Our Plants
Daylilies
Although many plants tolerate extremes, few are as reliably colorful, resilient, and long lived as daylilies.
Tips on Designing With Daylilies
Daylilies tolerate drought/flood, fire/freeze, and physical abuse, and still send up cheerful flower displays while cleaning our soil and air every day of the year. No wonder Greenwood daylilies grow around Las Vegas casinos, Malibu mansions, Disneyland, and a Saudi palace, along with schools, hospitals, and roadsides from coast to coast. Best Daylilies For Inland
Best Daylilies For Pools, Soggy Soil
Right Plant, Right Place - Daylilies thrive in all 50 states, but each variety has a favorite climate. The 3 most popular daylily varieties, ‘Stella de Oro’, ‘Pardon Me’ and ‘Happy Returns’, suffer here without freezing Winters and humid Summers. On the other hand, our evergreen winter-blooming varieties might freeze to death in Maine. Our Summer nights are too cool for many Florida varieties to open properly. A few varieties perform well across the U.S.A., earning the All American Daylily title. As a test site for this award we have access to nationwide test results, so we can help you succeed with daylilies wherever they are going.
Rely on our expertise. Every day we work with landscape architects, designers, contractors, and horticulturists, sharing our knowledge and learning from their experiences. Every day we learn more about the performance of our plants in California landscapes as improve the varieties we grow. Let us help you with your plant palette. Don’t be surprised if we suggest plants from other sources, or new varieties that we’re about to release. Contact John directly: john@greenwoodgarden.com
Mass, Don’t Mix – It’s tempting to mix for a “natural effect.” This is a mistake:
- It’s not a natural effect. Nature usually masses a few dominant colors,(like poppies or lupines.)
- Every daylily variety has unique foliage. Mixing types create the foliage effect of a bad hair day.
- Mixing can muddy the effect, just as mixing paint colors yields beige or brown. Try grouping 3 to 5 of one variety, mass a low type in front of a taller one, or go for impact with a mass of one cultivar.
Best Daylilies for Inland California
Best Daylilies for Coastal California
Daylilies for Pools, Soggy and Salty Soils
Key to Daylily Symbols and Abbreviations (All heights/sizes are averages for California.)
FOLIAGE HABIT
E = Evergreen. May need mulching below 15 degrees F.
Sev = Usually evergreen above 25 degrees F. Briefly deciduous in cold snaps. Dormant in colder areas.
D = Dormant or deciduous in all climates, sending up a fresh, clean crop of leaves in early spring.
RUST: Disc. (rust) = Discontinued due to rust susceptibility. We don’t spray for daylily rust, and don’t think others should. Daylily rust (Puccinia hemerocalloides) affects no other plants, and only some daylily varieties. It is ugly, but not lethal. When daylily rust arrived here from Central America, we destroyed over 400,000 plants of the most susceptible varieties, preferring to focus on the resistant ones. Unless otherwise noted, our varieties are rust-resistant in California gardens.
BLOOM CHARACTERISTICS (First number) = Average bloom height.
Second number = Average bloom diameter.
EE = Starts blooming extra early (March-April for us).
E = Starts blooming early in season (April-May for us).
M = Starts blooming in mid-season (May-June for us).
L = Starts blooming late in season (June-July for us).
Re = Rests after first bloom cycle, then sends up at least one additional set of blooms per year.
Re Re = Rests a while after first bloom cycle, then sends up a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth set of blooms, depending on the variety.
PLANT PATENTS- (PPAF) = Plant Patent Applied For. Unlicensed propagation prohibited.
PP# = Plant Patent Number. Propagation prohibited without a license from the breeder.
(For more on designing with daylilies download our catalog)
Irises
What do you call a reblooming perennial with stunning blooms and handsome foliage that survives three months without water? Underutilized!
More info on Bearded and Beardless Irises
Tall Bearded Iris
Tall Bearded iris have showy, fragrant blooms (up to 4 bloom cycles/year here,) silvery gray green foliage, and are far more resilient than our native California irises. We’ve seen Bearded Irises thrive after being dug up in 100 degree weather and left out of the ground for 2 months! Plants scorched by fire in November still flowered the following April. Smaller bearded iris varieties (and many Tall Beardeds) need a winter freeze to bloom. We grow Tall Beardeds that bloom reliably here.
CARE: Tall bearded iris prefer average garden conditions, with at least half a day of full sun. Avoid soggy, shady areas with poor air circulation.
