Dry Shade
California Native Plants for Dry Shade:
When landscaping unirrigated shady areas, such as under oak trees, you will enjoy a much greater success level by choosing the appropriate plant material. Here is a list of various drought-tolerant plants to select from to add just the right touch to that dark spot. It is more practical to use mixed accent plantings in understories rather than a single ground cover in most cases. Shade gardening lends itself well to different aesthetic situations. Use the light and shadow patterns to create other effects. Consider using grey-green foliage in dark areas to lighten up the area and add depth.***Remember, when planting under and around mature oaks, it is best to leave the area inside the dripline (under the canopy) free of vegetation and covered with the natural leaf mulch. This shady spot can be an excellent opportunity to add a statue, birdbath, or other garden art to your landscape.
Annuals
- Tree of Life Nursery’s Shade Mix (misc. species)
Perennial groundcovers
Dudleya species Liveforevers
Heuchera species Coral bells
Iris ‘Pacific Coast Hybrids’ California Iris hybrids
Diplacus (Mimulus) Monkeyflower
Monardella villosa Coyote mint
Sisyrinchium bellum Blue-eyed grass
Solidago californica California goldenrod
Epilobium (Zauschneria) species California fuchsia
Grasses
Elymus (Leymus) condensatus Giant wild rye
Melica imperfecta Coast range melic
Muhlenbergia rigens Deergrass
Stipa (Nassella) species Needlegrass
Shrubs
Arctostaphylos ‘Canyon Sparkles’ Canyon Sparkles manzanita
Arctostaphylos ‘Point Reyes’ Point Reyes manzanita
Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’ Howard McMinn manzanita
Carpenteria californica Bush anemone
Ceanothus ‘Point Reyes’ Point Reyes lilac
Ceanothus ‘Yankee Point’ Yankee Point lilac
Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa Island snapdragon
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon
Holodiscus discolor Ocean spray
Berberis (Mahonia) ‘Golden Abundance’ Hybrid Oregon grape
Philadelphus lewisii Mock orange
Ribes species Currants and gooseberries
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica Coffeeberry
Rhus integrifolia Lemonade berry
Rosa californica Wild rose
Trichostema lanatum Wooly blue curls