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.

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi from Point Reyes just north of san Francisco. 'Point Reyes' is one of the most common manzanitas in cultivaton. It has deep green shiny leaves. it makes a great groundcover and slope stabilizer. It uusally stays under 1 foot tallbut will spread to about 10-12 feet. It has proven to be very garden tolerant and has done well here in the interior heat with some regular summer water. Give this manzanita a well-draining soil for best performance, but you will find it is not fussy about what type of soil; rocky or sandy, acid soils to richer heavier soils, Point Reyes seems to grow in all these conditions.

Horticultural selection A. uva-ursi: origin = cuttings (1949)Pt. Reyeys, north coast, Marin Co.; intro Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden 1956 Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. A garden selection from coastal san Francisco Bay Area (point Reyes). Introduced by Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. Radiant manzanita is found in the northern parts of the US, growing amidst the conifers and oaks on the west coast from northern California up to Alaska. It makes an excellent matting ground cover, growing only up to 8 inches high and spreading up to 6 feet. Radiant manzanita can spill over a wall, down a slope, or replace a lawn. It has small pink flowers in early winter followed by bright red berries that make a great wildlife offering for native birds. Full sun along the coast, but some shade inland in hot areas would be appreciated by this fresh looking, evergreen groundcover. Requires more water inland, but grows faster when provided that extra moisture. Radiant manzanita will grow in most soils including clay and sand as long as there is good drainage and some moisture, adapting to traditional garden conditions quite well. This showy evergreen groundcover manzanita is an excellent choice to replace a lawn, line a walkway, or cover a tree studded slope. 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.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Garden selection from san Bruno Mountain in san Mateo. Introduced by Ken Taylor.

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.

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. We have grown to love this great performing low groundcover manzanita. Woods Compact is one of the few manzanitas that will stay compact and full in shade situations. It will take part shade anywhere, but can also thrive in full sun in coastal locations. Woods Compact manzanita has glossy green foliage, small pink, urn-shaped flowers in late winter, which go on to form beautiful red fruit. It will stay under 1' in height and spread to about 3' across. Supplemental summer water once per month is recommended. This manzanita is a great option for planting under oak trees. 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 Ed Wood.

Arctostaphylos viridissima is a species of manzanita known by the common names whitehair manzanita and McMinn's manzanita. It is endemic to Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. This is a shrub varying in shape and size. It may be a matted bush one meter tall to a spreading treelike form over 4 meters in height. Its stem and branches are covered in peeling red bark and its smaller twigs are woolly and bear long white bristles. The leaves are oval in shape, fuzzy when new and green and shiny when mature, reaching 3.5 centimeters. The flower cluster is a dense cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a fuzzy drupe just over a centimeter wide.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected from a plant on santa Cruz Island by Bert Johnson in 1979.

Arctostaphylos viscida is a species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family known by the common names whiteleaf manzanita and sticky manzanita. This is a treelike shrub reaching up to five meters in height. The stems may be smooth or fuzzy, and are often hairy. The leaves are rounded to oval, sometimes slightly toothed or with hairs along the edges, and usually dull green on both surfaces. When in flower the shrub is packed heavily with densely bunching flower clusters of urn-shaped white to pale pink flowers. The fruits are shiny red or greenish-brown drupes between one half and one centimeter wide. Seeds require fire for germination. This is a plant of chaparral and coniferous forests of 3,000-5,000 ft. elevation. It is native to California and Oregon. The Miwok of northern California used the fruits to make cider.

Smooth White Leaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida) is a native tree or shrub that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in rocky slopes, at elevations from 500-4900 feet.

Argemone munita is a species of prickly poppy known by the common names flatbud prickly poppy and chicalote. This flower is native to California, where it is widespread throughout the western part of the state and its eastern deserts. Its range also extends into Baja California. This poppy bears its flowers on erect, spiny stems which can exceed a meter in height. The mint-green lobed leaves are also very prickly. The white poppy blooms have usually six crinkly petals, each up to 4 centimeters long. The center of the flower is surrounded by a dense ring of up to 250 small yellow stamens bearing the pollen. The fruits are spiny white capsules 3 to 5 centimeters long, each containing many small seeds.

