Flowers

Olive green above, dusky purple below -- these are the leaves of Arabian lilac, an evergreen shrub that provides year-round color in the garden. Arabian lilac (Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea') is not a true lilac but, rather, a cousin to the chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), a Mediterranean native. The term "lilac" comes from those purple-bottomed leaves, pleasantly fragrant and occasionally divided into three ovals ("trifolia" means "three leaves").

Gardeners who like a touch of the exotic need not despair in these water-conscious times. Many of Earth's loveliest flowers can get by with less. Take sparaxis, a group of bulbs -- underground stems called corms, to be precise -- that hails from South Africa. It grows to about a foot high and can be so alluring, it will have you crouching for a closer look. The coppery-apricot flowers of Sparaxis elegans are intricately painted: Their purple centers are rimmed with yellow spots edged in black.

The humble yellow flower isn't exactly a showstopper. But to those who want to see development take root in the rugged hills of south Laguna Beach, the big-leaved crownbeard might be just that. Unlike the spotted owl or the California desert tortoise -- threatened superstars with reputations for slowing development, the crownbeard is something of a bit player. It only grows in two places, neither of which would be confused with pristine wilderness or majestic national parkland.