Clarkia lassenensis is a species of wildflower known by the common name Lassen clarkia. This plant is native to the US states of California, Oregon, and Nevada, where it grows in the mountains and forested plateau. The plant erects a spindly stem and bears sparse narrow leaves. The bowl-shaped flower has four lavender petals with reddish bases, each about one centimeter long. The flower is a resident of Mount Lassen, from which it gets its name.

Clarkia lewisii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name Lewis' clarkia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the hills and mountains of Monterey and San Benito Counties. It is an erect annual herb generally under half a meter in height. The lance-shaped leaves are a few centimeters long. The flower cluster bears opening flowers and closed, hanging flower buds. As the bud opens the pink or purple sepals stay fused as the petals bloom from one side. The fan-shaped petals are up to 3 centimeters long, pink to lavender with white and red coloration near the bases. There are 8 stamens and a protruding stigma.

Clarkia purpurea is a species of wildflower in the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) family known by the common names Winecup Clarkia, Winecup Fairyfan, and Purple Clarkia. This plant is native to western North America where it is found in a variety of habitats. Within California it is very widespread, occurring all along the coast, in the Coast Ranges, Central Valley and Sierra foothills. There are three subspecies with differences in the flower color and with overlapping ranges. This plant erects a thin reddish stem which may approach a meter in height and has a few lance-shaped leaves. The bowl-shaped flowers have four petals usually one to two centimeters long and in shades of pink, purple, or deep wine red, often with a streak or spot of pink or red in the middle. In the garden it is almost always grown from seed and is included in many commercially available wildflower seed mixes.

Clarkia rhomboidea is a species of wildflower known by the common names diamond clarkia and forest clarkia. This plant is native to western North America, where it is a common resident of varied forest and woodland habitats. This clarkia grows a spindly stem not exceeding a meter in height and occasional small leaves. The flower has four petals which are bright pink to lavender and often speckled with darker pink shades. The petals are diamond-shaped to spoon-shaped and one to one and a half centimeters long. There are eight stamens, each holding a large anther bearing blue-gray pollen.

Clarkia similis is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name Ramona clarkia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the coastal hills and mountains of the southwestern part of the state. It is an annual herb growing erect, approaching a meter in maximum height. The inflorescence bears open flowers and closed, hanging flower buds. The sepals remain fused as the petals bloom from one side. The petals are less than a centimeter long and oval to diamond in shape. They are pale pink with white near the bases, and sometimes purple-speckled.

Clarkia speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) family known by the common name Red Spotted Clarkia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Central Coast and mountains and from the Sierra Nevada foothills. The plant is variable across its intergrading subspecies, taking a decumbent to erect form with a stem up to about half a meter long. The open or dense flower cluster has opening flowers and several closed buds. As the bud opens the sepals all separate from each other. The fan-shaped petals are up to 2.5 centimeters long and may be lavender to pink to deep red, sometimes fading to white or yellowish at the base. There is sometimes, but not always, a large bright red spot near the middle of the petal. There are four subspecies of this plant. One, ssp. immaculata (also sometimes called var. immaculata), is known as the Pismo clarkia and is federally listed as an endangered species. It is known from about 20 occurrences on the coastline of San Luis Obispo County near Pismo Beach. This subspecies takes a decumbent form and the petals lack the red spot.

Elegant clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata) is an annual wildflower in the Evening-Primrose family (Onagraceae). It is endemic (limited) to California, but is often sold in wildflower seed mixes throughout the country. Elegant clarkia has tall, thin stems, narrow leaves, and four spade-shaped petals in various shades of pink. Butterflies, moths, and bees are attracted to its flowers. It blooms in summer, when many wildflowers are finished for the year.

Another popular name is woodland clarkia, and its natural habitat is indeed open woodlands. It usually is found growing in oak woodlands or mixed evergreen forest, with native grasses and other wildflowers that appreciate part shade. Sow seeds in fall and let the rain do the rest. Allow to self-sow in fall before cutting back dead stocks. Grow this clarkia in the middle or back of a flower bed where its tall, whimsical flowers make a charming backdrop. Or create a mini-meadow under an oak tree with native bunchgrasses, wild onion, white globe lily, and purple chinese houses.

