Hook Three Awn (Aristida ternipes var. hamulosa) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry hills and slopes, at elevations from 300-4400 feet.

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.

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.

Asclepias erosa is a species of milkweed known commonly as desert milkweed. It is native to southern California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it is most abundant in the desert regions. This milkweed is a perennial herb with erect yellow-green stems and foliage in shades of pale whitish-green to dark green with white veining. It may be hairless to very fuzzy. The sturdy, pointed leaves grow opposite on the stout stem. Atop the stem is a rounded umbel of yellowish or cream-colored flowers. Each flower has thick, reflexed corollas beneath a flower center composed of rounded, horned filaments. The plant is filled with a viscous sap that was roasted to a solid and enjoyed as a sort of chewing gum by local Native American groups.

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.

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.

Astragalus asymmetricus is a species of milkvetch known by the common name San Joaquin milkvetch. It is endemic to California, where it grows in grassy and disturbed areas in the Central Valley and nearby parts of the Central Coast Ranges and San Francisco Bay Area. This is a sturdy perennial herb growing a thick, erect stem to heights between 50 and 120 centimeters. It is coated in long hairs. The leaves are up to 20 centimeters long and are made up of many pairs of leaflike leaflets, each up to 2.5 centimeters long and varying in shape from linear to oval. The flower cluster contains 15 to 45 cream-colored pealike flowers 1 to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a slightly inflated hairy legume pod up to 4 centimeters long which hangs in bunches from the dried flower cluster.

Astragalus didymocarpus is a species of milkvetch known by the common names dwarf white milkvetch and two-seeded milkvetch. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat. Astragalus didymocarpus is a slender, hairy annual herb growing erect to about 30 centimeters tall, drooping, or flat on the ground in a spreading clump. The leaves are up to 7 or 8 centimeters long and are made up of narrow to oblong leaflets. The inflorescence is a cluster of up to 30 purple-tinted white flowers, each under a centimeter long. The inflorescence is covered in long black and white hairs. Astragalus didymocarpus is a slender, hairy annual herb growing erect to about 30 centimeters tall, drooping, or flat on the ground in a spreading clump. The leaves are up to 7 or 8 centimeters long and are made up of narrow to oblong leaflets. The inflorescence is a cluster of up to 30 purple-tinted white flowers, each under a centimeter long. The inflorescence is covered in long black and white hairs. The fruit is a small, spherical legume pod a few millimeters wide which dries to a stiff papery texture. Varieties: There are several varieties of Astragalus didymocarpus: A. d. var. didymocarpus - erect herb found in western Nevada and much of California, A. d. var. dispermus - prostrate form native to the desert regions, A. d. var. milesianus (Miles' milkvetch) - rare variety found only along the Central Coast of CaliforniaA. d. var. obispoensis - form with ascending stems native to coastal southern California and Baja California

Astragalus douglasii is a species of milkvetch known by the common name Douglas' milkvetch. It is native to California and Baja California, where it can be found in many types of desert, valley, chaparral and woodlands, and montane habitats. Astragalus douglasii is a bushy perennial herb producing a number of erect or prostrate stems up to a meter long. The abundant leaves are up to 18 centimeters long and are made up of oval-shaped leaflets. The open inflorescence holds up to 30 whitish to pale yellow flowers, each about a centimeter long. Astragalus douglasii is a bushy perennial herb producing a number of erect or prostrate stems up to a meter long. The abundant leaves are up to 18 centimeters long and are made up of oval-shaped leaflets. The open inflorescence holds up to 30 whitish to pale yellow flowers, each about a centimeter long. The fruit is an inflated legume pod up to 6 centimeters long and 3 wide which dries to a thin, papery texture. Varieties: There are three varieties of Astragalus douglasii:A. d. var. douglasii - limited to CaliforniaA. d. var. parishii (Parish's milkvetch) - found throughout the mountain ranges of Southern CaliforniaA. d. var. perstrictus (Jacumba milkvetch) - rare variety limited to San Diego County, California, and northern Baja California

