Scientific name: Hebe ‘Emerald Gem’

Common name:  emerald gem hebe

Family name: Plantaginaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 0.3m wide and tall

Form: rounded

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained.

Leaf arrangement: Opposite. Simple.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: raceme flowers; white.

Limitations: leaf spot and mildew issues. Doesn’t prune well.

Suitable uses: Great for slopes.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Opposite. Simple. Leaves more like scales. Leaves at right angles to next set.

Scientific name: Hebe ‘Blue Mist’

Common name:  blue mist hebe

Family name: Plantaginaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 7

Mature height and spread: 0.7-1.3m wide and tall

Form: oval, upright

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: raceme, showy blue. Capsule brown.

Limitations: needs irrigation.

Suitable uses: shrub border. Rock garden. Nice flowers. Hardiest of Hebes

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Prickly. Powdery. Leaf pairs at 90degrees to pari below. Lanceolate. Bigger leaf than rupicola.

Scientific name: Escallonia x exoniensis ‘Fradesii’

Common name:  pink princess escallonia

Family name: Escalloniaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 8

Mature height and spread: 3-5m wide and tall

Form: rounding, spreading

Water use: low

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: Pink panicle flowers. Absent fruit.

Limitations: tender. Branches die back in minus 10.

Suitable uses: shrub border. Screening. Does well being pruned because flowers on tip. Arromatic.

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Pink panicle flowers on tips of branches. Glandular (little bit sticky on stem and leaves); teeth on tip.

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/232?image=h

Scientific name: Erica carnea

Common name:  winter heather

Family name: Ericaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 0.2-0.4m tall, 0.6-1m wide

Form: creeping, mat-like

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained, acidic

Leaf arrangement: simple. Whorled

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: raceme flowers (showy) and brown capsule.

Limitations: need light

Suitable uses: container planter. Erosion control. Great for shallow, acidic soil.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Needle-like leaves in whorls (very tiny, 2mm). Simple. Urn-shaped flowers (2mm).

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/56?image=h

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/56?image=h

Scientific name: Cotinus coggygria

Common name:  smoke bush

Family name: Anacardiaceae

Useful cultivars and selections: Royal purple

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 3-5m wide and 7-8m tall

Form: Round, spreading

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: Well-drained

Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Simple.

Fall colour: Yellow, peach, purple

Flower/cone/fruit description: perfect panicle flowers (yellow; showy). Brown drupe.

Limitations: variable colour. Verticillium wilt.

Suitable uses: Great fall colour. Pink flowers and good for highways embankments and in sand.

Quick ID: Dec. Shrub. Alternate. Simple. Purplish stems and red petioles. Soft, smoke like inflorescence; unique feature.

Scientific name: Cotoneaster dammeri ‘Lowfast’

Common name:  lowfast cotoneaster

Family name: Rosaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 0.2-0.4m tall, 1.5-2m wide

Form: Creeping

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: alternate and simple

Fall colour: None.

Flower/cone/fruit description: Solitary flowers (white, 5-petals), red pome fruit.

Limitations: Not neat or tidy. A look people don’t like.

Suitable uses: Erosion control. Ground cover. Great for covering difficult landscape. Grows quickly. Does well with hard pruning.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Red branches (very long branches). Elliptic leaves. Alternate. Simple. Leathery. Red pome fruit.

Scientific name: Choisya ternata

Common name:  Mexican mock orange

Family name: Rutaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 7

Mature height and spread: 2-3m tall, 1.5-2m wide

Form: dense and round.

Water use: Moderate.

Soil requirements: Well-drained. Acidic. Needs lots of iron.

Leaf arrangement: Compound. Opposite.

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: Cyme flowers (white and showy) and capsular fruit.

Limitations: Very strong smelling flowers. Therefore plant in calm, hot place. Reflects light a lot.

Suitable uses: Hedge. Mass plantings. Border. Flowers late in season.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Pinnately compound (3leaflets). Opposite. Capsular fruit. Leaves spicy, basil smell when ripped. Flowers smell like orange blossoms. Disscusate leaves (90 degrees)

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/218?image=h

Scientific name: Ceanothus ‘Victoria’

Common name:  California lilac

Family name: Rhamnaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 8a

Mature height and spread: 3-4m wide and tall

Form: Round, arching

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained, salt tolerant

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: None.

Flower/cone/fruit description: Panicle flower (blue). Red/black capsular fruit .

Limitations: needs well-drained soil. Tender. Flowers once; gardeners often cut off flowers.

Suitable uses: Erosion control. Screening. Good for unirrigated soil. Salt tolerant. Beautiful flowers.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Ribbed stems (unique). Ovate. Leather. Red/black capsular fruit. Leaves curl over.

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/213?image=h

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/213?image=h

Scientific name: Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’

Common name:  daisy bush

Family name: Asteraceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 8

Mature height and spread: 0.7-1.5m tall and wide

Form: Dense, oval

Water use: low

Soil requirements: dry soils

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Alternate

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: Yellow flowers. Insignificant brown fruit clusters.

Limitations: needs full sun. Tender (only hardy in mild climates).

Suitable uses: Low maintenance. Disease and pest resistant. Hardy and can tolerate dry soil. Prunes well.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Leathery leaves. Ovate. Fully white underside of leaves. Leaves outlines in white and have brown seed pods that stick up.

Scientific name: Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’

Common name:  Japanese barberry

Family name: Berberidaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 1.3-2m wide and tall

Form: dense, round

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: Dry, rocky

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: red

Flower/cone/fruit description: Raceme flowers; red berries

Limitations: Big thorns, can be weedy (invasive).

Suitable uses: Attractive form

Quick ID: Dec. shrub. Simple. Alternate. New leaves are variegated, old ones are not. Big thorns.