May 2023 Plant Availability

View our ‘currant’ inventory on our website

View our ‘currant’ inventory in spreadsheet format

Greetings,

After a wet and windy start to spring this year, we hope you all have been enjoying the longer, warmer days we’ve had the last two weeks. Here at the nursery, that sweet California sunshine following our intense April showers certainly brought some spectacular May flowers!

Some of our customers have been asking if it is too late to plant now that the rain has mostly subsided, but May is actually a fantastic time to plant. Particularly if you live near the coast with overcast/foggy mornings, most California native plants will need just 3-5 waterings after planting and then they can generally make it through summer. This year especially, our local soils still have quite a bit of moisture from all the rain we’ve had, so it’s a great time to take advantage of that water and get your plants in the ground.

If you’re looking to add some show-stopping blooms to your own garden while we transition from spring to summer, we’ve got an abundance to share. Below are some of our favorite species for late spring/early summer blooms in stock right now!

California Poppy

Escholzia californica

Available in: D-16 ($6.60)

Our iconic and beloved California state flower!
CA poppies bloom from March to October around the Bay (Feb – September in other areas)
Prefer full sun, but will tolerate part shade and generally does best in well-draining/sandy/poor soils
California poppies are short-lived herbaceous perennials that reseed year after year
Their blooms close at night and during cloudy weather
In the landscape, use for borders, bulb cover, containers, and rock gardens

Serpentine Columbine

Aquilegia eximia

Available in: 1-Gal ($13.20)

Serpentine Columbine is a dainty but tough perennial that grows 2 – 3 ft. tall
Its abundant, showy, dangling red flowers bloom from May to October and are excellent at attracting hummingbirds to the garden to sip on their nectar
As the name suggests, this species does well in serpentine soils, but does well in other soil types too. Just be sure it has a regular supply of moisture!
Perfect for a meadow garden and grows very well with Cardinal Monkey flowers, Iris-leaved rush, California hemp, and Stream Orchid

Chalk Dudleya

Dudleya pulverenta

Available in: 4” pots ($7.15)

Chalk dudleya is an evergreen compact succulent that grows 1 – 2 ft. wide
Spikes of red flowers appear from May through July and are very striking against the white-green leaves
A lovely addition to rock or container gardens
Chalk dudleya grows okay with some clay, but prefers a soil with very good drainage.
In coastal areas this species does great in full sun, but farther inland it prefers a bit of shade.

Balloon Flower Penstemon

Penstemon palmeri

Available in: D-16 ($6.60)

Balloon flower is an herbaceous perennial with stupendous spikes of showy pale pink flowers that reach 4 – 6 ft. tall when in bloom
Balloon flowers intensely fragrant, sweet scent bloom from May to July and are especially attractive to bumblebees who love to crawl into the large round flowers for which they are named
Many people mistake this plant for foxglove when it is in bloom
This species is very drought tolerant as it is native to hot, dry desert mountains, so it will thrive where other plants that need more moisture cannot.

Narrowleaf Milkweed

Asclepias fascicularis

Available in: D-16 ($6.60), D-40 ($8.80), and 1-Gal ($13.20)

A hardy perennial that grows 3 ft. tall x 1 ft. wide, can become weedy
Of the 15 species of milkweed native to California, this species is the most favored larval Monarch butterfly host plants.
A wonderful addition to bird and butterfly gardens!
Can tolerate clay soils. Very easy to grow in well drained soils as well, even without summer water
It’s creamy pink to lavender flower clusters pop throughout summer providing valuable nectar to the adult monarch butterflies that cross their path
This species is winter deciduous, often fully dying back before popping up anew in the spring
Plant in an area of your garden where winter leaf loss and consumption by caterpillars, and oleander aphids won’t be the center of attention.
It is crucial not to use any pesticides on or near this plant as it will be fatal to monarch caterpillars!

Showy Milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

Available in: D-16 ($6.60)

Showy milkweed is another host plant of monarch butterflies that is native to California
Like Narrowleaf milkweed, Showy milkweed is a perennial with 3 ft. tall stems
Its large, velvety silvery-green leaves are a beautiful backdrop to the firework-like display of pink flowers that bloom during the summer months
This species does best in full sun environments, but we recommend planting in an area with a little bit of partial shade so that the Monarch caterpillars that eat it don’t overheat! This is recommended for most milkweeds in our region.
Showy milkweed is a great addition to mixed borders, grassland gardens, and pollinator/butterfly gardens
Spreads easily via underground stems, so if planting with grasses we recommend larger grass species such as wild rye, deer grass, and needlegrass

Stay Safe, ‘Bee’ Well, and Go Natives!

Happy Planting! From all of us at The Watershed Nursery.

Sign up to receive announcements of our Plant Sales and Events (if you have not already done so).
On our Instagram and Facebook Page we highlight our plants with photos, fun facts, and gardening information.
Landscape and gardening professionals receive a 10% discount on all plants (except for sale plants) purchased for professional use.
Resellers: All the plants are available for wholesale purchase. Provide us your resellers license to receive a 20% discount on the listed price (except for sale plants) and no sales tax.