Palmer's Abutilon (Abutilon palmeri) is a relatively rare species of the Malvaceae Family (mallows) native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. It grows primarily on the eastern slopes of the Peninsular Range and the Western Sonora Desert, and in San Bernardino County in the low foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains (1080-3600 feet).

Flowers are cup-shaped, approximately one inch in size. They produce small fruits which are round, capsular, multi-parted and covered with silky fine hair similar to foliage. Branches and stems are also hairy, with a red-brown coloring to the twigs. Bark ranges from green to brown.

Palmer's Abutilon is tough and easy to grow. For best results, plant in rocky or sandy well-draining soil. It tolerates occasional light summer watering.

Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum var. torreyi) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in moist slopes and canyons, at elevations from 4900-9200 feet.

Yarrow is an all-star, popular plant choice among California native gardeners, including beginners! It is durable and easy to grow in a wide range of soil types and has low moisture requirements. It reseeds and spreads quickly, making it a good groundcover plant for lawn replacement.

Yarrow's abundant white flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other insects. It is a staple in native pollinator gardens throughout the state. Yarrow has many alternative common names, including soldier's woundwort and nosebleed plant. They reflect its long history as an important medicinal plant.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden from san Nicolas Island by Tree of Life Nursery.

Adiantum aleuticum (western maidenhair fern) is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum, native mainly to western North America from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, south to Chihuahua, and also locally in northeastern North America from Newfoundland south to Maryland. The fronds grow to 15-110 centimeter high, and are fan-shaped, light to medium green with dark brown to black stems. It prefers fertile, moist soil in rock crevices near streams, from sea level in the north of its range, up to 3,200 meter altitude in the south of its range. It tolerates serpentinite rock well, and is confined to this mineral-rich rock in some areas.

The Southern Maiden Hair is a species of fern with a semi-worldwide distribution. It occurs in numerous locations and habitats throughout California, always growing where it is somewhat shaded and in moist but not saturated soil. It is often found near springs, seeps or stream banks, including desert palm oases. This native fern is hardy to USDA zone 7.



The Southern Maiden Hair fern grows 6 to 28 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide. The foliage is delicate and lacy, featuring dark stripes that accentuate the green leaves. Like most ferns, it forms a basal clump that will gradually grow outward in size if there is space. This fern can go summer dormant if it becomes too dry and/or receives too much direct sunlight, but usually regenerates new foliage after supportive conditions return.
This fern is also commonly grown as a houseplant.

Banksianum Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris 'Banksianum') is an uncommon cultivar or clone of the native Southern Maidenhair (Adiantum capillus-veneris) that was selected for horticulture.

This fern has a graceful form, with mature arching fronds 12 to 18 inches tall and wide. The fronds divide to display bright green broadly triangular shaped leaflets on the black leaf stems. This fern grows best in loamy, medium to slow draining soil that's consistently moist. It's good in containers receiving regular watering, and adjacent to water features. In the ground it can tolerate infrequent irrigation and be relatively fairly drought-tolerant because if necessary it can recede in summer dormancy to return when moisture is available.

It prefers shaded areas with bright indirect light in coastal and inland gardens. It is evergreen to about 20 degrees F, but will rebound after colder frosts.

Adiantum jordanii is a perennial species Pteridaceae known by the common name California maidenhair. It is native to California and Baja California. It grows in shaded woods, usually in wetter spots such as moist rock outcropping and lower parts of north facing slopes. It can take a little sun near the coast or full shade inland. Each trailing leaf may reach over half a meter in length and is made up of many rounded green segments. Each segment has two to four lobes and it may split between the lobes, the underside of each segment bearing one to four sori. It remains evergreen with regular water or will go dormant if allowed to dry out in summer but should recover. It forms a slowly expanding clump. Adiantum jordanii is a host for the Sudden Oak Death pathogen, and for this reason it may be difficult to find in native plant nurseries.

Agave deserti var. deserti is a native perennial herb that grows in southern California.

Agave deserti var. simplex is a native perennial herb that grows in southern California.

