Sand Verbena (Abronia latifolia) is a species of the Four O'Clock Family (Nyctaginaceae) native to the west coast of North America, from Santa Barbara County to the Canadian border, where it grows on beach dunes and sand dunes of coastal bars, river mouths, spits along the immediate coastline (0-10m elevation). Its National Vegetation Community Status (NVCS) is the Ambrosia chamissonis herbaceous alliance (dune mat). It grows in succulent mats where it has room to spread. It is an important plant in helping to stabilize dunes and resist erosion. It grows from a stout, fleshy root structure which are edible, traditionally eaten by the Chinook Indians. When stressed it will die back to the root, to sprout again when conditions are more favorable. It has attractive neatly-rounded heads of small, bright golden flowers and small, winged fruits. The individual flowers have no petals being composed of yellow bracts forming a trumpet-shaped calyx about the stamens. If given the proper conditions it will flower most of the year. It is geared for salt spray and will not tolerate regular water nor extreme drought.

Red Sand Verbena (Abronia maritima) is a species of sand verbena known by the common name red sand verbena. This is a beach-adapted perennial. Plant native to the coastlines of southern California, including the Channel Islands, and northern Baja California. It grows along stable sand dunes near, but not in the ocean surf. This salt-tolerant plant requires saline water which it receives mostly in the form of sea spray, and cannot tolerate fresh water or prolonged dry conditions. Its succulent tissues are adapted to isolate and store salt. This sand verbena forms a green mat along the ground, its stems sometimes buried under loose sand. It flowers year-round in bright red to pink or purplish clusters of flowers. The mats are thick and provide shelter for a variety of small beach-dwelling animals. This is a rare plant. Its habitat is located in heavily-traveled beach areas, where it is disturbed by human activity.

Abronia umbellata (Pink sand verbena) is a flowering and ornamental. Plant native to the western United States. Other common names include Beach Sand Verbena and Purple Sand Verbena. Abronia umbellata is a prostrate. Perennial or annual, with thick, succulent leaves. Leaves are slender, may be either smooth or hairy, and oval ore diamond-shaped. Stems are as long as leaf blades, and often hairy. Plant has pink to purple colored flowers with white centers. Generally found in sandy, well-drained soil in areas with low precipitation, it can become a striking carpet-like groundcover in undisturbed areas after winter rains. Pink Sand Verbena tolerates seaside conditions and is found on the west coast of the North America from British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico. Sand Verbena is typically found on beaches and sand dunes blooming throughout most of the year. Flowers occur in clusters subtended by 5-8 lance-shaped leafs. A. umbellata frequently hybridizes with other species of Abronia, including Abronia maritima. Its flower is fragrant at night and attracts moths. The foliage can be deciduous based on environmental stress. This plant is a popular native plant for landscaping in California.

Abronia villosa is a species of sand-verbena known by the common name desert sand-verbena. It is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico and the southern California and Baja coast. It is a short, hairy annual wildflower which grows in creeping prostrate masses along the ground. It has oval-shaped dull green leaves and many peduncles bearing rounded flower clusters of bright magenta or purplish-pink flowers. It grows in the sand of the deserts and coastlines. It has a very sweet fragrance, and is also very sticky. They usually grow between February and May. 

Palmer's Abutilon (Abutilon palmeri) is a relatively rare species of the Malvaceae Family (mallows) native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. It grows primarily on the eastern slopes of the Peninsular Range and the Western Sonora Desert, and in San Bernardino County in the low foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains (1080-3600 feet).

Flowers are cup-shaped, approximately one inch in size. They produce small fruits which are round, capsular, multi-parted and covered with silky fine hair similar to foliage. Branches and stems are also hairy, with a red-brown coloring to the twigs. Bark ranges from green to brown.

Palmer's Abutilon is tough and easy to grow. For best results, plant in rocky or sandy well-draining soil. It tolerates occasional light summer watering.

