These sunny yellow flowers are guaranteed to brighten up your garden

Sundrops

Calylophus

Planting areas: USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9

Size: About 1 foot tall by 2 to 3 feet wide.

Bloom season: Spring through fall.

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Pruning needs: In early spring, shear off dead foliage and shape to compact circle.

Water needs: Low to moderate; drought-tolerant once established.

Snapshot: This compact North American native has many qualities to admire. It requires little care once established, is low growing and puts on a sunny show of bright yellow blooms for much of the year.

The one thing this plant won’t tolerate is soggy soil, so be sure to provide good drainage.

When in bloom, the four-petaled flowers almost completely obscure the plant’s thin, light green leaves. (Calylophus is related to, and often confused with another heavy-blooming plant — oenothera, or, evening primrose.)

Sundrops look great in hanging pots and planted toward the front of mixed flower beds. They also make perfect additions to rock gardens and hillside plantings.

Got a gardening question?

In San Luis Obispo, call 805-781-5939; Arroyo Grande, 805-473-7190, and Templeton, 805-434-4105. Visit us at http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo or email us at anrmgslo@ucanr.edu. Follow us on Instagram at slo_mgs and like us on Facebook. Informative garden workshops are held the third Saturday of every month at 2156 Sierra Way in San Luis Obispo. To request a tour of the garden, call 805-781-5939.