Native Plant Garden

Dwarf Coyote Brush – a small shrub with small green leaves with small white flowers at the ends.

Scientific name: Baccharis pilularis

Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) · iNaturalist

Zones: 5 and 6

Dark Star CA Lilac – a compact shrub with small dark green leaves.  This plant blooms in spring with dark blue flower clusters.

Scientific Name: Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’

Dark Star Mountain Lilac, Ceanothus Dark Star (calscape.org)

Zones: 3

Howard McMinn Manzanita – a medium sized shrub with bright green leaves.  Blooms in late spring with pink flowers.

Scientific Name: Arcotostaphylos d. ‘Howard minn’

Howard Mcminn Manzanita, Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard Mcminn’ (calscape.org)

Zones: 5

CA Grey Rush – a perennial plant that grows in narrow bunches of stems.  Blooming in the summer, this plant has many small flowers.

Scientific Name: Juncus patterns

Spreading Rush (Juncus patens) · iNaturalist

Zones: 5 and 6

Carmel Creeper – a flowering shrub with small blue or purple flowers.

Scientific Name: Ceanothus griseus

Carmel Ceanothus (Ceanothus griseus) · iNaturalist

Zones: 3

Ray Hartman CA Lilac – an evergreen shrub with blue colored flowers. This plant flowers in the winter and spring and doesn’t need a lot of water.

Scientific Name: Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’

Ray Hartman Ceanothus, Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ (calscape.org)

Heatwave Salvia – this herbaceous perennial plant blooms throughout the summer and autumn.  The flower of this plant can include many shades of red and pink with small green leaves.

Scientific Name: Salvia greggii

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) · iNaturalist

Zones: 2 and 6

Gramma Grass (blue Grama) – this perennial grass is a green or greyish color.  It is drought tolerant and is a low maintenance grass.

Scientific name: Bouteloua gracilis

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1, 2, 5 and 6

Ground Cover Manzanita – an evergreen shrub with clusters of lantern shaped white to pink flowers during spring. The lantern shaped flowers turn into bright red berries in the fall.

Scientific name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry) (gardenia.net)

Zones: 1, 3, 4 and 5

Giant Rye Grass – a wild grass that is drought tolerant and grows in bunches.  This grass stays green all year with a slivery blue foliage.

Scientific Name: Leymus condensatus

Giant Wild Rye (Leymus condensatus) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1

Creeping Snowberry – a perennial ground level vine that produces small white berries that smell like wintergreen.

Scientific Name: Symphoricarpos mollis

Creeping Snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1, 2, and 6

Yarrow – a flowering plant with leaves that are finely cut and sparse.  Blooms between March and July.

Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1, 2, and 6

California Fuchsia – a perennial bright tubular flower with smaller leaves.  Prefers dry places and blooms for most of the summer.  A favorite of hummingbirds.

Scientific Name: Epilobium canum

California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1 and 2

Common Manzanita – a tall shrub with crooked branches and pale pink or white flowers.  A popular snack for deer, birds, ground squirrels and raccoons.

Scientific Name: Arctostaphylos viscida

Common Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1, 3, 4 and 5

Foothill Penstemon – an early summer blooming purple-blue flower that grows in rocky landscapes. The tubular flowers sit on the stems with narrow leaves.

Scientific Name: Penstemon heterophyllus

Bunchleaf Penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus) · iNaturalist

Zones: 2

Coffeeberry – a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet tall. With small flowers that bloom in June and July and oblong leaves that are soft and gray-green.  A favorite for many birds.

Scientific Name: Frangular californica (was classified as Rhamnus californica)

Coffeeberry (Frangula californica) · iNaturalist

Zones: 2 and 3

Golden Columbine – a perennial yellow flowered plant that blooms in May and early June

Scientific Name: Aquilegia chrysantha

Golden Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1

CA Dutchman’s Pipe – a vine that grows near streams with heart-shaped hairy leaves.  This plant is known for its blossom that looks similar to a Dutchman’s pipe.  This plant hosts the black pipevine swallowtail butterfly.

Scientific Name: Aristolochia californica

California Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia californica) · iNaturalist

Zones: 3 and 5

Sierra Monkey Flower – an orange flower with two “lips” that replicate the face of a monkey. This flower grows along the banks of streams and rivers and blooms during the stream.

Scientific Name: Diplacus aurantiacus

Orange Bush Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus) · iNaturalist

Zones: 1 and 2

Island Alumroot – a perennial plant that is drought tolerant with large green leaves with many clusters of hairy flowers.  The flowers are white or pink with tiny petals that curl away from the center.

Scientific Name: Heuchera maxima

Island Alumroot (Heuchera maxima) · iNaturalist

Zones: 5

Douglas Iris – a flower that is usually purplish-blue (but could also be white or yellow) that flowers from April to June.

Scientific Name: Iris douglasiana

Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) · iNaturalist

Zones: 4 and 6

Western Redbud – a thin branched shrub that flowers in a colorful pink or magenta.  This drought tolerant native plant blooms from March to May.

Scientific Name: Cercis occidentalis

Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) · iNaturalist

Zones: 4

Purple Coneflower – a purple flower with a cone shaped head.  This perennial plant is a late bloomer, blooming through summer and into autumn.

Scientific Name: Echinacea purpurea

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) · iNaturalist

Zones: 2 and 6

Oregon Grape – an evergreen shrub with dense clusters of yellow flowers.  Oregon Grape blooms in early spring then produces dark bluish-black berries.

Scientific Name: Berberis aquifolium

Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium) · iNaturalist

Zones: 5 and 6