Coastal agave (Agave shawii), also called Shaw's agave, is a dramatic and distinctive succulent native to coastal Southern California. Its dark green leaves are accented with red spines and grow in a tight rosette shape. Individual plants grow to a large size and produce clusters of smaller offshoots called pups. Coastal agave plants grow for many years before producing clusters of yellow flowers on tall stalks that can reach over 10 ft in height. After flowering, an individual rosette dies, but the pups continue to grow.

Coastal agave attracts insects, hummingbirds and bats during its long fall to spring blooming season. It is a low water plant that does not need supplemental irrigation once established. Plant in full sun in rocky, well draining soil. Coastal agave is a bold statement plant in the garden. Pruning is not normally needed, and gardeners should use caution near the plant as the spines are sharp.

Agave utahensis is a species of agave known by the common name Utah agave. There are two recognized varieties in California, both of which are rare. Agave utahensis is smaller, occurs farther north, at higher elevations, and is more cold tolerant than the other two native agaves in California. Like other agaves, it is armed with formidable spines and flowers after many years of growth, then the plant dies but clonal pups remain. It is found in the high desert mountains of Inyo and San Bernardino Counties. This is a rosette-shaped agave having blue-green sharp-spiked leaves. The raceme flower cluster is very tall, reaching a maximum of four meters. It is generally yellow or yellow-green with bulbous yellow flowers. The fruits are capsules 1 to 3 centimeters long and containing black seed. The plant was used for food and fiber by local Native American peoples such as the Havasupai.

Utah Agave (Agave utahensis var. eborispina) is a rare native perennial herb or shrub that grows in central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 3100-4500 feet.

Nevada Agave (Agave utahensis var. nevadensis) is a rare native perennial herb or shrub in the Agavaceae family. It is one of two recognized varieties of Agave utahensis, both of which are rare. Var. nevadensis is restricted to the desert mountains of eastern San Bernardino County at elevations from 3,000-5,200 feet. Due to its limited distribution, it is included on CNPS list 4.2. Agave utahensis is smaller, occurs farther north, at higher elevations, and is more cold tolerant than the other two native agaves in California. Like other agaves, it is armed with formidable spines and flowers after many years of growth, then the plant dies but clonal pups remain. The inflorescence is 5-13 ft. tall. The flowers are yellow-green and the fruit is a dry capsule.

Allium unifolium, the one-leaf onion or American garlic, is a North American species of wild onion. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of California, Oregon, and Baja California. It grows on clay soils including serpentine, at elevations up to 1100 m. Allium unifolium, despite its name, usually has 2-3 flat leaves up to 50 cm long. Bulbs, though, are usually solitary, egg-shaped, up to 2 cm long, often formed at the end of rhizomes spreading out from the parent plant. Scapes are round in cross-section, up to 80 cm tall. Flowers are up to 15 mm across; tepals usually pink but occasionally white; anthers yellow or purple.

Ambrosia pumila is a rare species in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common names San Diego Ambrosia and San Diego Ragweed. It is native to a very limited area in far southern California and Baja California where it grows in a variety of habitats along the coastal strip, inland valleys and foothills at elevations below 2,000 ft. This is a perennial herb not exceeding half a meter in height. The leaves are gray-green, fuzzy, and divided into numerous minute lobes to give a feathery appearance. They are up to 13 centimeters long, not counting the winged petioles. The flower cluster is tipped with staminate (male) flower heads above several larger pistillate (female) heads. The pistillate heads each yield usually one fruit, which is a fuzzy burr only a few millimeters wide with short, soft spines. However, it rarely produces viable seed, usually spreading by its rhizome, forming clonal groupings. It is adapted to dry habitat, but only on upper floodplain fringes, or adjoining depressions containing vernal pools or similar structures. It is a plant of open habitat and is not tolerant of heavy shade. If not given supplemental summer water it will become deciduous but will come back from the rhizome after winter rain. This is not an easy plant to find and infrequently used in residential gardens. It is important for restoration projects in areas of appropriate habitat, and it may be useful in gardens seeking to specialize in rare plants of southern California.

