Plants that like wet winters and dry summers

The trick to success with low-water-use plants is to find those that match our rainfall pattern of wet winters and dry summers. Note that several recommendations are Northwest natives. A better match you could not find.

Last in a 10-part series of tips from the writers of our Northwest Gardens section. For previous lists, go to seattlepi.com/nwgardens/

1. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)

There's room in any garden for two or three of these useful and attractive shrubs. Evergreen huckleberry, which makes a good, low, informal hedge, grows to about 3 feet high with a vaguely vase-shaped habit. Its flowers are little bells (like blueberry flowers) that are followed by sweet, shiny-black fruit. The foliage, which starts out bronze and turns dark green, is long-lasting and looks great in a vase. Grow in part to full shade.

2. Privet honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata)

The horizontal habit of this low-growing evergreen shrub makes it a good choice to contrast with vertical and rounded shapes in the garden. The handsome foliage is the most important characteristic here. It looks good in summer or winter. The flowers are insignificant (and not fragrant like other honeysuckles), and the dark lavender fruit is undistinguished, but it doesn't matter. The foliage is enough to recommend it. Grow in full sun or part shade.

3. Rock rose (Cistus)

These low-growing, evergreen Mediterranean shrubs are perfect for a sun-soaked part of the garden, even up against a hot wall. They have a mounding habit and do not look good when sheared. They bloom in late spring and summer, but a few flowers may show up after the main flush. Cistus purpureus has 2-inch purple flowers; C. corbariensis has small white flowers; the foliage of 'Grayswood Pink' is gray-green; C. ladanifer has white flowers with a maroon base to each petal and dark green, resinous leaves that are fragrant in the hot sun.

4. Hebe

These New Zealand natives are evergreen shrubs that used to be in the genus Veronica -- a fact that is evident from the 2- to 3-inch spikes of tiny flowers that appear in summer. The leaves are arranged paired and opposite, giving the plant an architectural look. Hebes come in a range of sizes to fit almost any space. You can find them as ground covers (H. pinguifolia 'Pagei' has gray foliage and white flowers) or larger, such as 'Autumn Glory,' with purple leaves and lavender flowers. H. speciosa has red-purple flowers, Hebe cupressoides has whip-cord foliage, and H. buxifolia looks like a boxwood. Grow in full sun.

5. Fuchsia magellanica

The hardy fuchsia is a deciduous shrub native to South America. Plants begin to flower in late summer and continue into fall with delicate, dangling blooms called "lady's earrings." There are many cultivars, including 'Riccartonii,' which has lots of tiny flowers; 'Variegata,' with gray-green leaves that are marked with pink; and 'Hawkshead,' which has the palest pink flowers. Some fuchsias will grow up to 5 feet. You can cut the stems back in late winter or leave the plants to themselves and their arching, airy form. Grow in part shade.

6. Sadler's oak (Quercus sadleriana)

Don't have room for an oak? Yes, you do! Sadler's oak is a handsome, low-growing shrub that eventually may reach 5 feet or more, but don't wait around for it. It has leathery green leaves, and with mature specimens you have the possibility of acorns. This almost native (native to southern Oregon and Northern California) mixes well with our natives. Grow in full sun or -- what a delight! -- part shade, and provide excellent drainage.

7. Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana)

Our native cascara is a deciduous tree 30 feet tall (or higher) with quietly pleasing form and foliage (the leaves are prominently veined). An evergreen relative to the south, the California coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica), has a cultivar -- 'Eve Case' -- that grows to about 8 feet high and wide. Its evergreen Mediterranean cousin, R. alaternus, has a striking variegated cultivar, 'Argenteovariegatea' that has a creamy edge to the leaves. Full sun or a little shade.

8. Eucryphia x nymansensis

A hybrid of two South American species, this is a narrow evergreen tree that grows about 20 feet high (true, some people would consider that just a big shrub). The leaves are dark green and make a great backdrop for the big white flowers that appear in August and September. Bees love them. Grow in part shade with a little protection (against a southeast-facing wall is better than standing alone out in the garden).

9. x Chitalpa tashkentensis

This small, deciduous tree is a cross between a Southwestern tree (Chilopsis) and the cigar tree (Catalpa bignonoides). The result is a small tree that grows 20 to 30 feet high with a rounded form. Not only is it a tough plant, it has the added bonus of summer flowers. The blooms are clusters of ruffly white flowers marked with pink (the cultivar 'Pink Dawn' has more pink, 'White Cloud' more white). Grow in full sun.

10. Silk tassel tree (Garrya elliptica)

Male and female flowers are on separate plants of this large evergreen (up to 15 feet). Most people agree the male is the showier plant; some of the cultivars boast catkins that grow to 12 inches -- as if someone has decorated the branches with (non-shiny) tinsel. But the female plants (if pollinated) have their own charm; they develop clusters of fruit that birds love. 'James Roof' is a popular male selection, but there is also the hybrid G. x issaquahensis 'Pat Ballard,' which was discovered in a local garden. Grow in full sun and provide excellent drainage.

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