Winter is the cooler, rainy season when roots establish and plants grow in the southern California climate. In Ventura County, we have been fortunate this winter with well-timed rains and our new plantings have thrived. Some of our favorite native plants are blooming now including California Bush Sunflower and Hummingbird Sage.
California Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica)
Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)
Now is a great time for clean-up and general maintenance around your native plant garden! Re-mulch as needed around younger plants. As for watering, if rains don’t occur for several weeks, you will want to water native plants that are less than two years old to help them continue to establish deep roots. Make waterings long and infrequent to soak into deep roots.
For the plant’s health— and if anyone thinks your native garden looks a little messy— you can prune evergreens after they bloom (such as ceanothus) and prune deciduous trees while they are dormant in the winter. Very little pruning is needed during the first year a plant is growing. With mature plants, however, thoughtful pruning between flowering and new growth is key. Pruning removes dead and damaged branches, can increase safety under large trees, and mimics natural herbivory or fire so it often helps the plants more than hurts if done at the right time. Learn more about pruning in this video from the California Native Plants Society.
If you would like to learn more about what native species to plant in your garden, check out our California Native Plant Gallery.
