Bush anemone + cv

Carpenteria californica

Description

The bush anemone grows into a medium size evergreen shrub commonly reaching 5-6 ft. tall, 6-8 ft. wide. Leaves are 2-3 in. long, dark green on top and white below. Showy clusters of white flowers with yellow centers occur in early spring.

Bush anemone is a highly popular and successfully cultivated California native plant that is valued for its rich foliage and flowering accent character. It is most often grown with other native plants in residential gardens where it provides a lush and deep green presence. It grows best in well-drained slightly acidic soils, and deep summer watering. Flowering is best when plants are located in sunny areas. One popular cultivar, C. c. ‘Elizabeth’, has a more vigorous growth habit and produces larger clusters of flowers.

Plant Type: Native, Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Mounding
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Deep soil, Clay, Acidic soil, Well-draining soil, Loam
Exposure Adaptations: Morning sun, Moderate shade, Drought
Function: Background plant, Specimen, Screening, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Foundations, Foliage accent plant, Flowering accent plant, Espalier, Commercial spaces, Banks
Height: 5 ft. – 6 ft.
Width: 6 ft. – 8 ft.

Watering Schedule: Medium

For most situations, we recommend watering once per week after establishment, watering very deeply in summer, less deeply in fall and spring, and even less in winter.

See our recommendations for how much water to apply each time you water, below. Note that these recommendations are intended for inland valley areas of Southern California including the Inland Empire, San Gabriel, and San Fernando Valleys. People in cooler or warmer areas may use this as a baseline but should adjust based on local needs.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

June – August: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 1.25” of irrigation.
September – October: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.
November – February: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.5” of irrigation.
March-May: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Adjusting to your local needs

These recommendations for Medium / Moderate water demanding plants were created for Southern California inland valley areas. Southern California areas closer to the coast and along the coast will usually be able to water significantly less during the warm months of the year. For desert areas, check with local experts to be sure plants are appropriate for the area and anticipate needing to water more.

As a very general baseline, people in Los Angeles and similar areas can try setting a schedule of 80% of the in Spring, Summer, and Fall and adjust as necessary based on observation. The difference is less pronounced in the winter months, so we recommend starting with the same recommendations as above for winter. People in cooler coastal areas such as Santa Monica can try using this same approach but adjust to use 75% of the chart recommended minutes for the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another week, possibly longer. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering again.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.
“Smart timers” or weather sensitive irrigation controllers such as Rachio and Hunter Hydrawise are ideal for watering plants in this category because they will automatically adjust how much they water based on the weather so you do not need to reprogram the timer seasonally. Rebates for these types of irrigation controllers are available through socalwatersmart.com.

For bushier growth, after flowering in late spring, pinch back branches behind the spent flowers (2). This plant can be tricky to grow in Southern California, especially inland. It will burn in too much sun, but not flower much in too much shade. If you want to try growing it, under tall deciduous trees, or on the north side of a building (especially if it will also get some western afternoon shade) may be the most suitable locations to try in inland gardens. References

Bush anemone + cv

Description

Watering Schedule: Medium

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

Adjusting to your local needs

Important Notes

Plant Lists

California Native Plants

Plants for Shade

Flowering Shrubs

Plant Finder

Garden Designs

Helpful Lists

Set your preferred view

Welcome to the Waterwise Garden Digital Tour

Move around

Locate your sign

Refer back to these tips

Bush anemone + cv

Description

Plant Lists

California Native Plants

Plants for Shade

Flowering Shrubs

Sign Up For Free

Plant Finder

Garden Designs

Helpful Lists

Set your preferred view

Welcome to the Waterwise Garden Digital Tour

Move around

Locate your sign​

Refer back to these tips

Locate your sign