Leathery Polypody (Polypodium scouleri) is a native fern that grows along the coast primarily in northern and central California, from Santa Barbara County northward, and on Santa Cruz Island. It tends to grow in fog drip or saltspray zones, at elevations from sea level to 2,000 feet. It is quite often seen growing on trees or fallen logs and spreads slowly by rhizomes. It is an attractive fern for shaded areas.

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.

Potentilla gracilis, known as Slender Cinquefoil, or Graceful Cinquefoil is a species of cinquefoil. Named varieties are:

Potentilla rivalis is a species of cinquefoil known by the common names brook cinquefoil and river cinquefoil. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada and the western and central United States. It grows in moist habitat, sometimes in disturbed areas. It is an annual or biennial herb producing upright stems up to half a meter tall from a taproot. The hairy leaves are divided into three to five leaflets which are lance-shaped to oval and lined with teeth. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flowers with tiny yellow petals no more than 2 millimeters long on a calyx of pointed sepals and bractlets which are slightly longer.

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.

White Everlasting (Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum) is a native perennial herb in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family that grows primarily in southern California, along the central coast, and in the Sierras. It tends to grow at elevations from sea level to 6,500 feet. Like other members of this genus, the flowers are very long-lasting when dried and are used in flower arrangements. It is the larval host plant for the American lady butterfly. Fuzzy greenish-white leaves and stems sometimes visited by Woolcarder Bees, who harvest the fuzz to build their nests. Flowers very long lasting and good in dried flower arrangements. Pioneer species along with native grasses and lotus (Acmispon) species.

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

Psilocarphus brevissimus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names short woollyheads, woolly marbles, and woolly heads. The plant is native to western North America - from southwestern Canada, through California, to northwestern Mexico, as well as in southern South America. It grows in moist flats such as vernal pools, wetlands, and similar areas. It is found from sea level to 8,202 feet (2,500 m). Psilocarphus brevissimus is a small, woolly annual herb growing just a few centimeters tall with a branching stem or multiple stems. The small, gray-green leaves are erect, pointing up parallel to the stem and sometimes appressed to it. The inflorescence is a small, spherical flower head which is a cluster of several tiny woolly disc flowers surrounded by leaflike bracts but no phyllaries. Each tiny flower is covered in a scale which is densely woolly with long white fibers, making the developing head appear cottony. Varieties: There are two varieties of Psilocarphus brevissimus:Psilocarphus brevissimus var. brevissimus - formerly Psilocarphus globiferusPsilocarphus brevissimus var. multiflorus (Delta woolly marbles) - limited to the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta and surrounding parts of the Central Valley of California. This is an uncommon plant associated with vernal pools.

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.

Pterostegia is a monotypic plant genus containing only the single species Pterostegia drymarioides, which is known as the woodland threadstem, woodland pterostegia, fairy mist, or fairy bowties. The plant is native to the western United States, California, Baja California, and Northwestern Mexico. The plant is most commonly found carpeting the ground in shady areas, such as in the understory of a cool forest or chaparral woodlands. It sometimes grows hidden from view beneath other plants. It also is found in shaded areas of desert habitats. Pterostegia drymarioides is a very small annual spreading or climbing plant with very thin, hairy stems. The tiny leaves are lobed or heart-shaped and may be green or pink. The plant may sprawl across the ground in a thin layer or may form small patches here and there. The plant bears tiny bright pink flowers.

Pyrola asarifolia, commonly known as liverleaf wintergreen, bog wintergreen or pink wintergreen, is a plant species of the genus Pyrola native to western North America. It is found primarily on forest margins at mid latitude in the Pacific Northwest and northern California. It is so named simply because its leaves maintain their green color through winter. This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2015)Cultivation. This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2015)

Pyrrocoma racemosa is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name clustered goldenweed. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is quite variable in morphology, and there are several varieties which are sometimes hard to tell apart. In general, it is a perennial herb usually producing two or more mostly erect stems reaching maximum heights between 15 and 90 centimeters. The stems are reddish or brownish in color, leafy or not, and hairless to quite woolly. The longest leaves are located in tufts around the base of the stems. They are lance-shaped to oval, smooth-edged, wavy, or deeply spine-toothed, and may exceed 30 centimeters in length. Basal leaves are borne on woolly petioles. Leaves located higher on the stem lack petioles and may clasp the stem at their bases. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flower heads lined with phyllaries which may be over a centimeter long and are hairy to hairless in texture. Each head contains many yellow disc florets and a fringe of several yellow ray florets. The fruit is an achene which may be over a centimeter long including its pappus.

