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. 

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.

Angelica californica is a species of angelica known as California angelica. It is found in northern California and occasionally in southern Oregon. Its habitats are the dry, low-elevation slopes of the foothills and coast ranges. It bears umbels of white angelica flowers.

Anisocarpus madioides (syn. Madia madioides) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name woodland madia. It is native to the west coast of North America from Vancouver Island in British Columbia to the Peninsular Ranges of southern California. It is a plant of forest and woodland habitat. This is a perennial herb growing up to about 75 centimeters in maximum height, its stem coated in rough hairs and stalked resin glands. The lower leaves are up to 12 centimeters long, oppositely arranged, and fused around the stem at the bases. The upper leaves are much smaller and often alternately arranged. The flower cluster produces several flower heads on long peduncles, each with a rounded involucre of hairy phyllaries. The heads bear yellow ray florets up to a centimeter long and many disc florets. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters long, usually with a small pappus.

Antirrhinum nuttallianum is a species of New World snapdragon in the Plantaginaceae family known by the common names Nuttall's Snapdragon. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it can be found from the immediate coastline to the inland coastal ranges. This is an annual or biennial herb producing an erect, vinelike stem which sometimes clings to objects for support, but does not twine as tightly as many other snapdragons. The flowers are veined light purple with white patches and around a centimeter long. Each is borne on a short pedicel.

Aristida adscensionis is a species of grass known by the common name sixweeks threeawn. It is native to the Americas but it is distributed nearly worldwide. It grows easily in disturbed and waste areas and has potential to become a weed. This annual grass is quite variable in appearance, its size and shape determined largely by environmental conditions. It grows in a tuft to heights between 5 and 80 centimeters. It forms a narrow flower cluster of spikelets, each fruit with three awns.

Atriplex leucophylla is a species of saltbush known by the common names beach saltbush and white orache. It is native to the coastline of California and Baja California, where it is a resident of beach dunes and other sandy areas. This is a short, sprawling perennial herb reaching a maximum height near 30 centimeters. The branching stems grow along the ground or slightly upright and may be up to a meter long. The plentiful leaves are oval in shape and are 1 to 4 centimeters long. The foliage and sometimes the stems are rough with whitish scaly surfaces. The plants are monoecious, with individuals producing male and female flowers. The staminate (male) flowers grow in rounded clusters and lack leafs. The pistillate (female) flowers are oval or round ovaries surrounded by spongy leafs. They develop into fruits containing small seeds.

This ground cover to small shrub grows to 3' with an 6-8' spread. This selection is from a male plant so no fluff from the flowers. Great for slopes or when you want to cover large areas with greenery that takes little to no water and stays green year round.

Good ground cover. Some summer water and pruning improves it's garden performance. Tolerates hedging or coppicing, late winter is best.

The golden cereus (Bergerocactus emoryi) is a species of cactus. It is the sole member of the genus Bergerocactus, named after Alwin Berger. The plant is also known as golden spine cereus or snake cactus, though this latter name also applies for Echinocereus pensilis. This cactus is frail, appear in clusters, has up to 20 ribs and ramifications. It is rarely higher than 1 meter, and diameter is usually less than 5 centimeter. Flowers are yellow and appear near the plant's tip, reaching 2 centimeter in length and diameter. They are tunnel-shaped.

Red fairyduster (Calliandra california) is an evergreen, woody shrub, native to Baja California. It gets about 3 ft tall and 5 ft wide over time, forming an open, branching mound. The flowers, which appear in early summer, have clusters of red stamens. It can survive on very little water once established, however, additional watering will encourage it to bloom through summer and again in the fall. Native to sandy washes, flats, and hillsides; cold tolerant to temperatures of 22 degrees F. Attracts hummingbirds.

The morning glory Calystegia soldanella (syn. Convolvulus soldanella) is a species of bindweed known by the common names seashore false bindweed and beach morning glory. It is a perennial vine which grows in beach sand and other coastal habitats on the west coast and selected areas on the east coast of North America, and across Europe into Asia. The plant bears fleshy stems, kidney-shaped leaves, and attractive morning glory flowers with corollas delicate pink to vivid lavender. They are insect-pollinated.

Castilleja foliolosa is a species of Indian paintbrush known by the common names woolly Indian paintbrush and Texas Indian paintbrush. It is native to California and northern Baja California, where it grows in coastal sage scrub, chaparral and rocky desert and mountain slopes. Despite its common name, it does not occur in Texas. It is a parasitic or semi-parasitic plant on a variety of small shrubs such as Chamise, Golden Yarrow or Sagebrush. This perennial wildflower grows up to 60 centimeters tall and is coated in woolly white or gray branching hairs. The leaves are linear in shape and up to 5 centimeters long. The flower cluster is made up of layers of leaves tipped in bright orange-red to dull yellowish green. Between the colorful leaves appear the nondescript flowers, which are greenish in color and pouch-shaped. The fruit is a capsule just over a centimeter long.

Desert Candle (Caulanthus inflatus) is a spectacular drought adapted annual flowering plant. Its most striking feature is its thick swollen yellow stems, which rise from a base of green leaves and look like candles. They can reach 3 feet in height. Small flowers appear on the stem in spring or fall and are reddish-purple.

This is a desert plant that does best in full sun and well-draining soil. It germinates readily from seed and works well in containers.Desert Candle is a great butterfly, moth, and native fly host.

