Sun Mountain Research Center: SunGardens
Photos from SunMt Herbal Cookery
SunMt Research Center is located in the Chaparral zone of the Sierra foothills of California at 2,000 ft. level, with dry hot or cold weather. In Fresno County it seldom rains between May & November, so our SunGarden and wild area have many arid land plants, drought tolerant, pest resistant, multi-purpose perennials using Permaculture design concepts. We have done extensive trials here since 1983. Key: “–” indicates failure due to drought, frost, pests, removal etc.
ACACIA
Acacia decurrens – delbata
– Acacia farnesiana
– Acacia villosa Acacia iteaphylla
– Acacia myrtifolia
Alfalfa
– Almond Non-pareil squirrels got the nuts 1st, so dry farmed
– Aloe Vera, greenhouse & kitchen
– Amaranth , A. hypochondriacus
– Angelica
– Anise Anise hyssop
APPLES low chill
Anna Israel, mild flavored yellow
Early Dawn, S. CA
– Golden Dawn, Bahamas, mild yellow
APPLES heirloom lower orchard near stream most lost in drought
– Ashmead’s Kernal
– Cox Orange Pippin
– Ketherine
– King Solomon
– Liberty
– McIntosh dwarf
– Mutzu
– Pink Permain
– Pioneer Scarlet
– Prima
– Priscilla
– Spitzenberg
– Yellow Bellflower
– Wealthy
Wickson Apricot, Blenheim
– Artichoke
– Asparagus
Avocado, Mexicola, greenhouse BAMBOOS, all lost in drought
– Black
– B.. viridis
– Golden
– B. Meyeri
– B. Moso
BANANA greenhouse, too arid
– Honey
– Red
BASILS
Sweet Basil
Cinnamon Basil
Dark Opal Basil
Lemon Basil
BEANS
Scarlet Runner
Tepary
Chinese Long Bean
Purple Long bean
Bee Balm, Scarlet
Bee Balm, Wild Purple Beets
Beefsteak Plant, Perilla
BERRIES
Autumn Olive, E. Umbellata
Elderberries
Goumi berry, E. multiflora
Hawthorne berry
Juniper berry
Lycii berry (Wolfberry)
Mulberry, Black Persian
Mulberry, Black
Mulberry, white
– BLACKBERRIES
Cheyenne
Cherokee
Shawnee
Black satin
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia L.- Bog bean (died in pond)
Borage
Broccoli
– Burdock
Cabbage
Cabbage, Chinese
Cabbage, Purple flowering
CACTI
Cholla,Cylindropuntia
Night blooming cereus
Nopale, Opuntia basilaris, Opuntia robusta
Calendula
– Canigre
– Caraway
– Carnation
– Caper plant
Carob
Catnip
Cattails, dwarf (pond)
Cayenne
Century plant, Agave Americana
Chamomile, Matricaria recutita
Chamomile, Roman, C. nobile
Chard, Rainbow
Chasteberry, Vitex agnus-castus
– Chayote
– Chervil
– Chestnut, Malabar (drought)
Chickweed
Chinese Boxthorne
Chives
Chives,Garlic
Chrysanthemum
CITRUS
Blood orange, genetic dwarf
Calamondin
Grapefruit
– Honey mandarin
– Kumquat
Lemon, Meyer
– Tangerine
Cleavers
CLOVERS
Subterranean
Red
White
Collards, Perennial
Comfrey
Coriander
CORN
Corn silk
Taos Blue
Papago white
Red
CUCUMBER
Cucumber, Armenian
Cucumber, Lemon
Curly leaf dock
Curry plant
Dandelion
Day Lily
Devil’s Claw
Dill
Dock, Yellow
Echinacea
Eggplant, Japanese
Fennel
FIGS
Fig, Black Mission
– Fig, Calmyrna
– FoTi: polygonum multiflorum
GARLICS
Garlic
Garlic, Elephant
Garlic, Society
Geranium, Rose
Giant Purslane
Ginger (greenhouse/mild root)
GOURD
African
Bottle
Buffalo
Luffa
GRAPES
– Agawan Alden
– Ameria
– Aanab-E-Shahi
– Black Corinth
– Black Damascus
– Cardinal
– Christmas
Flame
– Golden Chasselas
– Interlaken
– Iona
– Katakourgan
– Keuka
Lady Finger
Manuka
– Mission
– Muscat of Alexandria
– Muscat orange
– Oeillade noir
– Palomino
Perlite
– Red Chanez
– Servant
– Sauvis
Thompson