The flowering shrub Acalypha californica is known as the California copperleaf, and sometimes by the older name Pringle three-seeded mercury. It is the only Acalypha species native to California, where it is found from the Peninsular range foothills hills into the lower desert of San Diego County. It is a member of the chaparral plant community and most often grows in crumbling granite rocks, ledges and cliff faces, though it occasionally grows in sand washes. The plant bears beautiful light green serrated leaves with wavy hairy edges. Younger leaves tend to have pink or red edges. Older leaves turn pinkish or copper-colored in summer months. Stems are white, pink or red. Flowers appear as bumpy pinkish red spikes, sometimes with white speckles, growing out from the base of the leaf stems. It typically grows in a rounded mounding form. Beautiful plant but difficult to find in nurseries.

Acamptopappus spaerocephalus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name rayless goldenhead. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it occurs in southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, and Arizona. This shrub or subshrub produces an upright, branching stem with shreddy whitish or gray bark. It approaches one meter in maximum height but generally grows to 20 to 40 centimeters. The gray-green leaves are linear or lance-shaped and are arranged alternately, sometimes growing in small clusters. They are hairless or have small, rough hairs. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head or a small cluster of heads. The head is hemispherical or spherical in shape. It has yellow disc florets and no ray florets. The fruit is an achene tipped with thick scales and bristles.

Acer circinatum (Vine Maple) is a species of maple native to western North America, from southwest British Columbia to northern California, usually within 300 km of the Pacific Ocean coast. It most commonly grows as a large shrub growing to around 5-8 meters tall, but it will occasionally form a small to medium-sized tree, exceptionally to 18 meters tall. The shoots are slender and hairless. It typically grows in the understory below much taller forest trees, but can sometimes be found in open ground, and occurs at altitudes from sea level up to 1,500 meter.

Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to the Pacific Coast and parts of inland California. It provides dense summer shade and brilliant fall color in colder regions. Its signature feature is its massive, lobed leaves, which can grow nearly two feet across.

This tree thrives with moisture and adapts to various soils, though it prefers good drainage. While it can grow too large for small gardens, it is well-suited to natural landscapes. Pruning should be done in winter.

Bigleaf maple supports wildlife by providing food for birds, small mammals, and mule deer, while its leaves sustain numerous insects.

Yarrow is an all-star, popular plant choice among California native gardeners, including beginners! It is durable and easy to grow in a wide range of soil types and has low moisture requirements. It reseeds and spreads quickly, making it a good groundcover plant for lawn replacement.

Yarrow's abundant white flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other insects. It is a staple in native pollinator gardens throughout the state. Yarrow has many alternative common names, including soldier's woundwort and nosebleed plant. They reflect its long history as an important medicinal plant.

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

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

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

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Achillea millefolium from the northern Channel Islands. Achillea millefolium 'Island Pink' is a perennial Yarrow that spreads by rhizomes. Island Pink is native to Santa Cruz Island and is distinguished from our common White Yarrow by its bright pink flowers. Dark green foliage is topped with clusters of bright pink flowers on 1-1/2' tall stems, over a long season. Best in full sun if coastal, part shade inland. Tolerant of drought, swamp and alkali conditions, or rocky to clay soils. This is a nectar plant for butterflies and other pollinators. Plant in meadows, or flower borders for a splash of color.

Good habitat value, providing nectar for bees and butterflies. The foliage is deer resistant. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden from sonoma Co. near Windy Ridge above Mattole River.

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

Acmispon amiericanus is a native annual herb in the Fabaceae (Legume) family that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California in most habitats except desert. It tends to grow in streambanks and wet places, at elevations from sea level to 7,900 feet, often in disturbed areas. As with other members of this genus, it is not often used in gardens but is useful for restoration projects.

Common deerweed (Acmispon glaber var. glaber) is a native perennial herb found throughout northern, central, and southern California. It thrives in sandy soils, desert slopes, and washes, at elevations ranging from sea level to 4,900 feet. This adaptable plant is a common sight in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and open woodland habitats.