One of the most distinctive of California's endemic plants is Aristolochia californica, the California Pipevine or California Dutchman's Pipe. It is a deciduous vine with purple-striped, curving pipe-shaped flowers, which give rise to winged capsular green fruits.

If given the right conditions it will flower profusely. After it blooms, the plant sends out new green heart-shaped leaves. The vines grow from rhizomes to a length of over twenty feet and can become quite thick in circumference at maturity. In its natural state, it will spread out over open ground or sprawl over other plants.

This plant is common in moist woods and along streams in northern and central California, usually below 1,500 ft. The flowers have an unpleasant odor that is attractive to tiny carrion-feeding insects. These insects crawl into the convoluted flowers and often become stuck and disoriented for some time, picking up pollen as they wander. Most eventually escape; the plant is not insectivorous as was once thought. Fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) may prove to be the effective pollinators. G.L. Stebbins suggested (California Native Plant Soc. Newsletter, 1971 Vol. 7 p. 4-5) that pollination by deceit is presumed.

This plant is the only host plant of the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly.

With its aromatic fragrance and threadlike, silvery-green foliage, California Sagebrush (Artemesia californica) is a feast for the senses. This resilient, easy-to-grow shrub thrives in the toughest environments. It's a good choice for dry, sunny, and sloped areas. It tolerates nutrient-poor sandy soil, as long as it's well-draining.

California Sagebrush is extremely drought adapted; some summer water is optional but not required. A little pruning keeps it compact in the garden.

This important coastal scrub plant supports the California gnatcatcher and quail, as well as other bird and insect species.

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.

Horticultural selection from Artemisia californica from Montara Mountain south of san Francisco. If you need an unusual groundcover that can tolerate the hot dry summer, try this low, spreading artemisia out. This lovely groundcover sagebrush has a nice neat, dense form with aromatic gray green foliage. It's a great way to add texture, color contrast and fragrance in a drought-tolerant garden. Despite it's north coast origins we have found 'Montara' to thrive in hot inland conditions with almost no supplmental water. Some speculate that it is a natural hybrid between Artemisia calif. and Artemisia pycnocephala. This is fast becoming a landscaping favorite, but is not commercially grown in many nurseries and so is hard to find.

'Montara' was selected from a cutting at Montara Mountain by Roger Raiche and introduced by Wildwood nursery in 1987. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) is a fast growing shrub chosen primarily for its aromatic gray foliage which makes a year round contrast behind other plants. The beautiful, silver gray leaves add texture and color to the garden. It grows to 4 feet high by 5 feet wide and will spread by underground rhizomes, especially in moist areas.The flowers are small and inconspicuous, often not producing viable seed. 

It does best in the sun but will tolerate shade. As it is native to riverbeds and other moist places it is vigorous if given water, but will tolerate drier conditions.  Dead stems cut back in the winter will resprout in the spring.

Mugwort is sometimes grown for medicinal purposes. It is also useful in restoration projects and for erosion control.

Various insects are attracted to the flowers and it hosts a likely total of 28 species of butterfly and moth.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden. This selection from Bodega Bay is thought to be a hybrid between A. douglasiana & A. Suksdorfii.

Tarragon or Dragon's-wort (Artemisia dracunculus) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. Plants in this genus are frequently called Wormwood, but this species is usually known as Tarragon. A European cultivar of this species is used as a popular culinary spice. The species name "dracunculus" leads to the common name "dragon herb." It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from easternmost Europe across central and eastern Asia to India, western North America, and south to northern Mexico. The North American populations may, however, be naturalized from early human introduction. In California it is found primarily in the southern half of the state, in the coastal mountains and Sierras. Tarragon grows to 120-150 centimeter tall, with slender branched stems. The leaves are lance-shaped, 2-8 centimeter long and 2-10 millimeter broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitulae 2-4 millimeter diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets. Some sources refer to this plant as an unattractive weed. It is cultivated primarily for culinary purposes but also has some wildlife value.