Amorpha californica is a species of flowering plant in the Fabaceae (Legume) family known by the common name California False Indigo. It is native to California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it grows in chaparral and woodland habitat. This is a hairy, thornless shrub with leaves made up of spiny, oval-shaped leaflets each tipped with a resin gland. The scattered flower clusters are spike-like racemes of flowers, each flower with a single purple petal and ten protruding stamens. The fruit is a legume pod containing usually a single seed. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. californica is the more common; var. napensis is a rare plant found only in a few counties north of San Francisco. This species is somewhat neater in appearance than its close cousin, Amorpha fruticosa, which is more common in San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties. The Amorpha genus is host to the California Dogface Butterfly, the official state butterfly. This species is said to be somewhat difficult in cultivation and is more often used in restoration projects.

The Western Columbine is also known as the Red or Crimson Columbine because of its attractive red-and-yellow-colored flowers. The blooms are very appealing to hummingbirds. Mature seedheads provide food for finches and other bird species.

This charming wildflower is a member of the buttercup family and grows in moist, shady locations. In the garden, it likes regular water, partial shade, and compost-rich, well-draining soil. It does self-sow, but deadheading will control spreading.

Hybrid of Arctostaphylos edmundsii and other undetermined manzanita species. This manzanita is a dense shrub with shiny red bark that looks great with the bright green foliage. The new growth is an attractive reddish color and the blossoms are a pretty white color. This shrub tends to grow in a round form without pruning and has very dense foliage.

Arctostaphylos bakeri is a species of manzanita known by the common name Baker's manzanita. It is endemic to Sonoma County, California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodlands of the North Coast Ranges. It is sometimes a member of the serpentine soils flora. This is a shrub growing one to three meters in height. Its smaller twigs are bristly and hairy or hairy to woolly. The dark green leaves are generally oval in shape and up to 3 centimeters long. They may be hairy, rough or fuzzy in texture, and dull or shiny in appearance. The plentiful flower clusters hold crowded clusters of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a hairless drupe up to a centimeter wide. Arctostaphylos bakeri does best in nutrient-poor clay or loam soils that retain more water. While it can usually tolerate occasional summer water, it is best to stop all summer water after the first year. Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds' is the standard form of this manzanita available at native plant nurseries.

Arctostaphylos catalinae, the Santa Catalina Island manzanita, is a species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family. It is endemic to California, where it grows wild only in the Channel Islands, specifically, Catalina and Santa Cruz Islands. This is a tall, bristly manzanita with a well defined trunk that is adapted to the stiff, saline breezes of the island bluffs in its habitat. It does not develop a basal burl and so does not sprout from the base after a fire. However, like other Manzanitas, the seeds germinate readily after fire. It is an attractive Manzanita that deserves to be used more often in coastal gardens.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Tilden Botanic Garden.

Armeria maritima is the botanical name for a species of flowering plant. It is a popular garden flower, known by several common names, including "thrift", "sea thrift", and "sea pink".

The plant has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower. It does well in gardens designed as xeriscapes or rock gardens. If planted in its native coastal strand, this plant needs no supplementary irrigation after established. Plant in full sun, in well draining soils or in cliffs or rock walls. Often short lived away from cool seashore conditions since supplementary watering will often rot centers of plants.

Canyon Gray Sagebrush (Artemisia californica 'Canyon Gray') is a natural cultivar of California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) from San Miguel Island, one of the Channel Islands in Southern California. This prostrate horticultural selection was collected and introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

This plant can become a large scale groundcover, forming a 1 to 2 feet high compact mat of finely textured silvery gray-green foliage, that spreads 4 to 10 feet wide. It works well on dry slopes and draping down over walls. The flowers are fairly inconspicuous, the foliage is very aromatic when brushed.

Canyon Gray Sagebrush requires little irrigation once established, though it can go semi-dormant by later summer without occasional irrigation. It is reportedly hardy to about 20-25° F.

It tolerates almost any soil type with drainage. It prefers full sun in coastal sites, and sun to part shade in inland sites. To keep the fast growing foliage dense, the plantings can look best if 'mowed' or heavily trimmed down every 1 or 2 years.

Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wild ginger, Western wild ginger, or long-tailed wild ginger) is native to rich moist forests of western North America from British Columbia to California and as far east as western Montana. Within California it is found primarily along the coast from Santa Cruz County northward. In spring, it develops distinct hirsute (hairy) cup-shaped, brown-purple to green-yellow flowers which terminate in three long gracefully curved lobes, often concealed by leaves. The long rhizomes give rise to persistent reniform (kidney/heart shaped) leaves. Leaves are found in colonies or clusters as the rhizome spreads. The leaves emit a ginger aroma when rubbed.

In the garden this plant must have regular water and virtually no direct sun.

Asarum marmoratum is a species of wild ginger known by the common name marbled wild ginger. It is native to the Klamath Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon, as well as adjacent slopes of the Cascade Range. It is a plant of moist high-elevation forests and rocky mountainsides. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb with hairy green leaves with bright cream-white colored marbling. The leaves are heart-shaped to kidney-shaped to nearly round. Flowers appear at ground-level. They consist of three coarsely hairy sepals which are dark greenish brown outside and dark reddish inside. The fruit is a fleshy capsule containing many seeds.

California Milkweed (Asclepias californica) is a species in the Apocynaceae (Dogbane) family. It is native to California and northern Baja California from the East Bay region southward and the foothills of the Sierra.

This flowering perennial has thick, white, woolly stems that bend or run along the ground. The plentiful, hanging flowers are rounded structures.

The flowers are dull to bright shades of lavender or pink and form an attractive contrast with the grey-to-white foliage. This plant was eaten as candy by the Kawaiisu tribes of Indigenous California; the milky sap within the leaves is said to be flavorful and chewy when cooked.

To maximize Monarch butterflies reaching their overwintering areas, plant only locally native milkweed species.

Asclepias eriocarpa is native to California and adjacent parts of Nevada and Baja California, where it grows in many habitat types, especially dry areas. In California it is found primarily in the Coast Ranges from Mendocino County southward into Mexico, in the Sierra foothills, and in the northern part of the Central Valley. It is an erect perennial herb which is usually coated in a thick layer of white hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, rippled, and arranged oppositely in pairs or in whorls of 3 or 4. The flower cluster is a large umbel-like cluster of flowers. Each flower is white to cream and usually tinted with bright pink. It has a central array of rounded hoods and a corolla reflexed against the stalk. The fruit is a large, woolly follicle. The plant is used as a source of fiber and medicine by several California Indian groups, including the Ohlone and Luiseno. In the garden it makes a striking specimen, especially when massed. All milkweeds are important to monarch butterflies.

Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) is a flowering perennial best known for the Monarch butterflies it will attract into the garden. Its long, thin pointed leaves give the plant a soft, wispy look. It blooms in summer to fall, with clusters of lavender or pinkish white flowers, each one an interesting button shape. The fruits are smooth pods, which split open to spill seeds along with plentiful silky hairs that may carry the seeds through the air.

This plant grows fast to 3 feet tall and is dormant in winter, often dying back to the ground. It will take full sun but is adaptable to most conditions, being easy to grow in soils with good drainage, even with no summer water. It can self-seed if the seed pods are not removed

This species is probably the single most important host plant for Monarch Butterflies in California, attracting them and hosting their caterpillars. It is crucial to not use any pesticide on or around the plant, because doing so will be fatal to the caterpillars. The plant also provides resources for many beneficial creatures, including native bees. Don't cut the dry stems down too soon as Orioles may use them for nesting.

Aspidotis californica is a species of fern known by the common name California lacefern. It is native to California and Baja California. It grows in rock cracks and crevices in many types of habitat, including Chaparral, Yellow pine forest, Foothill oak woodland, and Valley grassland. Aspidotis californica has leaves that are thin and dissected into many triangular leaflets which are subdivided into small segments with curled teeth. The leaf segments bear sori containing sporangia, with the edges of the leaves rolled under to create a false indusium over the sori.

Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern or Common Lady-fern) is a large, feathery species of fern native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, where it is often abundant (one of the more common ferns) in damp, shady woodland environments and is often grown for decoration. The plant is caespitose (the fronds arising from a central point as a clump rather than along a rhizome). The fronds are light yellow-green, 20-90 centimeter long and 5-25 centimeter broad; they are deciduous. Sori appear as dots on the underside of the frond, 1-6 per pinnule. They are covered by a prominently whitish to brown reniform (kidney-shaped) indusium. Fronds are very dissected, being 3-pinnate. The stripe may bear long, pale brown, papery scales at the base.