Astragalus lentiginosus is a species of legume known by the common names spotted locoweed and freckled milkvetch. It is native to western North America, where it grows in many habitat types. There are a great number of wild varieties of this species, and they vary in appearance. The flower and the fruit of a given individual are generally needed to identify it down to the variety. As a species, Astragalus lentiginosus is distributed throughout the Great Basin of North America, west from the Rocky Mountains to the California Coast Ranges, south to Mexico, and north to British Columbia. The varieties are largely limited to marginal habitats such as disturbed sites in the arid regions of the continent. The group also contains a number of edaphic specialists which occur at desert seeps, which frequently exhibit high levels of calcium carbonate. Astragalus lentiginosus is a perennial or occasionally annual herb with leaves up to 15 centimetres (5. 9 inches) long divided into many pairs of small leaflets. The plant is prostrate to erect in form and quite woolly to nearly hairless. The inflorescence holds up to 50 pea-like flowers which may be purplish or whitish or a mix of both.

Astragalus oxyphysus is a species of milkvetch known by the common name Mt. Diablo milkvetch. It is endemic to central California, where it grows in dry grassland and scrub habitat in the Central Valley and the adjacent Inner Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills. Astragalus oxyphysus is a robust perennial herb forming clumps of erect, leafy stems up to 80 centimeters tall. Leaves are up to 17 centimeters long and are made up of many lance-shaped leaflets. The plant flowers in large inflorescences of up to 65 flowers each. Astragalus oxyphysus is a robust perennial herb forming clumps of erect, leafy stems up to 80 centimeters tall. Leaves are up to 17 centimeters long and are made up of many lance-shaped leaflets. The plant flowers in large inflorescences of up to 65 flowers each. The individual flower is cream-colored and at least 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a hanging legume pod up to 4 centimeters long. It is inflated but narrow and dries to a thin, almost transparent papery texture.

Astragalus pachypus is a species of milkvetch known by the common name thickpod milkvetch. It is endemic to California, where it is known from many types of open habitat across the southern half of the state. This is a robust perennial herb forming stands of tough, wiry stems up to 80 centimeters tall. Leaves are up to about 16 centimeters long and are made up of many narrow leaflets. The plant flowers in inflorescences of 4 to 28 cream-colored flowers. The fruit is a sharp-beaked legume pod up to about 3 centimeters long which dries to a leathery, mostly hairless texture. There are two varieties of this species. The rarer, Jaeger's bush milkvetch (var. jaegeri), is known mostly from western Riverside County.

Astragalus tener is a species of milkvetch known by the common name alkali milkvetch. It is endemic to California, where it grows in both coastal and inland areas such as the Central Valley, especially in moist places. This is an annual herb producing upright stems up to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are up to nine centimeters in length and made up of several lance-shaped to oval leaflets. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of pinkish-purple white-smudged flowers. The fruit is a narrow legume pod up to five centimeters long and usually containing two smooth seeds. Varieties: There are three varieties of this species. One, the coastal dunes milkvetch, Astragalus tener var. titi, is a rare plant treated as an endangered species on the federal level. It is probably now limited to coastal Monterey County, having been extirpated from its previous range in southern California. An example occurrence of Astragalus tener is within the two extant forests of Monterey Cypress, Cupressus Macrocarpus, in Monterey County, California.

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.

Atriplex cordulata is a species of saltbush known by the common names heartscale and heart-leaf orache. It is endemic to the Central Valley and its San Joaquin Valley of California, where it grows in areas of saline and alkaline soils. Heart-leaf orache is an annual herb producing one or more erect stems to heights between 10 and 50 centimeters. The branches are scaly gray and have woolly fibers toward the ends. The gray scaly leaves are no bigger than 1. 5 centimeters long and most have heart-shaped bases. Heart-leaf orache is an annual herb producing one or more erect stems to heights between 10 and 50 centimeters. The branches are scaly gray and have woolly fibers toward the ends. The gray scaly leaves are no bigger than 1. 5 centimeters long and most have heart-shaped bases. The plant has male and female inflorescences which are small hard clusters of flowers. The reddish brown seeds are about 2 millimeters wide.

