Accent Plants for Los Angeles Gardens

Artichoke agave (Agave parryi). Yes, it still has spines, but it stays relatively small and won't overwhelm your garden. As long as it's in full sun, you'll get the full artichoke effect with tightly clustered leaves. In shadier spaces, the plants will open up. You can combine these with blue or green chalk sticks (Senecio), and ghost plant (Graptopetalum) for a study in chalky blues and greens, or mix with native penstemons, Pozo Blue sage and red buckwheat (Eriogonum grande rubescens) where the agaves can be either massed or used as accents.

Eriogonum 'Theodore Payne'. Bold accent plants need something neutral to set them off. This plant does the trick nicely. It stays low, does interesting things with flowers (good for local insects) and is native right here in Los Angeles. It will crawl around whatever else you plant, and might need an occasional bit of trimming so it doesn't overwhelm the accent plant. Combine with Agave parryi, Opuntia santa-rita (watch out for spines!), aloes, puyas, yuccas and other bold plants with a form and foliage contrast that will be accented by the fine texture of this buckwheat. Great features: it needs very little water, stays low and spreads well.

Echeverrias. These are better in pots, but a small collection can add a lot of interest to a patio. These don't like frost, and some don't even like the occasional cold, wet winter in Los Angeles. Once they get through the winter, they tend to recover their previous splendor by summer. They can be moved to a more protected location - a bright spot under eaves on the south side of the house, but we prefer to let them go through their cycle - moving pots is a lot of work!