Baileya multiradiata is a species of sun-loving wildflower native to western North America, especially the US desert southwest and northern Mexico. It is an annual or perennial clumping patch of silvery-green foliage which bears many tall, naked stems, each topped with a bright yellow marigoldlike flower. The bloom loses its ray florets early, leaving behind a nodding stalk holding the disc florets where the seeds develop. In the garden give it fast drainage, not too much water and lots of surface rocks (no organic mulch or fertilizer). It is somewhat short-lived as a perennial but readily re-seeds itself if conditions are right.

Tall Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) is an evergreen shrub known for its early spring blooms and colorful foliage. Clusters of bright yellow flowers appear before most other shrubs, adding a burst of color to gardens and natural landscapes. Its dark green, holly-shaped leaves stay vibrant year-round, often turning shades of purple, red, or orange in fall and winter. The plant gets its name from its dark, dusty blue berries, which resemble grapes. However, Oregon grape is not related to true grapes and belongs to the Berberidaceae family.

The berries are edible and a favorite of birds, providing a valuable food source for wildlife. This hardy shrub is well-suited for shady areas, commonly used as a hedge, foundation plant, or natural screen. Its drought tolerance and ability to stabilize soil make it useful for erosion control in restoration projects. In gardens, it works well in native landscaping and provides shelter and food for pollinators, birds, and small mammals.

There are three recognized varieties of tall Oregon grape in the wild. Berberis aquifolium var. aquifolium is the most common tall form, while var. repens is a low-growing, creeping variety often used as ground cover. Although generally safe, the roots of some Berberis species contain alkaloids that may be mildly toxic if consumed in large amounts. 

With its vibrant flowers, attractive foliage, and wildlife value, tall Oregon grape is a versatile option for native gardens and natural landscapes. It adds year-round beauty while supporting local ecosystems.

Dwarf Mahonia (Berberis aquifolium var. repens) is a native plant, growing in the mountains and foothills of the northern part of California. It enjoys dry shade below 700 ft. It can be found as far north as SE Alaska and eastern Alberta to central New Mexico. Outside its native range it qualifies as invasive. Dense yellow clusters of flowers give way to round dusty dark purple-blue berries, hence the common name Oregon Grape. The edible berries can be used to make wine and purple dye. Some sources describe it as toxic, however. The inner stem gives a yellow dye.

Dwarf Mahonia is very drought tolerant, and very easy to grow, but it looks better with a little bit of summer water.

Mahonia fremontii (syn. Berberis fremontii) is a species of barberry known by the common name Frémont's mahonia (after John C. Frémont). Mahonia fremontii is native to mountainous regions of the US states of Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. It reaches a height of up to 3 m, and has pinnate leaves of 3-9 leaflets. Flowers are pale yellow, fruits ellipsoid and dull reddish-purple. The plant was named in honor of John C. Fremont. Mahonia fremontii is an erect evergreen shrub growing up to 4. 5 meters tall. The leaves are several centimeters long and are made up of several holly-leaf-shaped leaflets, each about 2 centimeters long and edged with spiny teeth. The leaves are purplish when new, green when mature, and greenish blue when aged. The abundant inflorescences each bear 8 to 12 bright yellow flowers, blooming generally in the spring but sometimes in the fall. Each flower is made up of nine sepals and six petals all arranged in whorls of three. The fruit is a berry up to 1. 5 centimeters wide, ranging in color from yellowish to purple to nearly black. Uses. The Zuni people use the crushed berries as a purple coloring for the skin and for objects employed in ceremonies.

The golden cereus (Bergerocactus emoryi) is a species of cactus. It is the sole member of the genus Bergerocactus, named after Alwin Berger. The plant is also known as golden spine cereus or snake cactus, though this latter name also applies for Echinocereus pensilis. This cactus is frail, appear in clusters, has up to 20 ribs and ramifications. It is rarely higher than 1 meter, and diameter is usually less than 5 centimeter. Flowers are yellow and appear near the plant's tip, reaching 2 centimeter in length and diameter. They are tunnel-shaped.

