Common reed (Phragmites australis) is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Common reed commonly forms extensive stands (known as reed beds), which may be as much as a square kilometer or more in extent. Where conditions are suitable, it can spread 16 feet or more per year by horizontal runners, which put down roots at regular intervals. 

It can grow in damp ground, in standing water (up to three feet or so deep), or even as a floating mat. One of the few native plants that the California Invasive Plant Council has determined is invasive in regions outside its natural range.

The erect stems grow to 6 to 20 ft tall. The tallest plants grow in areas that have hot summers and fertile growing conditions.

Common reed is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species. In particular, the South Asian Khagra Reed (P. karka) is often treated as distinct. 

Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific Ninebark) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family native to western North America from southern Alaska east to Montana and Utah, and south to central California. It is found in the Coast Ranges and the Sierras. It is a dense deciduous shrub growing to 1 to 2.5 meters tall. The name comes from the appearance of the bark, which is flaky, peeling away in many layers. The shrub has distinctive maple-like lobed leaves 3-14 centimeter long and broad, and ball-like clusters of small white flowers with five petals and numerous red-tipped stamens. The unique fruit is an inflated glossy red pod which turns dry and brown and then splits open to release seeds. It is most often found near streams in association with wetland-riparian vegetation. Near the coast and at higher elevations it can take full sun. At lower elevation inland locations it benefits from part shade and moisture. It's leaves change color in fall before dropping. The extensive root system is useful for retaining soil on slopes. It makes a very attractive shrub or small tree for central to northern California gardens.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected from san Bruno Mountain.

Pickeringia is a monotypic genus containing only the legume Pickeringia montana, which is known by the common name chaparral pea. It is sometimes called Montana chaparral pea, but this plant is found only in California. It is one of very few legumes native to the chaparral habitat. Its nitrogen-fixing ability helps it thrive in rocky, sandy soil. The plant is also well-suited to a landscape of hills, slopes, and recently-burned areas; its roots spread quickly and help anchor loose soil, preventing erosion. The chaparral pea is said to rarely sprout from seed because the plant rarely produces seed pods. More often it sends up new stems from roots growing outward from the mother plant. It forms low, dense, thorny thickets of shiny dark green leaves. In spring and summer the plant bursts into blossom, covering the thickets with bright magenta flowers.

Montana Chaparral Pea (Pickeringia montana var. montana) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in slopes and washes, at elevations from 0-2200 feet.

The Knobcone Pine (Pinus attenuata) is a tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils. It ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to Baja California with the greatest concentration in northern California and the Oregon-California border. This pine reaches heights of 8-24 m; however, it can be a shrub on especially poor sites. It prefers dry rocky mountain soils. The crown is usually conical with a straight trunk. The bark is smooth, flaky and gray-brown when young, becoming dark gray-red-brown and shallowly furrowed into flat scaly ridges. The twigs are red-brown and often resinous.

The Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) is the rarest pine in the U.S., found only along San Diego's coast and on two Channel Islands. This endangered tree grows 26–56 feet tall with long, gray-green needles in clusters of five and large, edible pine nuts in stout cones. It thrives in dry, sandy soils and coastal fog, often developing twisted, sculptural forms from wind exposure.

The pine nuts are a valuable food source for birds, small mammals, and other wildlife. Its dense canopy also provides nesting and shelter for birds.

Historically limited to about 100 trees in the early 20th century, conservation efforts have helped the wild population recover to around 3,000. Torrey pines are now planted in drought-tolerant landscapes and protected by local ordinances near their native range. In gardens with richer soil and more water, they can grow over 100 feet tall.

Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana ssp. torreyana) is a rare native tree that grows in southern and central California.

Piperia elegans is a species of orchid known by several common names, including elegant piperia, coast piperia, hillside rein orchid, and hillside bogorchid. This is a showy flowering plant native to western North America. It grows from a caudex tuber and sends up a thick stem just under a meter in maximum height. The stem is topped with a cylindrical spike inflorescence of densely packed flowers with curving white to greenish-yellow petals. Coastal individuals are noticeably thicker and have more flowers than those that grow further inland; it is uncertain if these are variants, subspecies, or even separate species. They are both currently treated as P. elegans. Other species of Piperia, notably the endangered species P. yadonii are quite similar in appearance to some populations of this species.