In Southern California, rhizomes (swollen tuber-like roots) should have ¼” to ½” of soil covering them but should not be smothered by mulch or ground covers. Tall bearded irises can survive drought and are happy among California natives and succulents, but will also thrive among roses and daylilies.
For optimum bloom, reinvigorate iris clumps by digging and dividing every 2-4 years. We fertilize in January/February and August/September with Tri-C Humate [ www.naturalsoilutions.com ] 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft., gypsum at 30 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft., and 1-2 inches of compost.
Key to Bearded Iris Abbreviations r = May rebloom, but not consistent R = Consistent rebloomer for us RR = 3-5 bloom cycles each year
Beardless Iris PACIFIC COAST HYBRIDS (PCH’s, or PCN’s) are bred from iris species such as Iris douglasiana, native mostly to Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. PCH’s struggle in Southern California. Avoid reflected heat. Do not plant in medians or parking lots, and do not set potted plants on hot pavement. Experienced landscape professionals substitute ‘Grandma’s Purple Flag’ for PCH’s in hot areas, and ‘Great Grandma’s Purple Flag’ or Iris x ‘Nada’ closer to the coast or in part shade.
‘Nada’ (Sometimes sold as Iris japonica ‘Nada’) The perfect drought-tolerant shade iris for Southern California. Ruffled white blooms, on wiry 18”-24” stems over lustrous, broad 12”-18” tall fern green foliage. Can grow under oak, pepper, and olive trees with a lot or little water. Iris Nada Plant Master
Spuria Iris are tall perennial irises (2 1/2’-6’ tall). Resembling giant Dutch Iris, spurias make excellent cut flowers. Yellow and white spurias come back year after year in old gardens and abandoned homesteads and are mistakenly referred to as “Japanese irises”. Unlike Japanese irises, spurias are heat and drought tolerant. Limited availability at the nursery only.
Louisiana Iris prefer some shade, and moist or poorly drained soil. They can even be grown in ponds. Limited availability at the nursery only
Iris Pseudacorus This water iris is popular in colder climates. But is too invasive here. ‘RISING SUN’ is a sterile, non-invasive hybrid. Or try Hemerocallis ‘Elves’ for a similar effect, with more blooms.
Japanese Iris or Iris ensata are beautiful, but their intolerance of alkaline water or soil make them too touchy for Southern California. Try Louisiana irises
Siberian Iris struggle and die in Southern California except for ‘CAESAR’S BROTHER’, which does very well here. For a similar, but evergreen foliage effect, try Dietes ‘Lemon Drop’
Geraniums & Pelargoniums
Which is which? Both are part of the geranium family (Geraniaceae.) Geraniums are mostly from northern climates and require a winter chill (vernalization). Pelargoniums are usually from Mediterranean climates and are drought tolerant but damaged by frost.
For more, see PlantMaster Landscape Pelargoniums presentation.
More info on Geraniums & Pelargoniums
Species/Species Hybrid Pelargoniums This is the most versatile, long-lived category of pelargoniums. All are great for the super drought-tolerant plant palette, roof gardens, containers, and slopes.
Scented Pelargoniums Add fragrance to your plant palette with this diverse category. Locate plants where reflected heat or the casual touch of a passerby releases the aroma. To smell a Scented Pelargonium gently press a leaf between a thumb and finger. Your touch will pick up the aromatic oils and your body heat will releases the fragrance
Ivy Pelargoniums (Pelargonium x peltatum) Ivy pelargoniums prefer to grow within ten miles of the ocean and thrive in immediate seacoast conditions. Ours will also grow further inland. They perform best as colorful groundcovers or covering fences. Avoid heavy clay or soggy soils and provide good air circulation. Full sun near the coast is best, while afternoon shade is preferred inland.
Unique Pelargoniums These amazing hybrids combine the stature and stunning blooms of the Regals with the incredible heat/drought tolerance of several wild species. They are a showy addition to the shrubby perennial plant palette. Cut back 75% in November/December.
Angel Pelargoniums Sometimes called “Mini Regals” or “Pansy Faced”, Angel Pelargoniums are fascinating crosses of Regals with Scented Pelargoniums. Their massive flower displays, long bloom period, and trouble free, usually fragrant foliage have Angel Pelargoniums soaring in popularity.
