Six plants I can’t live without – Fresh Dirt – Sunset.com

Fresh Dirt, Sunset’s great garden blog, recently had a couple of columns on six plants I can’t live without:
Six plants I can’t live without – Fresh Dirt – Sunset.com (Posted using ShareThis)

For me, it is California’s wild bunchgrasses (in case you didn’t know) that tickle me the most
(see Overlooked and Underappreciated). So here’s my list with pictures to go along:

1. deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
2. needlegrass (Nassella species)
3. blue gramma grass (Bouteloua gracilis)
4. California melic (Melica imperfecta)
5. California fescue (Festuca californica)
6. purple three awn (Aristida purpurea var. purpurea)

Deergrass at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden with Pigeon Point coyote bush in front.

From Wild Suburbia

Needlegrass (purple needlegrass is the state grass) hard to do it justice in a photograph. Its delicate needle-like awns are in the foreground.

From Wild Suburbia

Blue gramma grass has decorative flowers that look like eye-lashes.

From Wild Suburbia

Melic grass does well in part-sun or shade.

From Wild Suburbia

Californica fescue – not the straight bladed wire grass (Juncus patens) but the softer grass is the foreground slightly left of center.

From Wild Suburbia

Purple three awn with San Diego viguiera (Viguiera laciniata). It does seed around but is very ornamental.

From Wild Suburbia

Purple three awn with characteristic purple colored awns.

From Wild Suburbia