Piperia elongata is a species of orchid known by the common names denseflower rein orchid, chaparral orchid and wood rein-orchid. It is native to western North America from British Columbia and Montana to southern California, where it grows in mountain forests and scrub habitat. This orchid grows erect to about 1. 3 meters in maximum height from a bulbous caudex, its stem becoming narrow toward the tip. The basal leaves are up to 30 centimeters long by 6. 5 wide. Leaves higher on the stem are much reduced. The upper part of the stem is a spikelike inflorescence of many small green flowers which are sometimes densely arranged. They are sometimes faintly and variably fragrant in the evenings. The spur on each flower may be up to 1. 5 centimeters long.

Piperia transversa (syn: Platanthera transversa), is a species of orchid known by the common names royal rein orchid and flat spurred piperia. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it can be found in forest, woodland, chaparral, and scrub habitat, often in dry areas. This orchid grows erect to about 55 centimeters in maximum height from a bulbous caudex. The basal leaves are up to 19 centimeters long by 4 wide. Leaves higher on the stem are much reduced. The upper part of the stem is a spikelike inflorescence of many flowers which are white or yellowish with green veining. They are fragrant in the evenings and are said to have a scent like cloves. They are pollinated by geometrid moths.

Piperia unalascensis is a species of orchid known by the common names slender-spire orchid, Alaska piperia and Alaska rein orchid. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States, as well as eastern sections of Canada and the Great Lakes. It can be found in forest, woodland, and scrub habitat, often in dry areas. This orchid grows erect to about 70 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves are up to 15 centimeters long by 4 wide. Leaves higher on the stem are much reduced. The upper part of the stem is a slender, spikelike inflorescence of widely spaced translucent green flowers. The flowers are fragrant in the evenings, with a musky, soapy, or honeylike scent. The plant is variable in size, stem thickness, density of inflorescence, petal shape, and scent. Plants of the coast ranges and the Pacific Northwest are stouter and have broader sepals and petals than do interior and montane forms.

Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name adobe popcornflower. It is native to California and northwestern sections of Mexico, where it can be found in moist areas on clay soil, such as vernal pools. It is an annual herb with a spreading or erect stem 10 to 40 centimeters in length. The leaves are linear or lance-shaped to oblong and several centimeters in length. The plant is coated in rough hairs. The inflorescence is a series of tiny flowers, each with a yellow-throated, five-lobed white corolla less than 3 millimeters wide. The nutlets are covered in long prickles with some bristles between.

Plagiobothrys bracteatus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name bracted popcornflower. It is native to western North America from Oregon throughout California into northwestern Mexico, where it can be found in a variety of wet habitats such as vernal pools and other moist spots in the forests and chaparral. It is an annual herb with a mostly upright stem 10 to 40 centimeters in length. The leaves are located along the stem, the lowest, largest ones measuring up to 10 centimeters long. The plant is coated in sparse rough hairs. The inflorescence is a series of tiny flowers, the lower ones accompanied by leaflike bracts. Each five-lobed white corolla measures 1 to 3 millimeters wide. The fruit is a narrow, cross-ribbed, tubercled nutlet no more than 2 millimeters long.

Plagiobothrys chorisianus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name artist's popcornflower. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in and around the San Francisco Bay Area and parts of the coastline to the south. It is a resident of chaparral, coastal scrub and grassland habitat. It is an annual herb with a spreading or erect stem 10 to 40 centimeters in length. The leaves along the stem are 3 to 7 centimeters long and coated in rough hairs. The inflorescence is a series of tiny flowers, each on a pedicel up to a centimeter in length. The five-lobed white flower is one half to one centimeter wide with a center of white to bright yellow appendages.

Plagiobothrys stipitatus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name stalked popcornflower and stipitate forget-me-not. It is native to Oregon and most of California, where it grows in vernal pools and similar wet habitat types. It is an annual herb producing a narrow, hollow, erect stem up to half a meter tall. It is coated in rough hairs. The pointed, hairy leaves along the stem are up to 11 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a series of five-lobed white flowers 2 millimeters to over one centimeter wide. The fruit is a narrow, ribbed nutlet.

