tolerant (Zone 1 to 1-2 best)

© Project SOUND
White Everlasting is great
for an ‘Evening Garden’
 Most people include this species
as a butterfly plant – larval food
for American Lady
 Excellent choice for an ‘Evening
Garden’ – looks nice during the
day but very striking in low-light
situations
 Makes an attractive pot plant;
place where you can watch the
butterflies
 Let it naturalize to ‘tie the
garden together’ with its white
foliage
American Lady larva
http://www.theodorepayne.org/plants/
plants_for_butterflies.htm

Very few native white shrubs provide both
large white leaves and airy stalks
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/243--hazardia-detonsa
J.S. Peterson, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

 Mostly N. Channel Islands; a few specimens from San
Clemente Island
 Open, rocky hillsides, canyon walls, sea cliffs in
coastal scrub, chaparral, pine woodland
 First collected by Edward L. Greene, T.S. Brandegee
 AKA: Island bristleweed
 Interesting fact: in the Jerusalem Botanic Garden
© Project SOUND
Island hazardia – Hazardia detonsa
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora
_display.php?tid=3184
©2013 James Gonsman

© Project SOUND
Island hazardia: tough, resilient and pretty
 Size:
 3-8 ft tall (usually 3-4)
 3-5 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Part-woody sub-shrub; somewhat like
giant buckwheat
 Fast-growing
 Upright to mounded; most leaves in
basal rosette, particularly when
young
 Foliage:
 Leaves simple, succulent and fairly
large (to 5 ½ inches)
 White to blue-green color due to
dense trichomes (hairs)
 Very attractive foliage
©2009 Gary A. Monroe ©2014 Zoya Akulova

© Project SOUND
Flowers typical for Hazardia
 Blooms: whenever conditions are
right – spring to fall, but more
likely summer-fall in garden
 Flowers:
 Small (less than ½ inch) composite
heads – ray & disk flowers
 Showy white involucral bracts,
flowering stems above the foliage
 Small flowers golden yellow – may
be tinged with red
 Attract insect pollinators
 Hybridizes with other Hazardias
– don’t plant near Preserves
 Seeds: small, fluffy seeds – loved by
finches

Native sunflowers are
easy to grow from seed
 Collect dry seed when ripe – it will
be blowing or birds eating it.
 Plant soon; small seeds lose
viability quickly
 Any potting soil is fine – may want
to add some vermiculite
 Surface plant or just barely cover
(need light to germinate)
 Place in bright shade
 Keep medium moist until seedlings
are ready to transplant/plant out
© Project SOUND
©2009 Zoya Akulova
http://www.hazmac.biz/080728/080728HazardiaDetonsa.html

© Project SOUND
Hazardias are not particular
 Soils:
 Texture: most local soils (even
clay) but prefers well-drained
soils
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun on coast; part-shade
(morning sun) elsewhere.
 Water:
 Winter: needs at least 10
inches
 Summer: Semi-dry to 1-2 times
per month in summer (Water
Zone 1-2 to 2)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
yearly ½ strength dose in
containers
 Other: remove spent flowering
stalks in fall/winter©2014 Steve Matson

© Project SOUND
Silver for the garden
 Contrast with green foliage associates
like Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) and
Brickellia californica
 Important plant for ‘Channel island’ theme
 Can even be grown in large containers
©2015 Robert Sikora
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5314495162_f70a9bcbd9.jpg

Agaves are popular accent plants
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/mediterranean-garden/
http://www.bevbeverly.com/agave-garden-design.shtml
Prized for both their unusual
shapes and their silvery color

© Project SOUND
Agave attenuata: a Mexican species
available in the U.S.
http://www.geographylists.com/sandiegoplants.html http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/09/30/berkeley-succulent-garden-3/

© Project SOUND
Agave ‘Blue Flame’
 Combines the features of its
parent species: A. shawii X
A. attenuata
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=2871
http://www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/ISI2005/isi/2005-06.html

 Mojave Desert & desert mountains; Imperial,
San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego Counties
 Anza Borrego Desert, Palm desert and on the
arroyos below the western slopes of the San
Bernardino Mountains. There is also a small
concentration at a base level of the Providence
Mountains in the Mojave Desert
 AKA: Maguey de Desierto; Desert century plant
© Project SOUND
*Desert agave – Agave deserti
Glenn and Martha Vargas © California Academy of Sciences
http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall00Projects/3Agavedeserti.html

Native sub-species
available  ssp. deserti - south-central CA, Baja
 Offsets prolifically; sometimes large
colonies.
 Pale silvery (or greenish-silver) leaves
 Typical rosette 2' high and wide; some
larger & hardier forms from San
Jacinto Mountains
 Easy to grow
 ssp. simplex – AZ, mountains of Mojave
Desert, CA
 Usually solitary or produces few
offsets
 frequently have very strong horizontal
banding on the leaves, a striking
feature.
 slow grower and appreciates dry,
gritty soil and heat. it ought to do well
in the Pacific Northwest also.
© Project SOUND
©2007 Charles E. Jones