Betula glandulosa, American Dwarf Birch, also known as Resin Birch or Shrub Birch, is a species of birch native to North America, occurring in arctic and cool temperate areas from Alaska east to Newfoundland and southern Greenland, and south at high altitudes to northern California and Colorado in the west, and locally south to northern New York in the east. In the Arctic it occurs down to sea level, while in the south of the range, it grows as high as 3400 meter altitude. In Mid October 2007 a thicket of this plant was observed in flower in the foothills behind Palo Alto, California amidst Oaks, Bay Laurel and Manzanita. American Dwarf Birch is a multi-stemmed shrub typically growing to 1-3 meter tall, often forming dense thickets. The trunks are slender, rarely over 5-10 centimeter diameter, with smooth, dark brown bark. The leaves are nearly circular to oval, 0.5-3 centimeter long and 1.2.5 centimeter broad, with a toothed margin. The fruiting catkins are erect, 1-2.5 centimeter long and 5-12 millimeter broad.

Betula occidentalis (Water Birch) is a species in the Betulaceae family native to western North America. In California its distribution is somewhat patchy, being found in the southern Sierras, Siskiyu and Modoc counties. It typically occurs along streams in mountainous regions from 2,000 ft. to over 11,000 ft. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 10 meter high, usually with multiple trunks. The bark is dark red-brown to blackish, and smooth but not exfoliating. The twigs are smooth or thinly hairy and have prominent resinous glands but are odorless when scraped. The leaves are alternate, ovate to rhombic, 1-7 centimeter long and 1-4.5 centimeter broad, with a serrated margin and two to six pairs of veins, and a short petiole up to 1.5 centimeter long. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins 2-4 centimeter long, the male catkins pendulous, the female catkins erect. The fruit is 2-3 centimeter long and 8-15 millimeter broad, composed of numerous tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin leafs. It is amenable to garden conditions and can be used outside its range in the wild. It has good fall color especially where fall weather is colder.

Blechnum spicant is a species of fern within its own family (Blechnaceae) known by the common name Deer Fern. It is native to Europe and western North America. In California it is found primarily along the coast from Santa Cruz northward. It is found is damp, shaded forest areas such as Redwood Forest and Mixed Evergreen Forest. Like some other Blechnum species it has two types of leaves. The sterile leaves have flat, wavy-margined leaflets 5 to 8 millimeters wide and arch gracefully, while the fertile leaves stand upright and have much narrower leaflets, each with two thick rows of sori on the underside. It typically goes dormant in winter. This is a very popular garden fern that can be used in coastal southern California if given shade, water and not too much heat.

Bloomeria crocea, also known as Goldenstar, is a geophyte of the Themidaceae from California and northern Baja California. It is found along hillsides, in grassland and chaparral edges, and in dry flats. Growing in full sun, itt prefers porous soil and semi-dry conditions. Its distribution ranges along the south coast from Santa Barbara County and western Kern County down to Baja California. It is also found on the California Channel Islands. The corm has a fibrous exterior and usually produces only one leaf. Plants produce six-petaled golden flowers that are clustered in a loose umbel. When the three-lobed stigma is fertilized, Bloomeria produces capsules that contain small black seeds. The seeds then require three to four years to become a mature plant.

Two varieties are currently recognised:
B. crocea var. aurea
B. crocea var. montana

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a widespread, long-lived, warm-season, perennial grass native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico. In California, it is found primarily in arid mountains of San Bernardino County.

Blue Grama accounts for most of the net primary productivity in the shortgrass prairie of the central and southern Great Plains. Blue Grama grows on a wide array of topographic positions, and in a range of well-drained soil types, from fine- to coarse-textured.

Roots generally extend 1 to 1.5 feet from the edge of the plant, and 3 to 6 feet deep. Maximum rooting depth is approximately 6.5 feet. In recent years, Blue Grama has become a popular garden accent grass, due to its green to greyish color and interesting seed heads, which resemble small pennants. 'Blond Ambition" is a popular cultivar.