Canyon live oak is a species of evergreen oak that is found in the southwestern part of North America, notably in the California Coast Ranges. It is the most wide-spread oak in the state. Its ultimate size and shade are determined by its location within the state. This tree is often found near creeks and drainage swales growing in moist cool microhabitats. Its leaves are a glossy dark green on the upper surface with prominent spines; a further rapid identification arises from the leaves of Canyon live oak being geometrically flat. They are often sympatric with Quercus agrifolia and several other oak species. Fossil data supports a much wider distribution throughout the western United States during the early Holocene period. Native Americans used the acorns of this species as a food staple, after leaching of the tannins; moreover, its roasted seed is a coffee substitute. After forest fires, Canyon live oak regenerates vigorously by basal sprouting, and the clonal diversity of this species has been shown to be high. Alternate common names for this taxon are Canyon oak and "Golden-Cup Oak".

Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii) is a moderately fast-growing tree, typically evergreen but sometimes drought-deciduous in hot summers. Native to Southern California, this rare oak has lost much of its range due to suburban development. It primarily survives in San Diego County, with smaller populations in Pasadena, Orange County, southern Riverside County, and Baja California.

This oak thrives above the dry coastal plain but below 4,200 feet, where winters can be colder. Its thick, leathery blue-green leaves provide year-round color and complement gray-green landscapes. Mature trees develop stunning, gnarled trunks and wide-spreading branches, making them a striking addition to open spaces.

Engelmann oak can be tricky to grow—it prefers dry soil but stays green year-round if it has access to groundwater or nearby irrigation. It requires plenty of space, full sun, and tolerates various soil types.

As a keystone species, Engelmann oak supports an extensive array of butterflies and birds, playing a vital role in Southern California ecosystems. It pairs well with native plants like ceanothus, coffeeberry, and silktassel.

Ranunculus aquatilis (common water-crowfoot, white water-crowfoot) is a plant species of the genus Ranunculus, native throughout most of Europe and western North America, and also northwest Africa. This is an aquatic plant, growing in mats on the surface of water. It has branching thread-like underwater leaves and toothed floater leaves. In fast flowing water the floaters may not be grown. The flowers are white petaled with yellow centres and are held a centimetre or two above the water. The floater leaves are used as props for the flowers and are grown at the same time.

Ranunculus bonariensis is a species of buttercup known by the common name Carter's buttercup. There are three Varieties: Two are native to Chile and Argentina, and one is found in central California in the United States.

California Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus) is a perennial herb with glossy, deep yellow flowers featuring 9 to 17 petals. Native to much of California, Baja California, Oregon, and Pacific coastal islands, it blooms in late winter to spring. Two varieties exist: Var. californicus grows 1–2 feet tall, while Var. cuneatus forms a low ground cover.

This buttercup thrives in borders, meadows, and with native annuals or bulbs, needing little summer water. It self-seeds easily and can be propagated from seeds. Occasionally, nursery plants are available. A beautiful, low-maintenance addition, its seeds can even be toasted for culinary use.

Ranunculus canus is a species of buttercup known by the common name Sacramento Valley buttercup. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the Central Valley and adjacent mountain foothills, and the Transverse Ranges just south. It grows in grassland and meadows in woodland and forest habitat. This plant can be very similar in appearance to the California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus), and may be difficult to distinguish from it. It is variable in form. In general the plant is a perennial herb producing erect, usually hairy stems up to 65 centimeters tall. The hairy leaves are each made up of three leaflets, leaves occurring lower on the plant with wider leaflets which may be notched to lobed, and upper leaves with narrow, toothed leaflets. The flower has up to 23 shiny yellow petals and many yellow stamens and pistils at the center. The fruit is an achene, borne in a spherical cluster of 11 or more.

Alkali Buttercup (Ranunculus cymbalaria) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in a semi-upright form to a height of 1 foot, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and striking, and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in meadows, at elevations from 0-10500 feet.

Ranunculus flammula, the lesser spearwort, greater creeping spearwort or banewort, is a species of perennial herbaceous plants in the genus Ranunculus (buttercup), growing in damp places throughout the Boreal Kingdom. It flowers June/July. Ranunculus flammula is poisonous. It is very closely related to R. reptans, which is distinguished by prostrate and more slender stems, narrower leaves and smaller flowers and is sometimes included within R. flammula sensu lato as a variety (R. flammula var. reptans (L. ) E. Meyer).

