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Trees, Native Grasses

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Ceanothus sp  Common Name: Ray Hartman

Family: Rhamnaceae

Type: Prune to small tree, 10'h x 6'w

Flowers: March to May

Flower Color: Blue

Likes: Full Sun

Tall mountain lilac.  Very fast growing to 6' plus. Flowers are blue and appear in late winter/Spring. 

Prune to desired shape.  Can be a nice smaller tree. Drought tolerant but will tolerate some garden irrigation.  Frost tolerant.  Can get taller depending on conditions.   The Ray Hartman at the nursery has grown to about 6' in 4 years.  See pictures.  Adds dimension to garden  as a mid-sized shrub/tree.

Ray Hartmen
Chilopsis linearis  Common Name:  Desert Willow

Family: Bignoniaceae

Type: Tree 12-18' tall

Flowers: May to September

Flower Color: Pink

Likes: Full Sun

An awesome tree.  Deciduous desert tree.  Fast growing.   Needs no water after the first year. Flowers May to September with showy pink flowers.  Very hardy and adaptable.  Very nice addition to lower growing native plants.  Not dense like cultivated willows.  Can be pruned to desired shape.  

Range: Inland Southern California into Mexico.

Willow Favorite
Quercus douglasii  Common Name: Blue Oak

Family: Fagaceae  (Images)

Type: Tree, 30'h x 20'w

Flowers: Spring

Flower Color: Not distinct

Likes: Full Sun

Common to the Sierra foothills.  Decideous medium tree - can grow to 30-40ft.  Smaller than Valley Oak - Q. lobata.  Light gray foliage with lobed mid-sized leafs. Slow growing.  Full sun but can tolerate some shade.  Do not water regularly.

Winter / Fall
Achnatherum hymenoides Common Name:  Indian Rice Grass
(Orysopsis/Stipa Hymenoides)

Family: Poaceae

Type: Grass, 1'h x .5'w

Flowers: Spring

Flower Color: Indistinct

Likes: Full Sun

Widely distributed throughout the Western United States.  A perennial bunchgrass with flowering stems up to 1.5'.  Flowers in Spring.  Will reseed - but not a pest.  Nice delicate flower stalks that add texture. Very easy to grow.  Does not do well potted - looks poorly in 1 gallon plots - but quickly establishes. Grow alone as an accent or planted in groups.

Bouteloua gracilis Common Name:  Blue Gramma Grass

Family: Poaceae  Images

Type: Grass, 1'h x .5'w

Flowers: Spring

Flower Color: Indistinct

Likes: Full Sun

​Smaller bunchgrass with one sided seed spikes.  Common throughout the great plains - and in S. Calif.  Attractive small accent plant with intersting seed spikes.  

Festuca idahoensis Common Name:  Idaho Fescue

Family: Poaceae  Images

Type: Grass, 1'h x .5'w

Flowers: Spring

Flower Color: Indistinct

Likes: Full Sun

Widely distributed throughout the Western United States.  A perennial bunchgrass with flowering stems up to 2'.  Flowers in Spring.  Will reseed - but not a pest.  Nice blueish - green color.  Low growing, very hardy and adaptable.  Very easy to grow.  Great as an accent or planted in groups.

Muhlenbergia rigens  Common Name:  Deergrass

Family: Poaceae

Type: Grass, 3'h x 2'w

Flowers: Spring

Flower Color: Indistinct

Likes: Full Sun

Widely distributed throughout the Western United States.  A large perennial bunchgrass with flowering stems up to 3.5'.  Flowers in Spring.  Attractive as a large accent grass.  Largest of the grasses that we offer.  Very adaptable.  Deer do not seem to bother it, contrary to what the name implies.  Not attractive in small pots.

Very easy to grow. Great as an accent.  Could be grown in a row as a lower screen plant.

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