Artemisia palmeri is a rare species of sagebrush known by the common names San Diego sagewort and Palmer sagewort. It is native to northern Baja California and San Diego County, California, where its natural habitat is sandy coastal ravines and river drainages. Most of this habitat has been destroyed as the land has been claimed for human use. It is occasionally found farther inland in chaparral plant communities in the region. This is a perennial or biennial herb producing brittle erect or spreading stems 1 to 3 meters tall. The base is woody. The aromatic foliage is made up of long, narrow leaves deeply cut into several narrow, pointed lobes. The flower cluster contains clusters of flower heads containing pale yellow hairy disc florets. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long. It is rumored David Bowie ate this type of sagewort while writing his album Low. This plant does best in part shade, but can handle full sun or full shade as well. It is an attractive looking plant and would make a great addition to any garden, not to mention its habitat value, which is an added bonus.

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 cordifolia is a species of milkweed commonly called Heart-leaf milkweed or Purple milkweed (not to be confused with Asclepias purpurascens, also commonly called Purple milkweed). It is native to the western United States (California, Nevada, Oregon), growing between 50-2000 meter elevation in the northern Sierra and Cascade ranges. Heart-leaf milkweed was valued by the Native American Miwok for its stems, which they dried and processed into cordage (string and rope). Monarch butterfly caterpillars eat the Heart-leaf milkweed leaves, which contain alkaloids that cause the butterfly to be unpalatable to predators. The species name, cordifolia (Latin for 'heart-leaved'), refers to the heart-shaped leaves, while the genus name honors the Greek physician Asclepius. Heart-leaf milkweed is a perennial that grows to a height of 0.3-0.6 meter, with dark red-purple flowers whose hoods are slightly elevated above the base of the corolla. The flower structure is unusual-it has five stamens fused into a column, with five circular attachments called 'hoods', and an anther head surrounding the large stigma at the flower's center. The fruit (photo at left) is a follicle with many flat seeds that have silky hairs which disperse easily in the wind. The large opposite leaves are heart-shaped, or heart-shaped. The plant grows in open or shaded woodland, often on rocky slopes and in mixed coniferous forest.

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.

Named for its abundant clusters of starlike flowers, showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is an eye-catching native plant selection for the butterfly garden. In the summer months, showy milkweed is covered in fragrant blooms in delicate shades of pink, white, and purple. The large leaves are an attractive grayish-green color.

After blooming, the plant produces large pods that contain seeds with long silky tassels, so they can be dispersed by the wind. Individual plants spread by underground rhizomes into an expanding clump. Showy milkweed has thick, sturdy stems and an upright growth habit. It can reach up to 6 ft in height. The plant goes dormant during the winter months. 

Showy milkweed is an important butterfly host plant, especially for the Monarch butterfly. Adult butterflies feed on the flower nectar and caterpillars eat the leaves. The blooms also attract hummingbirds. Like other milkweeds, this plant produces alkaloids that, when consumed, protect the caterpillars from predators.

Showy milkweed is easy to care for. It grows well in full sun and should be planted in dry, well-drained soil. Remove seed pods to prevent self-sowing. Large clumps can be pruned during the winter dormancy season.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selection from Davis, CA.

Asclepias vestita is a species of milkweed known by the common name woolly milkweed. It is endemic to California, where it grows in many habitats across the state, from mountains to desert to valley. This is a robust perennial herb growing mostly upright or slightly bending. The thick leaves are oval to narrowly lance-shaped. The stem and leaves often have a coat of light-colored hairs, sometimes thick and woolly. The inflorescence is an umbel-shaped array to a spherical cluster of yellowish flowers. The flowers may be tinted with brown or purple. The fruit is a large yellowish follicle containing many silky-haired seeds.

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.

Athysanus is a monotypic genus whose only species is Athysanus pusillus, the common sandweed. It is an annual herb with long, spindly stems on which grow small, unassuming white flowers. The tiny fruits that emerge from the flowers are flat, circular, green, and fringed with prominent white hairs. It is native to the western United States and into British Columbia.

Atriplex canescens (Chamiso, Chamiza, Four wing saltbush, Four-wing saltbush, Fourwing saltbush) is a species of evergreen shrub in the Amaranthaceae family, which is native to the western United States. Fourwing saltbush has a highly variable form, and readily hybridizes with several other species in the Atriplex genus. The degree of polyploidy also results in variations in form. Its height can vary from 1 foot to 10 feet, but 2 to 4 feet is most common. The leaves are thin and 0.5 to 2 inches long. It is most readily identified by its fruits, which have four wings at roughly 90 degree angles and are densely packed on long stems. The fruit stem resembles a mass of corn flakes.

