California Native Garden Plant List
This section uses almost entirely plant species that are native to California. California is fortunate to have a multitude of different geographies and climates, resulting in over 5000 native plant species, more than any other state. The plants used in this garden are from those parts of California with a summer dry climate. There are a few trees that are not natives but that were here before the current design and were not removed
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Description |
| Achillea millefolium ‘Sonoma Coast’ | Sonoma Coast Yarrow | Achillea millefolium, a dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to Europe, Asia and North America, including California. This variety is native to California. |
| Arbutus marina | Marina Strawberry Tree | Medium-sized tree with beautiful shiny bark and pendulous clusters of urn-shaped white-pink flowers. Hardy to 15-20 degrees. Bloom Period: Year-round along the coast with peaks in spring and fall. |
| Arctostaphalos montana ssp ravenii | Presidio Manzanita | A native shrub from the Presidio in San Francisco, forming a low spreading mat of small, thick, gray-green leaves on stems up to 24 inches high. Small urn shaped flowers and red berries. |
| Arctostaphylos 'John Dourley' | John Dourley Manzanita | Shrub with mounding habit with bronze to blue-green leaves with abundant clusters of pink flowers followed by purple-red berries. |
| Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist' | Pacific Mist Manzanita | A low, gray green shrub, fast growing with purplish brown twisted stems. A hardy plant, with leaves that tend to be greener in coastal climates. |
| Arctostaphylos 'Winterglow' | Winterglow Manzanita | Mounding, evergreen groundcover with large, bright green leaves with striking red to orange tones on new growth. Flowers are white with a pinkish blush. |
| Arctostaphylos pajaroensis | Pajaro Manzanita | Showy, spreading, evergreen shrub with beautiful, dark red bark with white flowers and rusty-red berries. |
| Arctostaphylos uva ursi 'Woods Compact' | Manzanita ‘Woods Compact’ | Low-growing, spreading with shiny leaves and pink, urn-shaped flowers and pretty berries |
| Arctostaphylos x media 'Humboldt Mystery' | Arctostaphylos x media Humboldt Mystery | A mounding manzanita to 5 feet tall with arching branches, that was discovered in a never disclosed location along the Humboldt coast, the reason of its name. Red trunks and large dark green leaves |
| Artemesia californica | California sagebrush | Evergreen shrub with finely divided silvery grayish leaves which are strongly aromatic |
| Carex divulsa (tumulicula) | Berkeley Sedge | Clumping, mostly evergreen, grass-like plants. |
| Ceanothus 'Wheeler Canyon' | Blue Mountain lilac | A hybrid Ceanothus from Southern California with small, glossy, crinkled leaves that forms 2 inch clusters of rich blue flowers in early spring. Grows to a 6x8 foot mound. |
| Ceanothus gloriosus | Pt. Reyes Ceanothus, California Lilac | Small, coastal, evergreen shrub with spreading form with small clusters of bright blue to purple flowers |
| Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis ‘Diamond Heights’ | Diamond Heights Ceanothus, California lilac | Bright low-growing shrub with chartreuse leaves splashed with dark green |
| Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis | Nipomo Mesa Ceanothus or California Lilac | Thickly branched with dark brown twigs and stem. The shrub flowers abundently in clusters of small blue flowers. |
| Cercis occidentale | Western Redbud | Multi-trunked, small tree or large shrub with a brief but brilliant display of magenta flowers on stems and branches appearing before bright green, heart-shaped leaves |
| Deschampsia caespitosa | Tufted Hairgrass | Clumps of dark green leaves and greenish gold flowers on 4’ stalks |
| Diplacus aurantiacus | Sticky Monkeyflower | Large, showy flowers form on a shrubby plant with sticky leaves |
| Diplacus bifidus ‘White’ (Diplacus auranticus var. grandifloras) | Azalea-flowered Monkey Flower | This species has the largest flowers of the monkeyflower. They are deeply lobed and two-inches across |