Clarkia xantiana is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name gunsight clarkia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the southern Sierra Nevada and its foothills and the adjacent Transverse Ranges. This is an erect annual herb with linear to lance-shaped leaves each up to 6 centimeters long. The inflorescence produces opening flowers and closed buds. The sepals stay fused as the petals bloom from one side. Each petal is up to 2 centimeters long and generally light to medium purple in color, sometimes with a dark, ringed spot on the petals of the upper whorl. The petal has a narrow claw and a wider blade which has two lobes at the tip with a small tooth between.

Claytonia exigua is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names serpentine springbeauty and pale claytonia. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Idaho to California, where it grows in a number of habitat types, including plant communities on serpentine soils. Claytonia exigua is a fleshy annual herb producing a patch of erect or leaning stems up to about 15 centimeters tall. The thick leaves are linear in shape and fingerlike near the base of the plant and crescent to disc-shaped farther up the stem. The plant is hairless and waxy and varies in color from green to pinkish, grayish, or brownish. The inflorescence holds several flowers on drooping pedicels which turn erect as the plant develops fruit. The flower has five lobed petals each a few millimeters long and in shades of pink, white, or pink-streaked white. The fruit is a capsule less than three millimeters long containing a few tiny seeds.

Claytonia gypsophiloides is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names gypsum springbeauty and Coast Range claytonia. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the Coast Ranges from the North Coast Ranges to the Temblor Range. It can usually be found in moist areas with rocky soils, often serpentine. It is an annual herb producing an erect stem 15 to 25 centimeters in maximum height. The fleshy basal leaves are linear in shape and up to 15 centimeters long. The pair leaves at midpoint on the stem vary in shape. They may be linear and separate, fused along one side, or completely fused into a disc surrounding the stem. The leaves are gray-green, beige, or pinkish in color. The stalked inflorescence is up to 15 centimeters long and bears up to 30 flowers. Each has 5 pink and white petals which are oval-shaped with a notched tip.

Rooreh (Claytonia perfoliata) is a trailing annual herb in the Montia family, native to a large portion of western North America, including almost every county in California. The plant has small white flowers with five petals that bloom from February to May or June. The leaves are round, succulent, and edible, commonly known as miner's lettuce, along with its subspecies Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata.

Rooreh thrives in vernally moist areas and grows at elevations from 0-6600 feet. It is indicative of a healthy oak woodland and often signals a balanced ecosystem. This plant is more drought-adapted in coastal and cool-weather areas. Sow its tiny black seeds on bare soil in protected areas that receive plenty of water, typically during late fall to early winter. A handy method for sowing is to mix the seeds with fine sand in a salt shaker and sprinkle it onto the surface. Gently scratch it in and tamp to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

The presence of rooreh supports butterflies and moths, enhancing the diversity of pollinators in the garden.

Chaparral clematis (Clematis lasiantha) is a vine with profuse small white blooms followed by fluffy attractive seed heads.  Chaparral clematis is in the buttercup family that is native to the north-central Pacific coast and up to the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It grows on hillsides, in chaparral, and in open woodland.

The flowers attract butterflies.

Gardeners value chaparral clematis for its long flowering season, nearly six months in spring and summer. The rich texture of its leaves is another benefit.  It is easy to grow, and grows fast up to 15 feet. It will adorn a fence, an arbor or a pergola or wind through shrubs and trees.

Virgin's bower (Clematis ligusticifolia) is a climbing, spreading vine with showy flowers. It is also known as Old-man's Beard and Yerba de Chiva, and Virgin's bower (though this may also refer to C. lasiantha). It is native to North America and widespread across the western United States in streamside thickets, wooded hillsides, and coniferous forests up to 4,000 feet. It was called "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American Old West. 

Clematis pauciflora is a species in the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup) family known by the common name Small Leaved Clematis. This flowering plant is native to the chaparral slopes of southern California and Baja California, from the coast to the high desert. It is a woody vine with nodes every few centimeters which produce leaves and flowers. The leaves are made up of several dark green lobed leaflets, each one to three centimeters wide. From each leaf-bearing node grows a flower cluster of one to three flowers with narrow petal-like sepals in shades of light yellow. Most of the flower is made up of a spray of up to 50 stamens and almost as many similar-looking pistils. The fruit is an achene equipped with a long plumelike style. This plant is usually found growing up through larger chaparral shrubs.