Deerweed is a nitrogen-fixing plant, playing a vital role in restoring soil health after wildfires. It blooms profusely from spring to early summer, producing small yellow flowers that turn orange-red as they age. These blooms provide essential nectar for native bees and butterflies. Its slender, wiry stems and small leaves create a soft, airy appearance, making it a good choice for naturalistic garden designs.

This drought-adapted plant thrives in well-drained soils and full sun. It is an important food source for native wildlife and a host plant for several butterfly species, including the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly.

Lotus junceus is a species of legume known by the common name rush deervetch. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the northern and central coast and the coastal mountain ranges. It can be found from beaches inland to serpentine slopes and chaparral. It is a hairy, prostrate or spreading perennial herb lined with leaves each made up of small oval leaflets. The flower cluster bears up 8 yellow pea-like flowers each up to about a centimeter long. The fruit is a small beaked legume. The fruit beak curves a lot, the keel can exceed the wings, the calyces are entirely red sometimes, and the stems can be darker.

Actaea rubra (red baneberry, chinaberry, doll's eye) is a poisonous herbaceous flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to North America. They are found growing in shady areas with moist to wet soils, open forest or dry slopes. In Alaska it ranges from the Kenai Peninsula, through Kodiak Island, Bristol Bay, and up the Yukon River. Ecology. Plants are slow growing and take a few years to grow large enough to flower. The western subspecies is ssp. arguta, and the northern subspecies is ssp. rubra. These subspecies are not well differentiated, and in many locations, each grades in to the other over much of their ranges. The foliage is rarely consumed by grazing animals. The poisonous berries are harmless to birds, the plants' primary seed disperser. Uses. This plant is grown in shade gardens for its attractive berries and upright clump forming habit. Native Americans used the juice from the fruits of various baneberry species to poison arrows, and used the root as a herbal remedy for menstrual problems. The root of this species has been used as a strong alternative to Black Cohosh, (Cimicifuga racemosa) for menstrual cramping and menopausal discomfort. Toxicity. These open woodland plants grow 40 cm (16 in) to 80 cm (31 in) tall. The leaves are coarsely toothed with deeply lobed margins. Plants commonly have hairy veins on the undersides of the foliage. Each stem will have either three leaves that branch near the top, or will have three compound leaves and one upright flowering stalk from one point on the main central stem. Plants produce one to a few ternately branched stems which bear clusters of flowers having 3 to 5 sepals that are petal-like and obovate in shape and remain after flowering. The petals are deciduous, falling away after flowering is done. They are clawed at the base and 2. 5 mm to 4 mm long and spatulate to odovate in shape. Flowers have numerous stamens and they are white in color. After flowering green berries are produced. The fruits are ellipsoid shaped berries containing several seeds.

Chamise, or Greasewood, (Adenostoma fasciculatum), a member of the Rose family, is a flowering plant native to California and northern Baja California. This shrub is one of the most widespread plants of the chaparral biome, sometimes forming monotypic stands.

Chamise is an evergreen shrub with dry-looking stick-like branches. The leaves are quite small, sprouting in clusters from the branches. Its leaves are shiny with flammable oils, especially in warmer weather. Chamise is said to be highly flammable but can be more fire-resistant with occasional watering. The branches terminate in bunches of white tubular flowers.

Chamise is one of the best plants for anchoring a slope and resisting erosion, due to its wide-spreading and deeply-penetrating roots. In maturity, it develops a large burl from which it will resprout after fire or severe pruning. In the wild, it is the host plant of a common root parasite, Chaparral Broomrape.