| Epilobium canum | California Fuschia | Sprawling perennial with narrow, silvery green foliage with loose clusters of brilliant orange to scarlet, tubular flowers |
| Epilobium canum var. latifollum ‘Everett’s Choice' | California Fuchsia ‘Everett’s Choice’ | Everett’s Choice is a low-growing, ground-hugging variety of California Fuchsia that remains under 6” tall with fuzzy, gray-green leaves and many scarlet flowers. Spreads easily. Winter deciduous, ground-hugging sub-shrub; Native to California |
| Erigeron glaucus ‘Wayne Roderick’ | Seaside Daisy | Thick mat of lanceolate leaves with daisy-like flowers at the tips of leafy stalks. Flowers may be white, pink or rose. |
| Eriogonum fasiculatum | California buckwheat | Shrubby, evergreen buckwheat species with abundant fuzzy white flowers clustered in bundles and medium green to silvery grey leaves. Coppery seed heads are also beautiful. |
| Eriogonum grande var. rubescens | San Miguel Island Buckwheat / Red-Flowered Buckwheat | Clumping plant with green to gray-green, ovate leaves and cherry red flowers on 6-inch stalks. |
| Eriophyllum lanatum | Woolly sunflower | Dense, wooly hairs cover stems and undersides of leaves to prevent drying out. Plant sends up single, large, golden-rayed flower heads. |
| Eschscholzia californica | California poppy | Annual or perennial herb, state flower of California, with orange, yellow, or white flowers. |
| Festuca californica | California Fescue | Cool season grass with blue or verdant new green blades in fall after rains with arching 2 feet or more graceful stems with inflorescences.in early spring. |
| Festuca idahoensis | Blue Bunch Grass / Idaho Fescue | Tight, clump-forming, dense grey-green grass (lower than California fescue).with 1-2-feet-tall stems that may have a rose blush color. |
| Fragaria chiloensis ‘Carole Ann’ | Beach strawberry Carole Ann | Vigorous, fast-growing ground cover forms a mat of glossy green foliage and large, bright white flowers. Fruit is edible. |
| Fragaria vesca spp. californica | Woodland Strawberry | Lighter green leaves with smaller flowers than the beach strawberry, this plant grows well in shade. |
| Frangula californica | Coffeeberry | Dense, evergreen shrub with dark red branches with attractive dark green leaves and small, inconspicuous flower clusters that produce red berries that first turn purple and then black over the summer. |
| Grindelia camporum | Great Valley Gum Plant | Spreading gum plant is an evergreen herbaceous perennial with 2-inch wide bright yellow flowers. The center of each fat green bud holds a small pool of gummy white resin which glistens in the sun before flowering. |
| Grindelia hirsutula | Hairy gum plant | Multi-branching, mounding gum plant with thick, shallow-toothed leaves and 2 to 3 inch wide bright yellow flowers. The center of each fat green bud holds a small pool of gummy white resin which glistens in the sun before flowering. The daisy-like yellow flowers completely cover this low growing shrub. |
| Huechera maxima | Alum root | Rich green leaves with cream and soft pink spikes |
| Iris douglasiana | Douglas iris | Native iris with a wide range of springtime colors and sword-shaped leaves. |
| Lessingia filanginifolia 'Silver Carpet' | Silver Carpet California Aster | 1-inch-wide daisy-like, pastel blossoms are so abundant in late summer that the silvery foliage of the Aster is temporarily obscured. |
| Muhlenbergia rigens | Muhlenbergia rigens | Large, beautiful clumping native grass with gray-green leaves that spill out like a fountain and produce dozens of stiff flowering stems. |
| Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ | Foothill Penstemon | Mounding perennial of loose, leafy branches with multi-hued 1½ “ blue, purple, pink flowers which bloom profusely for several months in the summer. |
| Periderida kellogii | Yampah / Kellogg’s Yampah | Slender, erect, perennial herb with tall slender branches with a cluster or umbel of small white flowers at their tops. |
| Phacelia imbricata | Pine bee flower / Imbricate Phacelia | Annual herb whose leaves are coated with stiff, tiny hairs produces coiled flower buds resembling small caterpillars which blossom into many tiny, pale purple flowers in early spring. Bloom is prolific. |
