I don’t think San Diegans realized just how lucky they are. The perfect weather not only means beach season can run all year, it also really opens up the possibilities when it comes to your landscaping.
Below is a map of the zones in Southern California. As you can see, San Diego falls between 10a to 11a because our lowest temperatures are (usually) never below 45. Many plants are limited only by the fact that they will eventually be frozen out and that’s simply not an issue here. Seasonal color can last far longer, plants that don’t like the cold can thrive, and if the plant doesn’t want water, it won’t get any. Perfect.
The possibilities are really endless, but I’ve put a list together of some of my favorite plants that can thrive in San Diego’s wonderful weather.
1. Lets start out big! The Islander Dahlia has huge blooms that can get up to a foot in diameter. They also have a love of sun so you’ll want to avoid planting in a space that will provide shade during the strongest hours of the day.
2. Surely you’ve seen this beauty around. The Blue Yucca is a hardy sun-lover and looks like a mix between a Yucca and a Palm Tree. If you care for it, you’ll see white stocky blooms in the summer. Keep in mind this unique plant can get up to 12 feet tall!
3. Ah yes. The Tango Hummingbird Mint. This plant smells similar to licorice and is fantastically water wise. It can thrive in part or full sun and blooms from summer to fall. Before you put it in your rock garden, keep in mind this plant needs infrequent, deep watering. Put it near others with the same needs!
4. The Heliconia Wagneriana (or Heliconiaceae or Rainbow Plant Spectacular) is just incredibly beautiful. It blooms just in time for Easter giving it (yet another) name: Easter Heliconia. This beauty can get up to 10 feet tall and requires that its soil stay moist between watering.
6. Simple, yes. But so amazing. This Cactus plant, Euphorbia Spiralis, gets little shoots that end in flowers out of the tops of their body giving it an other-worldly look.
7. Though it requires a bit of extra care, the Black Bat Flower makes it well worth it in the end. If requires plenty of shade, yearly repotting because it grows so rapidly new tornado cash site, the soil must drain well but also remain slightly moist between watering. If you pput in the time, you get a stunning bloom in the warmer months.
8. From Chile, this deer resistant Puya Berteroniana is truly amazing. It grows a 7-foot shoot of stunning blooms that is sure to put some shock and ah into your garden. In San Diego, this plant will prefer full sun. This plant does require patience as it can take 8 years for it to reach full mature flowering. (but it’s worth it!)
9. While does require pruning due to being a fast-growing, aggressive vine, the beautiful Chocolate Vine is certainly worth the trouble. Noting that this particular plant is not hardy in our zone, the plant may require a bit of extra help from fertilizers. If you want our vine to grow fruit, you need to plant a few! (what a wonderful excuse)
10. This amazing vine perennial creates magnificent blooms from summer to fall in yellow, green, and purple though they only open for a few hours before closing. It grows to be about 3-6 feet and has the potential to take over. Keep an eye on it!
That’s everything I have for today! I hope