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Tree of Life Nursery offers several native wildflower seed mixes which are an excellent addition to drought tolerant landscapes. The blends were developed for use in southern California, especially for overseeding among newly installed native plants in the landscape. The seeds are of the highest quality obtainable because they are supplied exclusively to Tree of Life Nursery by S & S Seeds of Carpinteria, California. Please contact the nursery for planting specifications and current prices. The components for each mix are listed below. The percentage for each species has been carefully proportioned based on numerous trials.

Planting instructions: Seedbed or area to be seeded should be prepared by light cultivation and weed removal. Optimum planting season is November 15 through March 31, just prior to anticipated rain. Broadcast seed evenly over soil surface. Rake the area lightly to incorporate seed into the top 1/4″- 1/2″ of soil. A top dressing of composted organic mulch (not manure) is recommended to help maintain even moisture during the germination period.
Maintenance: Irrigate just enough (between rains) to maintain soil moisture during
germination. After germination until initial flowering, sprinkle the area to a depth of about 2″.
After flowering, little to no supplemental water should be needed.

Application Rate:

OuncesSquare Feet
1 oz136
3 oz400
6oz800
8oz1000
1 lb2176
20lbs1 acre

Foothill Mix

Foothill Mix epitomizes one of our most iconic landscapes, the chaparral/cismontane regions of southern California.  You can picture the oak woodlands, the clearings in the shrub lands, the spring bloom around such dependable landscape plants as Sugar bush, Manzanita, Wild lilac, Scrub oak, Mountain mahogany, Flannel bush, Lemonade berry, Salvia, Yucca, and Buckwheat.  This blend will compliment any native landscape with a truly “wild” look.  Here you have tremendous diversity with 17 species, a long and varied bloom season, and tenacity to reseed and come back year after year.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Castilleja exsertaOwls CloverDk. PinkAnnual
Clarkia bottaeFarewell-to-SpringPinkAnnual
Clarkia unguiculataMountain GarlandWhite-Lavendar-PinkAnnual
Collinsia heterophyllaChinese HousesViolet & WhiteAnnual
Eriophyllum confertifoliumGolden YarrowYellowPerennial
Eschscholzia californicaCalifornia PoppyOrangeAnnual
Gilia capitataGlobe GiliaWhiteAnnual
Gilia tricolorBirds EyesPinkAnnual
Lasthenia chrysostomaCoast GoldfieldsYellowAnnual
Layia platyglossaTidy TipsYellowAnnual
Lupinus bicolorMiniature LupineBlue & WhiteAnnual
Lupinus hirsutissimusNettle LupineBlue & WhiteAnnual
Lupinus nanusSky LupineBlue & WhiteAnnual
Nemophila menziesiiBaby Blue EyesLt. BlueAnnual
Penstemon centranthifoliusScarlet BuglerRedPerennial
Phacelia campanulariaCanterbury BellsRoyal BlueAnnual
Sisyrinchium bellumBlue-Eyed GrassBluePerennial

Nature Mix

Nature mix is a great mix for habitat gardens and will attract a variety of pollinators to your yard.

Botanic NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Clarkia bottaeFarewell-to-SpringPinkAnnual
Clarkia unguiculataMountain GarlandmixedAnnual/Biennial
Eschscholzia californicaCalifornia PoppyOrangeAnnual
Linum lewisiiBlue FlaxLight BluePerennial
Lotus scopariusDeer WeedYellowPerennial
Lupinus bicolorMiniature LupineWhite w/BlueAnnual
Mimulus puniceusBush MonkeyflowerRedPerennial
Nemophila maculataFive SpotWhite w/PurpleAnnual
Nemophila menziesiiBaby Blue EyesLight BlueAnnual
Oenothera elataYellow Evening PrimroseYellowPerennial
Penstemon centranthifoliusScarlet BuglerRedPerennial
Phacelia campanulariaCanterbury BellsViolet BlueAnnual