| Philadelphus lewisii | Wild Mock Orange / Western Mock Orange | Large, deciduous shrub reaching up to 12’ with a fountain-like growth habit produces large (1½ “) flowers with four to five white petals whose fragrance is reminiscent of citrus. |
| Physocarpus capitatus | Pacific Ninebark | Dense, deciduous shrub with peeling bark (hence its name), large, maple-like leaves and small, ball-like clusters of tiny flowers which produce a unique, glossy red pod. |
| Pseudognaphalium californicum | California cudweed | A member of the sunflower family, an annual herb with scented leaves and wide clusters of small, aster-like white flowers. |
| Ribes malvaceum ‘Dancing Tassels’ | Chaparral Currant | Perennial shrub, with hairy double toothed leaves, and bright pink floweres that produce edible purple berries |
| Ribes sanguineum ‘Claremont’ | Pink-Flowering Currant | Large, deciduous shrub produces pendulous pink flower chains 2 to 8 inches long. Powdered blue-black berries are edible but are equally loved by birds. |
| Rosa californica | California Wild Rose | Native rose species is easy to grow and produces small, fragrant, pink blossoms with bright yellow stamens. Stems range from thorny to nearly smooth. |
| Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ | Bee's Bliss sage | Salvia Bee's Bliss is an excellent ground cover and habitat plant with beautiful lavender flowers This is a dense low-growing sage with gray-green leaves and multiple, lavender flowers on long stems. |
| Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman | Winnifred Gilman Cleveland Sage | Small, hairy, grey-greenshrub. Has wrinkly leather-textured leaves with tiny ridged teeth along the edges and bears rouned flower clusters of tubular lavender to dark purple floweres with long stamens. |
| Salvia sonomensis | Creeping Sage or Sonoma Sage | Low-growing sage forms a thick carpet of grey-green leaves with profuse blue-purple flowers in spring |
| Salvia spathacea | Hummingbird Sage | Herbaceous sage with a somewhat sprawling habit produces dark rose-lilac colored, scented flowers on 1-3 foot tall, pagoda-like spikes in spring. Its large, bright green leaves are also heavily aromatic when touched. |
| Verbena lilacina ‘De la Mina’ | De La Mina Verbena | Loosely mounded perennial produces masses of clove-like scented, dark purple, 2-inch-long flowers which bloom from spring through fall. Deeply-divided, green leaves give the plant a lacy texture |
Achillea millefolium 'Sonoma Coast'
Sonoma Coast Yarrow 
Achillea millefolium, a dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to Europe, Asia and North America, including California. This variety is native to California.
Advantages: Attracts butterflies, bee friendly, evergreen, naturalizes.
Bloom Period: April - August
Height: 12-18"
Width: 18-24"
Light Requirements: Full or morning sun
Water Requirements: Low water, drought resistant / drought tolerant (xeric)
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Arbutus marina
Marina Strawberry Tree
Medium-sized tree with beautiful shiny bark and pendulous clusters of urn-shaped white-pink flowers. Hardy to 15-20 degrees.
Advantages: Beautiful, evergreen specimen tree that is bee-friendly and provides habitat to birds.
Bloom Period: Year-round along the coast with peaks in spring and fall.
Height: 25-40’
Width: 25-30’
Light Requirements: Full to part-day sun
Water Requirements: Low water, considered drought-tolerant
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Arctostaphalos montana ssp ravenii
Presidio Manzanita
A native shrub from the Presidio in San Francisco, forming a low spreading mat of small, thick, gray-green leaves on stems up to 24 inches high. Small urn shaped flowers and red berries.
Advantages: An attractive spreading manzanita ground cover that crawls around and over rocks and other obstacles.
Bloom Period: Late winter, early spring
Height:
Width:
Light Requirements: Full sun, light shade
Water Requirements: Low water once established
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Arctostaphylos 'John Dourley'
John Dourley Manzanita
Shrub with mounding habit with bronze to blue-green leaves with abundant clusters of pink flowers followed by purple-red berries.
