from Spill the Beans!
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Thanks to UC Master Gardener John Chwistek for compiling these plant profiles. Plants featured are suited to areas found in Napa County. Following are recent plants he has highlighted.
Species Spotlight
By John Chwistek
Common name: Fern bush
Botanical name: Chamaebatiaria millefolium
Family: Rosaceae
Classification: Deciduous shrub, semi-evergreen in warm climates Sunset zones: 1-3, 7, 14-21
Native: Western U.S. (3,000 - 7,000 ft. mountain slopes) Height: 6-7 feet
Spread: 6-7 feet
Flower color: White 1- 4 inch clusters
Bloom: Mid-summer
Exposure: Sun
Notes: Needs good drainage. Foliage is fragrant, fernlike, scaly and sticky. Flowers attract butterflies and bees. Attractive fall color. Fruits are four or five leathery follicles per flower.
Sources: Sunset Western Garden Book, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Trees and Shrubs of California
Common name: Flat-leaf summer holly
Botanical name: Comarostaphylis diversifolia var. planifolia
Family: Ericaceae
Classification: Evergreen shrub
Sunset Zones: 7-9, 14-24
Native: Southern Channel Islands
Height: 8 - 12 feet
Spread: 6 - 8 feet
Flower Color: White
Bloom: Spring
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade; full sun in cooler climates
Notes: Any well-drained soil, moderate water
Sources: Sunset Western Garden Book, Tree of Life Nursery,
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
Botanical name: Epilobium canum ‘Hurricane Point’
Family: Onigraceae
Classification: Shrubby perennial
Hardiness: USDA zone 8a - 10b
Native: Western U.S. and northern Mexico
Height: 1 foot
Spread: 2 feet
Flower Color: Orange-red
Bloom: July - October
Exposure: Sun
Notes: Prefers occasional water, compact plant, hummingbird plant.
After the first year, cut back 1-2” in late fall or winter
after flowering.
Sources: Sunset Western Garden Book, UC Santa Cruz Arboretum,
Yerba Buena Nursery