Ranunculus lobbii is a species of buttercup known by the common name Lobb's buttercup, or Lobb's aquatic buttercup. It is native to a few areas in western North America, where it is reported from British Columbia, Oregon, and northern California. It is an aquatic plant, growing in various types of shallow-water habitat, including forest ponds and vernal pools. It is an annual herb producing submerged stems 20 to 80 centimeters long which may float at the surface. The blades of the leaves are tiny and divided into threadlike segments. If any leaves develop on stem parts which are exposed to air they are much different in morphology, developing larger, more robust leaves. Flowers have generally 5 petals which are white in color and about half a centimeter long. Many stamens and pistils fill the center of the flower. The fruit is an achene borne in a spherical cluster.

The western buttercup (ranunculus occidentalis) is a species of buttercup found in the western United States and Canada. The flower can be seen in open meadows, forests, and other generally flat areas up to an elevation of 2,200 meters (7,200 feet). Aleut Indians may have used protoanemonin, a substance produced when the plant is handled or damaged as a poison, while Shasta Indians coincided blooming R. occidentalis with salmon runs in the summer.

Ranunculus pusillus is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup genus known by the common name low spearwort. It is native to much of the eastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Texas; it is also known in California. It grows in wet habitat, where it is semi-aquatic growing partially submerged or terrestrially on muddy substrates. It is a perennial herb producing a slender decumbent to erect stem up to half a meter in length. It is generally hairless in texture. Leaves have blades which are lance-shaped to oval and borne on short petioles. The flower has one to three tiny yellow petals no more than 2 millimeters long around a central receptacle with many stamens and pistils. The fruit is an achene borne in a spherical cluster of 18 or more.

Rigiopappus is a genus of North American plants in the aster tribe within the sunflower family. It is closely related to genus Pentachaeta. The only known species is Rigiopappus leptocladus, sometimes known as wireweed. It is an annual plant sending up slender stems terminating in small daisylike yellow flowers. It is native to the western United States (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho).

Rorippa curvisiliqua is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name curvepod yellowcress. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Wyoming, where it can be found in various types of moist and wet habitat, including lakeshores and riverbanks, meadows, roadsides, and mudflats. Rorippa curvisiliqua is an annual or biennial herb which can be quite variable in appearance. It produces prostrate to erect stems up to half a meter long. The leaves are up to 7 centimeters long and have blades which may be smooth-edged or divided into lobes of varying shapes. The inflorescence is an elongated raceme occupying the top portion of the stem containing many tiny yellow flowers just a few millimeters long. The fruit is a silique which is variable in size and shape but generally contains many minute seeds. This species has been divided into a number of varieties, but some authorities doubt that this division is valid or useful.

Rorippa palustris is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family. It is widespread and native to parts of Africa, and much of Asia, Europe and Eurasia, North America and the Caribbean. It can also be found in other parts of the world as an introduced species and a common weed, for example, in Australia and South America. It is an adaptable plant which grows in many types of damp, wet, and aquatic habitat. It may be an annual, biennial, or perennial plant, and is variable in appearance as well. It produces an erect stem, sometimes with branches, attaining a maximum height of just over one meter. The leaves are up to 30 centimeters long and have toothed to deeply lobed edges. The inflorescence is a raceme of mustardlike flowers with spoon-shaped yellow petals each a few millimeters in length. The fruit is a dehiscent and smoothly valved silicle, up to a centimeter long, and containing anywhere from 20 to 90 minute seeds. Rorippa palustris is native to, or naturalized across much of the globe.

With charming open-faced blooms in shades of pink that range from near-white to magenta, the California Wildrose (Rosa californica), a native rose species, adds beauty to any garden or landscape. Its fragrant flowers bloom abundantly through spring and summer. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. In fall, it produces deep red rose hips that provide food for birds.

California Wildrose is easy to grow. It can tolerate low-water conditions but benefits from supplemental irrigation, especially during summer. It grows in different soil types, although it does best in moist, loamy soil. This shrub can form large thickets, making it a good choice for barrier planting. Pruning is not necessary when it has room to grow. Otherwise, light shaping keeps it from overgrowing small spaces.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selection introduced by suncrest Nurseries.

