Achillea millefolium
White Yarrow

Perennial with white 3" flowers in tight heads, rising 2 ft. above fernlike, fragrant foliage. Used as a lawn substitute and in revegetation; found in many different situations. Excellent cut flower and good reseeder. Good dried flower for winter bouquets. Drought-tolerant.

Achillea roseum
Rosy Yarrow

Delightful pink perennial, tough and drought-tolerant.

Aquilegia formosa
Western Columbine

A perennial found in many different environments throughout the West, usually where some moisture is available. Red and yellow blossoms on flowering stalks 3-4' tall, blue-green round foliage to 2' tall, long flowering period. Blooms March through June. Attracts hummingbirds. Sun or part-shade. In limited quantity and we can only sell one (1) packet per customer.

Armeria maritima
Sea Pink

Small grasslike perennial with pink flowers on 8" stalks. We learned how to plant sea pink from the bluffs above Pescadero Beach, where they grow in glorious masses. Good rock garden plant. Blooms early Spring. Interesting in bouquets.

Aster chilense
California Aster

Vigorous native perennial 1-2' tall with pale lilac flowers resembling Michaelmas daisies. Upright habit. Blooms late fall. Prune after bloom. Good butterfly nectar plant. Part-shade or full sun. Spreads through rhizomes once established.

Brodiaea elegans
Elegant Brodiaea

Now's the time to plant bulbs (corms) of ELEGANT BRODIAEA. These bright purple members of the lily family are easy to grow, thriving in either sandy loam, gravelly loam, or clay. They stand from 4" to 15" tall, depending on the soil in which they are grown. Also called "Indian potatoes," the corms were a staple food of our indigenous peoples. Plant bulbs 4" deep. Protect from gophers. They are lovely grown in containers, which can be moved to a shady spot when the flowers go dormant in early to mid-summer. Avoid summer water.

Calochortus amabilis
Golden Fairy Lantern

Clear yellow flowers nodding on stems 8-12" tall. Found in semi-shady areas in northern California. Great cut flower, with interesting seed capsules. Supply limited. List substitute in Shopping Cart.

Chlorogalum pomeridianum
Soap Lily, Amole

Spidery white flowers on 2-4 ft. stalks open as the sun goes down. Bulbs used for soap and roasted for food by California Indians, as well as pounded into glue. Bristles used to make scrub brushes. Found in many areas in California, from the coast to the chaparral. Plant where their spiky flowers can be seen in the evening. In limited quantity and we can only sell one (1) packet per customer.

Cirsium occidentale
Cobweb Thistle

Showy white-leaved thistle with large crimson webbed flowers. Grows 2-4' tall, likes full sun. Found in many plant communities, blooms Apr-June. Biennial.

Claytonia sibirica
Peppermint Candy Flower

Perennial wildflower with pink and white striped flowers. Bright green, succulent, edible leaves. Grows 1 to 2 ft.. Found in moist woods, in wetlands. Blooms later than MINER'S LETTUCE.

Cynoglossum grande
Hound's Tongue

Wonderful deep blue-flowered perennial for shade gardens. Large lush leaves. Blooms early spring, easily grown from seed. Cut to ground in late summer. Always a treat to see in the wild, great under oaks.

Erigeron glaucus
Beach Aster

Low-growing perennial to 1' tall with lovely daisy-like purple flowers blooming for a long period through the summer. Found in coastal dunes but does well inland with some afternoon shade. Nectar plant for butterflies.

Grindelia arenicola
Gumplant

Dazzling yellow display in August on dunes and slopes of Pt. Reyes peninsula from this low-growing creeper. Succulent leaves and daisy-like large flowers. Easy to grow. Use in place of the nastily invasive capeweed. Good nectar plant.

Grindelia stricta
Salt Marsh Gumplant

Erect subshrub or perennial to 3' high with bright yellow daisy like flowers in late summer and fall. Spreads through rhizomes. Easy to grow and vigorous, excellent nectar plant for fall flying butterflies. May look ragged in natural setting but is handsome in the garden.

Heracleum lanatum
Cow Parsnip

Handsome perennial with huge leaves on stems 3-5' tall with large white flowers in flat-topped clusters. Shoots edible. Larval food plant for Anise Swallowtail butterfly.

Heuchera pilosissima
Shaggy Alumroot

Showy, easy, vigorous alumroot, forming clumps to two feet wide. Sturdy panicles 16" tall with large, pink-white flowers. Leaves attractive all seasons. Sun on coast, part-shade inland. Good for the woodland garden or the flower border. Blooms March-May.

Horkelia californica
California Horkelia

Useful evergreen perennial with handsome deep green fern-like leaves in clumps 1 ft. tall and equally wide. Good for the bones of the perennial border.

Iris douglasiana
Douglas Iris

With a glorious color range from delicate cream to rich lilac to deepest velvety purple, this native iris is found throughout the coast ranges of California, in both sun and part shade. Spreads rapidly and is drought-tolerant. Excellent under oaks and in wildflower meadows. Douglas Iris rhizomes now available.

Lessingia filaginifolia
Dune Aster

Ground-hugging perennial under 1' tall with silvery leaves and lilac-colored daisy-like flowers. Makes elegant ground-cover as it spreads 3' wide. Found in shallow, rocky soil, in full sun and part-shade. Drought-tolerant.

Linum perenne ssp. lewisii
Blue Flax

A long-blooming pale blue wildflower growing 2-3 feet tall. Reliable reseeder. Delicate flowers make lovely effect in masses.

