Garden Resource Center

• Camellias
• Citrus
• Compost
• Dahlia Care
• Formal Hedges
• Fruit at Filoli
• Hydrangea Care
• Knot Gardens

• Lichens
• Life of a Bulb
• Peonies
• Planting the Parterres
• Pollarding
• Pond Life
• Rose maintenance
• Roses Mauve to Pink

• Roses Orange to Apricot
• Roses Reds
• Roses Yellow to White
• Turf Management
• Water Management
• What does it take
• Wisteria

September Featured Plant: Succulents

Succulents come in many
sizes and colors.

Nothing piques a gardener’s interest in drought–tolerant plants like the warm, dry days of summer. Because of succulents’ low water requirements, they have become a popular choice for the California climate and are even making an appearance in Filoli’s gardens. Large potted specimens of Aloe, Agave and Sempervivum can be found on the balustrade in the northern corner of the garden.

Succulents come in an astoundingly diverse array of colors, including powder blue, purple, rose, chartreuse and red. They are an excellent choice for containers, requiring less water and maintenance than most other plants. Succulents are also a wise choice for low–water landscaping. Most succulents are grown for their unique leaves and their beauty can be enjoyed throughout the year.

People are often surprised to learn that not all succulents require full sun. In fact, many perform best in partial shade. Succulents are tolerant of heat, but will also thrive in coastal conditions, including fog, wind and sandy soil. Although succulents are some of the most drought–tolerant plants, they perform best if watered when the soil is approaching dryness. Be sure to provide good drainage, as succulents cannot survive in boggy conditions.

The Filoli Garden Shop has a large assortment of succulents for sale, including dozens of varieties of small succulents priced at $2.50, Aeonium and Sedum in the one–gallon size, and unique, mixed–succulent containers. Nearly all of Filoli’s succulents have been grown in partial shade. If you wish to move them to full sun, do so gradually to prevent burning.

August Featured Plant: Hydrangea

Big leaf hydrangea (above
and below).

With their lush foliage and enormous blossoms, it is no surprise that hydrangeas have been a garden favorite for more than a century. By mid-summer, the hydrangeas at Filoli are putting on a spectacular show. The bed in the western corner of the Panel Garden has towering big leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) with blooms in shades of mauve, bright blue and pink. The hydrangea beds in the Walled garden and Sunken garden have equally impressive plants with flowers ranging from baby blue to deep lavender. Besides the big leaf hydrangea, Filoli is also home to oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) which flank the gate from the Chartres Window Garden to the Panel Garden; climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris) growing on the brick wall adjacent to the bowling green; and white peegee hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora') which are grown in pots and displayed in the portico during summer.

In addition to providing a showy display in the garden, hydrangeas are also an excellent dried flower. At Filoli, dried big leaf hydrangea flowers are used in flower arrangements during late winter and early spring when few other flowers are available.

Hydrangeas do best in fairly rich soil with good drainage. They enjoy moderate climates and require protection from hot midday sun, although in cooler, coastal climates they may thrive in full sun. Perhaps, most importantly, regular water is essential to growing healthy hydrangeas. A balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, should be applied in the fall to encourage root growth, and in the spring when the hydrangeas are coming out of their dormancy. For big leaf hydrangeas pruning should be completed in late fall or winter. Blue-flowered hydrangeas can have their color enhanced by adding 1/4-1/2 lb. of aluminum sulfate at the base of each plant in November. This trick only works if your soil is already acidic (pH 5.2-5.5).

The Filoli Garden Shop has five-gallon climbing hydrangeas for $39.45, one-gallon oakleaf hydrangeas for $9.95, and big leaf hydrangea 'Merritt's Supreme' with flowers of pink or blue for $21.95. The Garden Shop also offer spectacular standard (meaning trained to have a bare trunk with rounded foliage at the top) peegee hydrangeas for $89.

June Featured Plant: Japanese Barberry

Japanese Barberry as seen
in the Garden at Filoli.