Also known as the baldhip or dwarf rose, the wood rose is a woodland shrub that grows best in shady or sun-dappled areas. Delicate, fragrant blooms in shades of pink and lavender are flat and open-faced. The stems are covered in long, straight spines and vibrant green leaves.

The flowers attract butterflies and bees. After blooming, the hips are a food source for birds. The wood rose is a good plant selection for a waterwise dry shade garden. It is drought tolerant and has low water requirements.

Rotala ramosior is a species of flowering plant in the loosestrife family known by the common name lowland rotala. This aquatic or semiaquatic plant is native to North America, where it grows in lakes, streams, and irrigation ditches. The branching stems of the plant grow to about 40 cm long. Leaves are decussate, arranged oppositely in perpendicular pairs along the stems. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped to oval and up to 5 cm long. Flowers occur singly in leaf axils. Each has triangular sepals with long, narrow appendages and usually four tiny white petals in shades of pink to white. This plant is sometimes grown in aquaria.

California Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), also known as Pacific Blackberry, is a valuable wildlife plant. The fruit is a favorite of many species of birds and mammals, including black bear. (Ursinus is Latin for bear.) The sweet berries are also edible to humans, although they should be picked with care, as the stems are very prickly. The berries can be eaten raw or cooked. The spreading habit of this shrub provides cover for a wide variety of birds and small mammals. In the wild, deer, rabbits, and other animals eat new shoots and foliage.

California Blackberry is easy to grow in the garden. It tolerates a range of soil types and sun exposures, including shady sites under trees and tall shrubs. It can grow in nutrient-poor soil but does require a moderate to high amount of water to thrive, especially in summer. This shrub can spread up to 6 ft in width, making it a useful groundcover plant. As with harvesting fruit, care should be taken when weeding and pruning. For safety, it's best to plant California Blackberry away from walkways and other high-traffic areas.

Rumex hymenosepalus, commonly known as canaigre, canaigre dock, ganagra, wild rhubarb, Arizona dock, and tanner's dock, is a perennial flowering plant which is native to the western United States and northern Mexico.

Rumex salicifolius is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common names willow dock and willow-leaved dock. It is native to much of western North America and it can be found in parts of Europe as an introduced species and a roadside weed. It is an extremely variable plant which is generally divided into many varieties, some of which may actually be specimens of other species. In general, it is a perennial herb producing a slender stem which is prostrate and spreading or erect, growing up to about 90 centimeters in maximum length. The leaves are up to about 13 centimeters long and can be most any shape. The inflorescence is an interrupted series of clusters of flowers, with up to 20 in each cluster, each flower hanging from a pedicel. The flower has usually six tepals, the inner three of which are largest and usually have central tubercles. The Zuni people use the mexicanus variety medicinally. A strong infusion of the root is made and given to women by their husbands to help them to become pregnant. The ground root, or an infusion of it, is taken also for sore throat, especially by sword swallowers.

Salix exigua (Sandbar Willow) is a deciduous shrub reaching 13 to 23 feet in height. The leaves are narrow, green, to grayish with silky white hairs when young. The flowers emerge as yellow or white catkins in late spring, after the leaves appear. The fruit is a cluster of capsules, each containing numerous minute seeds embedded in shiny white silk.

Like most willows, Sandbar Willow it is moisture-loving. It will tolerate a variety of soils and poor drainage. It grows in full sun and spreads by shoots to form dense colonies so it will eventually spread to occupy any wet soil that it can reach. Use with other wetland trees, shrubs and grasses.

It is host to a wide variety of pollinators, including butterflies, moths, and some gall-forming wasps. Some birds, such as the Least Bell's Vireo and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, prefer to nest in large, dense willow thickets.

Salix exigua var. exigua is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern California.

Sandbar Willow (Salix hindsiana) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-5500 feet.

Goodding's Black Willow (Salix gooddingii) is a common native tree that grows throughout the state in wetland areas. It has a moderate growth rate and is moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 15-40 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are green and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in streamsides, at elevations from sea level to 2,000 feet. It performs in a wide variety of locations, from the south coast to the central valley and perennial streams in desert areas. It tolerates some alkalinity and salinity as well as generally poor water quality. Due to its size and water requirements, this is not a common garden tree but is useful in restoration projects, bioswales, and other constructed wetlands. Like other willows it is an important wildlife plant.