Shade Mix

Shade Mix is perfect for shady, understory gardens.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Achillea millefoliumYarrowWhitePerennial
Collinsia heterophyllaChinese HousesViolet & WhiteAnnual
Linanthus grandiflorusLarge-Flowered LinanthusBlue & WhiteAnnual
Linum lewisiiBlue FlaxBluePerennial
Nemophila menziesiiBaby Blue EyesLight BlueAnnual
Collinsia heterophylla

Trail of Flowers

Trail of Flowers has something for everyone. Create a beautiful rainbow of wildflowers in your garden with this diverse mix.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Baileya multiradiataDesert MarigoldYellowAnnual
Camissonia cheiranthifoliaBeach Evening PrimroseYellowPerennial
Clarkia unguiculataMountain GarlandWhite-Lavendar-PinkAnnual
Collinsia heterophyllaChinese HousesViolet & WhiteAnnual
Eriophyllum confertiflorumGolden YarrowYellowPerennial
Eschscholzia californicaCalifornia PoppyOrangeAnnual
Gilia capitataGlobe GiliaPink to LavendarAnnual
Gilia tricolorBirds EyesWhite to PinkAnnual
Layia platyglossaTidy TipsYellowAnnual
Linum lewisiiBlue FlaxLight BluePerennial
Lupinus bicolorMiniature LupineBlue and WhiteAnnual
Lupinus hirsutissimusNettle LupineBlue and WhiteAnnual
Nemophila menziesiiBaby Blue EyesLt. BlueAnnual
Phacelia campanulariaCanterbury BellsRoyal BlueAnnual
Sisyrinchium bellumBlue-Eyed GrassBluePerennial
Golden yarrow

Mountain Mix

Mountain Mix is the perfect seed blend to compliment the forest landscape.  Of course you can use it in mountain situations, or in any native garden where you want to evoke the spirit of the forest… the mountain meadow or the rich spring groundcover under Pine, Oak, Madrone and Bay.  Combine with Meadow Mix or sow in the shade of a woodland garden.  Ideal for providing seasonal color on mountain properties.  In most situations, plants will establish, reseed and come up every year.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Castilleja exsertaOwlÕs CloverDk. PinkAnnual
Clarkia unguiculataMountain GarlandWhite-Lavendar-PinkAnnual
Eriophyllum confertiflorumGolden YarrowYellowPerennial
Eschscholzia californicaCalifornia PoppyOrangeAnnual
Gilia capitataGlobe GiliaBlueAnnual
Gilia tricolorBirds EyesLavendar/PinkAnnual
Nemophila menziesiiBaby Blue EyesLt. BlueAnnual
Lasthenia chrysostomaGoldfieldsYellowAnnual
Layia platyglossaTidy TipsYellowAnnual
Linum lewisiiBlue FlaxBluePerennial
Lupinus nanusSky LupineBlueAnnual
Penstemon centranthifoliusScarlet BuglerRedPerennial
Phacelia campanulariaCanterbury BellsRoyal BlueAnnual
Sisyrinchium bellumBlue-Eyed GrassBluePerennial
Poppies, tidy-tips and goldfields

Meadow Mix

A drought tolerant meadow is an excellent replacement for resource intensive, inefficient lawn.  This mixture of perennial bunchgrasses and herbaceous flowering natives will create a dynamic ecosystem right in your front yard.  Consider combining with one of our other seed blends (like Nature Mix or Foothill Mix…) or plant additional low, speading perennials for added color and textures.