There are three recognized varieties of this plant. Adenostoma fasciculatum var. fasciculatum is found throughout the range of the species. Adenostoma fasciculatum var. obtusifolium is found only in San Diego and Orange Counties. Adenostoma fasciculatum var. prostratum, a low-growing form, is found primarily on the northern Channel Islands. A cultivar known as 'Black Diamond' (Adenostoma fasciculatum 'Black Diamond') is popular and widely available.

Horticultural selection from Adenostoma fasciculatum from Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in the san Francisco Bay Area near Concord. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for use in the garden. Cuttings from Black Diamond Mines Regional park (Contra Costa County).

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden from san Nicolas Island by Tree of Life Nursery.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selection from santa Cruz Island.

Adenostoma sparsifolium (Redshanks or less commonly, Ribbonwood) is a multi-trunked tree or shrub in the Rosaceae (Rose) family that is native to dry inland slopes or chaparral of Southern California and northern Baja California below 6,000 ft. Shaggy falling shanks or ribbons of bark are one of the strongest characteristics of the tree, hence the common names. Redshanks are closely related to the more abundant Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum). Members of this genus are very deep rooted and important slope stabilizers. The foliage is feather-like, allowing the trunk and main branches to show through. The flowers are small but attractive. The fruit is an achene which is valued by small birds. Red Shank is an attractive garden tree, especially when planted in a small grouping.

Adiantum jordanii is a perennial species Pteridaceae known by the common name California maidenhair. It is native to California and Baja California. It grows in shaded woods, usually in wetter spots such as moist rock outcropping and lower parts of north facing slopes. It can take a little sun near the coast or full shade inland. Each trailing leaf may reach over half a meter in length and is made up of many rounded green segments. Each segment has two to four lobes and it may split between the lobes, the underside of each segment bearing one to four sori. It remains evergreen with regular water or will go dormant if allowed to dry out in summer but should recover. It forms a slowly expanding clump. Adiantum jordanii is a host for the Sudden Oak Death pathogen, and for this reason it may be difficult to find in native plant nurseries.

Adolphia californica is a species of flowering shrub in the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family known by the common names California Adlophin, Prickbush and Spineshrub. It is native to Baja California and California no farther north than San Diego County. It is a resident of the local chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities. This is a branching shrub not exceeding a meter in height with thick hairless to fuzzy dark green twigs. The stiff twigs bear sharp thorns. The very sparse leaves are each less than a centimeter long and oval-shaped with a pointed or rounded tip. The shrub blooms abundantly in clusters of flowers along all the branches. Each flower is a star-shaped bowl of five pointed cream-colored sepals. Between the sepals are five tiny spoon-shaped cream-colored petals. The fruit is a spherical capsule about half a centimeter across. It is not often used in gardens due to its formidable spines, but it is valuable in restoration projects in it native range.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selection for the garden.

Native to the desert regions of Southern California, Arizona, and Baja California, Desert Agave (Agave deserti) is an iconic plant of the Southwestern landscape. Its low water needs also make it an ideal plant for the waterwise garden.

Desert Agave grows in clusters. The individual plants are rosette-shaped, with long gray-green leaves that have sharp spines at the tips and along the edges. For safety, it is best to plant it away from walkways and other high-traffic areas. Desert Agave is a slow-growing plant. At full maturity, it will send up very tall spikes of yellow flowers. The blooms attract hummingbirds and insects. Individual plants die after blooming, but other plants in the cluster will continue to grow.

Plant Desert Agave in dry, rocky, well-draining soil. It is highly drought adapted, with minimal water needs. It is both heat and cold tolerant, although some species can be sensitive to frost.

Coastal agave (Agave shawii), also called Shaw's agave, is a dramatic and distinctive succulent native to coastal Southern California. Its dark green leaves are accented with red spines and grow in a tight rosette shape. Individual plants grow to a large size and produce clusters of smaller offshoots called pups. Coastal agave plants grow for many years before producing clusters of yellow flowers on tall stalks that can reach over 10 ft in height. After flowering, an individual rosette dies, but the pups continue to grow.

