Santa Barbara Mesa Insectary Garden

Flora Vista & Red Rose Way, Santa Barbara, CA
Across from Monroe Elementary School
​431 Flora Vista Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93109

Insectary Signposts - Travel East, beginning at the stop sign, to locate the plants in the order listed below. Each plant is labeled.

Plant List Updated
January 12, 2019

The plants in the Santa Barbara Mesa Insectary Garden are natives from California and Baja California.  If you are knowledgeable about specific insects for a plant, please contact us. 
   * Asterisk = SB Botanic Garden Pollinator List
   [Insects in brackets, nectar or host] = Lotusland Butterfly List

Wooly Blue Curls, Hummingbird Sage, Lupine

Low Brick Wall

1. Grindelia stricta, Coastal Gum Plant,  Sticky Yellow Flowers [Buckeye}
2. Galvezia speciosa ‘Bocarosa’, Island Snapdragon, Hummingbirds
3. Galvezia speciosa ‘Pink Panther’, Island Snapdragon, Hummingbirds
4. Berberis aquifolium var. repens, Yellow flowers, blue berries

Senecio palmeri ‘Silver and Gold’ Guadalupe Island Senecio

Stop Sign & Insectary Sign

1. Salvia mellifera, ‘Sweet Honey’ Black Sage [Funereal diskywing, gray haistreak] *
2. Trichostema lanatum, Woolly Blue Curls
3. Ceanothus hearstiorum, Hearst Ranch Buckbrush and Hearst's Ceanothus (2 plants) [hedgerow hairsteak, pale swallowtail]
4. Ribes aureum var. aureo, Golden Current *
5. Salvia 'Dara's Choice' (Salvia mellifera x S. sonomensis) *
6. Ceanothus hearstiorum, Hearst Ranch Buckbrush and Hearst's Ceanothus (2 plants)  [hedgerow hairsteak, pale swallowtail] * 
7. Hyptis emoryi ‘Silver Lining’ (3 gray small – 120 degrees to freezing), Desert Lavender
8. Mimulus 'Jelly Bean Orange' Jelly Bean Orange Monkey Flower [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *
9. Mimulus 'Jelly Bean Gold' Jelly Bean Gold Monkey Flower [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *
10. Mimulus 'Jelly Bean Lemon' Jelly Bean Lemon Monkey Flower [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *
11. Baccharius pilularis ‘Pigeon Point’ Dwarf Coyote Brush  (Tick Bush) (3 plants) It is common to find wasp galls on leaves.
12. Abutilon palmeri, Palmer's Indian Mallow,  Cupped soft apricot flowers on long stems,  3’’4’ h/w, SBBG 2018 Fall Gopher 1-2019, SMG 01-18-19
13. Salvia ‘Bon Bon’, Hybrid 'a cross between Salvia clevelandii "Aromas' and Salvia leucophylla "Point Sal' *
14.  Leymus triticoides 'Lagunita', Lagunita Wild Rye
15. Ribes speciousm, Fuchsia Flowering Gooseberry *
16. Asclepias fascicularis (Lavender Flowers) Narrow Leaf Milkweed, provides food for monarch butterfly caterpillars and provides nectar for hummingbirds and nest building materials for other birds​. *
17. Salvia 'Allen Chickering', (Salvia clevelandii x S. leucophylla) *
18. Asclepias speciosa (Fragrant, pale pink flower) Showy Milkweed, Monarch Butterfly, birds, insects. *
19. Asclepias speciosa 'Mountain Flare' - Orange Heartleaf Penstemon. Great plant for attracting hummingbirds and seed eating birds later in the season.
20. Ceanothus Impressus ‘Vandenberg’, Santa Barbara Ceanothus  [hedgerow hairsteak, pale swallowtail] *
21. Lessingia filanginifolia (tiny leaves), ‘Silver Carpet’, California Aster
22. Garrya elliptica ‘Evie’
23. Erigeron glaucus, Seaside Daisy
24. Eriagonum crocatum, Saffron Buckwheat *
25. Aristolochia californica, California Dutchman's-pipe. The only host plant for California pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor hirsuta) Flowers have an unpleasant odor which is attractive to tiny carrion-feeding insects. (vine on Parking sign pole)​