The shrub that contributes the exquisite maroon color to Filoli’s knot garden is a cultivar of Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pigmy.’ The Japanese Barberry’s dark leaves contrast beautifully with the grey and green foliage of the other plants. Another Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow,’ can be found in the Sunken Garden near the Bourn door. This cultivar has rich maroon foliage along arching branches, and its new growth is a brilliant pink burgundy with creamy pink variegation.

Japanese barberry is a useful and extremely hardy shrub. The cultivars with red, purple or chartreuse foliage add interesting colors to the garden that last from spring through late fall. The flower arrangers at Filoli consider Japanese barberry a choice foliage plant for use in their cut arrangements. The shrub works well when hedged, and is an excellent choice for a showy barrier plant, as its thorns deter uninvited guests. In fall, the leaves turn vivid red, orange or yellow, and the plant has bright red barriers that attract birds.

Japanese barberry is very tolerant of different soils and climates, and can be grown in full sun to light shade. The plants rarely encounter problems with pest or disease, and are low maintenance, requiring little more than water and an occasional pruning.

The Filoli Garden Shop is offering five gallon Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’ for $34.00.

May Featured Plant: Japanese Maples

‘Crimson Queen’ (above) and
‘Bonfire’ (below).

Filoli’s Japanese maples have just awakened from their winter dormancy and are displaying their beautiful flush of new foliage. More than eighty Japanese maples can be found throughout the Filoli Gardens. Some of the largest specimens grow in the main courtyard where their branches reach past the second story windows of the main house. An exquisite weeping Japanese Maple, ‘Crimson Queen’, is located near the Pool Pavilion where its delicate maroon foliage cascades over a low wall.

The original Japanese maple cultivars found at Filoli came from the historic Domoto Nursery in Hayward. When the nursery closed in 1986 Filoli received a collection of 45 rare cultivars from Mr. Toichi Domoto including the true ‘Bonfire’ known for its brilliant peach colored spring foliage.

Japanese maples have been grown for their ornamental beauty in Japan for more than 1,000 years, and have become a popular plant in much of the United States. Today, plant breeders have produced more than 250 cultivars, or cultivated varieties of the plant. They are available in a diverse range of foliage colors, including yellows, pinks, reds, and shades of chartreuse. Many varieties of Japanese maples also exhibit exquisite fall color ranging from brilliant orange, bright red to yellows and coppers. The leaves of Japanese maples vary from the broad rounded leaves of Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ in the southern Walled Garden to the finely dissected leaves of ‘Viridis’ near the wedding place. With development of so many exceptional cultivars of this beautiful plant, it is very useful in the landscape, pots or as bonsai.

Japanese maples grow best in bright shade or partial shade, although some varieties with green foliage can tolerate full sun, especially in cool areas. They appreciate consistently moist soil and good drainage. Major pruning should be completed during the winter months, while the plant is dormant.

The Filoli Garden Shop offers a wide selection of Japanese Maples including ‘Bonfire’, ‘Viridis’, ‘Crimson Queen’, ‘Osakazuki’ and ‘Sango Kaku’. Prices range from $9.95 to $95.

April Featured Plant: Lady Banks’ rose (Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’)

Lady Banks’ rose.

Each Spring the arching stems of the Lady Banks’ rose (Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’) become aglow with hundreds of small yellow flowers. These petite, butter-colored blooms create graceful sprays of color that cascade over Filoli’s garden walls.

This rose species, Rosa banksiae, was discovered growing wild in China in 1877, and eventually brought to Kew Gardens where it was named after the director’s wife, Lady Banks. At Filoli, Lady Banks’ roses are semi-deciduous, loosing most of their leaves during cold winters, but holding on to their foliage in milder years. They enjoy full sun and moderate watering. This practically thornless rose is nearly immune to aphids and disease, and very vigorous once established. Lady Banks’ roses are best grown over an arch, pergola or other support in order to exhibits their elegant arching form.

Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ can be found growing in the Filoli Garden Shop courtyard, and in the southern Walled Garden. Also in the Walled Garden is a white form of this rose, Rosa banksiae ‘Alba Plena,’ which has a sweet violet-like fragrance.

