T

Taciveria 'Victor Reitor'    incredible flowers    rosette   this mild mannered, very simple, classy green rosette with burgundy tipped leaves turns into a bouquet of big pink starry flowers! Dark pink buds open to light pink flowers on strong, short stalks in summer. An uncommon gem, it is a cross between Echeveria and Tacitus bellus. Stays low, forming a clump under 12". Great in a container where it can be brought in during winter and moved to prominent place when in bloom. Sun or part shade, well drained soil, water spring through fall, much less in winter if possible. Sunset zones 16-24/USDA 9. rev 9/2011 

Tagetes lemmonii    MEXICAN BUSH MARIGOLD    closeup    habit    famous for its absolutely spectacular display of deep golden yellow flowers that absolutely cover the plant from late summer or early fall through late spring. This grows as a shrubby evergreen perennial, to 4-5’ tall, 6-8’ wide at maturity. The strongly fragrant, wispy foliage is completely covered by the dense terminal sprays heaviest under short day conditions, but can bloom lightly through summer, especially in cool areas. Attracts clouds of butterflies. Damaged below 25°F, but will come back quickly from the roots from temps as low as 20°F. At least half sun, average to little watering. Mexico. Compositae/Asteraceae. rev 11/2011

     This plant looks great when planted with anything dark purple, especially Tibouchina (if both are planted in part sun, or the sun/shade siting difference can be reconciled) Salvia leucantha ‘Midnight,’ or Verbenas ‘Homestead’ or ‘Tapien Blue Violet.’ It also looks good next to blue flowering shrubs and groundcovers, especially Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Benenden Blue,’ which in addition to matching for color also matches for bloom initiation, both being short day bloomers. Foliage plants such as Calocephalus brownii, Helichrysum petiolatum or H. petiolatum ‘Limelight’ help compliment the color, as do blue-grey plants with strong architectural shapes such as Agave weberii, A. colorata, Yucca rostrata or Y. whipplei. For a real interesting combination, try situating it near Berberis thunbergii varieties, which will offer dark purple foliage for a short time when the Tagetes comes into bloom, then change to lurid pink, orange, red, and salmon tones with the onset of cool temperatures and decreasing daylength.

'Compacta'    young Huntington specimen, 2004   closer   all the goodness of the regular sized version, starting with a spectacular, heavy show of deep golden yellow flowers absolutely covering the plant starting in late summer, plus strong marigold fragrance, wispy texture, and drought tolerance, but all on less than half the plant. The flowers initiate faster the shorter the days, so the show runs mostly from late summer through late spring, but light bloom can even occur in summer. This form grows as a recumbent shrublet to about 2' tall by 3-4' wide, filling in with age. It will be cut to the ground by frost below about 25F. This is one of the best plants you can site in your garden for butterflies and beneficial predators/parasitoids. It is by far the best form if you intend to use it in container, or you can't give it the 6' tall by 10' wide spot the regular form can monopolize. Mostly sun, little watering once established. Sunset zones 8, 9, 12-24/USDA 9. rev 11/2011 *NEW for 2012!*

Teucrium chamaedryas    GERMANDER    young plant    another    flowers    a trailing to mounding evergreen perennial with small, dark green leaves grows to 18" tall, 3’ wide. Short vertical spikes of small rose pink, mint-like flowers are produced from late winter through early summer, transforming it into a mound of bloom. Reportedly fire resistant if irrigated. This plant is an excellent, durable, tough, resilient woody perennial that even works well in commercial situations. It is tough enough to withstand some physical damage, can tolerate most preemergents, is thick and dense enough to exclude weeds, is relatively formal in appearance with its glossy green leaves, blooms for a respectable amount of time, and is forgiving of a range of soil types. It can be used as a solid groundcover, even on a large scale. It does draw bees. It is best in full sun with average to infrequent summer watering. Frost hardy. The genus is native to the Mediterranean region. Labiatae/Lamiaceae. rev 7/2004

ackermanii   flowers and leaves  a low growing alpine shrublet with bright, silvery, soft leaves and clusters of purple flowers in late spring and early summer. This is much like T. cossonii majoricum but even more silver in appearance. As with most Teucriums, bees find them irresistible.Besides obvious garden applications, this is a choice groundcover for under plants in containers, growing only 4-6" tall and spilling down 12-18". Full sun or some shade, average watering, good drainage. Sunset zones 8, 9, 14-24/USDA 7. rev 5/2011

