We’re trying out some new California native perennials, to see what kind of border we can create using primarily native plants. We’re mixing several species of penstemon, this flax, Blue-eyed grass, Red Buckwheat and coyote mint to see what happens. The funny thing about California natives is that most of these plants aren’t native here in Sacramento – just the Blue-eyed grass, which isn’t even a grass at all.
This flax is about 16″ high, freshly planted from one gallon containers and should grow two to three feet high after it’s established. It has tiny leaves on narrow stems that move in the wind, topped with clusters of pale blue flowers. The flowers open in the morning and tend to shed their petals by late afternoon. It will die down in winter, get trimmed back and hopefully grow again next spring. It’s a montane species that appears to adapt well to less alpine conditions. We’ll see how well it fares over the hot summer.