NATIVE CALIFORNIA SHRUBS 227 



Monkey Flower. Almost everywhere in our foothills can be found 

 the bush monkey flower (Diplacus glutinosus). This shrub grows 

 from two to five feet high. The flowers remind one of an azalea and 

 arc usually of a deep rich orange color, though other forms are fre- 

 quently found, sometimes of a pale creamy white and occasionally of 

 a dark reddish brown shade. This plant lends itself particularly well 

 to cultivation, and if watered will bloom almost the entire year round. 

 Diplacus puniceus is found near San Diego and is of similar habit, but 

 has crimson scarlet flowers. 



Atriplexes. We have two native Salt Bushes useful for single speci- 

 mens, or perhaps more particularly for hedges. Atriplex breweri is 

 common along our coast. It is easily propagated from cuttings and 

 grows rapidly and can be trimmed into a solid hedge. The leaves and 

 stems are of a grayish-green color. This plant has been cultivated 

 very largely in Santa Barbara and has often been spoken of as the 

 "Santa Barbara Salt Bush." Atriplex canescens is a desert species and 

 is desirable, both on account of its larger and more silvery foliage, as 

 well as its large, panicled spikes of conspicuous rose colored flower 

 braces. 



Grease Wood. A shrub common on many hillsides is the Grease- 

 wood (Adenostoma fasciculatum), yet few people seem to know it. 

 In May, many hillsides are white with the blossoms of this shrub. It 

 flowers in large feathery panicles, reminding one of our cultivated 

 Spiraea Japonica. This is one of the very best shrubs for dry gar- 

 dening and should be grown extensively. 



Wild Buckwheat. A good companion for the preceding and found 

 growing under similar conditions is the Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum 

 fasciculatum). When in flower it is a charming plant with its deep 

 olive-green foliage and large heads of white flowers delicately shaded 

 with pink. 



Carpenteria. One of the most beautiful of our native shrubs is 

 Carpenteria californica, forming an attractive bush from five to eight 

 and sometimes ten feet high, freely branching and of fairly rapid 

 growth. The leaves are light green on the upper surface, smooth or 

 sometimes with a few scattered teeth on the margin and grayish white 

 beneath. The flowers are in clusters of five to seven and sometimes 

 as many as twelve blossoms. They are large, pure white with yellow 

 stamens and have the fragrance of the Mock Orange flowers. The 

 seed germinates very easily, but the seedlings are apt to damp off and 

 require great care when in the young state. 



Yellow Tree Poppy. A good companion for the preceding is the 

 yellow tree poppy (Dendromecon rigidum). The bush grows from four 

 to eight feet high, has graceful willow-like foliage and bright yellow 

 flowers, two to three inches in diameter, in shape and color almost 