The most effective way to establish a native grassland would be to plant the main components, (the perennial plants and grasses), from containers.  Be sure to include grassland plants including White Sage, Goldenrod, Penstemon, and Flowering Buckwheat.  Then sow Meadow Mix in between the new plants to fill out the new grassland.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Achillea millefoliumYarrowWhitePerennial
Bouteloua gracilisBlue Grama GrassSilver to Purple to GoldenBunch Grass
Deschampsia caespitosaTufted HairgrassFine Gold to GrayBunch Grass
Melica imperfectaCoast Range MelicDark Spikelets Fade to GoldBunch Grass
Muhlenbergia rigensDeergrassSlender White StalksBunch Grass
Nassella cernuaNodding NeedlegrassDelicate to Purple GoldenBunch Grass
Nasella lepidaFoothill NeedlegrassGoldBunch Grass
Nasella pulchraPurple NeedlegrassDelicate Purple to GoldenBunch Grass
Sisyrinchium bellumBlue-Eyed GrassBluePerennial

Beach Mix

Beach mix is a blend of fast growing wildflowers especially suited for sandy soils near the coast.  The species are fast growing, typically early bloomers, and the mix has a long flowering season.  It is very drought tolerant near the coast, and capable of handling salty air and night time dews.  Beach Mix is excellent as a supplemental mix around woody coastal plants such as Artemisia, Eriogonum, Encelia, Galvezia, Salvia, Fragaria, Ceanothus and many more.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Abronia latifoliaYellow Sand VerbenaYellowPerennial
Abronia maritimaRed Sand VerbenaMagentaPerennial
Camissonia cheiranthifoliaBeach Evening PrimroseYellowPerennial
Clarkia bottaeFarewell-to-SpringPinkAnnual
Eriophyllum confertiflorumGolden YarrowYellowPerennial
Escholzia maritimaCalifornia Dune PoppyOrangeAnnual
Gilia capitataGlobe GiliaPink to LavenderAnnual
Lasthenia chrysostomaCoast GoldfieldsYellowAnnual
Layia platyglossaTidy TipsYellowAnnual
Lupinus bicolorMiniature LupineWhite w/BlueAnnual
Lupinus hirsutissimusNettle LupineWhite w/BlueAnnual
Lupinus nanusSky LupineWhite w/BlueAnnual
Nemophila menziesiiBaby Blue EyesLight BlueAnnual
Beach verbena

Desert Mix

Desert Mix is appropriate for use in the desert regions, and also for gardeners who want to achieve a desert “look” or for use as a over-seed mix in a desert garden. The species need heat and prefer good drainage. Most are spring bloomers, but some will continue flowering well into summer. Since the desert landscape is beautiful during the colorful spring as well as the austere summer, be careful to not sow this mix too heavy. Allow for some warm season “bare earth” and a good view of the rocks, mounds and woody plants of your desert garden, i.e.; Jojoba, Globe mallow, Juniper, Agave, Brittlebush, Chuparosa and cactus/succulent species.

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Abronia villosaDesert Sand VerbenaVioletAnnual
Baileya multiradiataDesert MarigoldYellowAnnual
Eschscholzia californiaCalifornia PoppyOrangeAnnual
Linum lewisiiBlue FlaxLight BluePerennial
Lupinus bicolorMiniature LupineBlue w/WhiteAnnual
Nemophila maculataFivespotWhite w/PurpleAnnual
Phacelia campanulariaDesert BluebellsBlueAnnual
Salvia columbariaeChiaPurpleAnnual
Sphaeralcea ambiguaApricot MallowOrangePerennial
Desert bluebells

Butterfly Mix

This mixture of annuals contains wildflowers that attract butterflies and offer both nectar and larval hosts to our native species. For a more complete butterfly garden, combine these with other native butterfly favorites like Milkweed (Asclepias), Wild lilac (Ceanothus), Buckwheat (Eriogonum) and Coyote mint (Monardella).

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorLife Cycle
Castilleja exsertaOwlÕs CloverDark pinkAnnual
Gnaphalium bicolorEverlastingCreamAnnual
Lasthenia californicaGoldfieldsYellowAnnual
Lupinus nanusSky LupineBlueAnnual
Plantago erectaPlantainGreen/WhiteAnnual
Owl’s clover & goldfields

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