Monterey Bay Nursery plants

Wallichia densiflora (not currently in production) BHUTAN FISHTAIL PALM, DWARF FISHTAIL PALM young plants silvery underside a dwarf, quickly-clustering species to about 5-6' tall and 6-8' wide, with robust, glossy, shiny, olive green, fish-tail style leaflets and conspicuously silvery undersides. This is a smaller, lusher version of the more familiar but still very uncommon Arenga engleri, and you can use it the same way. It likes regular watering and can be kept quite wet. Use it in the house or on the patio as a container plant as well. Part sun to full shade, rich, moist, peaty soils. Sunset zones 9, 17, 21-24/USDA zone 9a. Palmae/Arecaceae. Himalayas. rev 1/2013

Weberbauerocereus johnsonii (not currently in production) young ones add some danger and excitement to that cozy, safe Echeveria collection with a real cactus! It is a worthy one, grows in a column and just glows with yellow spines. In cultivation it grows about 7' tall, 3" across. It wants a frost free location in well drained soil, some summer watering but a dry, sunny winter. The flowers come at night, in summer, after it has grown up. Very decorative and a choice specimen for a container that can be moved to shelter outside Sunset zones 23-24/USDA 10. Peru. Cactaceae. rev 4/2017-Suzy Brooks

Westringia soft-wooded shrubs native to most areas of Australia. A few have showy flower displays. Some species are tall, wispy and open while others, especially interior and Nullarbor natives, can be low, dense, compact and mostly resemble the other small-leaved dry-climate plants they live with. Labiatae/Lamiaceae. rev 11/2020

fruticosa (rosmariniformis)    COAST ROSEMARY    closeup    habit    unpruned habit at UCSC Arboretum    soft, rounded growth to 4-6’ tall and wide, with grey green leaves, silvery underneath and on the new growth. Small white rosemary-like flowers are produced most heavily in spring, with scattered bloom throughout the year. Will tolerate salt-laden coastal winds. Foliage is used in floral arrangements. Sun or part shade, with little or no summer watering required. Damaged below 25°F but resprouted from the roots very vigorously after being frozen to the ground in 1990. Southeastern Australia. rev 6/2021

‘Mia’s Wonder’ (not currently in production) flowers and foliage    a compact grey green (not silver) form, with smaller foliage and lower overall height, to only about 3' tall. Blush lilac to almost pure white flowers. I'm guessing this is a selection of W. fruticosa and not a hybrid, but I could be wrong based on that almost-purplish flower. rev 6/2021

'Smokey' young, unpruned, Capitola flowers with yellowish new growth    flowers with silvery mature growth    nice commercial clipped hedge, Capitola nice globes at UCSB 5g 'Smokey' right, 'Wynyabbie Highlight' left, same age   a variegated form with slower, more compact growth and overall smaller habit. To 5-6' unpruned, slowly, but easily kept to 3' with a semiannual shearing or selective pruning. Except when pushing new growth, which emerges somewhat yellowish, the variegation pattern is not striking as in the brighter-foliaged hybrid 'Wynyabbie Highlight,' but it is noticeable and well-defined. It's primary value lies in its display of soft, silvery foliage effects on a slower growing plant with about half the ultimate size of either parent W. fruticosa or 'Wynyabbie Highlight." It think it's a better overall garden subject than either of those two, and a substantially better selection for commercial applications just due to lower maintenance requirements. White flowers are noticeable, showy and increase the overall silvery nature. To 3-6' in height by 4-7' in width depending on soil, exposure, irrigation and care, and keeping it to the smaller end of that range is quite easy. I have seen this form used in full sun as well as full bright shade, looking good in both situations. rev 6/2021

'Amethyst'    first fall flowers with a little more foliage    a seedling I found growing along the wild, downhill back-edge of our block 17, below a crop of 5g 'Wynyabbie Gem. It's flowers are deeper lavender purple than those of its obvious parent, and this variety can be freely substituted for its stronger color. Overall appearance and growth parameters seem to be identical. rev 4/2017 MBN INTRODUCTION-2013

'Blue Gem' PP25674   flowers   a typical rounded, upright variety with wispy branches, dark green leaves and silvery undersides. Medium lavender blue flowers provide color from late fall through spring. No definitive frost info yet, assume it will be cut to the ground at an honest 25F. rev 11/2020

‘Wynyabbie Gem’ (not currently in production) closeup    trimmed up    nice clipped hedge    a hybrid of W. eremicola x fruticosa. Compact shrub to 4’ tall and wide, with typical narrow, silky grey green leaves. Light mauve purple flowers are produced throughout the year. This shrub gives a nice touch to landscapes or gardens with its lavender flowers against grey foliage. Grows quickly, but retains its wispy character. Has taken heavy soils well. Tolerates direct coastal conditions. Sun, average drainage, little or no summer watering. Probably damaged below 25°F. rev 11/2020

'Wynyabbie Highlight' with Ten Lined June bug nice 5g contiainer this is the best variegated form of Westringia available, and nice not just for its foliage color, or flowers, but because it is so compact and restrained. The brighter yellow leaf margins stand out much better than the paler color of its cousins 'Morning Light' and 'Smokey,' which both have a dustier look, and white flowers. These pale lavender purple flowers look great against the warmer-colored leaves, plus it needs much less pruning and maintenance than its more vigorous green parent 'Wynyabbie Gem.' Full to half sun, or modest light shade, almost no summer watering required except in the driest zones. Dies to the ground around 25F but will usually survive 20F, resprouting vigorously from the roots. rev 4/2017

Woodwardia fimbriata GIANT CHAIN FERN coastal sun garden, Monterey commercial another commercial this robust native evergreen fern bears coarsely divided sword-like fronds up to 8’ tall that are light to medium green color. Commercial-landscape-capable, it needs a couple of years of at least intermittent watering to become fully established. Forms round rosettes of fronds, eventually clumping as it forms new crowns, the bases covered with golden brown fuzz. Very drought tolerant when established but always found in nature growing where deep roots have access to some summer water. Part shade, most soils. Good in containers. California. Blechnaceae, or Polypodiaceae. rev 6/2017

unigemmata JEWELED CHAIN FERN, CHINESE CHAIN FERN new growth Strybing Ancient Plant Garden specimens mature leaf plantlets a distinctive species to 2-3' tall or more by 4-6' across, with horizontal to arching fronds and downward-pointing tips. Its best features are the striking coppery to ruby red color of the new fronds and the glossy, dark green appearance of mature growth. It can slowly propagate itself by rooting in the very terminal point of the frond to gradually walk it way across your shade garden. This is native to wet mountain forests from India through the Philippines and likes moist, humid, shady conditions with rich soil but will take drier conditions with intermittent deep watering. The wetter it grows the longer the fronds - up to 6' when really happy. Makes a good, formal-looking, medium-size container plant. This is superficially similar to W. orientalis, which we have offered in the past, but is hardy vs. tender and only produces the single plantlet at the frond tip as opposed to very many along the frond margins. Semievergreen to deciduous, USDA zone 7. Eastern Asia. rev 11/2020