Viguiera laciniata

San Diego Sunflower, Bahiopsis laciniata, is a very floriferous perennial sub-shrub that grows in southern San Diego County. In many gardens it will flower for almost every month of the year. The flowers look like delicate sunflowers. In the wild it grows with Artemisia californica, Salvia apiana, Rhus ovata and other chaparral plants on south, west and east facing slopes. This plant adds greatly to a planting if combined with Trichostema, Penstemon centranthifolius, Penstemon spectabilis, Salvia clevelandii, Encelia californica or E. farinosa, and Diplacus. Add a few long term plants in for long term stability, such as Arctostaphylos, Rhus, Ceanothus, Quercus, etc., and you have a show stopper long term. San Diego Sunflower tolerates everything from regular water through drought, sun to part-sun, sand to clay, but it does not like standing water nor hard frosts.