Native to Baja California, Mexico, Calliandra californica (Baja Fairy Duster) is an evergreen, woody shrub with bright red, powder puff flowers, 1.5 in. long (3.5 cm), reminiscent of feather dusters, hence the common name. Blooming year-round, with a peak display from spring through fall, the long-lasting and attractive blooms are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They give way to seed pods that resemble mini-snow peas and split open when ripe to release the enclosed seeds. Slow-growing, this shrub features an upright, fountain-like habit and a luxuriant foliage of fern-like, rich green leaves which close at nighttime. Adding a splash of color in sunny gardens, Baja Fairy Duster is extremely heat and drought-tolerant once established.

Considered by some the most beautiful, Cistus ladanifer (Crimson-Spot Rockrose) is definitely one of the showiest Cistus species. In spring, this dense, evergreen shrub is covered with a profusion of large, up to 4 in. wide (10 cm), solitary papery white flowers blotched with crimson spots at the base of each petal. Although each flower lasts only for a day, this vigorous shrub provides a succession of flowers for about a month. The foliage is strongly resin-scented in the sun and consists of very sticky, narrow, dark green leaves with gray undersides.

One of the showiest Rock Roses, Cistus purpureus (Purple-Flowered Rock Rose) is a small, bushy evergreen shrub with large, yellow-centered, purplish-pink flowers, 3 in. across (8 cm), adorned with plum-red blotches at the base of their petals. Although each flower lasts only for a day, this vigorous shrub provides a succession of flowers for weeks in late spring to early summer. The blossoms are borne atop a dense mound of wavy-edged, narrow, dull green leaves. Excellent for adding sparkling color to seaside gardens.

Excellent for adding sparkling color to dry gardens, Cistus x pulverulentus 'Sunset' (Magenta Rock Rose) is a low spreading, evergreen shrub with eye-catching clusters of yellow-centered, rich cerise flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm). Blooming for weeks until the end of summer, the blossoms are borne atop a compact mound of slightly wavy-edged, felty, gray-green leaves. Discovered in 1929, this hybrid Cistus stands among the most ornamental of all the Mediterranean flowers.

Few shrubs produce such magnificent conical flower spikes! Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans or Echium fastuosum) is a fascinating biennial mounding shrub displaying fabulously eye-catching, cone-shaped blue clusters from late spring through summer, atop sculptural and attractive rosettes of silvery-green, hairy leaves. Mostly pest or disease-free and requiring low maintenance, Pride of Madeira is evergreen, drought-tolerant, and deer and salty winds-resistant. It also attracts scores of birds, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

A popular landscape plant, Lantana montevidensis (Trailing Lantana) is a sprawling woody shrub forming a dense and colorful groundcover with its evergreen foliage of strongly-scented, small, coarsely-toothed, slightly-hairy, dark green leaves. Round clusters of tiny rosy lilac flowers, adorned with a yellow throat, bloom continuously throughout the year in frost-free areas. In cooler areas, Lantana montevidensis is grown as an annual, with flowers blooming from spring to fall. They attract butterflies and bees. This Lantana is a tough, resilient plant valued for its long season of reliable blooms.

Lavatera maritima (Tree mallow) is a pretty, medium-sized, semi-evergreen sub-shrub with large, luminous, pale lavender flowers, 3 in. across (7 cm), adorned with a purple throat and reddish-violet veins radiating from it. Blooming heavily throughout the summer, this plant continues to bloom lightly throughout the rest of the year, in optimum conditions. Fast-growing, this shrub features an airy silhouette and a lush foliage of maple-shaped gray-green leaves. Adding a splash of color in drought-resistant gardens, this easy care plant also attracts bees and other beneficial insects, which will help to invite natural pest control in your garden. Great as a background plant for the mixed border, Lavatera maritima is short-lived and usually does not last more than 5 years.

Leptospermum scoparium (Tea Tree) is an upright evergreen shrub with small, aromatic (when crushed), needle-like leaves and showy flowers in late spring and summer. Borne along the stems, the blooms may be single or double, in shades of red, pink, or white depending on the varieties. Attractive to bees, they give way to small woody capsules containing tiny seeds, that hang on for a long time after the petals drop. Native to Australia and New Zealand, this shrub adds ornamental appeal to the landscape year-round.