Clinopodium chandleri is a rare native perennial herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows in Southern California and northern Baja, primarily in the Peninsular Range region. It tends to grow in rocky slopes, at elevations of 1,700-2,300 feet. It was formerly classified in the genus Satureja, and some sources still refer to it by that name. It is a low-growing, fragrant, spreading herb that prefers regular water and some shade. It is well suited for containers. Although it is native to mountain areas, it can be grown near the coast.

Spanish for 'good herb', Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) is a creeping evergreen perennial commonly used as a groundcover, rock garden, and container plant. A member of the Mint family, Yerba Buena's small, delicate leaves and tiny white flowers have a pleasant fragrance. The leaves are used in tea, traditional medicine, cooking, and essential oils.

This plant roots itself as it spreads, forming low mats that can be encouraged by pinching the stems. Yerba Buena grows best when planted in full or part shade. It is a low- to moderate- moisture plant that adapts to different soil types, as long as drainage is good. Plant under trees or in shady spots mixed in with taller shade-loving plants.

Monkey Flower Savory is a rare native perennial herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows in the Coast Ranges from Monterey southward to the Transverse Range. The majority of its population lies within the Los Padres National Forest. It is uncommon throughout its range and for this reason it is included on CNPS list 4.2. It tends to grow in moist places, at elevations from 400 to over 5,000 feet. Like others in this genus, it is low-growing and delicate in appearance, but older specimens in the wild can attain nearly 2 meters. It is herbaceous with slender stems but occasionally woody at the base. The flowers are small, hairy, with a rounded-toothed margin. The tubular flowers are red-orange and grow to 1-2 inches. Hummingbirds love them! Overall, it resembles an Epilobium but requires more moisture. It spreads by rhizomes wherever there is adequate moisture.

Cneoridium is a monotypic genus in the Rutaceae (citrus family) which contains the single species Cneoridium dumosum, known by the common name Bushrue. This is an aromatic is shrub native to the coastal bluffs of southern California and Baja California. This highly-branched shrub may exceed a meter in height and sprawl about as wide. Its twigs are covered in small linear green leaves and flowers in clusters of one to three. Each flower is just over a centimeter wide with four or five rounded white petals and eight yellow-anthered white stamens. The bunching fruits are round reddish-green berries about half a centimeter wide covered in a thin peel which is gland-pitted like that of a common citrus fruit. Each berry contains one or two spherical seeds. May cause dermatitis in some people so use with caution. In the summer, the leaves of the plant turn an attractive golden color.

This is a tough and easy to grow plant. Amazingly drought tolerant but still tolerates occasional summer water better than most plants. It prefers full sun, and tolerates a wide variety of soil types. In the summer, its leaves turn an attractive golden color, and will green back up after the rainy season begins.

Collinsia callosa is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name desert mountain blue-eyed Mary. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the mountains of the southernmost Sierra Nevada, the Transverse Ranges, and the mountains of the Mojave Desert region. It grows in desert scrub, chaparral, and woodland habitat on the mountain slopes. This is an annual herb producing a fleshy, somewhat thick stem up to about 25 centimeters tall. The plant is overall green to red in color. The leaves are oblong and thick, their edges slightly rolled under. They are oppositely arranged and some pairs clasp the stem where they meet.

Collinsia concolor is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Chinese houses. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in the woodlands and chaparral of the coastal mountain ranges, such as the Peninsular Ranges. This is an annual herb producing an erect stem up to about 45 centimeters tall. The leaves are oppositely arranged, each widely linear in shape, flat, and sometimes slightly toothed. The hairy gland-covered flower cluster is an interrupted series of dense whorls of flowers. Each flower is 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, with a hairy base and a corolla divided into two upper lobes and three lower. The flower is blue to purple with a neatly purple-dotted white area on the upper lobes. The middle of the three lower lobes has a hairy tip.

Collinsia greenei is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Greene's blue-eyed Mary. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in the coastal and inland mountains, including the North Coast Ranges and the Klamath Mountains. Its habitat includes chaparral and coniferous forest on serpentine soils. Collinsia greenei is an annual herb producing a very glandular-hairy purple-tinted green stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. The oppositely arranged leaves may be toothed or smooth on the edges. The inflorescence is an interrupted series of whorls bearing one to five flowers each. Each flower arises on an erect pedicel. The sepals are bluntly lobed and coated thickly in glandular hairs. The flower is one to 1. 5 centimeters long and royal purple in color, sometimes with a wash of white in the throat. It has two short upper lobes with their lips turned back, and three longer lower lobes arranged into a long pouch.