Atriplex canscens is a great bird plant. Best to plant in dry salty soils. Susceptible to root rot unless drought or salt stressed.

Coyote Bush (also called Coyote Brush) is a common California native shrub. It is versatile and adaptable in a wide range of landscape applications. Its short height and spreading habit make this plant a practical choice for groundcover and bank stabilization. It is also said to be fire-resistant and can tolerate recycled water.

It has small, evergreen leaves and abundant white and yellow flowers that are very attractive to insects. Coyote Bush grows well in most soil types. It is a drought-adapted, low-water plant that requires minimal summer irrigation.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Baccharis pilularis from Pigeon Point on the central California Coast north of santa Cruz. Baccharis Pigeon Point' grows into a 1' by 6' wide bright green groundcover. This is the preferred form of Dwarf Coyote Brush for slope stabilization and landscaping in almost all areas. Plant from gallons three to five feet apart for a two year or so fill-in. If you plant close together they grow over each other and you end up with a higher groundcover. 'Pigeon Point' doesn't tend to get woody and seems to stay low and clean for at least ten to twelve years. Baccharis species are the nectary sources for most of the predatory wasps, native (small) butterflies and native flies. These plants 'sing' with life. They're great startups for bad sites, and the evergreen carpet is pleasant to the eye. Water about once every two weeks to wash the dust off of the foliage. Coyote Brush, like many native plants, hates dust.

Horticultural selection B. pilularis: origin = cuttings (19 ) Pigeon Pt., north coast, san Mateo Co.; intro Ken Taylor Nursery 1975.

Note: Baccharis Pilularis is dioecious. The original plant was a male, but there is now a mixture of male and female plants that are in the nursery trade.

Horticultural selection from Baccharis pilularis. Pozo surf Coyote Bush is also known as Lowly Coyote bush or Parking strip coyote bush due to its reputation as a virtually indestructible groundcover that will survive the abuses of narrow parking strips. Given its drought tolerance, ability to thrive in many soil types, including clay it should perhaps be called Tough-As-Nails Coyote Bush? This is the mounding, evergreen groundcover you need for those narrow spaces where nothing else will thrive. It may reach 2' high and spread 2-3'.

This cultivar is a low growing (prostrate form) coyote brush. It is specifically seed producing (instead of pollen producing), hence the name 'San Bruno Lady '. One of the few low growing cultivars that produces seeds.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected from san Bruno Mountain.

Low growing horticultural selection from Baccharis pilularis from Twin Peaks in San Francisco. Twin Peaks II is a compact low growing shrub reaching 12-18 inch high with a 5-6 ft spread. It has dark leaves that are deeply toothed. Needs sun and regular water, but must have good drainage. Selection is pollen producing only (no seed producing plants). For seed producing selections, 'San Bruno Lady' is one option. Tolerates almost any soil type.

Baccharis plummerae is a species of baccharis known by the common name Plummer's baccharis. It is endemic to California, where it can be found on the coastline and in the coastal mountain ranges. This is a bushy shrub producing many erect, slender stems approaching two meters in maximum height. The leaves are linear to oblong in shape and sometimes have fine teeth along the edges. They may be up to 4.5 centimeters long. The shrub is dioecious, with male and female plants producing flower heads of different types. The head is enclosed in a layer of phyllaries which are hairy and sticky. The fruit is a ribbed achene with a pappus 7 or 8 millimeters long.

Native to coastal Southern California, San Diego county viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata) adds a bright splash of yellow to the waterwise landscape. This evergreen shrub is a member of the Aster family. It is sometimes called the San Diego sunflower or tornleaf goldeneye.

The sunflower-like blooms cover the plant from winter to summer. The small, toothed leaves are a vibrant, shiny green. San Diego county viguiera is a hardy, fast-growing shrub. It is easy to grow and does well in sandy, well-draining soil with minimal watering. 