Plagiobothrys tenellus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names Pacific popcornflower and slender popcornflower. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Mexico, where it is a common member of the flora in several types of habitat. Plagiobothrys tenellus is an annual herb producing several erect stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. It is very hairy in texture, the hairs long and white. The leaves are located in a basal rosette around the stem and there are a few smaller ones along the stem itself. The inflorescence is a coiling branch bearing many small five-lobed white flowers. Each flower is 1 to 3 millimeters wide. The fruit is a tiny cross-shaped nutlet covered in bumps and grooves. Plagiobothrys tenellus is an annual herb producing several erect stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. It is very hairy in texture, the hairs long and white. The leaves are located in a basal rosette around the stem and there are a few smaller ones along the stem itself. The inflorescence is a coiling branch bearing many small five-lobed white flowers. Each flower is 1 to 3 millimeters wide. The fruit is a tiny cross-shaped nutlet covered in bumps and grooves.

Plantago erecta is a small, unassuming annual herb with needle-like leaves and translucent flowers clustered on a stalk. It grows in sandy, clay, or serpentine soils, on grassy slopes and flats or open woodland, from California to Oregon. It is known variously as California Plantain, Foothill Plantain, Dot-seed Plantain, English Plantain, and Dwarf Plantain. P. erecta is a primary host plant for the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly.

Plantago patagonica is a species of plantain known by the common name woolly plantain. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada, the western and central United States, and northern Mexico, and parts of southern South America. It grows in many types of habitat, including grassland and woodlands. It is a hairy annual herb producing linear or very narrowly lance-shaped basal leaves up to 10 centimeters long. There are usually many stemlike flower clusters growing erect to a maximum height around 18 centimeters. Atop the peduncle of the flower cluster is a dense cylindrical or somewhat conical spike of several tiny flowers and leafs. The spike is very woolly.

The Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), a species of plane tree native to California, is a tall, distinctive tree that stands out in any landscape. This tree is known for its bark, which is mottled in shades of pale tan, gray, and white. The bark peels as it ages. It has twisting branches and large leaves which turn orange-yellow in the fall. It produces seed balls after blooming. It's an important host plant for the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

Naturally found in moist areas near rivers and streams, this tree requires a significant amount of water to thrive. When not planted near a water source, it needs regular irrigation. The Western Sycamore tolerates different soil types and does best in full sun. It can grow up to 100 feet tall and 50 feet wide, so be sure to give new trees a large planting area.

Platystemon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the Papaveraceae (Poppy) family containing the single species Platystemon californicus, which is known by the common name Creamcups. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it is a common spring wildflower in many types of habitat. In California it is found from north to south, along the coast, in foothills, the Coast Ranges, Transverse Range and Peninsular Range. It is populr as an ornamental plant for landscaping and revegetation of recently burned areas. This is an annual herb which is quite variable in appearance. The oppositely arranged leaves are 2 to 8 centimeters long and in shape linear, lance-shaped, or oblong. It is hairy in texture, sometimes with very long hairs. The flower cluster is a single flower on a tall peduncle up to 20 centimeters high. The flower has six petals which may be pure white or golden or white with large gold spots or gold tips. The center of the flower is filled with a tuftlike cluster of many thick, flattened stamens. The fruit is a capsule with several one-seeded sections that break apart. There is one recognized variety, var. ciliatus, which is a rare plant endemic to Santa Barbara Island.

Plectritis ciliosa is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common name longspur seablush. It is native to western North America from Washington to Baja California and Arizona, where it is a common plant in mountains, valleys, and coastal habitat types. It is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height between 50 and 80 centimeters. The widely spaced, paired and oppositely arranged leaves are oval or somewhat oblong, smooth-edged, and up to 3 centimeters long by 1 wide. The upper ones lack petioles. The inflorescence is a dense headlike cluster of flowers in shades of bright to pale pink with two darker pink dots on the lower lip. Each flower has a long, slender spur extending downward from the front of the corolla.

One-sided Bluegrass (Poa secunda ssp. secunda) is a common native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-12500 feet.

Douglas' Mesamint (Pogogyne douglasii ssp. parviflora) is a native annual herb that grows in central and northern California.

