Sacramento Valley Plant Database
Googling for plants can be deceptive. You'll likely find oversaturated images of them at their best, but Google may not paint a complete picture. What do they look like after a 115 degree July? Or a Sacramento February? Are they high maintenance? Thirsty? Pest-prone?
We've pulled together some details on our favorite plants so you can browse the pros and cons and decide what's best for you and your yard. Note that all yards and plants require some maintenance (trims, fertilizing, and weed pulling), however our database highlights only plants which are reasonably low maintenance, requiring a trim every couple of months. Enjoy!
Shrubs
Agapanthus
Attractive green grass-like leaves year round, white or purple flowers on tall stems.
Evergreen: Yes
Bloom Season: Late spring to summer
Size: 1' to 3', depending on variety
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Lantana
Blooms all summer long. Available in many colors (red, orange, yellow, purple, white, mixed). Bush, spreading, trailing varieties available. Trailing varieties hang over retaining walls well. Will need to be cut back in winter.
Evergreen: No
Bloom Season: Late spring through fall
Size: Shrub: 1' high, 2' wide. Trailing varieties up to 6' wide
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Lorapetalum
Hardy and attractive year-round. Foliage can vary from green to purple depending on variety and sun exposure, flower color varies white to pink or red. Prolific grower; may need a few trims per year.
Evergreen: Yes
Bloom season: Spring
Size: dwarf varieties 2-3 feet, can be trained to small tree, ~6'
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Nandina
Low maintenance, bulletproof in hardiness. Many varieties to choose from. Size can vary from small shrub to over 6'. Winter show-stopper with red foliage.
Evergreen: Yes
Bloom season: None. Red winter foliage.
Size: 1' to 6', varies by variety
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Santa Barbara Salvia (Mexican Bush Sage)
Gray-green foliage. Can grow to be up to 4' after several years. Stunning fall and winter blooms. Cut back in late winter.
Evergreen: No
Bloom season: Late summer through frost
Size: 18"-24" tall, 3'-4' width
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Salvia - Mystic Spires Blue
Long, green leaves grow below tall flower spikes in purple, blue, or white, summer through fall.
Evergreen: Yes, but will get scraggly in winter. Cut back late winter.
Bloom season: Spring to fall
Size: 18"-24" tall, 12-18" wide
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun or Morning Sun/Afternoon Shade
Trees
Citrus
Orange, mandarin, lemon, lime, grapefruit, what's not to love? A good looking tree, and functional too.
Evergreen: Yes
Bloom season: Spring
Maintenance: Trim/fertilize a few times a year
Drought Tolerance: Deep watering once per week in dry season
Light: Full Sun
Crape Myrtle
Sun-loving versatile shrub/tree with blooms lasting all summer. Many varieties to choose from, varying in size from 3’ to 20’ and color (white, pink, red.) Crape myrtles naturally grow multiple trunks but can be trained into a single trunk tree if desired.
Evergreen: No
Bloom season: Early summer through early fall
Maintenance: Low, cut back in winter.
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Japanese Maple
Available in so many colors and sizes; too many varieties to summarize here! Recommend Coral Bark and Bloodgood for upright varieties, Red Dragon for weeping laceleaf.
Evergreen: No
Bloom season: N/A
Maintenance: Low
Drought Tolerance: Ok
Light: Full sun, partial sun, shade. As a rule of thumb, laceleaf varieties cannot tolerate full sun. Hardy varieties such as Bloodgood can acclimate to full sun.
Pistachio Tree
Stunning red leaves in fall.
Evergreen: No
Bloom season: N/A
Maintenance: ?
Drought Tolerance: ?
Light: ?
Strawberry Tree
Strawberry Tree and related Arbutus Marina. Eye-catching and artistic with rust colored bark, multi-twisting trunk, and colorful decorative fruit.
Evergreen: Yes
Bloom season: Flowers and fruit all year
Size: 40-50' (slow-growing)
Maintenance: One or two good trims per year
Drought Tolerance: Good
Light: Full Sun
Notes: Yes, you can eat the fruit but the texture leaves something to be desired.
