What to plant in Los Angeles, California

12 × 6 ft · Zone 10b · 6+ hours of sun · Low-water

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Indian hawthorn or Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'.

• Adam's needle yucca 'Color Guard'

  × 3

  Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'

  Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2–5 ft tall · Jun–Jul

  Can't find it? Use Pink muhly grass or Deer grass.

• Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'

  × 10

  Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'

  Filler · Front of bed · quart pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.5–1 ft tall · Jun–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Desert marigold or Blackfoot daisy.

• Lily of the Nile

  × 3

  Agapanthus africanus

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jun–Aug

  Can't find it? Use Mexican bush sage or African iris.

• Mexican snowball

  × 12

  Echeveria elegans

  Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 3–6 in tall · Mar–May

  Can't find it? Use Hardy ice plant or Silver carpet.

Gravel or decomposed granite: 0.44 cu yd at 2 in deep (6 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 85% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 10b · 2–4 hours of sun · Modern

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf' or Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond'.

• Holly fern

  × 3

  Cyrtomium falcatum

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Listed as invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Mat rush 'Breeze' or Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

• African iris

  × 5

  Dietes iridioides

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Bush lily or Cast iron plant.

• Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'

  × 3

  Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Jun–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Cast iron plant or Firespike.

• Mondo grass

  × 7

  Ophiopogon japonicus

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 6–9 in tall · Foliage plant

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 10b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

• Holly fern

  × 3

  Cyrtomium falcatum

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Listed as invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there) or Boston fern.

• Bush lily

  × 7

  Clivia miniata

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Feb–Apr

  Can't find it? Use Cast iron plant.

• Southern shield fern

  × 5

  Thelypteris kunthii

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Cast iron plant.

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 11

  Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 in tall · Foliage plant

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 82% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.