Atriplex coronata is a species of saltbush known by the common name crownscale. It is endemic to California. The halophyte plant grows in areas of saline and alkaline soils in the Central Valley and nearby slopes of the Inner California Coast Ranges in Central California; and the South Coast region of Southern California. Atriplex coronata is an annual herb producing stiff erect or leaning straw-colored stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. The gray scaly leaves are one or two centimeters long. The flowers are generally oval shaped. The seeds are just over a millimeter long. Varieties: There are two or three varieties of this species. They include:Atriplex coronata var. notatior - San Jacinto Valley crownscale, limited to the San Jacinto River valley in western Riverside County. It is as an endangered species since being listed on the federal level in 1998.

Atriplex fruticulosa is a species of saltbush known by the common names ball saltbush and little oak orach. It is endemic to California, where it grows in several types of habitat, usually in areas of saline or alkaline soils.

Big saltbush  (Atriplex lentiformis) is a fast-growing, highly branched shrub with scaly gray-green leaves. In summer or fall, it produces creamy-white flowers arranged in tassel-like clusters. Typically reaching 3 to 9 feet in height and spreading even wider, it forms a dense, bushy structure. Maximum height is achieved in areas with abundant soil moisture.

This hardy shrub thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. While it may appear too large for small residential gardens, it is highly effective for stabilizing slopes and works well as a natural hedge.

Big saltbush is especially valuable for wildlife, particularly songbirds. According to the Wild Bird Center, it attracts more birds than any other plant in their garden. Quail are drawn to its seeds and rely on the dense shrub for protective cover.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Atriplex serenana is a species of saltbush known by the common names leafscale and stinking orach. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in saline and alkaline soils such as those on alkali flats and beach bluffs. This is a mat-forming annual herb producing scaly stems up to a meter long. The toothed leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long. The flowers are generally borne in hard clusters along the stem and there is sometimes a spikelike flower cluster of male flowers at the end of the stem. There are two varieties of this species. The rarer of the two, Davidson's saltscale (var. davidsonii), is limited to the coastline of southern California and Baja California.

Mulefat is a robust and adaptable flowering shrub known for its sticky foliage and abundant fuzzy flowers, which range in color from white to pink or red-tinged and bloom throughout the year. Its long, pointed leaves and fast-growing, upright, spreading form make it a striking addition to natural gardens. Typically reaching about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide, Mulefat can grow as large as 12 feet tall and 9 feet wide in optimal conditions.

This resilient plant thrives in full or partial sun and tolerates a variety of soil types. While highly drought-tolerant once established, it looks its best with regular summer watering. It’s ideal for planting in naturally moist areas, such as near streams or wetlands. Without sufficient water, Mulefat can become weedy and less visually appealing. If it becomes overgrown, it can be rejuvenated by cutting it back to 3-4 inches above the base, encouraging fresh, green growth.

Mulefat is highly valued for erosion control and wildlife support. Its flowers are a magnet for butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects, while also attracting birds, making it a versatile choice for habitat restoration and ecological gardening.

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.

Balsamorhiza macrolepis is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower tribe of the aster family, known by the common name California balsamroot. It is found only in California, where it grows in dry, open habitat, mostly in mountainous areas, mostly in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada and in the eastern Coast Ranges near San Francisco Bay. It is now becoming rare in the Coast Ranges. Balsamorhiza macrolepis is a taprooted perennial herb growing erect 20 to 60 centimeters tall. The large lobed leaves are lance-shaped to oval and the largest, generally toward the base of the plant, may approach 50 centimeters (20 inches) in length. They are bright to dull grayish-green and coated in fine hairs. Balsamorhiza macrolepis is a taprooted perennial herb growing erect 20 to 60 centimeters tall. The large lobed leaves are lance-shaped to oval and the largest, generally toward the base of the plant, may approach 50 centimeters (20 inches) in length. They are bright to dull grayish-green and coated in fine hairs. The inflorescence bears a single flower head lined with hairy, glandular phyllaries up to 4 centimeters long. The head has a center of yellowish disc florets and a fringe of pointed yellow ray florets each 2 or 3 centimeters long.