Advantages: A dependable groundcover; attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Bloom Period: Winter—long blooming season
Height: 2-3’
Width: 6-10’
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Low water, drought-tolerant
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Arctostaphalos Pacific Mist
Pacific Mist Manzanita
A low, gray green shrub, fast growing with purplish brown twisted stems. A hardy plant, with leaves that tend to be greener in coastal climates.
Advantages: Fast growing manzanita, good for dry shade, hardy to 0 degrees. Tolerant of both clay and sandy soils. Small red berries are attractive to birds.
Bloom Period: Late winter
Height: 2'
Width: 6-12'
Light Requirements: Sun, part shade
Water Requirements: Low
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Arctostaphylos Winterglow
Winterglow Manzanita
Mounding, evergreen groundcover with large, bright green leaves with striking red to orange tones on new growth. Flowers are white with a pinkish blush.
Advantages: A dependable ground cover, attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Can be used as a low hedge.
Bloom Period: Winter
Height: 2-3’
Width: 6-8’
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Low water, drought-tolerant
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Arctostaphylos pajaroensis
Pajaro Manzanita
Showy, spreading, evergreen shrub with beautiful, dark red bark with white flowers and rusty-red berries.
Advantages: Rare species offers striking foliage and flowers; attracts pollinators and is enjoyed by hummingbirds as an early source of nectar
Bloom Period:
Height: 6’
Width: 8-10’
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade
Water Requirements: Low water, drought tolerant
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Arctostaphylos uva ursi 'Woods Compact'
Manzanita ‘Woods Compact’
Low-growing, spreading with shiny leaves and pink, urn-shaped flowers and pretty berries
Advantages: Attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators and birds, including hummingbirds.
Bloom Period: Winter
Height: 8-10’
Width: 6-8’
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade
Water Requirements: Low water, considered drought-tolerant
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Artemesia californica
California sagebrush
Evergreen shrub with finely divided silvery grayish leaves which are strongly aromatic
Advantages: Its mounding form is a pleasing backdrop for other plants in the garden
Bloom Period: Tiny white flowers are insignificant.
Height: 2-4’
Width: 4-5’
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Low water, very drought-tolerant
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Carex divulsa (tumulicula)
Berkeley Sedge
Clumping, mostly evergreen, grasslike plants
Advantages: Sedges make fine specimens as fillers, edgings and rough turf, not fussy about soil, great choice for dog yards`
Bloom Period: No significant blooms
Height: 1-2’
Width: 1-2’
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Drought tolerant
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Ceanothus 'Wheeler Canyon'
Blue Mountain lilac
A hybrid Ceanothus from Southern California with small, glossy, crinkled leaves that forms 2 inch clusters of rich blue flowers in early spring. Grows to a 6x8 foot mound.
Advantages: Evergreen shrub, with narrow, coarsely textured, glossy, dark green leaves and long clusters of medium blue flowers from pinkish purple buds in early spring.