Coastal agave attracts insects, hummingbirds and bats during its long fall to spring blooming season. It is a low water plant that does not need supplemental irrigation once established. Plant in full sun in rocky, well draining soil. Coastal agave is a bold statement plant in the garden. Pruning is not normally needed, and gardeners should use caution near the plant as the spines are sharp.

Agave utahensis is a species of agave known by the common name Utah agave. There are two recognized varieties in California, both of which are rare. Agave utahensis is smaller, occurs farther north, at higher elevations, and is more cold tolerant than the other two native agaves in California. Like other agaves, it is armed with formidable spines and flowers after many years of growth, then the plant dies but clonal pups remain. It is found in the high desert mountains of Inyo and San Bernardino Counties. This is a rosette-shaped agave having blue-green sharp-spiked leaves. The raceme flower cluster is very tall, reaching a maximum of four meters. It is generally yellow or yellow-green with bulbous yellow flowers. The fruits are capsules 1 to 3 centimeters long and containing black seed. The plant was used for food and fiber by local Native American peoples such as the Havasupai.

Nevada Agave (Agave utahensis var. nevadensis) is a rare native perennial herb or shrub in the Agavaceae family. It is one of two recognized varieties of Agave utahensis, both of which are rare. Var. nevadensis is restricted to the desert mountains of eastern San Bernardino County at elevations from 3,000-5,200 feet. Due to its limited distribution, it is included on CNPS list 4.2. Agave utahensis is smaller, occurs farther north, at higher elevations, and is more cold tolerant than the other two native agaves in California. Like other agaves, it is armed with formidable spines and flowers after many years of growth, then the plant dies but clonal pups remain. The inflorescence is 5-13 ft. tall. The flowers are yellow-green and the fruit is a dry capsule.

Agrostis blasdalei is a species of grass known by the common name Blasdale's bent grass. It is endemic to the coast of northern California, where it grows in habitat along the immediate coastline, such as dunes and bluffs. It is a perennial grass growing in tufts up to 30 centimeters tall. It has short, thready leaves a few centimeters long. The flower cluster is a thin cylindrical array of tiny spikelets, each up to 4 millimeters in length.

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

Allium abramsii is a species of wild onion known by the common name Abrams' onion. It is endemic to the central Sierra Nevada in California, where it grows in the coniferous forest understory in granite sand soils. This onion grows from one or more bulbs each just over a centimeter wide attached to a thick rhizome. It reaches a maximum height of about 15 centimeters with usually one curving cylindrical leaf. The flower cluster contains up to 40 pink or purplish flowers with lance-shaped petals.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Allium burlewii is a species of wild onion known by the common name Burlew's onion. It is endemic to California, where grows in the granitic soils of several of the central and southern mountain ranges. This is a short-stemmed onion, growing to heights of just a few centimeters from an oval-shaped bulb. It sprouts a single long, pointed onion leaf. The flower cluster contains up to 20 dark-veined purple flowers each up to a centimeter long with dark purple anthers.

Allium cratericola is a species of wild onion known by the common name Cascade onion. It is endemic to California, where is an uncommon member of the flora in several of the state's mountain ranges. This onion grows a short stem up to 10 centimeters tall from a brown-coated oval-shaped bulb. There are one or two long, pointed leaves up to four times the length of the stem. The flower cluster contains up to 20 rosy pink flowers clustered densely together.

Allium haematochiton is a North American species of wild onion known by the common name redskin onion. It is native to northern Baja California, Sonora, and southern California as far north as Kern County. It grows on the slopes of the hills and mountains, such as those of the Peninsular Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and southern California Coast Ranges. . Allium haematochiton has a small rhizome associated with clusters of brightly colored red bulbs. From these grow several naked green stems, each with a few withering, curling leaves. Atop each stem is an inflorescence of several flowers, each on a short pedicel. Each flower is just under a centimeter wide and white to pinkish with dark midveins. There are six stout stamens around a white or pink ovary. USDA Plants Profile 

Allium obtusum is a species of wild onion known by the common name red Sierra onion. It is native to the granite hills and mountains of Nevada and eastern California where it is a common member of the local flora. The red Sierra onion grows from a bulb one or two centimeters wide and bears a stem which may be tall or short. Atop the stem is an flower cluster of up to 60 flowers which May 4 to 12 millimeters wide. The flowers are white to pink with dark midveins.