Pogogyne serpylloides is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names thymeleaf mesamint and thymeleaf beardstyle. It is endemic to central California, where it grows in grassy habitat in coastal and inland mountain ranges and foothills. It is a petite aromatic annual herb growing decumbent or upright, often reaching no more than a centimeter in height even when erect in form, sometimes larger. The slender stem is sometimes branched. The inflorescence is a series of rounded, headlike clusters, with occasional single flowers emerging at leaf axils. The tiny tubular flower is 2 to 5 millimeters long and has a lobed, lipped mouth. It is lavender in color, sometimes with faint white markings in the mouth.

Polycarpon depressum is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common name California manyseed. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in sandy habitat such as coastal bluffs and disturbed habitat types such as fields and roadsides. It is a small annual herb producing a spreading, branching stem just a few centimeters long that lies prostrate on the ground. A few pairs of oppositely arranged leaves line the stems, each oval in shape narrowing to a petiole and measuring about a centimeter long. The inflorescence is a cluster of rounded flowers with minute petals tucked inside a calyx of pointed sepals.

Polygonum bolanderi is an uncommon California species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Bolander's knotweed. Polygonum bolanderi is endemic to northern California, where it is known from the northern Coast Ranges, the southern Cascades, and the northern Sierra Nevada (from Humboldt County and Shasta, south as far as Sonoma county and Tuolumne County). It can be found in open, rocky habitats. Polygonum bolanderi is a small shrub producing numerous very thin twiglike branches up to about half a meter (20 inches) long from a tough, tangled base. The slender branches are lined with small, narrow, pointed leaves which are alternately arranged and mostly found clustered toward the tips of the twigs. The leaves have narrow, fringed stipules with sharp points. Flowers occur in upper leaf axils during summer and fall. They are whitish or pink with dark midveins on each corolla lobe.

Polygonum spergulariiforme is a North American species of flowering plants in the buckwheat family known by the common name spurry knotweed or fall knotweed. It grows in western Canada (British Columbia and Saskatchewan) and the western United States (primarily Washington, Oregon, and northern and central California but with a few isolated populations in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana). Polygonum spergulariiforme is a green, branching herb up to 50 cm (20 in) tall. Leaves are narrow, up to 6 cm (2. 4 in) long. Flowers are pink or white, in dense, elongated clumps. The plant flowers from June to October, later than some of its relatives.

California Polypody (Polypodium californicum) is a native fern that grows in northern, southern and central California, primarily along the coast, foothills and coastal mountains. It tends to grow in canyons, streambanks and north facing slopes, at elevations from sea level to 4,000 feet. It spreads slowly by rhizome. In areas that are wet year round it may stay evergreen; in areas of summer dryness it will become deciduous. It is one of the more popular native ferns for shade gardens.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) is a large evergreen fern with dark green fronds that grow in a tight clump, spreading out radially from a round base. It grows up to 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and is moderate to fast growing. Individual fronds live for 1.5-2.5 years and remain attached to the base after withering.

It is excellent as an ornamental groundcover for shade. Plant in partial to full shade and give moderate to regular water. It prefers well-draining, rocky, acidic soil but can tolerate clay.

This plant attracts butterflies and hosts a likely total of 3 species of butterfly and moth. It is deer and rabbit resistant.

Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) is a fast-growing native shade tree found in alluvial bottomlands and along streamsides at elevations from 0 to 6,500 feet. It thrives in moist soils with plenty of sunlight and is known for its striking, heart-shaped leaves that shimmer in the wind.

This tree is tough and easy to grow, reaching up to 100 feet tall and 35 feet wide when well-watered. It can grow 10–20 feet in a single year, making it ideal for large spaces but unsuitable for small gardens. Due to its invasive roots, it should not be planted near lawns or structures.

Often, only male trees are sold to avoid the "cotton" produced by female trees. Fremont cottonwood is ecologically important, providing habitat and food for birds and butterflies.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selection (male) for the garden.

Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii ssp. fremontii) is a native tree that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in alluvial bottomplands and streamsides, at elevations from 0-6500 feet.

Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa) is a native tree that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 100 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in alluvial bottomplands and streamsides, at elevations from 0-9000 feet. Tough and easy to grow as long as it is in sun, near a water sources and has very good drainage. Black Cottonwood is a great choice to help build a natural irrigation system - its long shallow roots will reach out to the water source and pull underground water molecules through your garden. It needs moist soil until mature, and then becomes moderately drought tolerant.