Purple Chinese Houses (Collinsia heterophylla) is a low annual (12 to 18 inches high) that flowers March through June. The flowers are gentle tones of lilac, lavender, purple or blue, usually with a white upper lip and arranged in towers of flower clusters that are thought to resemble a pagoda. They are impressive when massed and fit well with ferns and other wildflowers in chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, or Oak Woodland landscaping.

Seed can be sown in fall in an area cleared of weeds. The plant will typically reseed itself each year. It is adaptable to different types of soil but needs a moist place in part shade, part sun. In gardens it needs water weekly.

Hosting caterpillars of butterflies and moths, Purple Chinese Houses will also attract bees and benefit birds.

Purple Chinese Houses (Collinsia heterophylla var. heterophylla) is a native annual herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-5000 feet.

Collinsia parryi is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Parry's blue eyed Mary. It is endemic to central and southern California, where it is found in the southern Coast Ranges and in the Transverse Ranges north and east of Los Angeles. This is an annual herb growing up to 40 centimeters tall with a spindly stem coated in fine hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped and may have dull teeth along the edges. Each flower is 4 to 10 millimeters long and is borne on a long pedicel.

Collinsia sparsiflora is a flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae known by the common names spinster's blue-eyed Mary and few-flowered collinsia. One variety of the species is native to the West Coast of the United States as far north as Washington, while the other three varieties are limited to California alone. The plant grows in several types of habitat, including disturbed and cultivated areas. It has a weak affinity for serpentine soils, growing from sea-level to 5000'.

Collinsia tinctoria is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names sticky Chinese houses and tincture plant. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the woodlands and forests of the mountain ranges of the central and northern regions of the state. It is an annual herb producing a sturdy erect stem up to about 60 centimeters tall. The oppositely arranged leaves are triangular lance-shaped, sometimes toothed, and hairy on the undersides. The flower cluster is a series of widely spaced dense whorls of flowers, each whorl a crowded ring of flowers held on erect pedicels. The flower has five elongated sepals with rounded tips, the corolla angling sharply down from the mouth of the calyx. The corolla may be any of several colors from white to yellow to deep lavender and may be mottled or speckled and tinted in the throat. The flower cluster and some flower parts are hairy and hairy.

Collomia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common names grand collomia and large-flowered mountain trumpet. This annual herb is native to western North America. It is also cultivated as an ornamental. The plant produces an erect, hairy or fuzzy stem which may be red to green in color. Arranged at wide intervals along the stem are long, lance-shaped leaves, the lowermost sometimes toothed along the edges. Atop the stem is an flower cluster of several flowers in white to yellow or orange. Each tubular, flat-faced flower is 2 or 3 centimeters wide with 5 curving, light-colored petals and stamens tipped with anthers which bear blue pollen. The fruit is a capsule containing sticky seeds.

Collomia heterophylla is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name variableleaf collomia. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Idaho to central California, where it grows in several types of habitat, including open areas on gravelly mountain slopes. It is a hairy annual herb producing a branching, erect stem. As the common name suggests, the leaves are variable in shape, the lower generally with several toothed lobes and the upper sometimes lacking lobes. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers emerging from the top of the stem or from the axil of a leaf. It may bear up to 25 flowers, each with star-shaped corolla at the tip of an elongated tube. The corolla lobes are lance-shaped and white to deep pink with white bases.

Comarostaphylis diversifolia is a rare shrub in the heath family known by the common name Summer Holly. It is slow growing in an upright form up to a height of 20 feet or more, with striking white flowers in the spring, an incredible summer display of holly-like red berries , and attractive gray bark. It is native to southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in coastal chaparral habitat, usually on well drained slopes. Its bark is gray and shreddy and the tough, evergreen leaves are oval in shape and sometimes toothed. The flower cluster is a raceme of urn-shaped flowers very similar to those of the related shrubs, the manzanitas. The fruit is a bright red, juicy drupe with a bumpy skin. There are two subspecies. C. d. ssp. diversifolia - native to the coastal hills of southern California and Baja California, C. d. ssp. planifolia - native to the Channel Islands of California and the Transverse Ranges north of Los Angeles. Subspecies diversifolia tends to grow with Mission Manzanita, Scrub Oak and Toyon.