Boykinia major is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name large boykinia. It is native to the western United States from California to Montana, where it grows in shady forest understory and wet mountain meadows. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing large leaves with blades up to 50 centimeters long, borne on petioles up to 35 centimeters in length. Each leaf has several lobes which are often sharply toothed along the edges. The flower cluster reaches up to a meter tall on a thin stem. It bears a dense, flat-topped array of many small white flowers with yellowish centers, each with five pointed sepals and five larger rounded or oval petals.

Boykinia occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name coastal brookfoam. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to Los Angeles County and in the central Sierras. It grows in shady areas near riverbanks and streams. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing large, palmate leaves with blades up to 45 centimeters long and 12 wide, borne on petioles up to 30 centimeters in length. Each leaf has several rounded lobes with dull teeth along the edges. The flower cluster reaches 30 to 60 centimeters tall on a thin stem. It bears an open array of many small white flowers, each with five tiny pointed sepals and five larger oval petals. The flowers are somewhat more showy than the closely related Boykinia rotundifolia.

Brodiaea elegans is a species of flowering plant in the Themidaceae (Lily or Asparagus) family, cluster-lily genus, known by the common names Harvest Brodiaea and Elegant Cluster-lily. It is native to the mountain ranges of California and Oregon, where it grows in woodlands and meadows. In California it is found in the Coast Ranges, Klamath Range, Central Valley and Sierra foothills. This perennial grows from a corm and produces a stout stemlike flower cluster up to 50 centimeters tall. It bears showy flowers on pedicels up to 10 centimeters long. Each flower has six curving petals up to 3 centimeters long in shades of bright purple. In the center of the flower are white or pale purple sterile stamens known as staminodes; these are flat with pointed or toothed tips and between one half and one centimeter in length. Next to these are the fertile stamens topped with large anthers. In Northern California, Brodiaea elegans is one of the later blooming wildflowers, often seen in May and having a very long flowering season.

Brodiaea terrestris or by its common name dwarf brodiaea is a species of plant in the genus Brodiaea that is native to California and Oregon. There are two subspecies: Brodiaea terrestris ssp. kernensis (Kern brodiaea) and Brodiaea terrestris ssp. terrestris (dwarf brodiaea).

Redmaids  (Calandrinia menziesii) is a charming, low-growing annual herb that typically reaches about 1 foot in height. Its lance-shaped, slightly succulent leaves are complemented by vibrant, deep pink to red flowers that bring striking color to the landscape.

This hardy and adaptable plant thrives in various habitats and climates, often volunteering in natural areas as a minor weed. It’s well-suited to sunny locations with minimal water needs, making it an excellent choice for water-wise gardens and wildflower meadows.

Redmaids is an easy-to-grow, resilient addition to native gardens, adding seasonal interest and a pop of bright color to arid and low-maintenance landscapes.

Fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla) is a low, spreading shrub with dense clusters of pink  flowers, which appear between late winter and late spring. It looks like a pink mist when in full bloom. Seed pods follow. This plant makes a good accent in drought-tolerant plantings. It grows 1 to3 feet tall and 3 feet wide with a slow to moderate growth rate.

Although it is a desert plant, its water requirements are higher than most. It is typically found where there is some subsurface water year-round. This species should not be confused with Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica), a Baja endemic with deep red flowers, which is more commonly available in the horticultural trade.

Fairy duster likes good drainage and full sun. It will prefer afternoon shade in hotter inland areas. It will keep its leaves and look better in summer with occasional deep watering, about 3 times per month. However it does not need summer water once established.  It prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil.

