New plants always feel like a little promise for the year ahead, and California garden centers are getting ready to roll out some seriously exciting newcomers you’ll want to check out.
I love the feeling of spotting something fresh on the tables before everyone else, and these picks might just be the ones that end up in your yard first.
It’s shaping up to be a fun planting season, and you’ll probably catch yourself planning new corners before you even finish looking through the list.
1. Kangaroo Paw ‘Bush Ranger’
Bright fuzzy blooms shaped like actual kangaroo feet make this Australian native a showstopper that California gardeners will absolutely adore when it arrives next season.
Bush Ranger produces striking orange and red tubular flowers that hummingbirds cannot resist, bringing lively wildlife activity right into your personal outdoor sanctuary every single day.
This variety thrives in California’s Mediterranean climate, requiring minimal water once established, which makes it perfect for eco-conscious gardeners seeking sustainable landscape solutions without sacrificing beauty.
Plant it in full sun with well-draining soil, and watch it grow into a compact clump that adds architectural interest to borders and containers alike.
The blooms appear from spring through fall, providing months of continuous color that keeps your garden looking fresh and vibrant throughout California’s long growing season.
Pair it with native grasses or succulents for a modern drought-tolerant design that reflects the natural beauty of the Golden State’s diverse ecosystems beautifully.
Maintenance is simple—just remove spent flower stalks and provide occasional deep watering during extended dry spells to keep this stunner performing at its absolute best year after year.
2. Echeveria ‘Afterglow’
Imagine a succulent so stunning that it looks like a living sunset, with powdery lavender leaves edged in brilliant pink that practically glow under California sunshine.
Afterglow forms large rosettes reaching up to fifteen inches across, creating dramatic focal points in rock gardens, containers, or xeriscaped yards throughout the state.
Native to Mexico but perfectly suited for California’s climate, this echeveria tolerates heat and drought while maintaining its gorgeous coloring through every season without much fuss.
It produces tall coral-colored flower spikes in summer, attracting bees and butterflies while adding vertical dimension to your succulent collection with minimal effort required from you.
Place it where it receives bright light but some afternoon shade in hotter inland California areas to prevent leaf scorch and maintain that signature pastel hue.
Propagation is easy—simply remove offsets or individual leaves to create more plants, making it a budget-friendly choice for filling large garden spaces over time affordably.
Pair Afterglow with other soft-toned succulents or contrasting dark foliage to create eye-catching combinations that showcase California’s love for water-wise gardening done with artistic flair and style.
3. Japanese Forest Grass ‘Aureola’
Golden cascades of striped foliage bring a luminous quality to shaded California gardens where many other plants struggle to provide color and texture throughout the year.
Aureola features bright yellow leaves with thin green stripes that arch gracefully, creating a fountain-like effect that softens hardscapes and brightens dim corners with effortless elegance.
This ornamental grass thrives in partial to full shade, making it ideal for California yards with mature trees or north-facing areas that need a touch of sunshine.
Unlike many grasses, it prefers consistent moisture and cooler conditions, so plant it where soil stays slightly damp and temperatures remain moderate throughout summer months in California.
The foliage glows brightest in spring and fall, providing seasonal interest that changes subtly as light shifts and temperatures fluctuate across California’s varied microclimates and regions.
Combine it with ferns, hostas, or coral bells to create layered shade gardens that feel like enchanted woodland retreats right in your own backyard sanctuary space.
Maintenance involves cutting back old foliage in late winter before new growth emerges, keeping your Japanese Forest Grass looking fresh and vibrant for another beautiful growing season.
4. Salvia ‘Amistad’
Deep purple blooms with nearly black calyces create a dramatic display that pollinators adore, making Amistad a must-have for California gardeners who value both beauty and biodiversity.
This salvia hybrid blooms from late spring through frost, providing months of continuous color that keeps your garden buzzing with bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds all season long.
Amistad grows into a bushy shrub reaching about four feet tall and wide, filling spaces quickly while requiring very little water once roots establish in California soil.
Plant it in full sun with excellent drainage, and it will reward you with vigorous growth and abundant flowers that never seem to quit blooming no matter what.
The foliage has a pleasant herbal scent when brushed, adding a sensory element to pathways and borders where people pass by frequently throughout the day in California gardens.
Pair it with yellow yarrow, orange California poppies, or silver artemisia to create vibrant color combinations that reflect the state’s bold and adventurous gardening spirit perfectly.
Deadheading is optional—Amistad keeps blooming regardless—but occasional pruning helps maintain a tidy shape and encourages even more flowers to develop throughout California’s extended growing season beautifully.
5. Agave ‘Blue Glow’
Sculptural and stunning, Blue Glow agave features smooth blue-green leaves edged in red, creating a glowing effect that makes it look almost otherworldly in California landscapes.
This compact hybrid reaches only about two feet tall and wide, making it perfect for smaller California yards, container gardens, or tight spaces where larger agaves would overwhelm.
Unlike some agaves with sharp terminal spines, Blue Glow has softer leaf tips, making it safer around walkways and patios where people and pets pass regularly throughout the day.
It thrives in full sun and requires virtually no supplemental water once established, embodying the ultimate low-maintenance plant ideal for busy California gardeners seeking effortless beauty daily.
The symmetrical rosette form adds architectural interest to modern landscapes, pairing beautifully with boulders, gravel, and other drought-tolerant plants common in California’s water-wise garden designs today.
Blue Glow eventually produces a tall flower spike, but unlike some agaves, this variety often produces offsets even after blooming, allowing it to continue growing for years.