In nature, Summer Holly is most often found on shady dry slopes, near occasional creeks or runoffs. It grows slowly until it breaks through the lower canopy, and gets its leaves in the sun. In landscapes it does best in dry part shade, near irrigated spots or other slightly damp areas. It prefers heavier, richer soils that retain the little moisture it gets a little longer. Best to plant Summer Holly in the fall, so it can get established by summer. This plant is among the least tolerant to direct water in the summer. After the first year, direct water in the summer will usually kill it.

Comarum palustre (syn. Potentilla palustris), known by the common names purple marshlocks, swamp cinquefoil and marsh cinquefoil, is a common waterside shrub. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, particularly the northern regions. It is most commonly found on lake shores, marshy riversides and stream margins, often partly submerged with foliage floating. It is a parent of some Fragaria, Comarum hybrids, ornamental plants produced by crossing with strawberries. Its branches spread into leaves with three to seven narrow leaflets which are sharply jagged. The stem is a reddish brown, low sprawling, vine-like structure. Flowers extend from the branch which vary from red to purple, and are about one inch in diameter, blooming in summer. Swamp cinquefoil prefers peat soils but can also grow in moist sandy areas. It flourishes in USDA Zone 3 (minimum-40 degreesF (-40 degreesC)). It grows to about 12-18 in (30-46 cm) wide by 12-18 in (30-46 cm) high when cultivated properly.

Cordylanthus pilosus is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name hairy bird's beak. It is endemic to the mountain ranges and foothills of northern California, where it grows in woodland and chaparral habitat, often on serpentine soils. There are three subspecies, each mainly limited to a different section of mountains. In general this annual herb is erect and branching, reaching a maximum height anywhere between 20 centimeters and 1.2 meters. It is purple-tinted gray-green in color and usually quite hairy in texture, the hairs sometimes associated with sticky glands. The branches have sparse tufts of small linear leaves. The flowers of the flower cluster have leafs which may be linear in shape or lobed, each lobe knobby or notched. The flower is up to 2 centimeters long and has a whitish pouch marked with yellow and purple enclosed in hairy sepals.

Hairy Bird's Beak (Cordylanthus pilosus ssp. pilosus) is a native annual herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the North Coast and North Coast Range regions. It tends to grow in open slopes, at elevations from 0-2300 feet.

Cordylanthus rigidus is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name stiffbranch bird's beak. It is native to California and northern Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat from coastal flats to high inland mountains. This is a hairy annual herb growing to maximum heights anywhere from 30 centimeters to 1.5 meters. There are at least four subspecies and possibly natural varieties not distinct enough to be considered subspecies. There is great variety in the appearance of the plant. The stem and foliage vary in color from greenish to yellows and reds; like other members of its family this species is a parasite on other plants so it does not rely entirely on green chlorophyll to produce its own nutrients. Its leaves are linear in shape and 1 to 4 centimeters long. The edges may roll in. The loose flower cluster produces solitary flowers on long stalks. Each hair-covered flower is shaped like a conical bird's beak with leaflike, pointed outer and inner leafs. Tucked inside is the pouched white flower. The whole unit is up to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a capsule containing dark brown seeds one or two millimeters long.

Cordylanthus tenuis is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name slender bird's beak. It is native to the US states of California, Oregon, and Nevada, where it grows in woodland and forest. It erects a spindly stem which may exceed a meter in height with sparse narrow leaves a few centimeters long, and is sometimes sticky with glandular secretions. The plant is greenish and tinted with yellow or purple coloration. The stem branches at intervals and at the end of each branch is a cluster of one to several flowers. Each pocket-shaped flower is one to two centimeters long and about one wide, made up of fuzzy maroon lobes with white or yellow lips. There are several subspecies, including:

Corethrogyne filaginifolia (syn. Lessingia filaginifolia) is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Common Sandaster and California Aster. The taxonomy of this plant and certain relatives is currently changing; recently the Corethrogynes have been grouped together under the name Lessingia filaginifolia, and then moved back to genus Corethrogyne as a single species with many synonyms.

It is native to western North America from the southwestern corner of Oregon to Baja California, where it is a common member of many plant communities, including chaparral and woodlands, forests, scrub, grasslands, and the serpentine soils flora.

This is a robust perennial herb or subshrub producing a simple to multibranched stem approaching a meter in maximum length or height. The densely woolly leaves are several centimeters long and toothed or lobed low on the stem and smaller farther up the stem.