cossonii majoricum    closeup    a prostrate perennial to about 2’ wide. Bears narrow, grey tomentose leaves to 1" long. Tiny rose pink flowers appear in rounded terminal clusters from late spring until fall, massed they give off the pleasant scent of purple jelly beans. Sun, little or no summer watering, good drainage. rev 6/2005

fruticans ‘Azurea’    BUSH GERMANDER    closeup    habit    nice bush    an upright to rounded evergreen shrub to 6’ tall, 8’ wide, with grey green leaves, white/woolly underneath and on the stems. This is the true dark blue flower form, which is hard to find. The heavy show of flowers appears along the branches in spring, with occasional bloom the rest of the year. The overall effect is of a large, silvery shrub in the landscape, though this special form is quite showy and noticeable in bloom. Sun, little or no summer watering. Hardy to around 10°F. rev 3/2010

scorodonia 'Crispum'   primary feature   a fast, easy to use foliage perennial for drier shade or full sun. It grows to about 18" tall by a couple of feet across and combines well with other plants in containers, baskets, or borders. The chartreuse to lime green color really catches your eye and lends itself to any color. The flowers are buff yellow and are held in upright stalks in summer. This is hardy enough to be grown in Europe and Portland so I would guess Sunset Zones 6-9, 14-17, 21-24/ USDA 8. rev 3/2010

Thamnochortus    a genus of rush-like plants from South Africa. Restionaceae.

insignis    THATCHING REED    at UCSC    male, Strybing    female flowers    young male flowers    an evergreen, clumping grass-like plant to about 7' tall and wide, with typical jointed stems and showy flower/seed heads. Overall, it is very similar to  Chondropetalum tectorum, but stiffer. The flower/seed heads are an attractive reddish color, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Juvenile foliage is feathery and low, mature stems are smooth and upright. Prefers average to well-drained soils, and also makes a striking container subject. Drought tolerant, being native to alkaline coastal areas with a Mediterranean rainfall pattern. The only commercially used Restio, it is harvested for thatching. Probably hardy to 20°F or lower. rev 12/2002

Thuja plicata ‘Emerald Cone’    WESTERN RED CEDAR    at Sierra Azul Nursery    a columnar form of a normally broadly spreading tree native to California and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. Grows as a tight cone to 20', probably more eventually, with bright green foliage that has that wonderful balsam scent (smells like Rainbow Popsicles to me). Great for screens or as single or grouped landscape specimens. Sun or part shade, but tightest shape in full sun, with average to infrequent watering. Frost hardy for most of California. Cupressaceae.

Thunbergia alata    BLACK EYED SUSAN VINE    closeup    nice plant    fast evergreen to root hardy deciduous vine with coarse dark green leaves and characteristic winged petioles. Bright true orange flowers (usually) have dark centers (usually). About as root hardy as  T. gibsonii/gregorii, it is a faster grower but the tops are probably a little more frost tender, making it a deciduous vine in colder areas. It deserves to be more widely used in Northern California and shed its reputation as an obligate annual. For sun (will tolerate considerable heat), average watering, and relatively frost protected locations. Acanthaceae. Africa. rev 7/2004

African Sunset    closeup    a seed strain, with flowers emerging light apricot and aging to deep coral orange red, with dark eyes. Stunning! rev 7/2004
Charles Star   flowers     iridescent golden yellow, dark center. rev 7/2004
Lemon Star    closeup    bright lemon yellow, black center. rev 7/2004

gibsonii    ORANGE CLOCK VINE    closeup    at India Joze    an evergreen vine or scrambling groundcover, with broad, hairy toothed leaves and an almost continuous production of bright, clear orange flowers to 3" across. Comes back quickly from the tuberous roots after hard frosts. Sun, average to little summer watering. Excellent in baskets or containers. Tropical Africa. rev 2/2010

Thymus x citriodorus    LEMON THYME    flowers & foliage    creeping evergreen perennial with neat, bright lime green foliage edged with bright gold. Gives off a strong lemony scent when crushed. Small clusters of tiny pink flowers are seen in late spring. All thymes are excellent plants for your garden since they are some of the best for supporting beneficial insects such as hover flies and tiny wasps, which feast on the nectar found in the tiny flowers. Needs at least half sun, average drainage, and little summer watering. Frost hardy. Labiatae/Lamiaceae.