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.

Bergia texana is a species of flowering plant in the waterwort family known by the common name Texas bergia. It is native to the western and central United States and northern Mexico, where it is a plant of wetlands, living in mud and moist soils along the edges of rivers and pools. This is an annual or perennial herb producing a branching, glandular, hairy stem which grows upright or trailing up to 30 centimeters long. The leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long, mainly oval in shape and pointed, and lightly toothed along the edges. The inflorescences appear at the tips of stem branches and in the leaf axils, bearing single flowers or small clusters. Each small flower has five green sepals and five greenish white petals. Some of the flowers open, while others are cleistogamous, remaining closed and self-pollinating. The fruit is an oval capsule with many seeds in each of its five chambers.

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.

Blennosperma nanum is a California species of plants in the daisy family. Common names include glue-seed, common stickyseed, and yellow carpet. It is an annual with small yellow flower heads The heads are a paler yellow than many other daisy-like flowers, and the ring of stamens ooze a viscous white juice containing the pollen. The fruits are also carried in a gluey fluid. The Greek name for the genus means "slimy seed. "The species is distributed throughout the lower elevations in California from Shasta County to San Diego County, but nowhere is it particularly abundant. It is a resident of vernal pool floral communities. Glue-seed is often one of the first flowers to bloom as winter turns to spring.

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.

Boerhavia coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family which is known by many common names, including scarlet spiderling, red boerhavia, hogweed, and in Spanish, hierba del cancer and hierba de la hormiga. It is a widespread plant whose native range is not certain but probably includes the southwestern United States and parts Mexico. It is present across the southeastern United States, where it may be naturalized. It is present in Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. It is present on many Pacific islands, including the Hawaiian Islands, where it is an invasive species and a noxious weed. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, including disturbed areas as a common roadside weed. This is a low-lying, sprawling perennial herb producing reaching stems which can exceed a meter in length. The stems are somewhat hairy and sticky with glands. The generally oval-shaped leaves are held on short petioles. They are wavy along the edges and may have reddish margins. The inflorescence is a small head of tiny frilly flowers, each just a few millimeters long. The flowers are often bright scarlet to red-violet in color but can be shades of pink, yellow, or white.

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.

Brodiaea appendiculata (appendage brodiaea) is an uncommon species of plant in the genus Brodiaea. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the mountain foothills in the north part of the state.

Brodiaea californica or by its common name California brodiaea is a species of plant in the genus Brodiaea that is native to California and Oregon.

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

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

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

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

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

Brodiaea coronaria is the type species of Brodiaea and also known by the common name crown brodiaea. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows in mountains and grasslands. This is a perennial herb growing from a corm and producing an erect flower cluster with a few basal leaves. The flower cluster is up to about 25 centimeters tall and bears lilylike flowers on an array of pedicels. Each flower is a tube several centimeters long opening into a bell-shaped corolla of six bright purple lobes each up to 3 centimeters long. In the center are three stamens and whitish sterile stamens known as staminodes. There are two subspecies of this plant. One of them, the Indian Valley brodiaea (ssp. rosea), is a rare pink-flowered subspecies endemic to California.[citation needed] It was first collected by Archibald Menzies during the Vancouver Expedition, and published as Hookera coronaria by Richard Salisbury in his Paradisus Londinensis in 1808. In 1811, James Edward Smith recognised it as belonging to a separate genus, and segregated it into Brodiaea as Brodiaea grandiflora. Smith's genus was accepted, but the priority of Salisbury's specific epithet was also recognised, hence the current name.

