Native Plants

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Thursday - December 17, 2015

From: San Francisco, CA
Region: California
Topic: Drought Tolerant, Wildflowers
Title: Perennials for Sandy Shade in California
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

Are there any native perennials that would do well in sandy shade? I have a difficult corner in my garden that does not get much sun. The soil is sandy though I have added some amount of compost to enrich it.

ANSWER:

Keep adding compost as often as you can to your sandy soil and your perennials will fare better over time. There are some native California perennials that will tolerate dry shade - although they will bloom less, stretch more and be less sturdy in this type of location. To find a list of these plants, visit the Native Plant Database page on our website. Select the following criteria to narrow your search: California, Herb, Perennial, Shade and Dry Soil.

Some perennials for sandy shade to consider are:

Antennaria parvifolia (small-leaf pussytoes)

Fragaria chiloensis (beach strawberry)

Geum triflorum (old man's whiskers)

Heuchera maxima (island alumroot)

Maianthemum stellatum (starry false lily of the valley)

Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia spiderwort)

Whipplea modesta (common whipplea)