‘Archer’s Gold’    planting    chartreuse foliage flecked with a few golden leaves. Tighter, lower than the common ‘Aurea.’ rev 6/2005
‘Doone Valley’    small plant    green leaves with a heavy showing of golden speckled foliage. Also tighter and lower than ‘Aurea.’

Thysanolaena maxima    TIGER GRASS    at my house    tropical leaves   loose flower spike    I've always liked this plant, in fact it is one of my favorites, but I used to think it was too tropical for Northern California. Then I discovered it is raised as far north as South Carolina, and that it just goes deciduous with hard frost, and I watched it show minimal damage from a true 25F freeze. In fact, it has survived repeated 15°F frosts back East as a deciduous perennial, resprouting vigorously in spring. It is a very bold, large textured grass of striking appearance, with a dramatic bamboo-like habit of jointed culms to 6' tall, and broad, lush leaves to about 3" across and over 12" long. Its foliage can be almost as large as that of Indocalamus tesselatus, the largest leaved bamboo. You get the same look but taller, and with an evergreen to deciduous clumping plant instead of a hyperenergetic, aggressive runner. Plus it has nicer stems, powdery white new culms. In warmer, hotter, more humid areas (tropics, Gulf Coast) it can get closer to 10' tall. Leaf and plant size increase readily with heat, humidity, watering, and fertilizing in all areas. Flower spikes are very sparse, loosely constructed and not ornamental, they appear in late spring. Use it for its luxuriant, semiweeping leaves, and jungle-like presence, with other foliage or subtropical plants, or even as a very striking, large container plant. Its leaves are used to wrap cooked rice. Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24/ USDA zone 8. Southeast Asia. rev 2/2010

Tibouchina a genus of highly desirable shrubs and small to medium size, trees native to the New World tropics and subtropics. Melastomataceae. rev 11/2010

laxa  DWARF PRINCESS FLOWER  flower and leaves we first received this as a "small,  relatively hardy (25F) Princess Flower." This is wrong, and wrong. The plant is a fast, vigorous, semivining or scandent shrub to at least 8' (with support) and has very long internodes. It also suffered frost damage in an exposed location at 31F. It is however, quite attractive with very fuzzy, dark green leaves, very fuzzy red stems, and small (1 1/2") flowers that are darker purple and slightly more violet than those of the large, typical T. urvilleana. It also has the invaluable traite of being a  facultative (or cumulative) short day bloomer, and so flowers can be seen up to 8 months of the year. All other species we've tested, except these two, bloom only for about a month in California and are therefore primarily foliage plants. Grow it in full to half sun along the coast, always in part shade inland, in average to rich soils, and with adequate moisture, and the same frost protection you would give regular Princess Flower. It makes a good, long lived container plant. Zones 16-17, 21-24/USDA zone 9. Peru. rev 11/2010

urvilleana    PRINCESS FLOWER    closeup    habit    more flowers    extra bonus    a reliably showy tender subtropical shrub or small tree, to 10’ tall and wide. Bears very attractive, heavily veined, densely tomentose dark green leaves to 4" long. Branched terminal clusters of rich royal purple flowers to 4" across appear sporadically in waves throughout the year, depending on watering and fertilizing, heaviest summer through late winter or early spring. There are always new species and varieties of Tibouchina cropping up or being reintroduced, such as T. heteromala, T. semidecandra, and T. granulosa. All so far (except for our secret Plant X!) have had much more restricted flowering periods and more frost sensitivity as well as either smaller flowers or less attractive color. In the end, this Princess reigns supreme! The search for the best Princess flower starts and ends right here. Best in part shade with regular watering, but can take substantial drought when established. Good in containers if reliably watered. Damaged below 28°F but has survived temperatures around 20°F, resprouting from roots. Brazil. rev 12/2002

