Number 6 in a series of my experiences with CA natives in my garden. My house is in the Crescenta Valley which is northwest of Pasadena and has the typical climate of the inland valleys surrounding LA, although we are about 1000 feet higher elevation than Pasadena, Burbank or Glendale which surround us so our winters can be a little colder at night than those areas. Our entire valley is made of alluvial runoff from the surrounding mountains, the soil is sandy, rocky and very fast draining.

Fremontodendron californicum or California Flannel Bush

This is 12 years old, planted as a 1 gallon twig. It's now about 15' high and 10' wide. Not a particularly pretty plant except for about 6 weeks in the spring when it is covered in yellow blossoms. This is growing on a dry slope with no supplemental water. You wouldn't want this in an area where people might brush against it. The stems and leaves are covered in fine hairs that can cause itching and irritation. I don't enjoy trimming it and have just left it alone. If you have a dry area and want some background screening with something you can completely neglect this is a good candidate. Their root system is shallow and about 6 years ago we had some strong winds and it tipped over. I propped it back up and it never missed a beat, these are tough plants that can thrive in tough conditions.