Dodecatheon clevelandii is a species of Dodecatheon native to California and Baja California. Its common name is padre's shooting star. It is generally found in open grassy areas. It is spring deciduous, dying back to the ground after the rains cease. It has basal clumps of leaves up to 16 centimeters long with nodding flowers each about an inch long on stems up to a foot tall. The flowers are magenta to deep lavender to white. This species hybridizes with Dodecatheon hendersonii, from which it can be distinguished by its green stem.

Dodecatheon hendersonii is a species of Dodecatheon native to western North America, from California north to southern British Columbia and Idaho. In California, it occurs in the northwest (except the north coast), the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada foothills, the Central Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, the north Inner South Coast Ranges, and the San Bernardino Mountains. It is generally found in open woodlands, from sea level in British Columbia, up to 1900 meter altitude in California. Common names include broad-leaved shooting star, Henderson's shooting star, mosquito bills, and sailor caps. D. hendersonii is summer deciduous, dying back to the ground after the rains cease. It has basal clumps of leaves, 2-16 centimeter, with nodding flowers 6-25 millimeter long on stems 10-30 centimeter tall. The flowers are magenta to deep lavender to white, with the stamens are thrust out and the sepals bent back. It is highly variable and hybridizes with Dodecatheon clevelandii, from which it can be distinguished by its reddish or purplish stem.

Oregon cherry or Bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata) is a species of Prunus native to western North America, from British Columbia south to California, and east to western Wyoming and Arizona. It is often found in recently disturbed areas, open woods, on nutrient-rich soil. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 1-15 meter tall with a slender oval trunk with smooth gray to reddish-brown bark with horizontal lenticels. The leaves are 2-8 centimeter long, thin, oval-shaped, and yellowish-green with unevenly-sized teeth on either side. The flowers are small, 10-15 millimeter diameter, with five white petals and numerous hairlike stamens; they are almond-scented, and produced in clusters in spring, and are pollinated by insects. The fruit is a juicy red or purple cherry 7-14 millimeter diameter, which, as the plant's English name suggests, are bitter. As well as reproducing by seed, it also sends out underground stems which then sprout above the surface to create a thicket.

Prunus fasciculata (syn. Emplectocladus fasciculata (Torr.); Desert almond) is a perennial deciduous shrub native to the deserts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. It prefers sandy or rocky soil on dry slopes and washes up to 2200 meter. of altitude. It grows up to two meters high, exceptionally larger, with divaricately branching, spinescent, lightly thorned branches, often in thickets. The bark is grey and smooth. The leaves are 5-10 millimeter long, spatulate, oblance-shaped, linear, arranged on very short petioles in fascicles, or bundles. The flowers are small and white with 3 millimeter; petals, occurring either solitary or in fascicles and are subsessile growing from the leaf axils. They are dioecious. Male flowers have 10-15 stamens; female, one or more pistils. The plant displays numerous fragrant flowers from March to May, which attract the bees that pollinate it. The drupe is about 1 centimeter long, ovoid, light brown and hairy with thin flesh.

Hollyleaf cherry or Evergreen cherry is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family that is native to coastal California and northern Baja California. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 meters tall, with dense, sclerophyllous foliage. The leaves are 1.6-12 centimeter long with a 4-25 millimeter petiole and spiny margins, somewhat resembling those of the holly, hence its English name; they are dark green when mature and generally shiny on top, and have a smell resembling almonds when crushed. The flowers are small (1-5 millimeters), white, produced on racemes in the spring. The fruit is a cherry 12-25 millimeter diameter, edible and sweet, but contains little flesh surrounding the smooth seed. Great for birds.

There are two recognized subspecies; ssp. lyonii (commonly known as Catalina Island Cherry) is native to the Channel Islands. It was formerly considered a separte species, and it is very similar in appearance and genetics to other P. ilicifolia. They hybridize readily, and many plants sold in nurseries may be unintentional hybrids.

Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia) is a native evergreen tree or shrub in the Rose family that grows in the coastal and inland valleys strip of northern, central, and southern California. It tends to grow on slopes or in valleys, at elevations from 0-5200 feet. It grows in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and southern oak woodland habitats and can vary greatly in size depending on conditions. In dry, rocky or shallow soils it will be bush-like from 5 to 15 ft. In richer soils with more moisture it will attain large shrub or small tree size, up to 30-40 ft.
The leaves are holly-like and evergreen. The flowers are small and white; the fruit is a one inch red to dark purple drupe that is popular with wildlife. The closely related subspecies Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii (Catalina Cherry) is endemic to the Channel Islands, but in appearance and behavior the two can be difficult to distinguish as they hybridize readily.

Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii) is a lovely evergreen shrub with shiny soft leaves and dark cherry colored fruit.  In late spring, striking white flowers appear. Older trees may resemble coast live oak.

As a native plant, it grows in chaparral woodland, primarily in the Channel Islands region.

The edible fruits are favored by birds and other wildlife. 

Catalina cherry can be planted as a hedge because its dense vegetation creates a good screen. It is fairly easy to grow and will tolerate garden conditions, with summer watering once or twice a month. It is fast growing once established and moderately long-lived.  Fallen fruits may stain concrete paving, if any is nearby. 

Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family, in the Bird Cherry (Padus) subgenus. It is native to North America where it is found almost throughout the continent except for the deep south and the far north. The plant is widespread in California, particularly in the mountains. It is a suckering shrub or small tree growing to 5 meter tall. The leaves are oval, 3-10 centimeter long, with a coarsely serrated margin. It is deciduous, and the leaves provide some fall color. The flowers are produced in racemes of 15-30 inches late spring (well after leaf emergence). The fruits are about 1 centimeter diameter, range in color from bright red to black. Although they are said to be edible, they contain small amounts of cyanide, especially when unripe. The very ripe berries are dark in color, less astringent, and contain less cyanide. Despite the potential toxicity, the fruits were valued by many Native people.

Western Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. demissa) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and short-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 20 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are white and striking, and bloom in the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in rocky slopes, at elevations from 0-8200 feet.

Fragrant Everlasting (Gnaphalium canescens ssp. beneolens) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-8700 feet.

Bicolored Everlasting (Gnaphalium bicolor) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry places, at elevations from 0-7500 feet.

California Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum) is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It is native to the west coast of North America from Washington to Baja California, where it is a member of the flora of many habitats, including chaparral. In California it is most often found near the coast from Sonoma County southward and in the Sierra foothills.

This is an annual or biennial herb with branching stems. Its green herbage is hairy, sticky and scented. The flower head is a wide cluster of flowers, each enveloped in ringed rows of bright white. The flowers are very long lasting when dried and are used in flower arrangements.

Classification is disputed between the genera Pseudognaphalium and Gnaphalium, but it is presently classified as Pseudognaphlium. Also, some sources refer to this plant as Pearly Everlasting, but that's actually the common name of a different species (Anaphlis margaritacea). California Cudweed would work best in an informal garden or wildscape. It re-seeds prolifically, so be prepared to pull seedlings from areas where it is not wanted.

Gnaphalium macounii is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-8700 feet.

Chilean Cudweed (Gnaphalium stramineum) is a native annual or perennial herb that grows in central California.

The Bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) is an evergreen conifer native to the mountains of southern California, occurring from the San Rafael Mountains in central Santa Barbara County and the southwest of the Tehachapi Mountains of southwestern Kern County, south to Julian in San Diego County. It is notable for having the largest (by far) cones in its genus, hence the name. Bigcone Douglas-fir typically grows from 15-30 meter (50-100 feet) in height and 0.5-1.5 meter (2-5 feet) in trunk diameter. The growth form is straight, with a conical crown from 12-30 meter (40-100 feet) broad, and a strong and spreading root system. The bark is deeply ridged, composed of thin, woodlike plates separating heavy layers of cork; bark of trees over 1 meter (3 feet) in diameter is from 15-20 centimeter (6-8 inches) thick. The main branches are long and spreading with pendulous side shoots.

Brackens (Pteridium) are a genus comprising several species of large, coarse ferns. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells (eggs and sperm). Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly divided leaves. They are commonly found on moorland. Brackens are cosmopolitan, being found on all continents except Antarctica and in all environments except deserts. The genus probably has the widest distribution of any fern genus in the world. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species, Pteridium aquilinum, but the recent trend is to subdivide it into about ten species.

Hairy Brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens) is a native fern that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in meadows and woodlands and slopes, at elevations from 0-10000 feet.