Zonal Pelargoniums (Pelargonium hortorum) Zonal pelargoniums are the classic red or orange flowers most people envision when they hear ‘geranium’. Rounded felty leaves usually have a darker “zone” pattern. Zonals are very heat tolerant but can suffer from rust closer to the coast. We don’t spray for rust, so we grow only the most rust-resistant. Regal Pelargoniums/Martha Washingtons These prom queens of the pelargonium world put on the biggest Spring flower show with the largest blooms. Flowering stops when temperatures top 80 degrees F. Plant them where they can receive a minimum of 4 hours of sun and avoid soggy soils. Think of them as drought tolerant substitutes for azaleas, and the classic Mother’s Day flower.
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Bulbs & Flowering Shrubs
Super fragrant lilacs & sage, intriguing bulbs and reblooming agapanthus.
More info on Other Plants
While we are best known for our daylilies & irises, we're constantly trying to breed or find new 'urban warrior' varieties to expand the plant palettes of landscape professionals and avid gardeners.
Agapanthus dejaTm ‘Sky Blue’ (PP#14989)
A true breeding breakthrough! Blooms 2-3 times as long as most Agapanthus during the summer, with sporadic bloom flushes the rest of the year. Constant growth means fresh, manicured looking foliage all year. No yellow leaf tips from summer or winter dormancy. For more, see Plantmaster deja Sky Blue Fill
Low-Chill Lilacs (Syringa) Californians have struggled with lilacs for years. Growing them is not the problem but getting them to bloom without a freezing winter is.‘Snowy’ Beach PartyTm & ‘Rosy’ Beach PartyTm produce large clusters of intensely fragrant blooms in gardens from Laguna, Huntington and Long Beach to Malibu, Ventura and beyond. They thrive in Ohio too, where their early bloom, mildew resistant foliage and powerfully fragrant bloom clusters are more important. For more, see Plantmaster Beach Party Lilac File
Salvia (Sage) ‘Love Child’ A bee arranged a tryst in our garden between Cleveland Sage and Purple Sage. The resulting ‘LOVE CHILD’ is a great garden plant 2-3 ft. tall by 3 ft. wide with the unmistakable fragrance of Cleveland Sage and the pink flowers of Salvia leucophylla. For more, see Plantmaster 'Love Child' File
Drimia maritima (Urginea maritima, Sea Squill) is a Mediterranean area bulb of up to 10 lbs. that can grow with less than 10 inches of rain per year without irrigation. In Fall, Sea Squill sprouts a lush agave-like crown of foliage 2-3 feet in diameter and 18-30 inches tall. Foliage persists until soil moisture drops in early summer. In late summer the leafless crown sends up a bloom stalk up to 6 feet tall, sporting hundreds of pinkish white eremuris-like blooms. For more, see Plantmasater Drimia File
Amaryllis belladonna (“Naked Lady Amaryllis”)
This bulletproof South African bulb should have a place in every Mediterranean climate garden. Lush, green strappy foliage emerges in late fall as the fire season wanes and rains approach. By June, the foliage dies down, to be followed in late summer by 2 ft. tall “naked” bloom stalks with fragrant bell shaped blooms in shades of pink to white. For more, see Plantmaster Amaryllis B. File
Hippeastrum papilio (Butterfly Amaryllis)
Another great bulb for the Mediterranean garden. This Brazilian native prefers some shade to keep its shiny evergreen foliage lush all year. Sculptural, exotic blooms look like giant Tiger Swallowtail butterflies perched on sturdy 2 ft. tall stems. For more, see Plantmaster H Papilio File
Cannas With bold flowers and bolder foliage, cannas are the flamboyant clowns of the perennial world. Popular in the Midwest, South, and East, Cannas are used less in California because:
-Cannas like warm nights. Our climate is warmer year round, but Eastern nights in May or June are warmer and more humid. Plant them where pavement or masonry walls will re-radiate heat at night.
-Cannas can look straggly. The key to canna vigor in our climate is a grooming technique. After the first cluster of blooms on a cane is spent, don’t just cut the spent cluster; cut that cane back to the ground.
-Cannas viruses. A complex of viruses cause reduced vigor, streaky foliage, and misshapen blooms. Our mild winters allow cannas viruses to overwinter. The viruses are spread by cutting tools and insects, so even virus free plants are usually infected within months.
The key to Canna success is to plant vigorous virus-resistant varieties, site and prune them properly. For more see Best Cannas For California