San Diego county viguiera’s cheerful blooms attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to the garden. The plant provides cover for wildlife. After blooming, the spent flowers can be deadheaded or left for birds. Prune in the fall after flowering.

This plant does well on dry slopes. Plant in clusters to form a hedge or combine with other colorful, low-water perennials for visual interest.

Balsamorhiza deltoidea is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower tribe of the plant family Asteraceae known by the common name deltoid balsamroot. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in many types of generally mountainous habitat. This is a taprooted perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height near 90 centimeters. The stems are hairy and hairy. The large leaves are up to 25 centimeters long and 20 wide, and are roughly triangular in shape, hairy and hairy, and often toothed along the edges. The flower cluster bears usually one or sometimes a few large flower heads, each lined with hairy, pointed phyllaries up to 4 centimeters long. The head has a center of yellowish disc florets and a fringe of pointed yellow ray florets each up to 4 or 5 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene 7 to 8 millimeters in length.

Beckmannia syzigachne (American sloughgrass, slough grass) is a annual or short lived perennial in the Poaceae (grass) family found in shallow marshes or sloughs. This species is adapted to the northern United States, southern Canada and part of east Asia. It is one of only two species in the Beckmannia genus; the other being Beckmannia eruciformis.

Golden Abundance Oregon Grape is a hybrid cultivar of 3 California native Berberis species that was selected for garden use. It is a dense evergreen shrub, with large compound glossy dark green leaves. It grows 5-8 feet tall by 6-8 feet wide, and can slowly spread by underground rhizomes to form plants 10 ft. wide. The plant produces large inflorescences with abundant yellow flowers in late winter to mid-spring. The flowers are followed by numerous drooping racemes of powdery purple-blue berries that are attractive to birds when they mature in late summer through fall.

Golden Abundance Oregon Grape is used as a flowering accent plant, an informal or trimmed semi-formal hedge, a screen, or a background plant in shady and woodland gardens. Since the leaves have prickly edges it can also be used as a barrier hedge to hinder animals and humans.

In coastal locations it prefers full sun to light shade. In inland locations it prefers partial shade or morning sun with afternoon shade. It can handle heat and aridity well when grown in partial shade. This plant is adaptable to many soil types from well-draining loam to clay loam. It prefers little to moderate watering when established, depending on the sun exposure and climate. It is resistant to oak root fungus and can be a drought tolerant option under mature oaks.

This 'Golden Abundance' cultivar was selected by Lee Lenz at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (present day California Botanic Garden), a chance hybrid between 3 different Berberis (classified as Mahonia at the time) species, Mahonia piperiana, M. aquifolium, and M. amplectans. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden was awarded a patent on it in 1973, the first patent on a cultivated plant selection granted to a botanic garden in California.

Lenz described its distinctions from its three parents as having: a more vigorous and upright form, many lateral inflorescences along the stems, larger terminal inflorescences, and a greater overall visual abundance of flowers.

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.

Shining Netvein Barberry (Berberis aquifolium var. dictyota) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in slopes and canyons, at elevations from 2000-6000 feet.

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.

Nevin’s barberry (Berberis nevinii) is a striking evergreen flowering shrub. Nevin’s barberry  with bright yellow flowers that is absolutely striking in full bloom in spring and also has attractive leaves and berries. The flowers are cup-shaped and appear in clusters against the dense, dark green to bluish-green leaves. The red to dark blue berries hang in bunches. 

This is an erect shrub growing in full sun and soil that is well-drained. It is slow growing, usually to 5 feet tall and sometimes 13 feet.  It is very cold hardy, heat tolerant, and can handle regular summer water. Because the leaves are quite spiny, it is best planted away from walkways and can serve as a barrier hedge.

It is deer-resistant and attracts birds and butterflies. Western Bluebirds are especially fond of the berries.  It is a federally and state listed endangered species that is widely cultivated in gardens and parks.

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.

Berula erecta, known as lesser water-parsnip or cutleaf waterparsnip, is a member of the carrot family. Growing to around 1 m (3 ft) tall, it is found in or by water. It is widespread across much of Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Berula erecta is an herb sometimes reaching up to 100 cm (40 inches) in height. Stem is hollow. Underwater leaves consist of compound with thread-like lobes; leaves above the surface of the water and flatter and broader. The plant produces many small white flowers in a compound umbel.