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

Brodiaea jolonensis is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name chaparral brodiaea. It is native to the coast and coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of California and northern Baja California. It is a perennial producing an flower cluster up to about 15 centimeters tall bearing blue-purple flowers on pedicels a few centimeters long. Each flower has six curving petals between 1 and 2 centimeters in length. The center of the flower contains three fertile stamens ringed with three prominent sterile stamens called staminodes.

Brodiaea kinkiensis is a species of Brodiaea also with the common name San Clemente Island brodiaea. This flower is endemic to San Clemente Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. It has one cylindrical leaf alongside a tall stem which bears an flower cluster of one to several bell-shaped blooms. Each flower has six petallike petals in shades of light purple with darker purple longitudinal stripes or streaks. The fruit is a capsule containing black seeds. This flower is not considered endangered, but it is of some concern since its entire wild distribution is limited to the clay mesas of San Clemente Island.

Sonoma Brodiaea (Brodiaea californica var. leptandra) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the North Coast and North Coast Range regions.

Brodiaea minor is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common names dwarf brodiaea and vernalpool brodiaea. It is endemic to central California, where it grows in the grassland habitat of the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a small perennial producing an erect flower cluster up to 10 centimeters tall which bears light purple flowers on short pedicels. Each flower is urn-shaped with narrow, spreading petals 1 to 2 centimeters long. In the center of the flower are three fertile stamens and three prominent, protruding sterile stamens known as staminodes.

Dwarf Brodiaea (Brodiaea terrestris ssp. terrestris) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in open, grassy places, at elevations from 0-1500 feet.

Bromus arizonicus is a species of brome grass known by the common name Arizona brome. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it grows in many types of grassy valley and desert habitat. It is an annual grass growing 40 to 90 centimeters tall with an open, branching flower cluster. The spikelets are flat and hairy and have awns up to 1.5 centimeters long.

Bromus carinatus is a species of native bunchgrass known by the common names California Brome and Mountain Brome. It is native to western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat. It is found in every county in California. It is a perennial grass growing in clumps 0.5 to 1.5 meters tall, with many narrow leaves up to 40 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a spreading or drooping array of flat spikelets longer than they are wide. The grass is wind-pollinated but is also sometimes cleistogamous, so that the flowers pollinate themselves, especially under stressful conditions. It also reproduces vegetatively via tillers. This grass is used for control of erosion and revegetation of damaged land, as well as a highly palatable forage for livestock. In the garden it has a reputation for being short-lived but readily re-seeds. It completes well with non-native weeds, and its sod-building root system makes it useful for erosion control.

Mountain Brome (Bromus carinatus var. carinatus) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in open places, at elevations from 0-11000 feet.

Mountain Brome (Bromus marginatus) is a native grass 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 4 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-11000 feet.

Bromus laevipes is a species of brome grass known by the common name Chinook brome. It is native to western North America from Washington to Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial grass which may exceed 1.5 meters in height. The leaf blades may be nearly 2 centimeters wide at the bases. The flower cluster is an open array of spikelets, the lower ones drooping or nodding. The spikelets are flattened and usually hairy or downy.

Bromus vulgaris is a species of brome grass known by the common name Columbia brome. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Wyoming, where it grows in many types of habitat, including temperate coniferous forest. It is a perennial grass which may reach 1.1 meters in height. The flower cluster is an open array of spikelets, the lower ones drooping or nodding. The spikelets are flattened and have awns each up to a centimeter long at the tips of the fruits. This grass is considered a good forage for livestock and wild grazing animals.

Calamagrostis ophitidis is a species of grass known by the common name serpentine reedgrass. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the serpentine soils of the mountain slopes north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a perennial grass forming clumps reaching heights between 60 centimeters and one meter. The flower cluster is a dense, thinly bushy array of rough, pale-colored spikelets.

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

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

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