Red willow (Salix laevigata) is a fast-growing native tree commonly found along creeks and wetlands throughout California, from sea level to 5,000 feet. It thrives in consistently moist areas and is often used for erosion control, restoration projects, and bioswales.

This mostly deciduous tree has flexible reddish twigs, shiny green leaves with pale undersides, and yellow catkins in spring. Female trees produce cottony seeds that are dispersed by wind. Its variable form includes multiple twisting trunks that often sprawl along creek beds before growing upright.

Red willow is an important habitat tree, providing food for butterflies like the Western tiger swallowtail, mourning cloak, Lorquin’s admiral, and hairstreaks. While not typically used in residential gardens, it is an excellent choice for wetland landscapes

Salix lasiandra is a native willow tree that grows in virtually every county of the state in wetland-riparian areas. It is a suckering willow that will extend its roots and spread into any area that has sufficient moisture. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Salix lucida, and some sources may still refer to it by that name. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. lasiandra is widespread. Var. caudata (Shining Willow) is less common and restricted to the Sierras and northward. Like all willows, this species prefers alluvial soils with plenty of water. It is not often seen in residential gardens but is useful in restoration projects, bioswales, and other consistently wet areas.

Yellow Willow (Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra) is a native tree 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 53 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are green and bloom in the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-8000 feet.

Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) is an abundant and widespread native small tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. Arroyo Willow likes water and in the garden must have constantly moist soil. It is a fast-growing small tree, reaching 15 to 30 feet high and 5 to 10 feet wide. The leaves are long and thin. Being deciduous, Arroyo Willow is leafless part of the year. The flower is a yellowish catkin that becomes a fluffy white mass of seeds.

Willows (Salix spp.) are very important wildlife plants, used by birds, insects, amphibians and mammals. Numerous insects, especially wasps, lay their eggs on willow leaves, forming galls. These galls are usually not harmful to the plant and should not be viewed as pests.

Arroyo Willow grows in full sun in a variety of soils, as long as it has adequate drainage. It is recommended as erosion control near streams. Spreading by root runners it can be invasive in moist areas. Gardeners with a bog or pond use it with other wetland plants such as Maple, Spicebush, Dogwood, Currant, and California Wildrose. It can be pruned or sheared in winter to form a hedge.

Salix melanopsis is a plant species known by the common name dusky willow. It is native to western North America from British Columbia and Alberta to California and Colorado, where it grows in many types of moist and wet habitat, such as riverbanks and subalpine mountain meadows, on rocky and silty substrates. Salix melanopsis is a shrub up to 4 meters tall, sometimes sprouting abundantly from its stem to form colonial thickets of clones. The pointed, oval, lance-shaped, or linear leaves may grow over 13 centimeters long and have smooth or spine-toothed edges. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers up to 5 or 6 centimeters long. Salix melanopsis is a shrub up to 4 meters tall, sometimes sprouting abundantly from its stem to form colonial thickets of clones. The pointed, oval, lance-shaped, or linear leaves may grow over 13 centimeters long and have smooth or spine-toothed edges. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers up to 5 or 6 centimeters long.

Salix scouleriana, or Scouler's Willow, is a species of willow native to western North America. Other names occasionally used include fire willow, Nuttall willow, mountain willow, and black willow. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree, depending on the environment, usually with multiple stems that reach 2 to 7 meter in height in dry, cold, high elevation, and other difficult environments, and 10 to 20 meter in favorable sites. The stems are straight and support few branches generally resulting in narrow crowns. The root system is fibrous, deep, and widespread. The thick sapwood is nearly white, and heartwood is light brown tinged with red. Stem bark is thin, gray or dark brown with broad, flat ridges. Twigs are stout and whitish green. The leaves are oblance-shaped to elliptic, 5-12.5 centimeter long, mostly short-pointed at the tip and tapered toward the base with entire to sparsely wavy-toothed margins. They are dark-green and nearly hairless above, and white- or grayish-hairy below. It is dioecious, having male and female flowers on different trees. The flowers are tiny, grouped in pussy willow-like catkins. The anthers, two per flower, are yellow, sometimes tipped with red; pistols are red. The fruit is light reddish-brown, long-pointed capsules about 0.75 centimeter long. At maturity, they open to release a white fluff with tiny imbedded seeds.

Tracy's Willow (Salix tracyi) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-7000 feet.