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

Bloomeria humilis is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family, or alternately the Themidaceae, which is known by the common name dwarf goldenstar. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from only one occurrence on the coastline near San Simeon. It is a plant of the local chaparral and coastal grassland. It is a perennial herb growing from a corm and producing one or two narrow leaves up to 10 centimeters long. The flower cluster is up to 8 or 10 centimeters tall and bears several flowers, each on a pedicel. The flower has six brown-stippled yellow petals each up to a centimeter long. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter in length.

California Elegant Rock Cress (Arabis sparsiflora var. californica) is a native perennial herb that grows in Southern and Central California, primarily in the South Coast, the Transverse Range and Peninsular Range regions. It tends to grow in rocky canyons and gravelly washes, at elevations from 0-5200 feet.

Koehler's Stipitate Rock Cress (Arabis koehleri var. stipitata) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in Northern California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range region.

Boechera sparsiflora (formerly Arabis sparsiflora) is a species of rockcress known by the common names sicklepod rockcress and elegant rockcress. It is native to western North America from California to Utah to Yukon, where it can be found in a number of habitats. This is a coarsely hairy perennial herb growing one or more thick stems from a caudex. The stem may branch or not and it reaches up to 90 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves vary in shape from linear to arrowhead-like and may or may not have toothed edges. They are usually hairy and up to 8 or 10 centimeters long. The raceme flower cluster bears a number of flowers with spoon-shaped petals about a centimeter long in shades of purple or pink. The fruit is a large, curved silique 6 to 12 centimeters long

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.

Boykinia rotundifolia is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name Roundleafed Brookfoam. It is endemic to southern California from Ventura to San Diego Counties, where it grows in shady forested areas near streams in the mountains below 6,000 ft. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing leaves with blades up to 30 centimeters long, borne on petioles up to 18 centimeters in length. Each leaf has several rounded lobes with dull teeth along the edges. The flower cluster reaches up to a meter tall on a thin stem. It bears a dense array of many small white flowers, each with five tiny pointed sepals and five larger oval petals.

A species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name California Brickellbush. It is native to western North America from Baja California to Idaho to Oklahoma. It is a common plant in many habitat types, especially in dry areas, somewhat more common in the southern coastal part of the state. One of the best smelling California native plants. Although not particularly beautiful, it has an amazing fragrance that comes out in the summer months when it is in bloom, and the fragrance can carry a considerable distance. This is a thickly branching shrub growing one half to two meters in height. The fuzzy, hairy leaves are roughly triangular in shape with toothed to serrated edges. The leaves are 1 to 6 centimeters long. Although it is in the Sunflower family, the inconspicuous flowers look nothing like sunflower, being very small and rayless. The flower clusters at the end of stem branches contain many small leaves and bunches of narrow, cylindrical flower heads. Each head is about 13 millimeters long and wrapped in flat, wide, purplish green overlapping phyllaries. At the tip of the head are a number of long white to pink disc florets. The fruit is a hairy cylindrical achene 3 millimeters long with a pappus of bristles. In the garden it is best used in a location where its fragrance can be appreciated but its lack of showiness will not detract (see companion plants below).

California Brickellbush (Brickellia californica var. californica) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-5000 feet.

Jepson's Brickellbush (Brickellia californica var. jepsonii) is a native perennial herb that grows in central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-5000 feet.

Brickellia nevinii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name Nevin's brickellbush. It is native to California and Nevada, where it is an uncommon resident of desert and mountain scrub plant communities. This is an erect shrub reaching heights between 3 and 5 meters. The dense, tangling branches and foliage are coated in gray woolly fibers. The small leaves are oval to heart-shaped, toothed along the edges, and generally under two centimeters long. The shrub flowers in clusters of flower heads each about 1.5 centimeters long. The head is cylindrical to conical and wrapped in layers of gray woolly phyllaries whose tips curl out from the flower head. The head contains around 23 dull white to reddish-tinted yellow disc florets that stick out from the tip. The fruit is a hairy achene about 4 millimeters long with a pappus of bristles.