Cucullia alfarata caterpillar, Champhorweed Owlet Moth

Scientist photographing caterpillars at Santa Barbara Insectary Garden

Parking Sign

1. Lobelia laxiflora, Mexican Lobelia, (Red Fuschia flowers) Hummingbirds 
2.  Heuchera ‘Wendy’, Wendy Coral Bells

Stepping Stones - First Group

1. Salvia ’Bee’s Bliss’ (3 plants by stepping stones) *
2. Encelia californica ‘Paleo Yellow’, Bush Sunflower, Butterflies, bees, and other insects. *
3. Eriogonum giganteum, St. Catherine’s Lace (UC Davis Arboretum ‘All Star’) *
4. Eriogonum crocatum, Saffron Buckwheat *
5. Muhlenbergia dubia (grass with tall spikes) Pine Muhly [firey skipper, common ringlet]

Eriophyllum nevinii ‘Canyon Silver’, Woolly Sunflower

Erigeron glacus, Seaside Daisy

Native Plant Garden Maintenance

Low maintenance - does not equal no maintenance.
Dead heading, pruning to fit the space and encourage new growth, mulching to conserve water and deter weeds, weeding, and occasional watering are required.
New plants always require extra water until they are established and the reflected heat from sidewalk and street add stress to this garden. Notice the differences throughout the year in the changing shape and flowers of your favorite native plants in our garden.

Winter blooms in the Insectary Garden February 2019

From top left:
Encelia californica & Lobelia laxiflora
Penstemon eatonii & Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
​Eriogonum arborescens & Salvia Bee's Bliss

PLANT LIST CONTINUES ON NEXT COLUMN 

Stepping Stones- Second Group

1. Salvia ’Bee’s Bliss’ *
2. Penstemon eatonii [variable checkerspot] *
3. Mimulus ‘Burst Berry’ Monkey Flower, Mimulus Jelly Bean Orange [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *
4. Festuca californica ‘River House Blues’ California Fescue
5. Erigeron glacus, Cape Sebastian (shorter petiole)
6. Eriogonum arborescens, Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat [Western tiger swallowtail, gray hairstreak, painted lady, comon buckeye, firey skipper, marine blue, hedgerow hairstreak, Morman metalmark] *
7. Carpenteria californica, Bush Anemone
8. Solanum umbelliferum ‘Mid Hill’ Bluewitch
9. Eriogonum grande rubescens, San Miguel Island Buckwheat [Western tiger swallowtail, gray hairstreak, painted lady, comon buckeye, firey skipper, marine blue, hedgerow hairstreak, Morman metalmark] *

Eriogonum grande rubescens, San Miguel Island Buckwheat

Stepping Stones - Third Group

1. Bouteloua ‘Blonde Ambition’ Blonde Ambition Blue Grama, Eyelash Grass *
2. Mimulus ‘Dark Pink’ Jelly Bean Pink Monkey Flower [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *​
3. Mimulus ‘Red’, Jelly Bean Red Monkey Flower [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *
4. Ceanothus ‘Diamond Heights’ Diamond Heights Carmel Creeper, 1’x6’ Variegated lime w/ dark green. Blue flowers in spring. [hedgerow hairsteak, pale swallowtail] *
5.  Salvia ‘Desperado’ Salvia apiana x S. lecophylla   (looks like white sage) Attracts bees and hummingbirds. *
6. Epilobium canum (Orange Flowers) California Fuschia
7. Artemisia californica 'Canyon Gray' Coastal Sagebush, prostrate form. [western tiger swalllowtail, monarch, firey skipper, painted lady]

Lobelia laxiflora (Red Fuschia flowers) Mexican Lobelia, Hummingbirds

Stepping Stones - Forth Group

1. Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry [grey hairstreak, pale swallowtail] *
2. Trichostema lanatum, Woolly Blue Curls, Grape Kool-Aid Fragrance, Hummingbirds are very attracted to the flowers.
3. Eriophyllum nevinii ‘Canyon Silver’, Woolly Sunflower

 
Round Stepping Stones - Last Group

1. Salvia spathacea, Hummingbird Sage [Western tiger swallowtail]*
2. Senecio palmeri ‘Silver and Gold’ Guadalupe Island Senecio
3. Salvia leucophylla ‘Point Sal’ The flowers are highly aromatic and attract a variety of birds and insects. * Salvia leucophylla ‘Point Sal’, San Miguel Island Buckwheat, Red Buckwheat, Popular with pollinators, especially butterflies. [Western tiger swallowtail, gray hairstreak, painted lady, comon buckeye, firey skipper, marine blue, hedgerow hairstreak, Morman metalmark] *
4. Heuchera ‘Santa Ana Cardinal’, Santa Ana Cardinal Coral Bells
5. Eriophyllum nevinii  ‘Canyon Silver’ (grey w/ yellow flowers) Woolly Sunflower
6. Aristolochia californica, California Dutchman's-pipe. The only host plant for California pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor hirsuta) Flowers have an unpleasant odor which is attractive to tiny carrion-feeding insects. (Vine on School sign pole.)

