Salvia apiana White Sage – while not native to Big Sur, it is native to SoCal, and so beneficial, I had to plant it. Thrives on neglect and hot summers, which this location provides. Also, only watered the first year, and gets over 6’ tall and 6’ wide.Salvia spathacea, the California hummingbird sage, or pitcher sage is native to Big Sur. Warning, it thrives on neglect and takes over spreading underground and popping up in unexpected places. The hummingbirds, bees, and others all love it. So it earns a place.Vitis californica, or California Wild Grape, is a species of wild grape that grows throughout central and northern CaliforniaAcer macrophyllum, the bigleaf maple. I have 3 that self-planted after the Wild Fire of 1996. I watered them that first year, and some the second, but they have been on their own since. I love watching them grow and get bigger and bigger. Like sugar maples, they can be tapped for syrup.Quercus lobata or Valley Oak. The Oak Foundation says these are found below 2,000’. I have them all over the property. Like the Big Leaf Maple, this one self-planted after the Wild Fire of 1996 and like the maples, I watered this its first year and a bit the second and then left it alone. Watering it would shorten it’s life span. It will eventually shade my entire garden area. It is already over 40’ tall.