Tolmeia menziesii 'Taff's Gold'  speckled foliage   you've probably seen this native plant during hikes in the spring, growing near running water in foothill environments. This version is splashed with creamy yellow. Likes all the conditions the green foliaged version does, including moist soil and bright, indirect light. An easy houseplant, just don't forget to water it. About 12" tall and 15" wide. New plants are produced on the leaf. Sunset zones 3, 4-9, 20-24/USDA 7. California. Saxifragaceae. rev 5/2011

Trachelospermum jasminoides    STAR JASMINE    flowers    as a clipped shrub    another    foliage effects, winter   a well known evergreen groundcover and vine, and still one of my favorite plants, in spite of its heavy use, because of its wonderful fragrance, dark, dark green, glossy leaves, and adaptability of planting position and application. It can be used as a fence or trellis cover, groundcover, or for its flower show or fragrance, and is especially effective used near a window, doorway or entry. It can be used in a container and even makes an outstanding, long lived bonsai. Gnarly old stumps of patriarch landscape plants that are being torn out and are on their way to the dump can be very effective for such use, since it seems tolerant of extreme root disturbance. It flowers heavily in mid spring then lightly until late summer, and grows rapidly under long day conditions. It is best in hot summer climates but tolerates coastal conditions as well except it is slower. It is one of several plants whose dried flowers are used to flavor Jasmine Tea. Clip any time after its main spring bloom, up to frost, to shape or control. Sun or mostly shade. Sunset zones 8-24. China. Apocynaceae. rev 11/2005

asiaticum 'Summer Sunset'  leaves  originally known as 'Torafu.' This is a mostly mounding variety that features outrageous yellow new growth becoming hot orange. Colors intensify under cold weather to orange and red. It is reasonably fast for a highly variegated plant, and looks great against darker backgrounds. Full sun to almost all shade, very drought tolerant when established, frost hardy to the teens or lower. Sunset zones 5-24/USDA zone 8. rev 3/2009

Trachycarpus    WINDMILL PALMS    fan palms from Continental to tropical climates, usually medium scale and of moderate growth rate. The most commonly seen species is T. fortunei, the Windmill Palm, from China, distinguished by its compact crown and densly fibrous trunk. There are many better species and forms, we offer those. These improvements offer different attributes from T. fortunei, usually being faster or nicer looking. Palmae/Arecaceae. rev 9/2009

latisectus    WINDAMERE PALM    this is a fast, vigorous fan palm similar to T. takil in that it features a very slender, bare grey trunk and is generally much nicer looking than the everpresent, dusty, yellowed T. fortunei. It also has large, glossy, dark green fronds, more like Livistona fronds in size, which are almost completely circular in outline and are chlorosis resistant even under cool conditions. Its leaflets are noticeably wider than other Trachycarpus. It will withstand snow and deep frost but also tolerate hot summer conditions. Flower clusters are dense and deep yellow, hang down from the crown near the trunk and are quite showy. This species has been sold in the past as T. "sikkimensis." Endangered in the wild. Sunset zones 5, 8-24/USDA zone 8b. Sikkim, Himalayas. rev 11/2007

martianus  HIMALAYAN FAN PALM  probably the Khasia Hills Form at the Huntington  this fast species has a clean, gracile trunk, large, very glossy leaves, and long petioles. The fronds are cut into very fine segments and they hang languidly from the trunk. The overall effect is closer to one of those nameless, beautiful, more tropical-looking fan palms you might notice at a resort in Hawaii, with a looser, lusher, happier feeling than you get from the normally repressed, hung-up looking T. fortuneis we all see. They make great container plants of course. When mature they can get to 40' tall but even though they are "fast" for a palm you are still talking about years, so plan on using this as an eye-level foliage plant for a years. It is represented by two forms in the trade. rev 9/2009

Khasia Hills Form  KHASIA HILLS FAN PALM   probably the Khasia Hills Form at the Huntington  this strain is from the foothills of the Himalayas and is faster and slightly shinier than its cousin from Nepal. It will take extreme heat, some drought, and cold to below 25F but no one seems to know how much. Anthony Garza reports the specimens at UC Berkeley Botanic Garden are this form and they survived the 1998 freeze temperatures below 25F without damage, so we know it will go that low. But no one knows how much lower. This should be good for Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24/USDA zone 9. rev 9/2009

