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Galvezia speciosa - Scrophulariaceae - 'Showy Island Snapdragon.' - A native of the southern Channel Islands of California, this rare endemic has found new security thanks to horticulture. With showy red flowers that attract hummingbirds and graceful arching stems tightly clothed with glossy green leaves, it is a welcome addition to any Mediterranean climate zone garden. It is an arching, relaxed shrub which will not get very tall but will send its long stems sideways and mix with adjacent plants beautifully without overwhelming them. If planted next to a larger woody shrub, it can assume a semi-vining habit, the stems coming up through the crown and then arching downward with its flowering branches. On July 4th, this plant was being visited by several hummingbirds on a sunny day in Golden Gate Park.

In hot sunny climates, the Island Snapdragon should be provided with some midday shade, while in the coastal fog belt it prefers a mostly sunny exposure. It is perfectly drought tolerant, but looks better with some supplemental summer water. Soil-wise, it needs reasonably well drained soil. At temperatures below 28ºF it will suffer frost damage, but happily recover. It shouldn't be allowed to drop below 24ºF, however.