Full Sun Plants

Every plant on this page is rated for full sun, which on our Rosamond and Visalia yards means six or more hours of direct light and summer highs well past 100 degrees. That is a harder test than the phrase implies. A plant sold as sun tolerant in a mild coastal climate can scorch in the Antelope Valley or the southern San Joaquin, so the ratings here come from growers working in the same conditions our customers plant in.

Most of what you will find is agave, aloe, yucca and other succulents, plus palms and a handful of shrubs. Use the filters to narrow by mature height and width before you buy, since a rosette that looks tidy in a 5 gallon can may finish at six feet across. Cold hardiness is listed on every product page alongside the USDA zone range, and full sun plus low water is the combination that does best in unamended decomposed granite or gravel beds.