© Project SOUND
Showy native agave  Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 2-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Evergreen succulent with
typical agave form
 Leaves, flower stalks edible,
useful (cordage)
 Foliage:
 Silvery or blue-green, sword-
shaped leaves; armed
 Leaves from basal rosette
©2005 Richard Zmasek
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=3195373

© Project SOUND
Flowers: unbelievable
 Blooms: usually late spring
(June) in Western LA County
 Flowers:
 Plants bloom only after enough
energy stored – 8-20+ years
 20 ft flowering stalk – grows
inches per day
 Showy yellow flowers attract
hummingbirds – desert bat
pollinator
 Parent plant dies after seeding
 Vegetative reproduction: Most
commonly available types either
sucker or not
©2005 Richard Zmasek
©2005 Dee E. Warenycia

© Project SOUND
Tough desert plant
 Soils:
 Texture: will grow in most – best in
well-drained
 pH: any local including alkali
 Light: full sun; young plants grow to N.
of grass nurse plants in wilds
 Water:
 Winter: needs at least 6-8 inches –
supplement if needed
 Summer: very drought tolerant
(Zone 1 to 1-2 – occasional water to
simulate Aug. ‘monsoon’) ; rapid
response to rains;
 Other:
 No mulch or gravel
 Low maintenance; carefully remove
dead leaves, plants
©2006 J. Zylstra, SBNF

© Project SOUND
Dramatic Desert agave
 As a dramatic accent plant –
even in containers
 Tough, easy groundcover – good
for hot, dry slopes
 In desert-themed gardens,
rock gardens
©2009 Thomas Stoughton
©2014 William Flaxington
http://www.desertnorthwest.com/articles/domestic_agaves.html

Agaves & other succulents in containers?
 Choose the right plant: small-
medium, slow-growing species are
easiest
 Choose the right container – large
and deep (most important)
 Choose the right planting medium
(based on natural conditions for
plant)
 Locate in an area that gets some
summer shade
 Give yearly ½ strength fertilizer
 Water: Zone 2 to 3
© Project SOUND

 Mojave Desert and Sonoran Deserts (CA,
AZ, NV, UT, northern Baja CA)
 Alkaline locations such as desert dry wash
and creosote bush scrub
 Usually on hilly and rocky areas and in
canyon washes rather than lower playas
© Project SOUND
*Desert holly – Atriplex hymenelytra
©2010 Neal Kramer

© Project SOUND
Desert holly: dense medium-size shrub
 Size:
 2-3 ft tall
 2-3+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Evergreen shrub/sub-shrub
 Form: mounded to somewhat
open
 Slow-growing
 Foliage:
 Silvery white to silver-green
 Salt excretions produce the
silvery patina
 Leaves look like holly leaves
 Roots: deep if well-established
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/outreach.aspx?RecordID=164
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_hymenelytra_form.jpg
http://macskamoksha.com/2016/03/ecosystems-risk-4-death-valley

© Project SOUND
Seeds are showy
 Blooms: winter to early spring:
usually Jan-Apr.
 Flowers:
 Plant usually dioecious in wild;
may have both sexes in
cultivation
 Flowers small, yellow-green,
not very visible or remarkable
 Seeds:
 Developing seeds can be
bright pink – attractive
 Seeds provide food for birds,
small animals. ?Probably high
nutrient value.
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/outreach.aspx?RecordID=164
http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/family/amaranthaceae/atriplex_hymenelytra.htm

© Project SOUND
Harsh desert slopes
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained; sandy,
rocky or gravelly
 pH: best with alkali (pH > 7.5); fine
with salty soils
 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Establishment: needs adequate deep
water for root development
 Winter: at least 6 inches
 Summer: best quite dry (give water
in June & August - or just wash off
the foliage).
 Very drought tolerant once
established – needs some stress
 Other: gravel or no mulch; not cold
tolerant
Margaret Williams, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/deathvalley12C.html

© Project SOUND
Try Desert holly in a
container
 Grow with its native associates:
Sphaeralcea ambigua, Encelia
farinosa
©2012 Jean Pawek
http://www.desertusa.com/flowers/Desert-Holly.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/21529332@N08/8109508685

Beautiful gardens rely on planned contrasts
© Project SOUND
https://sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/researching-the-white-
garden/the-same-statue-and-pear-tree-later-in-the-20th-century/#main

© Project SOUND
Classic English ‘White
Gardens’ suggest ways to
use white in the garden
 White flowers, foliage, even
white barked trees can be
used as an accent, against
darker green foliage
 Plants with white flowers/
foliage can be used to ‘unify’
plants with varying flower
colors
 White/silver plants can be
combined in a garden area
that features white plants –
the ‘white garden’ or
‘evening garden’.
http://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/page/2/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robroy/977716219/

Secrets of
Mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND
 Moderate contrast – fewer darks
 Mix of warm and cool silvers – but often more warm
 Use of mulch – usually light colored – and other
hardscape as design elements

Silver foliage 2016

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