Baja bush-snapdragon

Galvezia juncea

Description

The Baja bush-snapdragon is fine-textured shrub with densely layered arching branches, small blue-green leaves and stems and narrow tubular red flowers. Mature plants mound to 3-6 ft. tall and as wide; flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies are heaviest in spring, but also occur intermittently all year.

Endemic to Baja California, this species is well suited for slopes and in background areas in combination with other native plants. It is a carefree plant that can be pruned in late fall to manage its size and shape to fit garden plantings. One cultivar, G. j. ‘Punta Banda’, has light green leaves and stems, and a tightly woven branching habit capable of mounding 3-4 ft. tall and 4-5 ft. wide.

Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Mounding, Dense, Arching
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Pale green
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Clay, Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Drought, Aridity, All day sun
Function: Attracts butterflies, Slopes, Hummingbird plant, Background plant
Height: 3 ft. – 6 ft.
Width: 3 ft. – 6 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

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 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
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.

Prune in late fall to control size, if necessary, and to shape, if desired (4). If damaged by frost in the winter, wait a few weeks before pruning damaged areas. You will want to be sure of the extent of the damage before cutting back (1). If more frost is expected, continue to wait before cutting back because the damaged parts may help protect the healthy leaves and stems from further damage (S). References

Baja bush-snapdragon

Description

Watering Schedule: Low 1

Important Notes

Plant Lists

California Native Plants

Flowering Shrubs

Songbird and Hummingbird Plants

Plant Finder

Garden Designs

Helpful Lists