Red Sierra Onion (Allium obtusum var. conspicuum) is a common native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and High Sierra Nevada regions. It tends to grow in granitic sands, at elevations from 2600-11500 feet.

Red Sierra Onion (Allium obtusum var. obtusum) is a common native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the High Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada Foothills and High Sierra Nevada regions. It tends to grow in granitic sands, at elevations from 2600-11500 feet.

Allium platycaule is a species of wild onion known by the common name broadstemmed onion or flat-stem onion. It is native to northeastern California and nearby parts of Oregon and Nevada where it is found on slopes of some elevation. This onion grows from a gray bulb two to three centimeters wide and has a flattened stem which may bulge in the middle and narrow to thin wings along the sides. The long, flat leaves are sickle-shaped. Atop the stem is an flower cluster which may have as many as 90 flowers in it. Each flower may be up to a centimeter and a half wide but the petals are quite narrow so as to be almost threadlike. The flower cluster therefore may be a dense ball of filaments. The flowers are generally bright pink to magenta. The leaves, bulbs, and seeds were utilized as food by the Paiute people.

Alnus incana (Grey or Speckled Alder) is a species in the Betulaceae (Birch) family with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. In California it is found primarily in the Sierras. It is a small to medium size tree 15-20 meter tall with smooth grey bark even in old age, its life span being a maximum of 60-100 years. The leaves are matte green, ovoid, 5-11 centimeter long and 4-8 centimeter broad. The flowers are catkins, appearing early in spring before the leaves emerge, the male catkins pendulous and 5-10 centimeter long, the female catkins 1.5 centimeter long and one centimeter broad when mature in late autumn. The seeds are small, 1-2 millimeter long, and light brown with a narrow encircling wing. The Grey Alder has a shallow root system, and is marked not only by vigorous production of stump suckers, but also by root suckers, especially in the northern parts of its range. The wood resembles that of the black alder, but is somewhat paler and of little commercial value.

White alder (Alnus rhombifolia) is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the birch family (Betulaceae), native to western North America at elevations of 300–7,900 feet. It thrives in moist soils, often found along streambanks and other wet areas.

This tree provides excellent shade, with dark green leaves in summer that drop in winter. In early spring, before the leaves emerge, white alder produces noticeable male catkins, which hang in clusters and release large amounts of pollen. The female catkins mature in autumn, resembling small cones that may persist on the tree for up to a year.

White alder is heat and wind tolerant but requires deep watering to establish. Its roots can be invasive, so it should be planted with caution, especially near structures or small residential gardens. However, it is an excellent choice for woodland plantings and riparian areas.

This tree has high wildlife value. It serves as a larval food plant for the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly and provides habitat and food for various bird species.

Ambrosia acanthicarpa is a species of ragweed known by the common names flatspine burr ragweed, annual burrweed, and annual bur-sage. This spiny, weedy plant grows in clumps of many erect stems which may reach over a meter in height. Its gray-green stems are covered in a coat of stiff, bristly hairs. The few rough leaves are several centimeters long. The racemes of flowers are more plentiful, with each hairy flower head a few millimeters wide. The spiny, burr-like pistillate heads have pointed, twisting leafs and the staminate heads are rounded. This ragweed is native to western North America. It is adaptable and grows well in disturbed areas, easily becoming weedy.