Nepal Form  NEPAL FAN PALM   this is the higher elevation strain and it will take even more cold. It is a little more compact and bears slightly smaller fronds though you won't notice this until the plant is mature. It is just as fast as the Khasia Hills Form but should easily go to 20F and will take drier conditions. Sunset zones 8-9, 14-24/USDA zone 9. rev 9/2009

takil    KUMAON PALM    Portland, Oregon  a new, very cold hardy species, probably THE cold hardiest Windmill Palm relative. It is faster and greener than the usually sorry looking, uninspiring, yellow-leaved, hairy trunked, tired-out, dusty, cold-looking T. fortuneis seen all over Northern California. It also features a more gracile, naturally bare trunk as well as subtle differences in the fronds and how they are displayed. The leaflets are narrower and more deeply cut, giving it an airier, finer texture. All of these features make it overall superior to the eye to T. fortunei. This is supposed to be the true tall and fast T. takil, not the short, stiffer T. wagnerianus, interesting in its own way, but often incorrectly sold under this name. Sun to half sun, average drainage, drought tolerant of course and good in containers of course also. Probably hardy to 15-10F. Sunset zones 4-24, USDA zone 7. Himalayas. rev 9/2009 

Tradescantia andersoniana    VIRGINIA SPIDERWORT   clumping deciduous perennial related to the common houseplant Tradescantia, with long, narrow slightly hairy leaves and clusters of flowers held at the apex of the stems throughout the growing season. To 18" tall. Spreads by underground stolons. Sun to part shade, frequent to average watering. Will tolerate wet conditions. Frost hardy. Eastern U.S. Commelinaceae. rev 9/2009

‘Blue & Gold’    closeup    border perennial    with bronze Pennisetum    yellow leaves and clusters of blue flowers. A striking color combination.
'Zwanenberg Blue'  flowers  clear, rich, medium violet blue flowers with green leaves. rev 4/2010

spathacea (Rhoeo) 'Tricolor'    MOSES IN THE BOAT    nursery plants    a low growing foliage plant widely used in tropical, subtropical, and warmer temperate regions grown for its spectacular green and white striped leaves, with purple reverses. The foliage becomes flushed with pinkish tones as the purple leaf undersides show through from above. This plant is seen widely used in drifts in warmer regions but it is relatively root hardy and can be successfully grown in Northern California as well as long as it receives some overhead protection. Which means you can walk out of your house and think you are in Hawaii! In the coldest years it will burn back to the ground and (hopefully) recover from the roots. It propagates rosettes basally, and only gets about a foot tall while spreading at a moderate pace. Flowers are small and displayed in the middle of a surrounding leaf. Sun to part shade, average watering. Carribean, Central America. rev 11/2006 

'Compacta'    at Tulum ruins, Yucatan    an all green form of the above, with the reverse but lacking the stripes. Compact yet vigorous. rev 4/2007 
'Sitara Gold'   new leaf color   containers, Hortifair '06   a lower growing selection featuring a glowing golden leaf with a green stripe, and dark pink underneath. Give it enough sun to keep the colors rich and will take some shade. Great colors to mix and match in containers or the landscape. Regular water. Zones 12-24, USDA 9-10.  rev 7/2010
'Vittata'    foliage color    on the bench    Moses in the boat   a much larger, lusher, more tropical looking form, with leaves to over a foot long, deep green striped with light golden yellow and the same wonderful burgundy purple reverses. Much faster and larger than 'Compacta.' Rare and not often found in retail stores. rev 9/2009 

Tristaniopsis laurina    WATER GUM    habit    mature trunks with Staghorn Ferns, Strybing Arboretum    Branciforte    as an unpruned shrub at the UCSC Arboretum    wonderful clipped specimen at Santa Catalina school    large shrub or small evergreen tree, so named for its natural habitat along seasonally dry stony creeks. Often seen as a small tree to 10-12’, with glossy, dark green lance shaped leaves to 4" long. Can form a large, rounded canopy to 18-20’ tall and wide after many years. Clusters of small, light yellow flowers are held tightly along the twigs and young branches in summer. New growth is coppery red, and the young bark, which is black, peels off to reveal light tan bark beneath. It can be clipped into a formal hedge, and also makes a good, forgiving container plant. This is a formal looking, neat, trouble free tree which produces almost no litter and stays just where most landscapers and homeowners need it to. It is drought tolerant, but will grow faster if given regular watering and fertilizing until it reaches its desired size. Sun or shade. Think about it: it takes shade, grows under Eucalyptus, and can be grown as a clipped hedge. How many plants can you say that about? Trees here at our nursery suffered only tip damage at 20°F. We offer it as a single trunk or multitrunk tree. Eastern Australia. Myrtaceae. rev 10/2006

