Aristolochia californica

These have been painfully slow to mature but I finally have a few big enough to sell. 

Little pinkish brown jugs about 1½ inches across are produced very profusely on the leafless stems in early spring. The leaves appear soon after and are soft green and heart-shaped. A vigorous but not overwhelming climber. Here it grows well in sun or shade and is completely hardy. Some early flowers may be frosted so a sheltered spot among shrubs is best. 

A brilliant plant – I love it.

£20

Aesculus californica

This is a very large spreading shrub (or low spreading tree) and needs a lot of space - the flowers are fragrant, creamy or rosy white and held in solid ‘candles’. The foliage is neat and attractive and the bark is chalky white (especially good in winter after the leaves fall). 

Given an open sunny well-drained site this will be one of the most magnificent woody plants we can grow. Hardly ever offered and I have no idea why it isn't better known. Young plants grown from conkers collected in California. 
Specimen size plants - £45 - collection only

Californian Ribes

Ribes cereum

An attractive Californian species with profuse palest rosy white flowers in spring among small shiny leaves on a compact gnarly shrub.

An ideal species for Mediterranean style gardens growing among other sun-loving drought-tolerant species.
5L pots ~ £20

Ribes aureum gracillimum

Related to but not the same as the more familiar eastern buffalo berry - R.odoratum. This has similar tubular yellow flowers, but tinted red at the tips, and it is a much more compact plant.

The flowers appear early among the new leaves rather than on bare branches. There might even be some orange berries if you're lucky.
£12

Alloberberis (Mahonia) nevinii

 

Most of the Mahonias we grow in the UK are forest dwellers, preferring moist shady conditions, but there are quite a number of species from the drier parts of the USA - now known as Alloberberis - that are rarely seen but well worth having - especially if your garden is well-drained and without much shade.

I have plants on the nursery of A.nevinii collected from cultivated plants in California by Dennis Carvalho. The foliage has a marvellous colour and form - the pale veined coppery red new growth turning to sea green, and has an unusual thin scratchy texture. The flowers are a fresh soft yellow and are followed by red fruits.

Ultimately they will make quite a dense shrub eventually up to 4 or 5 feet high. Fully hardy and very drought tolerant.

Sold out

Calycanthus occidentalis

A lovely lush medium sized shrub from California with fresh green aromatic leaves and good sized rich pink flowers over a long period.

I have no real idea why, with the popularity of C.sinensis and its hybrids, this one isn't a lot better known

Easy and hardy in the garden.
Specimen size plants - £30 - collection only