A sunny garden is easy to fill with lush leaves and colorful blooms; a water-starved one a bit less, especially in late summer! And let’s be honest – many of us gardeners keep going back to Crape Myrtle… It gives that famous summer bloom, yes; but in California conditions, it can be thirsty, a bit messy with that peeling bark, and sometimes it just sits there, tired, when the heat really kicks in!
I can hear you… “But it flowers for months!”, you are thinking. And yes, it does… But at what cost in water, pruning, and that constant battle to keep it looking fresh? You may think it is a big problem of you want a vibrant, gorgeous garden without wasting your water! But it isn’t, really… there are magnificent native varieties that tolerate our heat, and even love it, and at the same time, they are jaw dropping!
And I am not just talking about common flowering trees or plain green canopies; there are exotic ones as well, like the Desert Willow with its orchid-like, delicate blooms dancing in hot inland valleys! A California garden does not need to be a thirsty one! And when we say colorful, we also mean bark in peeling copper and cinnamon tonalities, or leaves turning a fiery crimson tonality in fall, or a silvery blue…
So, give life to your California garden all year round, with green foliage full of life, stunning flowers and even fruits! There are some really wonderful drought tolerant native trees waiting for you – and quite a few surprises as well! All radiant, all beautiful and all water-wise, these California native trees range a lot in personality, though, and we can start our selection with a very bold variety indeed!
1. California Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron x ‘California Glory’)
I promised exotic looking varieties for our golden state and here is the first: our amazing Flannel Bush! Its vibrant, somewhat leathery and lobed leaves have a fuzzy, deep green tonality on the upper page all through the year!
This whopping, sprawling and magnificent variety males it a superior choice for privacy screens because it stays lush and vibrant while the crape myrtle stands naked in winter; and – let’s be honest – we gardeners want privacy in every season!
And it is a flowering plant, with massive, whopping, bowl-shaped yellow blooms that explode in spring to announce the new season to you, your family and pollinators!
The seed capsules are covered in fine, rusty-brown hairs, and they are very decorative too! Even so, the little winged visitors to your garden, especially the native bees, will add a spark of joy and happiness through the warm season.
You can use it as a stunning specimen plant or for creating a dense, flowering screen against a fence; of you want to save your water bill, you would be mad not to grow them!
2. Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)
Like most species from our glorious desert regions, Blue Palo Verde is extraordinarily exotic looking and prestigious indeed! You may think that a tree with green bark is strange; but for us gardeners, it is a true treasure!
Its smooth, waxy and bluish green bark provides a very architectural and airy canopy with a silvery blue tonality that simply outshines the naked, dormant stems of a crape myrtle in winter.
In fact, the tiny, bipinnate leaves are sparse on the upper page and often drop to save water: a very clever survival strategy! And it will bless you with whopping, brilliant yellow flowers that burst in spring to brighten your garden and announce the season to you and your family!
The seedpods are very decorative too, looking like small beans – and let’s be honest – they are invaluable for our local wildlife. Our native bees and little winged visitors will add a spark of joy and happiness as they visit our radiant blooms!
It is much better than the crape myrtle because it thrives in our dry soil without the need for constant watering; you would be mad not to grow it! Its very unusual personality males it ideal of you want a striking specimen plant in a water-wise border.
3. Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus)
Like most species from the Channel Islands off our coast, the Catalina Ironwood extraordinarily exotic looking and prestigious indeed! Many of us gardeners call it a living fossil, and do you still want to plant that common crape myrtle everyone else has?
Its unique, fern-like, leathery leaves provide a finely textured canopy with a rich green tonality that is much more emotional and deep than generic foliage. But there is more: the bark is a true treasure that peels away in long, papery strips of ruby and cinnamon tonality to reveal the smooth wood beneath!
And in late spring, it will bless you with whopping, flat-topped clusters of ivory flowers that attract many butterflies. You would be mad not to grow them as a towering specimen tree in our native borders.
4. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
Many of us gardeners call it “California Holly” and you are lucky indeed to have it! Found all throughout the chaparral and coastal sage scrub from the Mexican border to Oregon, its leathery, somewhat spiky and dark green leaves are very glossy indeed on the upper page.
In summer, it produces large, flat-topped clusters of creamy flowers that attract every butterfly in the neighborhood.
But the real jaw dropping moment comes in winter: the tree explodes with whopping clusters of bright scarlet and ruby berries! These berries are a true treasure for songbirds like cedar waxwings; they will add a spark of joy to your garden during the holidays.
In fact, you can even make a medicinal tea or delicious jams from them of you know the traditional ways. Unlike Crape Myrtles, which can look a bit waxy in summer but bare in winter, the Toyon stays lush and provides a prestigious evergreen screen all year round.
5. Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
I promised exotic looking varieties for our golden state and here is the second: a tree that thrives in the sandy washes of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts! Its many small, blade-like, waxy leaves form dense and finely textured carpets that keep a vibrant bluish green tonality all year round.
But there is more! It dangles massive spikes of trumpet-shaped, exotic lavender and violet flowers that smell just like grape bubblegum – and – let’s be honest – they are far more radiant than any Crape Myrtle flowers!
In fact, these flowers grace your garden from late spring all the way to autumn, injecting energy and warmth into your garden. The long, papery seedpods add a quirky, arching look to the winter silhouette, of you want a bit of suspense in the garden.
Hummingbirds and carpenter bees will bless your garden with their presence because of these nectar-rich trumpets. So, take your pick for a dry corner!
6. Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis)
If you are looking for an unusual and very special tree that belongs right here in our soil, then the Western Redbud our first treasure! Native to the rocky foothills and dry slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the North Coast Ranges, this tree knows how to handle the sun.
Its heart-shaped, leathery and blush green leaves are very glossy indeed on the upper page, creating a dense canopy that feels cool to the touch.
But there is more! In early spring, before the leaves even wake up, the entire tree explodes into a whopping cloud of magenta and wine-colored blooms that burst directly from the dark branches. It dangles long, flattened seedpods of a deep burgundy tonality that stay on the tree like jewels through the winter.
Our little winged visitors – especially the native mason bees and beautiful hummingbirds – will add a spark of joy and happiness as they feast on the nectar.
We often use it as a specimen plant or even as a multi-trunked focal point; let’s be honest, its architectural shape males it far more prestigious than a generic Crape Myrtle! You are lucky indeed, because it is an extraordinary way to save water and money!
7. California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
And there’s a sunny surprise for you as well: a tree from our Central Valley and Sierra foothills that has a very unusual personality! Its massive, velvety, and deep green leaves are shaped like a hand with many fingers, giving a lush feel to your garden.
In late spring, it produces towering spikes of fragrant, ivory and blush flowers that look like fiery candles. What is more, it is a magnificent butterfly magnet!
But wait! I can hear you… “It loses its leaves in August!” you are thinking. Yes, but this is its clever way to survive our heat! When the leaves fall, they reveal a striking, silvery-white bark that glistens like silk against the summer sky. It is far more emotional and sculptural than any generic tree from the nursery.
8. Common Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita)
If you are looking for an unusual and very special tree with a gorgeous, architectural form… wait! First on our list a dwarf to medium tree with smooth, mahogany or cinnamon bark that glisten in the sun and – let’s be honest – it feels just like silk to the touch!
Its oval, leathery and waxy leaves have a beautiful greyish green tonality on the upper page and stay radiant even in the heat. It is also a flowering plant, with tiny, drooping, bell-shaped white to blush pink blooms that come in late winter to announce the new season; you are lucky indeed!
The many small, apple-like berries that follow are very decorative too; in fact, “manzanita” means little apple in Spanish, and they were used as traditional medicine! Hummingbirds and native bees will flock to your green space, adding a spark of joy through the cold months that no crape myrtle can provide. Use it as a prestigious specimen plant to transform that dry area into a lush place!
9. Catalina Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii)
Native to our glorious Channel Islands, its glossy, somewhat leathery and oval leaves have a deep green tonality all through the year! This whopping, spreading variety males it a superior choice for privacy screens because it stays lush and vibrant while the crape myrtle stands naked in winter; and – let’s be honest – we gardeners want privacy in every season!
In spring, it will bless you with many small, creamy white flowers that cascade from the branches to brighten your garden and announce the season to you and your family! The whopping, ruby to purple fruit that follows is very decorative too; and it looks like a real cherry indeed!
Our local birds and little winged visitors will add a spark of joy and happiness as they feast on the succulent, fleshy berries through the autumn. It is much better than the crape myrtle of you want a tough, evergreen native that thrives without the extra water.
10. Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
If you are looking for an unusual and very special tree with the sheer presence of a flowering Crape Myrtle but with a softer, woodland soul… Pacific Dogwood for you! This tree the diva of California’s mixed forests; its massive, exquisite white bracts – which many of us gardeners call flowers – can reach a whopping 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 centimeters) across!
On a sunny April morning, a mature specimen looks like it is covered in white doves about to take flight: a very emotional sight indeed! Its large, ovate leaves have a rich green tonality on the upper page through the growing season. It blooms once heavily in spring and – here is a delightful trick! – often gives a second flush in late summer or early autumn to keep us gardeners on our toes…
But there is more: the fall show is breathtaking, with leaves turning deep crimson and burgundy tonalities while whopping clusters of bright scarlet berries dangle like little jewels! Robins, thrushes, and band-tailed pigeons will all come visit, gracing your garden with song through the cooler months.
Its very unusual personality males it ideal of you garden in the cool, moister canyons of the North Coast or the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada under a partial canopy.
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When she’s not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.