Bloom Period: Early spring
Height: 6'
Width: 8'
Light Requirements: sun to part shade
Water Requirements: low
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Ceanothus gloriosus
Pt. Reyes Ceanothus, California Lilac
Small, coastal, evergreen shrub with spreading form with small clusters of bright blue to purple flowers
Advantages: Attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators and is a host plant to number of butterfly species (Spring Azure, California Tortoiseshell, Swallowtail, etc)
Bloom Period: Winter
Height: 3-7’
Width: 3-7’
Light Requirements: Full sun or partial shade
Water Requirements: Low water, drought tolerant
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Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis ‘Diamond Heights’
Diamond Heights Ceanothus, California lilac
Advantages: Vivid variegated foliage; Attracts butterflies & bees; Useful for bank stabilization; Makes a dramatic and colorful ground cover
Bloom Period: Spring
Height: 1’
Width: 4-5’
Light Requirements: Sun (coastal), Part Shade (inland)
Water Requirements: Low
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Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis
Nipomo Mesa Ceanothus or California Lilac
Advantages: Prefers cool coastal climate, can be trimmed into a hedge and attracts bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects and pollinators
Bloom Period: Winter
Height: 3-10’
Width: 3-15’
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Very drought tolerant
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Cercis occidentale
Western Redbud
Multi-trunked, small tree or large shrub with a brief but brilliant display of magenta flowers on stems and branches appearing before bright green, heart-shaped leaves
Advantages: Slow to moderate growth and tolerant of clay soils
Bloom Period: Early spring
Height: 12-20’
Width: 12-20’
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Low water, drought tolerant
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Deschampsia caespitosa
Tufted Hairgrass
Clumps of dark green leaves and greenish gold flowers on 4’ stalks
Advantages: An ornamental, clumping grass with feathery, golden flower heads which last throughout summer
Bloom Period: Spring to late summer
Height: 1-2’
Width: 2’
Light Requirements: Best in partial shade
Water Requirements: Moderate water
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Diplacus aurantiacus
Sticky Monkeyflower
Large, showy flowers form on a shrubby plant with sticky leaves
Advantages: Suitable in mild climates and likes shady spots. It brings gorgeous colors to the garden from the late spring to mid-summer. Also deer-resistant. Pollinators love Sticky Monkeyflower.
Bloom Period: Spring into summer with a long bloom period
Height: 2-3’
Width: 2-4’
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Water Requirements: Drought tolerant
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Diplacusbifidus ‘White’ (Diplacus auranticus var. grandifloras)
Azalea-flowered Monkey Flower
This species has the largest flowers of the monkeyflower. They are deeply lobed and two-inches across
Advantages: Easy to grow and brightens a garden with it large, white flowers. Also, deer-proof. Pollinators love them.
Bloom Period: Spring into summer with a long bloom period
Height: 2-3’
Width: 3-4’
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Water Requirements: Drought tolerant
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Epilobium canum
California Fuschia
Sprawling perennial with narrow, silvery green foliage with loose clusters of brilliant orange to scarlet, tubular flowers
Advantages: Thick, mat-forming perennial that is attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
Bloom Period: Late summer
Height: 1-2’
Width: 4’
Light Requirements: Full-sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Low / drought tolerant
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Epilobium canum var. latifollum ‘Everett’s Choice’
California Fuschia 'Everett's Choice'
Everett’s Choice is a low-growing, ground-hugging variety of California Fuchsia that remains under 6” tall with fuzzy, gray-green leaves and many scarlet flowers. Spreads easily. Winter deciduous, ground-hugging sub-shrub; Native to California
Advantages: Low growing. A magnet for pollinators, particularly hummingbirds, deer-resistant and tolerates almost any soil type. Spreads easily.
Bloom Period: Summer/Fall
Height: 6”
Width: 4-5’
Light Requirements: Full Sun (coastal) - Afternoon Shade (inland)
Water Requirements: Low
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Erigeron glaucus ‘Wayne Roderick’
Seaside Daisy
Thick mat of lanceolate leaves with daisy-like flowers at the tips of leafy stalks. Flowers may be white, pink or rose.
Advantages: Easily grown and blooms profusely. Works well in mixed borders, meadows or containers. This hybrid is longer-lived and much more durable than other varieties.
Bloom Period: Spring to summer
Height: 6”-12"
Width: 2-3’
Light Requirements: Full Sun
Water Requirements: Moderate water to drought tolerant
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Eriogonum fasiculatum
California buckwheat
Shrubby, evergreen buckwheat species with abundant fuzzy white flowers clustered in bundles and medium green to silvery grey leaves. Coppery seed heads are also beautiful.
Advantages: Ideal for erosion control
Bloom Period: Early spring through summer
Height: 3-4’
Width: 3-4’
Light Requirements: Sun
Water Requirements: Drought tolerant
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Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
San Miguel Island Buckwheat / Red-Flowered Buckwheat
Clumping plant with green to gray-green, ovate leaves and cherry red flowers on 6-inch stalks.
Bloom Period: Late spring to summer
Height: 1-3’
Width: 1-3’
Light Requirements: Sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Drought Tolerant
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