Grasses, native bunching
Green onion
Hibiscus, H. sabdariffa
Honeysuckle
Hops
Horehound
Jasmine
Jerusalem artichoke
Jujube, Red Dates
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lambsquarters, large leaf
LAVENDERS
French
English
Spanish
Lemon Balm
Lemongrass, greenhouse
Lemon verbena, as annual Licorice, native G. lepidota Loquat
– Lotus (pond dried out)
– Lovage
MALLOWS
Hollyhock
Desert Mallow (shrub/tree)
Mallow
MARJORAMS
Marjoram, garden
Marjoram, creeping
Marjoram, creeping golden
– Matilija poppy (romneya coulteri)
Mesquite, Honey
Milk thistle
MELON
Melon, Juan Canary
Melon, Desert Watermelon
MINTS
– Apple mint
Bergamot mint
Black peppermint
– Chocolate mint
Spearmint
– Pineapple mint
Mullein,Verbascum thapsis
Nasturtium (greenhouse)
Nettle
Nigella
Olives
Onion
Oregano
Oregon Grape
Orris root iris
Palo Verde
Parsley
Passion flower
Passion fruit
PEACHES
Indian burgundy
Nectar
Peas, Edible pod
Peony tree
PEPPERS
Cayenne
Fresno chile
Italian long
PERSIMMONS
– Persimmon, Chocolate
– Persimmon, Cinnamon
Persimmon, Fuyu
Persimmon, Hachiya
Pineapple guava
Pineaple Quince
PLUMS
Plum, Japanese flowering
– Plum, Natal (frost) Plum,
Santa Rosa
POMEGRANATES
Pink Pomegranate, Thompson
Wonderful
Raisin Tree
Rosemary
ROSES
Rose, Rosa Rugosa Frau Dagmar Haustrup
Rose, Lady Banks, Rosa banksiae
Wild Rose, Rosa californica
SAGES,native + garden
Sage, garden
Sage, Mexican
Sage, White, Salvia Apiana
Sage, Wild Black, S.Mellifera
Sagebrush, Artemesia tridentata
Santolina
Siberian Pea Bush
Southernwood
SQUASH
Crook neck yellow
Luffa squash
Zucchini
Strawberry Tree, Heteromeles arbutifolia
Sunflower
Tansy
Tarragon
TOMATOES
Brandywine heirloom
Sweet 10 Cherry tomatos
Pear Tomatoes, low acid
THYME
Thyme, officinalis
Thyme, lemon
Valerian
Watercress (in stream)
Wormwood
YARROW
Golden Yarrow
Pink Yarrow
White Yarrow
Flora found on SunMt property
Brodiaea B. californica
Brodiaea, Brodiaea elegans
Milkweed, Asclepias
California Bay Laurel, Umbellularia californica
California Lilac, Ceanothus calfiornica
California poppy, Eschscholzia californica
Chinese houses,Collinsia heterophylla
Common Camas, Camassia quamash
Blazing Star, Mentzelia laevicaulis
Blue Dick, Dichelostemma capitatum
Buckeye, Aesculus californica
Elderberry, Sambucus nigra
Fern, Woodwardia fimbriata
Fremontia, Fremontodendron
Lupin, L. californicum
Manzanita, Arctostaphylos
Mimulus, Diplacus aurantiacus
Owl Clover, Orthocarpus purpurascens
OAKS
Valley Oak, Quercus lobata
Live Oak Quercus wislizeni
Pearly Everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea
Penstemon, Penstemon heterodoxus
Pineapple weed, Matricaria discoidea
Plantain, Plantago ovata
Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum
Poison oak,Toxicodendron diversilobum
Popcorn flower, Plagiobothrys tenellus
Pine, Gray Pinus sabiniana
Purple Owl’s Clover, Castilleja exserta
Redbud, Cercis occidentalis
Sage, Chia, Salvia columbariae
Spice Bush, Calycanthus occidentalis
Soap plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum,
Tarweed, Harmonia species
Turkey Mullein, Croton Setiger
Twining Snakelily, Dichelostemma volubile
Vinegar weed, Trichostema lanceolatum
Wild cucumber, Marah macrocarpus
Wild lettuce, Lactuca virosa
Wild onion, Allium fimbriatum
Wild oats, Avena fatua, Europe
Woodwardia fern, Woodwardia fimbriata
Yerba Santa, Eriodictyon californicum