Lupinus succulentus - Arroyo lupine

Naturalized Wildflowers

1. Lupinus succulentus, Arroyo Lupine [many butterflies, common blue] *
2. Eschscholzia californica, California Poppy [Papaveraceae] *
3. Salvia spathacea, Hummingbird sage [Western tiger swallowtail]*

Plants that died - we all lose some.

Salvia spathacea - Hummingbird Sage - smells like pineapple, eventually naturalized after many years of trial and error.

​Some plants take two or three plantings before you land on the right micro-climate. To reduce the impact of gophers - plant Salvias or other members of the mint family.

1. Verbena lilacina ‘de la mina’ – gopher Jan 2019 *
2. Venegasia carpesioides (Giant Yellow) – Gopher 2019, Canyon Sunflower, Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds
3. Dendromecom harfordii, Island Bush Poppy (died after moving it, did not survive the transplanting, April 2018)
4.  Artemesia ‘David’s Choice’
5.  Arctostaphylos ‘Emerald Carpet’ (low flat wood plant with ½” leaves) (died after being stepped on)
6. Sisyrinchium bellum, Blue Eyed Grass, Died or dormant? *
7. Mimulus 'Berry Burst', 'Bosburber' Berry Burst Monkey Flower [Common buckeye variable checkerspot] *

California Native Plant Society - Calscape.org

​​Santa Barbara Mesa Insectary Garden - Calscape List -  this nicely illustrated list includes 36 of your 64 plants, it does not include all the hybrids, nor plants from Baja California.
Calscape Santa Barbara Mesa Insectary Garden Plant List Link   

Bees

The Santa Barbara Beekeeper’s Association is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of beekeeping through best management practices, the education and mentoring of people about honey bees and beekeeping, and increasing public awareness of environmental concerns affecting honey bees.  http://sbba.org/

The Beekeepers Guild of Santa Barbara 
You don’t have to be a beekeeper to help the bees!   In fact, recent research suggests that planting flowers that bees like may be more important to bee livelihood than acquiring a hive.   On top of that, many of the native, drought tolerant plants are bee friendly; an important consideration here in Santa Barbara.
They offers classes including Backyard Beekeeping Class - Become a beekeeper with confidence, skill, and a compassionate heart. We teach responsible beekeeping for an urban environment, adhering to Best Management Practices for the bees, beekeepers, and general public. All are welcome! And they have a bee friendly plant guide.
http://beeguildsb.org/

Butterflies

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
CITIZEN SCIENCE - Here you will find a number of projects that let you contribute directly to the science of invertebrate conservation. Below are links to Xerces Society projects tracking declining bumble bees, dragonfly migration in North America, and monarch butterfly populations in California. You will also find partner efforts to better understand the conservation status of bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and more. https://xerces.org/citizen-science/
Monarchs - https://xerces.org/california-monarch-campaign/
Monarch Plant Guide - https://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CA_Coast_Monarch_Plant_List_PRINT.pdf

Amphibians and Reptiles of California

California Lizards - http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/lizards.html
• Taxonomic Lists, Photo Indexes, Range Maps, and Species Accounts of all native and non-native amphibians and reptiles established in California
• Lists of Species that Might Occur in California and of Established Non-native Species in California
• Tips on Identifying Amphibians and Reptiles found in the wild in California 
http://www.californiaherps.com

Island Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis becki - lizards feed on many kinds of insects and spiders.

Horticultural Links - Garden Resources

• Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - www.sbbg.org/
• * (Asterisk)  Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Native Plants for Pollinators List 
• Theodore Payne Foundation - theodorepayne.org/
• Lotusland - www.lotusland.org
• Lotusland Attracting beneficial bugs birds and butterflies [Butterfly nectar or host]
• Calscape - California Native Plant Society - ​https://calscape.org/

Photo Credits

• Photos By Trish Odenthal

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