The flower cluster is a single flower head or array of several heads at the tips of stem branches. The head is lined with narrow, pointed, purple-tipped phyllaries which curl back as the head matures. Inside are many purple, lavender, pink, or white ray florets and a center packed with up to 120 tubular yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene with a pappus of reddish bristles on top.

California Aster appears to do best in rocky slopes and sloping rock gardens. They often don't do as well on flat areas. On dry slopes surrounded by rocks, the plant will usually stay beautiful year round. If happy, it will often reseed and pop up in nearby rocky places.

This plant is very drought tolerant if situated properly. It is not tolerant of summer water, which will often kill it after its first year. California Aster is available in nurseries primarily in low-growing, spreading varieties. 'Silver Carpet' is one of the most beautiful and popular.

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 Corethrogyne filaginifolia. Selected for the garden. Introduced by santa Barbara Botanic Garden. One of the best native California groundcoves. Very low growing and compact, with a nice mounding form, beautiful silver folliage and pink flowers that last from summer through fall. Blooms in summer and fall.When planted over a wall or rocks it spills over nicely. It is a perfect plant for borders, planters, rock gardens and containers. Keep lightly pruned for best appearance. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites.

Cornus glabrata is a species in the Cornaceae (Dogwood) family native to California and Oregon and known by the common name Brown Dogwood and several other names. It is found in the Coast Ranges and the Sierra foothills, below 5,000 ft., and on some of the Channel Islands. This is a large shrub or thicket-forming bush with very limber branches that often come down to the ground and root to form new plants. It also spreads by root suckers. The bark may be brown, reddish or purple, giving it interest in winter when it is leafless. The bright green leaves turn red in fall. It bears plentiful clusters of fuzzy white flowers and bluish-white berries. This shrub is most often found near water, usually directly on the bank of a water source, but it can become less thirsty in the garden by periodic deep watering.

Western Dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. occidentalis) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in a semi-upright form to a height of 16 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are white and striking, and bloom in the summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in moist places, at elevations from 0-8000 feet.

California hazel (Corylus cornuta var. californica) -- also commonly called beaked hazelnut or California hazelnut -- is an evergreen shrub in the Birch family (Betulaceae). Delicate stems are clothed in velvety birch-like leaves which turn golden yellow in autumn. Springtime brings dangling cream-colored catkins before the leaves appear, which can resemble tiny ornaments when viewed from a distance in a forest. Although ruby red, the flowers are quite small, and escape notice unless one is looking for them.

Butterflies and moths are attracted to the flowers and Early Hairstreak butterflies use the plant to lay their eggs. Wild birds feed on the high-protein winter buds and spring catkins. Hazelnuts are famous for their fruit, which is a delicious nut that is enclosed in a papery, beaked-shaped husk. Our native hazelnut, while not as productive as the commercial crop (European Hazelnut, Corylus avellana), may require protection from wildlife if one wishes to grow it for its nuts.

California hazel thrives as an understory shrub or small tree in Woodland habitats, flourishing in part to full shade and slightly moist, well-drained soil near creeks, streams, or under dense tree canopies. Gardeners who are interested in growing their own food using Permaculture or Food Forest methods, can include this plant in the shrub layer. For those who wish to attract wildlife, this is also a wonderful choice. California hazel adds a delicate, ethereal quality to a woodland garden and those with shady yards will find this shrub to be a great addition to their landscapes.

California Hazel (Corylus cornuta var. californica) is a native shrub that grows in central and northern California. It is slow growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 18 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-7000 feet.