Lotus formosissimus
Coast Lotus

Showiest of lotuses, blooming in spring for several months with deep pink and yellow flowers. Under 8" tall, good for front of flower border. Low leafy mats that go dormant in winter. Fixes nitrogen. Supply limited.

Mimulus guttatus
Creek Monkeyflower

Showy yellow-blooming perennial that blooms early in the spring for several months. Found in moist places, like seeps, around creeks, near ponds. Vigorous and easy to grow, the new leaves are edible, and the flowers are a native bee magnet. Spreads through rhizomes as well as reseeding freely. 1' tall, upright habit.

Penstemon heterophyllus
Blue Bedder Penstemon

Adding a rich deep blue to the native perennial border, this penstemon blooms in late spring and early summer. Likes good drainage and full sun. 1' tall. Supply limited.

Phacelia bolanderi
Bolander's Phacelia

Useful perennial groundcover for dry shade. Appreciates some summer water and blooms more lushly with some sun. Lilac flowers l" across contrast pleasingly with gray-green leaves. Reseeds. An excellent filler in the native border, growing to l to 2' tall.

Plantago subnuda
Coastal Plantain

Ground-hugging plantain with attractive rounded pink-veined leaves. Seed stalks are striking, one foot long. A grouping of this plant makes an eye-catching design in the native prairie. Needs moisture. Seed is edible, recommended for diabetics.

Ranunculus californica
Buttercup

Perennial, glossy-petalled, yellow wildflower marking early spring. Adaptable and reliable. Goes dormant mid summer.

Scrophularia californica
Bee Plant

Perennial 3' to 6' high with tiny dark red flowers that are usually being visited by a bee. Larval food plants for checkerspot butterfly. Good for chaparral and coastal areas. Stalks with seed pods are effective in dried-flower arrangements. Makes quick-growing herbaceous hedge.

Sidalcea calycosa rhizomata
Point Reyes Checkerbloom

Glossy-leaved low-growing groundcover with charming pink flowers, May to June. Tolerates part-shade, drought. Spreads through stolons. Goes partially dormant late summer in full sun, stays green with some shade. Vigorous and easy, though supply limited in nature. Not always available. Supply limited. List substitute in Shopping Cart.

Sisyrinchium bellum
Blue-Eyed Grass

Grasslike perennial with blue saucer-shaped flowers on 18" stalks. Found on grassy hillsides and in meadows throughout California. One-half inch wide flowers have yellow centers. Excellent perennial member of the wildflower meadow. One foot tall. Long bloom period beginning in early Feb. Moist or semi-dry.

Sisyrinchium californicum
Yellow-Eyed Grass

Perennial with pure yellow flowers produced in abundance spring through summer. Thrives in containers, takes sun or shade. Reseeds vigorously, hardy to 20 degrees. Likes moisture.

Tellima grandiflora
Fringe Cups

Ground cover for shady areas. Attractive deep-green lobed leaves. Flowering stalks are 16" high with greenish, pink, or white flowers. Abundant seed production, spreads easily in compatible areas. May like some summer water. Found in mixed-evergreen forests, redwoods, by creeks.

Thalictrum fendleri
Foothill Meadow-Rue

Shade-loving perennial 2-3 ft. tall with delicate fernlike leaves resembling maidenhair fern. Small white flowers. Excellent for woodland border, under oaks. Fall/winter dormancy.

In healthy mixed evergreen woodlands, a diverse low-growing layer of herbaceous species lights up the forest. Perennials like Milk Maids, Candy Flower, several kinds of native violets, Woodland Star, Trillium, and many others cloak the ground. In northern coastal scrub, Checkerbloom, Yerba Buena, Western Columbine, and Clarkias find Coyote Bush and Sagebrush to be gracious hosts. In grasslands, many annual and perennial wildflowers have a place.

The Problem

The movement of invasive non-native species continually challenges the successful reproduction of these small things, the annual and perennial forbs. The danger of local extinctions of herbaceous species is a real one, and one that can be addressed by the native plant gardener.

Here at Larner Seeds, we have become increasingly concerned over the disappearance of species perhaps not federally or locally recognized as in trouble, but that we see as in danger of local extinction. A case in point is Candy flower, Claytonia sibirica.

We used to enjoy this species in two nearby sites, one woodland and one fresh water marsh. The woodland has been invaded by Scotch Broom. The marsh has been invaded by Scotch Broom, Vinca, and Himalayan Blackberry. No more Candy Flower.

About Candy Flower

We planted it in our demonstration garden in the deep shade of a locally native willow. With no work or water  whatsoever, it has returned year after year, to light up this dark place with its pink and white flowers for almost four months. In the case of CANDY FLOWER, we found a species that would thrive and bloom in deep shade, characteristics sought after by gardeners. It has also proven adaptable to growing in the milder shade of COYOTE BUSH and in full sun on the coast.

Gardeners, with their skills and dedication, can be instrumental in the preservation of small things.

Our Method

The seed is broadcast in seed flats, and transplanted once the true leaves have fully appeared to four inch plastic pots. These are kept in a protected outdoor location till the roots have almost filled the pot, at which time they are transplanted to the garden, watered thoroughly for two weeks to a month, depending on time of year, and then left to get on with it.

Our Greatest Satisfaction

We love to see customers leaving with 4" pots of herbaceous species, or buying seeds.  These plants represent what is most precious about California, our amazing diversity, and one of the things most threatened.t."