Crazy About Pink!

My Favorite Pink-Blooming Native Wildlife Plants

Pink is not an uncommon flower color for a California native plant. But there is just something special about pink flowers that can cheer up a gardener and all who visit the garden. There is an abundance of pink flowers in my own native garden, and I incorporate lots of pink natives into my landscape designs for clients, where appropriate. It would be lovely to design an all (or mostly) pink-blooming garden. If this sounds like fun, keep reading to find out which plants I would choose. The nine featured plants are loved by bees and many also attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos)

Manzanitas are one of my favorite shrubs and my December 2020 blog is dedicated to them. They are among the earliest blooming of our native shrubs and depending on the species, start blooming in late fall through late winter. There are many natural species and cultivated varieties to choose from, ranging from low growing, spreading groundcovers to shrubs that ultimately reach 10 feet or more in height. Manzanita flowers are heart-shaped and range from white to pink (including combinations of white and pink), with a lot of variation in flower color within this spectrum. So, you may wish to see a candidate Manzanita in bloom by visiting a local garden, nursery or open space area before you plant it. Some varieties that tend to have pink colored flowers (i.e., they actually look pink from a distance) include: Pointleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens), ‘Louis Edmunds’ (A. bakeri), ‘Howard McMinn’ (A. densiflora), ‘Sentinel’ (A. densiflora), 'Sonora' (A. stanfordiana), and Pajaro Manzanita (A. pajaroensis). 

Spectacular pink blooms on a winter blooming Pointleaf Manzanita (A. pungens).

Milkweed (Asclepias)

The existence of the western Monarch butterfly is in serious decline due to environmental factors like climate change and loss of critical habitat. Unfortunately, Monarchs are currently not protected as an endangered species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Everyone can help Monarchs survive by planting milkweed in our gardens. In my local area, Narrow-leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) is the indigenous species, so it is the best species of milkweed to plant. Monarch caterpillars like to eat the leaves, so I do not have any pictures of the flowers, which are indeed pink. Adult Monarch butterflies like to visit Showy milkweed (A. speciosa) flowers for the nectar. The flowers have a wonderful aroma. Because the plant doesn’t get eaten by caterpillars, Showy milkweed is more vigorous and spreads more readily in my garden than Narrow-leaf milkweed. Milkweed is a perennial plant that dies back in the fall to winter and reemerges in spring.

Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) growing with a Wild Blue Yonder grandiflora rose creates an intoxicating scent that can be enjoyed while sitting on the bench below it. The deep pink flower clusters on this milkweed form nodding umbels.

Caption: ‘Davis’ Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) being visited by a Monarch butterfly as a favorite nectar source. ‘Davis’ has larger leaves than the regular Showy milkweed species and more upright flower clusters that are light pink and white in color. 

Balloon Flower Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri)

I love this somewhat strange penstemon. It has glaucus-colored serrated leaves that look almost prehistoric. The leaves contrast beautifully with the long stalks of scented tubular flowers that give this penstemon a classic “cottage garden” look. Balloon flower penstemon is a rather stately plant too, ultimately growing to 4 feet wide with the flower stakes reaching up to 4-5 feet in my microclimate (Sunset Zone 17). 

Balloon flower penstemon (Penstemon palmeri) looks like a classic “cottage garden” plant and has scented flowers.

Checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora)

Checkerblooms are herbaceous perennials whose leaves die back to the ground in the fall and reemerge in winter. They have deeply lobed leaves typical of the Mallow family (resembling little wild hollyhocks), which are edible (try using the leaves in a salad). Checkerblooms are native to many parts of California and have several variations (subspecies) in the wild.

The pink shades of the flowers also vary depending on the subspecies. Native checkerblooms are spring blooming and generally have a long bloom period. The cultivar ‘Purpettta’ has deep pink flowers blooms starting in the summer. Growing native species together with the cultivar ‘Purpetta’ extends the checkerbloom season in the garden.

Checkerblooms can grow in full sun but will also take some shade, and really brighten up a shady area. Bees will visit the flowers in the shade. These characteristics add to their versatility in the garden.