‘Elegant’    leaves    flowers    has much brighter red new growth, much larger and darker mature leaves. Not as showy when in flower. Saratoga Horticultural Research Foundation.

coddii    flowers closeup    some idea of habit    a wonderful clumping, deciduous species received from British Tulbaghia collector and bulb expert Dave Fenwick, with glossy, dark green, chive-like foliage to about 12" tall that is winter deciduous. Tall, elegant, very gracile flower stalks arise with the foliage in spring and then lightly throughout the growing season. Its small (1/2") mauve pink flowers have nicely defining minute yellow centers and emit a wonderful fragrance somewhere between cloyingly sweet vanilla and baby powder. The foliage is garlic scented but not quite as strongly as that of T. violacea, and only when bruised. If it isn't recently bruised it won't impinge on the natural odor from the flowers, which can be detected quite a ways from the plants when they are in bloom. The scent can become almost overwhelming after dark. This is a very attractive, neat, well behaved new introduction that offers a much greater flower/foliage ratio than T. violacea. Should be frost hardy for most of California. Full sun to part shade. I don't think this species has been sold in this country before. rev 6/2005 

natalensis    stunning bloom    habit and bloom    another outstanding species received from Dave Fenwick, this is the nicest smelling and showiest Tulbaghia I have encountered. The profuse flowers are borne on stalks that rise to just above the foliage and bear small clusters of the palest pastel pink flowers, tinted lavender pink at the base and with perky dark yellow centers. The tiny blossoms (1/2") appear in overwhelming, massed clouds. It has the strong fragrance of like vanilla allspice, and its fragrance is quite strong, easily detected well downwind from a clump when in bloom. It becomes even more intense when the sun goes down. It is mostly evergreen, with thin, glossy, chive-like dark green foliage that is strongly garlic scented and "fragrant" when bruised. Should be frost hardy for most of California. Full sun to part shade. I don't think this species has been sold in this country before. rev 5/2005 

violacea    SOCIETY GARLIC    flowers    near the Circles    sidewalk planting    an evergreen bulb, with thin grey green leaves to 12-18" tall. The leaves, roots, and flower stalks exude a fragrance that is pleasantly garlic like in small quantities or at a distance, but somewhere closer to either fresh skunk or burning rubber when encountered right up close and personal. Since most encounters are of the first type, it is used to great effect as a tough, drought tolerant, showy grass-like landscape or garden plant. It is used for its long, showy display of mauve flowers. These are held in rounded clusters on 24-30" tall stalks, well above the foliage. This plant makes a substantial clump when mature, and shows flowers most of the year. I have seen it used nicely as a large scale groundcover. It doesn't seem plagued by either bugs or gophers (wonder why). Sun to part shade, little or no watering, dormant with hard frost. Actually it lasts well when cut, but unfortunately it also exudes the same distinctive odor, especially when brought inside into warm rooms. Simply great in containers.

maritima    flowers and wide leaves    a more compact, much wider leaved strain with shorter flower stalks that are a little darker in color. I don't believe this subspecies has been sold in this country before. rev 6/2005
‘Pearl’    flowers    masses of flowers    our own seedling selection, featuring white flowers, with a hint of pink on the young buds, in dense clusters. A superior form. MBN INTRODUCTION-1998
‘Peppermint Garlic’    flowers    garden   mauve pink flowers striped white. Looks like peppermint, smells like garlic. Amazing! This variety looks a little more delicate than the regular purple form of Society Garlic due to its softer color. rev 11/2005 MBN INTRODUCTION-2002
‘Silver Lace’    habit    in a border    has leaves striped with white, same mauve pink flowers as the regular form. Slower, more compact growth.
white    closeup    planting    the purest white we have been able to select, though it still shows some pink tones. rev 11/2005