Symbol of beauty and love in the past, award-winning Myrtus communis (Common Myrtle) is a bushy medium-sized evergreen shrub with small, aromatic, glossy green leaves, which release a pleasant fragrance when crushed. A profusion of fragrant, showy white flowers, 1 in. across (2 cm), bloom from mid-spring to early summer before giving way to purplish-black berries. Always neat and tidy, this Mediterranean native is very easy to grow and useful in water-wise plantings. All in all, a coveted garden plant.

Noted for its red berries and excellent foliage color, Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) is a small, evergreen, or semi-evergreen shrub adding multi-season interest to the garden. In spring, a profusion of tiny, white flowers adorned with golden anthers appear in long arching panicles at the tips of the branches. Rich in nectar, they attract bees and other pollinators. The flowers are followed by abundant clusters of green berries which ripen to bright red and persist throughout fall and winter. Ornamental, they are held against the lacy foliage which emerges purple, matures to soft green, and turns purple to reddish-purple in fall. Popular in the landscape, Heavenly Bamboo is one of the toughest and most adaptable plants, its berry-laden branches providing a pleasing vertical accent.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) is a bushy, woody-based deciduous perennial with long terminal panicles of small, lavender-blue flowers, borne on thin white stems, clad with finely-dissected, aromatic gray-green leaves. Blooming for weeks from mid-summer to fall, this delicate-looking plant is a toughy that is resistant to drought, heat, pests, and poor soils. Pretty and excellent for xeriscaping, its long blooming season, makes it an extremely valuable addition to the garden - even in winter when the stems create a beautiful feature in the landscape.

Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) is a particularly attractive evergreen shrub with strongly aromatic, needle-like leaves and clusters of pale blue to white flowers that appear in winter and spring with sporadic blooms in summer or fall. There are so many uses for Rosemary that no garden should be without this lovely and versatile Mediterranean shrub! The intensely fragrant foliage releases its fresh scent when brushed against, making Rosemary a great addition along paths or in containers on sunny patios or decks. And not to mention the herb garden. Rosemary has been used as a medicinal and aromatic herb for thousands of years. Harvest it as a seasoning for meats and vegetables, toiletries, or sachets!

Incredibly attractive, Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) is prized by gardeners for its ornamental and showy velvety flower spikes produced from late summer to first frost when other summer plants have given hope of doing anything productive. This evergreen shrubby perennial grows in a wonderful display of very attractive bicolor flowers consisting of soft purple sepals that create a lively contrast to the fuzzy white flowers. They rise in dense, arching spikes above the lance-shaped leaves, gray-green on top and fuzzy white underneath. Native to Mexico.

Tagetes lemmonii (Mexican Marigold) is a sprawling evergreen shrub noted for its aromatic foliage and brightly colored flowers. In constant bloom during short-day seasons (fall, winter), with off blooms in other seasons, Mexican Marigold gets covered with bright golden daisy-like flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm), adorned with darker yellow discs. Highly fragrant when rubbed or brushed against, the deeply divided leaves fill the air with their pleasant pungent odor. The musky fragrance discourages deer, yet bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers.

Ceanothus, commonly known as California Lilac, offers almost everything a gardener could wish for in a shrub: free flowering, lovely foliage, ease of cultivation, drought, and salt tolerance. Fast-growing, these desirable shrubs draw attention with their stunning flowers. When a California Lilac bursts into bloom, it is a breathtaking sight to behold.

Primarily native to Australia, Grevillea are evergreen shrubs or trees of great beauty with needle-like to fern-like foliage and incredibly flamboyant flowers. Fragrant in some species, the spectacular blooms are rich in nectar and attract hummingbirds, birds, insects, and other pollinators. Most Grevillea varieties are very fast-growing, tough, and low maintenance. Easy to grow, they tolerate drought, and heat, and grow well in poor soils as long as they are well-drained.