Ambrosia chamissonis is a species of ragweed known by the common names Silver Burr Ragweed, Silver Beachweed and (Silver) Beach Bur(r). It is known from most of the coastline of western North America from Alaska to Baja California, where it is a resident of beaches and other sandy coastal habitat. This is a large, sprawling perennial herb exceeding three meters in maximum width. The stems are roughly or softly hairy and longitudinally ridged. The plentiful leaves are a few centimeters long, woolly and silver-green, and variable in shape. The plant is monoecious, with male and female flowers on each individual. Staminate (male) flower heads containing many pale colored florets occur at the tip of the flower cluster, with pistillate (female) flower heads clustered below them. Each pistillate head contains a single tiny flower which develops into a fruit. The fruit is a brown bur up to a centimeter wide covered in sharp spines.

Ambrosia dumosa, the burro-weed or white bursage, is a common constituent of the creosote-bush scrub community throughout the Mojave desert of California, Nevada, and Utah and the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Ambrosia dumosa has been studied to determine allelopathic interactions with creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, which produces a chemical that inhibits the growth of A. dumosa. Other studies have suggested that A. dumosa roots produce a chemical that causes them to grow away from conspecific roots, preventing competition for water resources. In addition to burrow-weed, A. dumosa is also commonly called bur sage, burro weed, and burro bush.

Ambrosia psilostachya is a species of ragweed known by the common names Cuman ragweed, perennial ragweed, and western ragweed. It is native to most of North America including all of southern Canada, nearly all of the continental United States, and the northern half of Mexico. It is a common plant in many habitat types, including disturbed areas such as roadsides. It can be found in parts of Eurasia as an introduced species. This is an erect perennial herb growing a slender, branching, straw-colored stem to a maximum height near two meters, but more often remaining under one meter tall. Leaves are up to 12 centimeters long and vary in shape from lance-shaped to nearly oval, and they are divided into many narrow, pointed lobes. The stem and leaves are hairy. The top of the stem is occupied by an flower cluster which is usually a spike. The species is monoecious, and the flower cluster is composed of staminate (male) flower heads with the pistillate heads located below and in the axils of leaves. The pistillate heads yield fruits which are achenes located within oval-shaped greenish-brown burs about half a centimeter long. The burs are hairy and sometimes spiny. The plant reproduces by seed and by sprouting up from a creeping rhizome-like root system. This plant had a number of medicinal uses among several different Native American groups.

Ambrosia pumila is a rare species in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common names San Diego Ambrosia and San Diego Ragweed. It is native to a very limited area in far southern California and Baja California where it grows in a variety of habitats along the coastal strip, inland valleys and foothills at elevations below 2,000 ft. This is a perennial herb not exceeding half a meter in height. The leaves are gray-green, fuzzy, and divided into numerous minute lobes to give a feathery appearance. They are up to 13 centimeters long, not counting the winged petioles. The flower cluster is tipped with staminate (male) flower heads above several larger pistillate (female) heads. The pistillate heads each yield usually one fruit, which is a fuzzy burr only a few millimeters wide with short, soft spines. However, it rarely produces viable seed, usually spreading by its rhizome, forming clonal groupings. It is adapted to dry habitat, but only on upper floodplain fringes, or adjoining depressions containing vernal pools or similar structures. It is a plant of open habitat and is not tolerant of heavy shade. If not given supplemental summer water it will become deciduous but will come back from the rhizome after winter rain. This is not an easy plant to find and infrequently used in residential gardens. It is important for restoration projects in areas of appropriate habitat, and it may be useful in gardens seeking to specialize in rare plants of southern California.

Hymenoclea salsola is a flowering plant in the daisy family known by several common names, including white burrobrush, cheesebush, and desert pearl. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is a common plant of the local deserts, where it thrives on sandy soil, alkaline environments, and disturbed sites. . This is a perennial shrub which forms a sprawling bush up to eight feet high. It has thin branches and narrow, needlelike leaves. The foliage has a pungent cheeselike scent when crushed, a trait which gives the plant the common name "cheesebush". It is covered in plentiful white or yellow flowers and then pearly, winged fruits in white, yellow, or pink. This species easily hybridizes with the common ragweed species Ambrosia dumosa.

Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a beautiful shrub that grows primarily in Northern California and the Sierra mountains. Western Serviceberry has year-round interest, with showy apple-like white flowers that appear in spring, edible blueberry-tasting fruits in the summer, fall color foliage, and bare branches in the winter.

Western Serviceberry typically is a rounded shrubby form, though it can grow more upright, especially in shady areas. It can be pruned for either a flatter or more rounded, open spreading shape.

Western Serviceberry is fairly easy to grow in soil with excellent drainage, though it prefers loam or sandy loam. In its natural range, at higher elevations, it prefers full sun, needing little or no watering in summer, and is fast growing and long lived - reaching 6 feet in 3 to 6 years and lasting about 60 years. Outside its natural range, it prefers part shade and regular irrigation, and can be slow growing and short lived.

Western Serviceberry is an important food source for birds and animals, and is still grown commercially for human consumption.

Amorpha californica is a species of flowering plant in the Fabaceae (Legume) family known by the common name California False Indigo. It is native to California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it grows in chaparral and woodland habitat. This is a hairy, thornless shrub with leaves made up of spiny, oval-shaped leaflets each tipped with a resin gland. The scattered flower clusters are spike-like racemes of flowers, each flower with a single purple petal and ten protruding stamens. The fruit is a legume pod containing usually a single seed. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. californica is the more common; var. napensis is a rare plant found only in a few counties north of San Francisco. This species is somewhat neater in appearance than its close cousin, Amorpha fruticosa, which is more common in San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties. The Amorpha genus is host to the California Dogface Butterfly, the official state butterfly. This species is said to be somewhat difficult in cultivation and is more often used in restoration projects.

Amsinckia menziesii (Menzies' Fiddleneck) is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family, the Borage or Forget-me-not family. It is the "common fiddleneck" and has two varieties. A great annual for wildlife, and grows abundantly in the garden. Care must be taken to ensure it does not crowd out other annuals. Attracts large numbers of goldfinches in late spring when it sets seed.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) is a native perennial herb in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family that grows primarily in northern and central California. It is fast growing and short-lived. It grows in an upright form, with active growth during the spring and summer.

Flowers are yellow and striking, blooming in early summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. Pearly Everlasting tends to grow in disturbed or recently burned places, at elevations from 0 to 8500 feet. This species is not to be confused with those plants in the genus Pseudognaphalium that are similar in appearance and also known as Everlasting.

Pacific Anemone is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names Pacific anemone, globe anemone, and Cutleaved anemone. It is native to northern North America from Alaska to New York and as far south as Arizona and New Mexico. It is also known from parts of South America. This is a perennial herb which is quite variable in appearance, especially across Varieties: It grows to heights from 10 to 70 centimeters and the leaves are covered in a coat of long silky or coarse white hairs. Each leaf is divided into many long, pointed lobes, and the lobes are sometimes subdivided. Including the petiole a single leaf may be 5 to 20 centimeters long. The flower cluster holds one or more flowers. The flowers have no petals but five to eight petal-like sepals which may be nearly any color. They are somewhat hairy, especially on the outer surface. The center of the flower contains up to 80 stamens. The fruit is a hairy, beaked achene a few millimeters long.

Angelica hendersonii is a species of angelica known as Henderson's angelica. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to central California, where it grows in the coastal sage scrub and other habitat on the immediate coastline. This is a taprooted perennial herb producing a branching erect stem to heights between about 1 and 2 meters. The basal leaves are made up of oval-shaped leaflets each up to 10 centimeters long, with toothed edges and white woolly undersides. The woolly flower clusters are compound umbels of up to 60 rays holding clusters of fuzzy flowers. The flowers yield fruits which are paired bodies nearly a centimeter long each containing a seed.