Crassula aquatica is a succulent plant known by the common names water pygmyweed, common pygmyweed and just pigmyweed. It is an annual plant of salt marshes, vernal pools, wetlands, and other fresh to brackish water bodies. It is at least partially aquatic, living in areas which are submersed much of the time. It also lives along muddy banks and in tidally-active areas of estuaries. Crassula aquatica is a small plant forming thin mats or small patches on mud and sand, and growing more erect when exposed to open air for longer periods. The flesh of the plant is greenish-yellow to bright red or purplish. The tiny fleshy pointed leaves are only a few millimeters long. Crassula aquatica is a small plant forming thin mats or small patches on mud and sand, and growing more erect when exposed to open air for longer periods. The flesh of the plant is greenish-yellow to bright red or purplish. The tiny fleshy pointed leaves are only a few millimeters long. A flower grows on a short stalk from the intersection of each oppositely-arranged pair of leaves. The flower is only about two millimeters long and wide. The fruit is a minute follicle containing several seeds. This plant is widespread across North America and Eurasia. It is listed as a vulnerable species in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Crassula connata is a succulent plant known by the common names sand pygmyweed and pygmy stonecrop. It is a very small plant which grows in patches on the ground, especially in rocky areas. It is also sometimes associated with vernal pool plant communities. The stems are a few centimeters in length and are covered with tiny fleshy more or less rounded leaves. Each leaf is only millimeters long. The plant is green when new and it matures to shades of pink and red. It is found in western North America and in parts of Central and South America.

Cressa truxillensis is a species of flowering plant in the morning glory family known by the common name spreading alkaliweed. It is native to the western United States and Mexico, where it grows in habitat with saline or alkaline soils, such as beaches, desert flats, and playas. This is a perennial herb producing an erect stem with many branches up to about 25 centimeters tall. The clump of stems is densely lined with silky hairs and studded with many small hairy oval leaves, each under a centimeter long. Flowers appear in the axils of the uppermost leaves. Each has a white corolla with five pointed lobes surrounded by hairy green sepals. There are five protruding stamens and two styles.

Alderson's rush-rose (Crocanthemum aldersonii) is a low shrub in the Cistaceae or rock rose family. In the wild, it is found in Southern California and Baja, Mexico, on chaparral slopes and canyons at elevations up to 4,000 feet.  The leaves are blade-like, the yellow flowers  cup-shaped or flat-petalled, blooming in spring.

It should be noted that there are many non-native varieties of Cistus that are commonly available in nurseries; almost all are commonly called Rock Rose or Sun Rose.

Crocanthemum scoparium is a species in the Cistaceae (Rockrose) family which is endemic to California. There may be some taxonomic confusion about this species, and some sources include it in the genus Helianthemum. Its common names include Peak Rockrose and Peak Rushrose. There are two recognized varieties, both uncommon. This is a small perennial shrub bearing long, smooth stems and small flowers each with five bright yellow petals. It is found in dry, sandy areas in hills and low mountains primarily along the coast from the Bay Area southward, with a concentration in San Diego County. It should be noted that there are many non-native varieties of Cistus that are commonly available in nurseries; almost all are commonly called Rock Rose or Sun Rose.

Bisbee Peak Rush Rose (Helianthemum suffrutescens) is a rare native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry and sandy slopes, at elevations from 0-1000 feet.

Croton californicus is a species of croton known by the common name California croton. This plant is a perennial or small shrub not exceeding a meter in height. The plant produces long oval-shaped leaves a few centimeters long and covered in a light-colored coat of hairs. This species is dioecious, with individual plants bearing either male (staminate) or female (pistillate) flowers, both only a few millimeters across. The staminate flowers are tiny cups filled with thready yellowish stamens and the pistillate flowers are the rounded, lobed immature fruits surrounded by tiny pointed sepals. This plant is native to California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Baja California, where it grows in the deserts and along the coastline.

Cryptantha clevelandii is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Cleveland's cryptantha. It is native to coastal California and Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral and other habitat in the coastal hills. It is an annual herb growing a branching or unbranched stem up to 60 centimeters tall. It is softly to roughly hairy and lined with linear leaves up to 5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a length of developing fruits with a dense cluster of white flowers at the tip, the flowers are often thought to resemble a blow fly ascending to the sun as radiant beams of light engulf the flower like an illuminating aura, this gives Cryptantha clevelandii the nickname "glowing fly"

Flaccid Cryptantha (Cryptantha flaccida) is a native annual herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in open areas, at elevations from 0-6000 feet.

Cryptantha intermedia is a species of wildflower in the borage family known by several common names, including common cryptantha, Clearwater cryptantha, and nievitas. This plant is native to sagebrush scrub and chaparral plant communities, and woodlands and forests of western North America from British Columbia to Baja California. Cryptantha intermedia is an annual plant with a rough, hairy, branching stem reaching a maximum of half a meter in height. It grows from a mostly basal clump of hairy leaves one to several centimeters long. The erect stems are topped with one or more small flowers, each about a centimeter wide and bright white, sometimes with yellow coloration in the throat.