Thistle Sage (Salvia carduacea) is a native annual herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows in southern and central California, primarily in hot, dry inland areas. It comes closest to the coast in northern Santa Barbara County. It tends to grow in sandy or gravelly places, at elevations from 0-4500 feet. It has a distinctive thistle appearance but is not related to true thistles. It is more closely related to Chia (S. columbariae). It is almost always grown from seed and is sometimes included in desert seed mixes.

Sanicula arguta is a species of flowering plant in the parsley family known by the common names sharptooth sanicle and sharptooth blacksnakeroot. It is native to the coastal hills and mountains of the central coast and southern California and Baja California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Channel Islands. It grows in many types of local habitat, including California chaparral and woodlands. Sanicula arguta is a perennial herb growing from a thick taproot resembling a turnip. The plant is mostly erect, growing up to half a meter tall. The leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and are divided into several sharp-toothed lobes. The inflorescence is made up of one or more heads of bisexual and male-only flowers with tiny, curving, golden yellow petals. The prickly fruits are about half a centimeter long.

Sanicula bipinnata is a species of plant in the carrot family known by the common name poison sanicle. It is endemic to California where it is found in low-elevation mountains and foothills, especially in the hills along the coast. It occurs in the California Coastal Range and Sierra Nevada foothills, including Ring Mountain, California. It is recognizable as a relative of the carrots and parsnips with its thin stalk topped with small umbels of yellow or cream flowers. The origin of its poisonous reputation is unknown. Yet despite the name, there are no current records of its toxicity in humans, though it or a related species might be toxic to horses or other stock animals. It was called wene by the Miwok and used to treat venomous bites from snakes, perhaps providing a reason for the common name in English. Though they used other sanicles in the same manner. The Karuk called the plant ikxash and traditionally ate the young leaves as a green, indicating the toxic reputation is undeserved. It is recognizable as a relative of the carrots and parsnips with its thin stalk topped with small umbels of yellow or cream flowers. The origin of its poisonous reputation is unknown. Yet despite the name, there are no current records of its toxicity in humans, though it or a related species might be toxic to horses or other stock animals. It was called wene by the Miwok and used to treat venomous bites from snakes, perhaps providing a reason for the common name in English. Though they used other sanicles in the same manner. The Karuk called the plant ikxash and traditionally ate the young leaves as a green, indicating the toxic reputation is undeserved.

Sanicula bipinnatifida is a species of flowering plant in the parsley family known by the common names purple sanicle, purple blacksnakeroot, and shoe buttons. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to Baja California, where it can be found in many types of habitat, including grassland, woodlands, and mountain slopes of serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb growing to a maximum height near 60 centimeters from a taproot. It is bright green to dark purple in color. The leaves are borne on long petioles, measuring up to 19 centimeters long with blades divided into several toothed lobes. The inflorescence is made up of one or more heads of bisexual and male-only flowers with tiny, curving, reddish, purple, or yellow petals. The prickly fruits are a few millimeters long.

Sanicula crassicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the parsley family known by the common names Pacific blacksnakeroot and Pacific sanicle. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to Baja California, where it can be found in many types of habitat, including mountain slopes, grassland, and woodlands. It is a perennial herb producing a thick stem up to 1. 2 meters tall from a taproot. The leaves have blades up to 12 centimeters long which are divided into a few deep lobes and edged with small teeth. The inflorescence is made up of one or more heads of bisexual and male-only flowers with tiny, curving, yellow petals. Each head has approximately five leaflike, lance-shaped bracts at its base. The rounded fruits are a few millimeters long, covered in curving prickles, and borne in small clusters.

Sanicula saxatilis is a rare species of flowering plant in the parsley family known by the common names devil's blacksnakeroot and rock sanicle. It is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where it is known only from Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton. Its habitat is mostly rocky chaparral slopes and talus. Although it is rare, most occurrences are in remote mountainous locales that are relatively safe from disturbance. This is a perennial herb producing a thick stem 10 to 25 centimeters tall from a spherical tuber. The leaves are compound, each divided into three leaflets which are deeply cut into serrated lobes. The herbage is green to purple and sometimes waxy in texture. The inflorescence is made up of one or more heads of bisexual and male-only flowers with tiny, curving, pale salmon pink, yellowish or straw-colored petals. The fruits are a few millimeters wide and covered in bumps and sometimes bristles.

Panicled Bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 5.5 feet, with active growth during the spring, summer, fall. Flowers are white and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in marshes, at elevations from 0-9000 feet.