Best Shrubs for California
This is an index of what I consider the very best shrubs for our landscapes, the ones I recommend when people ask me what they should plant. Of course, I would hate to see all landscapes using only these plants. You should include your own favorites in any planting scheme.
I have chosen these plants based on two easy-care criteria. They must have no major pests, and they must have a slow or moderate rate of growth. Each plant in the list meets at least one of these requirements; most meet both.
- Rhaphiolepis indica India Hawthorne
- Long period of bloom, beginning in the spring. Prune after the first flowering and as needed to control size and shape.
- Nandina domestica Heavenly Bamboo
- Prune, if needed, by thinning and cutting back canes. Fertilize if plant becomes chlorotic. No pests.
- Callistemon viminalis 'Little John' Little John Bottlebrush
-
Callistemon 'Little John' is a slow growing (under 3 feet) shrub
that needs pruning only one time a year. Foliage is a bluish gray.
Long bloom period begins in early spring.
- Osmanthus heterophyllus Hollyleaf Osmanthus
- Can easily be kept at 3 to 5 feet. Does well in the shade. 'Variegata' has variegated, holly-like leaves.
- Buxus microphylla 'Japonica' Japanese Boxwood
- Infrequent pruning will maintain this plant as a low hedge. It also makes a fine 3 to 5 foot shrub.
- Myrsine africana African Boxwood
- As with Japanese Boxwood, trim as a low box hedge, or grow as a 3 to 5 foot high natural shrub. Watch for aphids if grown in the shade.
- Xylosma congestum Shiny Xylosma
- This plant grows rapidly into a large shrub or a small tree, but it can take any amount of pruning.
- Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum' Waxleaf Privet
- Privet blooms in the spring and has black berries in the fall unless the plant is pruned. This is a favorite for hedges. Prune only once a year -- after flowering.
- Euonymous japonica Evergreen Euonymus
- Forms with gold variegation are excellent. Does very well in Santa Maria and the Central Coast, but it's very suseptible to powdery mildew in areas with hot summers. The gold leaf varieties combine very well with Euryops pectinatus 'Viridis', the yellow bush daisy from South Africa. The combination looks especially nice during the gray days of winter.
- Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary
- My favorite upright Rosemary is 'Tuscan Blue'. If you want a lower growing kind, choose 'Prostrata' or another groundcover form. These can be pruned as low shrubs or used as a groundcover or to cascade over a wall. All kinds attract bees. Blooms start in February.
- Cistus ladanifer Crimson-Spot Rockrose
- Choose this or 'Cistus purpurea' or Cistus 'Sunset' or any other favorite. All require little care beyond pruning after the flowers peak.
- Crassula argentea Jade Plant
- Very easy and very common in Southern California and on the Central Coast. This plant deserves more attention. Don't plant just one; use it in groupings, and prune to show its sturdy structure. All you need are hand shears or even a knife from the kitchen.
- Carissa macrocarpa Natal Plum
- Dark green foliage with bright white, star-shaped flowers followed by edible red fruit in the fall. Plant has thorns; be sure that is appropriate for your needs.
- Loropetalum chinense Fringe Flower
- Low, mounding shrub for sun or shade. Leaves become red in cold weather. Covered with flowers from late February through spring.
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