What to plant in San Francisco, 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 Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' or Indian hawthorn.

• 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 Bamboo muhly.

• Mexican bush sage

  × 3

  Salvia leucantha

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Aug–Nov

  Can't find it? Use African iris or Parry's penstemon.

• 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 African iris or Parry's penstemon.

• Mexican snowball

  × 7

  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 94% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

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

• Shrubby yew pine

  × 3

  Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 8–12 ft tall · Foliage plant

• Holly fern

  × 3

  Cyrtomium falcatum

  Grass · Front 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).

• Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'

  × 3

  Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

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

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

• African iris

  × 5

  Dietes iridioides

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

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

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 9

  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 87% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

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

• Shrubby yew pine

  × 3

  Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 8–12 ft tall · Foliage plant

• Holly fern

  × 3

  Cyrtomium falcatum

  Grass · Front 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 Boston fern or Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

• Bush lily

  × 7

  Clivia miniata

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

  Can't find it? Use Cast iron plant.

• Mondo grass

  × 12

  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 89% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.