Use it as a focal point in rock gardens or mass plantings to create bold patterns that celebrate California’s commitment to sustainable, beautiful, and environmentally responsible landscaping practices statewide.
6. Penstemon ‘Midnight Masquerade’
Tubular purple flowers rise above dark burgundy foliage, creating a striking contrast that catches eyes and attracts hummingbirds to California gardens throughout the entire growing season.
Midnight Masquerade is a North American native perfectly adapted to California’s climate, offering drought tolerance and low maintenance once roots establish in your garden soil successfully.
The deep-colored foliage provides year-round interest even when flowers are not present, making it a valuable addition to landscapes that need consistent color and texture always.
Plant it in full sun to partial shade with well-draining soil, and it will thrive without fuss, producing waves of blooms from spring through summer effortlessly.
This penstemon grows about two feet tall and wide, fitting nicely into borders, pollinator gardens, or native plant landscapes throughout California’s diverse regions and microclimates beautifully.
Pair it with California fuchsia, sage, or ornamental grasses to create naturalistic plantings that reflect the state’s wild beauty and ecological richness in your own backyard space.
Deadheading spent blooms encourages additional flowering, but even without this care, Midnight Masquerade performs reliably, making it ideal for gardeners who want gorgeous results with minimal effort invested.
7. Leucadendron ‘Jester’
Variegated foliage splashed with cream, green, red, and pink makes Jester a kaleidoscope of color that brightens California gardens even when not in bloom year-round.
This South African native loves California’s Mediterranean climate, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil while requiring minimal water once established in your landscape successfully.
Leucadendrons are prized for their long-lasting foliage, which provides color from fall through spring, filling the gap when many other plants go dormant in California gardens.
Jester grows into a compact shrub about four feet tall and wide, making it suitable for smaller yards or as a colorful accent in mixed borders throughout the state.
The foliage intensifies in color during cooler months, providing dynamic seasonal interest that changes as California’s weather shifts from warm to cool and back again annually.
Use it in cut flower arrangements—the stems last for weeks in a vase, bringing that California garden beauty indoors where you can enjoy it every single day.
Prune lightly after flowering to maintain shape and encourage bushy growth, ensuring your Jester leucadendron remains a stunning focal point in your California landscape for many years ahead.
8. Heuchera ‘Obsidian’
Nearly black foliage creates a bold statement in California shade gardens, offering a dramatic backdrop that makes surrounding plants pop with vibrant color and visual interest daily.
Obsidian produces delicate white flower spikes in late spring, adding a soft contrast to the dark leaves while attracting beneficial insects to your California garden ecosystem naturally.
This coral bells variety thrives in partial shade with consistent moisture, making it ideal for California gardens with irrigation systems or naturally damp spots that need beautification efforts.
The compact clumping habit makes it perfect for edging pathways, filling containers, or massing in shaded borders where you need reliable color throughout California’s mild growing seasons.
Pair Obsidian with bright lime or golden foliage plants like Japanese Forest Grass to create stunning contrasts that showcase the depth and richness of its dark leaves beautifully.
It remains evergreen in mild California climates, providing year-round structure and color even during winter months when many other perennials have faded away completely from view.
Maintenance is minimal—just remove old flower stalks and divide clumps every few years to keep your Heuchera vigorous, healthy, and looking absolutely fantastic in your California landscape always.
9. Grevillea ‘Superb’
Spider-like pink and cream flowers bloom nearly year-round on this Australian evergreen shrub, bringing constant color and hummingbird activity to California gardens without any seasonal breaks.
Superb grows into a dense shrub reaching about six feet tall and wide, providing excellent screening, hedging, or backdrop material for California landscapes that need privacy and beauty.
The fine-textured foliage creates a soft, feathery appearance that contrasts beautifully with bolder-leaved plants, adding depth and variety to your garden design throughout the entire year consistently.
This grevillea thrives in full sun with excellent drainage and minimal water, making it a superb choice for California’s ongoing water conservation efforts and sustainable gardening practices today.
Plant it where hummingbirds can easily access the nectar-rich blooms, and you will enjoy daily wildlife visits that bring your California garden to life with movement and sound.
Superb tolerates coastal conditions, making it suitable for seaside California gardens where salt spray and wind challenge many other plants that simply cannot handle those tough conditions well.
Prune after flowering to maintain shape and encourage bushier growth, ensuring your Grevillea remains a stunning, functional, and wildlife-friendly feature in your California landscape for years to come ahead.
10. Lomandra ‘Breeze’
Soft, fine-textured foliage forms graceful mounds that sway gently in the breeze, bringing movement and a calming presence to California gardens without the maintenance headaches of traditional lawns.
Breeze is an Australian native that loves California’s climate, tolerating heat, drought, and poor soil while maintaining its lush green appearance throughout the year with minimal care.
This grass-like perennial reaches about two feet tall and wide, making it ideal for edging, mass plantings, or filling spaces between shrubs in California landscape designs statewide.
Unlike ornamental grasses that require annual cutbacks, Lomandra needs virtually no maintenance—just occasional grooming to remove old leaves keeps it looking fresh and tidy always without hassle.
It produces small, fragrant yellow flowers in spring that attract bees, adding ecological value to your California garden while contributing to local pollinator populations and biodiversity efforts effectively.
Breeze works beautifully as a lawn alternative, especially in areas with foot traffic, as it tolerates occasional stepping and bounces back quickly without damage or stress showing.
Pair it with succulents, native shrubs, or colorful perennials to create layered, water-wise landscapes that reflect California’s commitment to sustainable beauty and environmental responsibility in every single garden space.