The Filoli Garden Shop is offering Filoli propagated Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ in the one gallon size for $12.50. Five gallon plants are available for $38.95.

March Featured Plant: Magnolia

Magnolia cylindrica


Magnolia x soulangiana

Magnolias enjoy regular watering and rich well-drained soil, and generally do not suffer from pest problems. Because of their beautiful shape and magnificent floral display, they are often planted in lawns as a focal point. If planted in a lawn, an area under the canopy should be left bare of grass so as not to disturb their shallow root system. Magnolias can be grown in full sun or partial shade.

One of Filoli’s most treasured magnolias is the Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ which marks the south eastern corner of the Charters Cathedral garden. Each March the fuzzy buds on the tips of bare branches open to put on a spectacular display of buttery yellow blooms. This yellow–flowered magnolia was the result of plant breeding by Dr. Eva Maria Sperber who named it after long-time Brooklyn Botanic Garden volunteer Elizabeth Van Brunt. In 1987 Dr. Sperber presented Filoli with a small Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’. At the time the tree was only eight inches tall. Today the tree rises over thirty feet and graces the walled garden with hundreds of creamy yellow blooms every March.

The Filoli Garden Shop is offering Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’, Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ (with deep purple flowers), Magnolia cylindrica (propagated at Filoli), Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’ and the southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora. Prices range from $34 to $137.

February Featured Plant: Daphne odora ‘Aureo-Marginata’ – Yellow Edged Daphne

Daphne odora ‘Aureo-Marginata’ is a slow growing shrub to about four feet tall. It has a dome-shaped habit that rarely requires pruning. The cultivar ‘Aureo-Marginata’ bears showy foliage of yellow-edged leaves. For daphne to thrive it needs a light, porous soil that provides excellent drainage. It is helpful to plant daphne about an inch above the soil grade to help ensure airflow around the roots. Be sure to plant it in a location that gets at least three hours of shade around midday.

Daphne requires regular irrigation during the year, but it benefits from somewhat limited water during the summer, which will result in increased blooms the following spring. As the plant finishes flowering, fertilize with a complete fertilizer (10-10-10) or a nice top-dressing of compost, being sure to avoid the area where the stem goes into the ground. This is also a good time to handle any light pruning that might be needed for shape.

Daphne odora ‘Aureo-Marginata’ can be found in many locations throughout the Filoli gardens, including the walled garden, the woodland garden, and along the Daphne border north of the ballroom lawn. Plants are available for sale in the Filoli Garden Shop in two gallon containers for $26 each.

Sunset Plant Finder

Find the perfect flowers and plants for your climate and personal gardening style.
Use the Sunset Plant Finder.

Visit Filoli's retail nursery, directly adjacent to the Garden Shop, for a beautiful selection of plants suitable to the Bay Area. Garden Information Docents can answer your questions about the cultivation of plants for your own garden.

Garden Information Docents

A Filoli Garden Information Docent answers questions for a Filoli visitor about to purchase a tomato plant.

While visiting Filoli, be sure to visit our Garden Information Docents. These specially-trained volunteers can answer questions about Filoli’s horticultural practices and plant collections and also help you with cultivation questions about plants for your own garden. You’ll find them March 12 through the end of October on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 pm–3:00 pm in the Lath House in the Garden Shop Courtyard.

Filoli is proud to be in partnership with the Master Gardeners from the University of California Master Gardener–San Mateo and San Francisco Counties Program. For additional information about the Master Gardeners program, please visit their website at www.mastergardeners.org. You can select your county of residence. The exact web page for San Mateo county and San Francisco county residents is: groups.ucanr.org/sanmateo/index.cfm.

Master Gardeners’ Help Line and Location
For San Mateo county and San Francisco county residents, there is a gardening Help Line staffed Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: (650) 726-9059, ext. 107. You can also send an email to mgvhelpline@ucdavis.edu or visit the Master Gardener office at 80 Stone Pine Road #100, Half Moon Bay.