Sidalcea malviflora subsp. laciniata, native to Brooks Island (Brooks Island Checkerbloom). Brooks Island is an island in the San Francisco Bay that is part of the City of Richmond. In this photo, checkerbloom is growing with California Bee Plant (Scrophularia californica).

Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea)

Hummingbird sage is an herbaceous perennial that is practically green all year. It has a long bloom period starting as early as January and continuing through early summer. The leaves have a pleasant fragrance when rubbed or crushed and the deep pink flower spikes can reach 3 feet in height. After flowering the spent flower stalks can be cut down to the base of the plant, to keep the plant from looking too shaggy (dead leaves on the spent stalks can be unattractive). Hummingbird sage is versatile and can grow in full sun to shade. However, it can be susceptible to powdery mildew if grown in too much shade and the soil is very dry. Hummingbird sage takes a while to get established in the garden. After several years, it will spread throughout the garden to form a vary naturalized-looking area, which will be visited daily by hummingbirds.

Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) is adored by hummingbirds, of course! Here it is growing in full sun with a lemon verbena shrub.

Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) makes a great understory plant for this apple tree.

Fragrant Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia fragrans)

Fragrant pitcher sage is a lovely evergreen shrub with pleasantly scented leaves. It can grow in full sun to shade depending on the local Bay Area microclimate. It grows to a moderate size (up to about 4 feet tall and wide). I like the relaxed growth habit of this shrub and its extremely long blooming period (potentially blooming [or reblooming] spring through fall). The lavender-pink tubular flowers are showy and gorgeous. Hummingbirds visit the flowers. Fragrant pitcher sage is a very under-utilized shrub in the garden.

Gorgeous lavender-pink blooms of Fragrant Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia fragrans).

Fragrant Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia fragrans) has a relaxed form and is still blooming in October, at the Watershed Nursery in Richmond, CA.

Island Pink Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrows have a wide native range throughout California. Most of the native species have white flowers. But Island Pink, a cultivated variety selected from a species native to the Channel Islands (located off the coast of Los Angeles), has pink flowers. The flower color contrasts nicely with the green ferny foliage of this herbaceous perennial. Island Pink has a very long bloom period and will grow in full sun or part shade in my microclimate. There are many other pink cultivars available. ‘Wonderful Wampee’ is another pink cultivar I like to grow. Growing pink and white varieties together works nicely. Mixing in some white-flowered yarrow into your planting design would be a good way to break up some of the pink in a mostly pink garden. 

The flowers of Island Pink Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) attract bees and butterflies.

Farewell to Spring (Clarkia)

Clarkias are the only annual wildflower included here. All clarkias have pink flowers with varying degrees of pattern and complexity. Certainly, there is a clarkia for every garden’s personality. Most clarkia like to grow in full sun to light shade. Clarkia concinna (Pink ribbons) brightens up a shady area. Clarkias have a relatively long blooming period starting in early summer, later than most native annuals. If the seedheads are left to dry on the plant, Clarkias self-sow very easily and the seedlings generally are not eaten by birds or slugs. Self-sowing leads to beautiful, naturalized areas of clarkia. Clarkia is the perfect wildflower meadow plant.

Clarkia amoena ‘The Real’ is a beautiful wild form of clarkia. Here is it growing with Coyote mint (Monardella villosa). The plants have been blooming for several months. 

Another showy variety of Clarkia amoena grown from seed purchased from Larner Seeds.

Pink Flowered Currant (Ribes sanguineum glutinosum)

Pink Flowered Currant is medium-sized shrub with a relatively short deciduous period. The leaves have a pleasant scent when brushed or crushed. It grows in full sun to part shade near the coast and requires more shade inland. Chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum) may have pink flowers, but the flowers can also be white. Both species make excellent foundation shrubs in the garden and do not get too large. If you have the room, plant more than one.

Pink Flowered Currant (Ribes sanguineum glutinosum) starts blooming in mid-winter and is an important early food source for bees and hummingbirds.