Calochortus albus is a species in the genus Calochortus in the family Liliaceae. It is also known by the common names fairy lantern, white fairy lantern, pink fairy lantern, lantern of the fairies, globe lily, white globe lily, white globe-tulip, alabaster tulip, Indian bells, satin bells, snowy lily-bell, and snow drops. Widespread, variable species, blooming in winter and spring and going dormant after anthesis (flowering period) until the start of the autumn rains. Height: 20-30-60-80 cm high at maturity. Stems: Stems are erect, to arching, slender, glaucous, and simple to branching, reaching 7. 5- 20- 70- 80 cm. Leaves: Leaves come in two types: cauline or basal (radical). One long basal leaf is present during blooming, along with several cauline leaves, and foliaceous bracts below the flowers. Basal/radical leaves: Basal leaves measure 20-30-50-70 cm in length, 1-5 cm in width, and are lax, shiny, and persistent. Cauline leaves: 2-6 laceolate to linear leaves, measuring 5-15-25 cm in length. Inflorescences: Flowers are borne in groups of 1- 2- many. Bracts are generally paired, lanceolate, and measure 1-5 cm in length. Flowers: Delicate, pendent, nodding, 2-3 cm closed orbs of pearly white, to pink, to deep pink, to almost wine-red, occasionally greenish. Flowers from late March- April-June- early July. Though the flowers of C. albus may occasionally be flushed pink, those which are deep rose in colour and are found from the southwest San Francisco Bay to outer south coast ranges may be assignable to C. albus var. rubellus, if recognized taxonomically. Perianth is oblong and is typically closed at the tip. Sepals: Three ovate to lanceolate sepals measuring 1-1. 5 cm long, appressed to the petals, rarely recurved. Sepals may be white, green, greenish-white, or rosy red, and are shorter than the petals. Petals: Three elliptic or wider petals, with the insides being sparsely ciliate (having a fringe of hairs), with yellowish, slender hairs above the nectary or along the gland. Satiny petals measure 2-2. 5 cm long, overlap slightly, are closed at the tip, and may have a green, copper, pink, lavender, or purple tinge on the outside of the flower, typically near the base of the petals and around the protruding glandular area. Nectary: Crescent-shaped, shallowly to deeply depressed, with several transverse, fringed membranes with white or yellow glandular hairs measuring 1/3-2/3 of the width of the petals. Stamens: Short, olbong, abruptly tipped, white to light pink stamens measuring 4 mm in length. Filaments: 4 - 5 mm in length, dilated at the base. Anthers: White to cream, oblong and obtuse, measuring 4 mm in length. Widespread in shady to open woods and scrub, partially shaded grasslands, exposed coastal bluffs, and is often found in rocky places. May be found in many plant communities below 5,000 ft or 2,000m, including foothill woodlands, yellow pine forests, and chaparral.

Calochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily is a species of the Liliaceae endemic to California. This species is found on coastal prairie, grasslands and some open forest floors primarily in the central Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. Like other Mariposa Lilies it grows from a bulb, with most of its growth occurring in winter, followed by spring flowering and summer dormancy. It requires good drainage and must be kept mostly dry in summer. The leaves arising directly from the bulbare strap-like and long. The flower is 3-5 centimeter across and primarily bright yellow, with sparse hair inside and often red-brown streaks or blotches. It is reported to be one of the easiest Mariposa Lilies to grow in the garden.

Arizona pussypaws (Calyptridium arizonicum) is a low-growing annual wildflower in the Montiaceae (purslane) family with a basal rosette of leaves and clusters of small pink flowers. This desert species is native to Sonoran desert scrub and is more commonly found in southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico.

In California, it is extremely rare and known only from a single canyon in the North Pinyon Mountains of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, where it is threatened by off-road vehicles and possibly foot traffic.

Arizona pussypaws works well in containers or rocky, gravelly garden areas. The basal leaves typically wither as the flowers turn to fruit. It makes a subtle but charming addition to dry, desert-adapted garden spaces.

Cistanthe monandra (formerly Calyptridium monandrum) is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family known by the common name Common Pussypaws. It is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent Baja California, where it grows in sandy areas such as deserts and coastal and mountain scrub habitats. This is a fleshy, flat annual herb producing short stems which extend along the ground or spread upright from a small taproot. Thick, spoon-shaped leaves occur in a basal rosette at the base of the stem, reaching up to about 5 centimeter in length. There are smaller leaves along the stems. Small flower clusters sprout from the stem bearing many flowers, each with fleshy, triangular sepals and three pink or red petals only a few millimeters long. The fruit is a translucent, oblong capsule up to six millimeters long containing several shiny, black seeds.

Calyptridium monospermum (formerly Cistanthe monosperma) is a perennial plant in the MIner's Lettuce Family (Montiaceae), known by the common name one-seeded pussypaws. It was formerly classified in the Purslane Family (Portulacaceae). It is native to western North America from Oregon to Baja California, where it grows in a number of habitat types, including forest and woodland.