Chorizanthe staticoides is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Turkish rugging. It is endemic to California, where it is a common member of the flora in the chaparral and scrub habitats in a number of regions. This is a plant which is quite variable in morphology, producing small patches on the ground or growing erect to heights over half a meter. The leaves measure from just a few millimeters to about 8 centimeters long. Most of them grow at the base of the fuzzy green or reddish stem. The top of the stem branches neatly into flat-topped flower clusters packed densely with tiny flowers. Each flower has a cylindrical base of six sharp-tipped leafs in shades of red to purple or green. Within this involucre is the pink to red flower which is a few millimeters wide and contains nine tiny stamens.

Seaside Cistanthe is a coastal succulent native primarily to Southern California and Baja California. It forms small rosettes of rounded leaves, about 2" in diameter. It grows and spreads very slowly, but will form a sparse ground cover. Great for coastal environments as a low maintenance accent.

Cane Cholla is one of the most common native species of cholla cactus in California. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. parkeri is found in desert transition chaparral adjacent to the low desert of San Diego County and northern Baja, northward to Santa Barbara County where it grows at elevations from 0-5,200 feet. Chollas tend to hybridize freely, and determinations of species and varieties can be difficult. Var. parkeri is generally distinguished by its erect habit and long, straight segments. The segments are usually 3-5 times longer than wide. The flowers are generally yellow, sometimes with streaks of green or orange. The fruit is dry and inedible.

Coastal Cholla is a native shrub in the cactus family that grows in Southern California, primarily in the South Coast and Channel Islands regions. It tends to grow in ocean bluffs, at elevations from 0-1000 feet. Has magenta flowers that bloom in the spring.

Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a species of cactus known by the common names diamond cholla and branched pencil cholla. Cylindropuntia ramosissima is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the Southwestern United States, California, and Northwestern Mexico, and to Baja California and its Islas San Benito. Cylindropuntia ramosissima is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the Southwestern United States, California, and Northwestern Mexico, and to Baja California and its Islas San Benito. Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a decumbent or erect and treelike cactus which can approach 2 meters-6 feet in maximum height. It has many narrow branches made up of cylindrical segments, green in color drying gray, the surface divided into squarish, flat tubercles with few or no spines, or often with a single long, straight spine. The flower is small and orange, pink or brownish in color. The fruit is a small, dry, spiny body up to 2 centimeters long.

Clustered Tarweed (Hemizonia fasciculata) is a ative annual herb in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It was formerly classified as Hemizonia fasciculata, and some sources may still refer to it that way. It grows in southern and central California from the coast into the west slope of the mountains, from San Luis Obispo County southwards into Baja. It tends to grow in grasslands, woodlands and coastal sage scrub at elevations from sea level to about 4,000 feet. Its long blooming season makes it a dependable source of color in wildflower gardens. The composite flowers have 5 ray flowers and six disk flowers. It is sometimes included in wildflower seed mixes and is useful in restoration projects.

Britton's Dudleya (Dudleya brittonii) is a solitary or slowly-clumping succulent with a wide rosette of chalky-white leaves surrounding a thick basal stem. Stout silvery-white spikes arch upward and blush red as the clusters of yellow flowers begin to open in late spring to early summer.  This plant is also known as Giant Chalk Dudleya. It is native to coastal areas of the Pacific side of Baja California between Tijuana & Ensenada and on Isla Todos Santos where it grows on cliffs and hilly areas in lava rock and other very porous soils.

Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun along the coast. It needs protection from afternoon sun in hotter inland locations. This plant can tolerate garden conditions better than the similar looking Dudleya pulverulenta but it is still best to keep it plant dry in summer months and particularly avoid overhead irrigation during this time. This is a great plant for the rock garden, a crack in a rock or wall or in a container.  It can be propagated from leaf cuttings, seeds, or offsets.

The flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

The Calico Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) is commonly found in desert areas of the southwestern United States and the adjacent areas of Mexico, including the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Baja California and Sonora. In California it is found in the lower Colorado and Mojave deserts. There are five recognized varieties in the state. Calico Cactus grows in clusters, sometimes up to 20 and more stems. Its bright magenta flowers bloom in April in its southern extremes to late May at northern locations. The flowers are borne at the upper half to one third of the stem. They are funnelform in shape, up to 3.5 inches long with dark-green stigmas. The fruit is very spiny. At first it is green, becoming pink and drying when ripe. The ripe fruit has spines which are easily detached. The seeds are black, and around a tenth of an inch in size. The stems are initially cylindrical and erect in young plants, but later with the stem base lying on the ground. The stems are usually 1.5 to 3.5 inches in diameter and up to 25 inches high, and obscured by heavy spines which tend to angle downwards. The plants have around 10 ribs, which are somewhat flattened and tuberculate. It is not often used, even in desert gardens, because it is very slow growing and tends to not flower until it has reached mature size. Nevertheless, the flowers are a beautiful reward for the patient desert gardener.

Echinocereus triglochidiatus is a species of hedgehog cactus known by several common names, including kingcup cactus, claretcup, and Mojave mound cactus. This cactus is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is a resident of varied habitats from low desert to rocky slopes, scrub, and mountain woodland. It is most abundant in shady areas. There are a number of varieties of this highly variable cactus species, but not all are universally recognized. In general it is a mounding cactus, forming bulbous piles of few to hundreds of spherical to cylindrical stems. It is densely spiny and somewhat woolly. The showy flower is a funnel shaped bloom up to 8 or 9 centimeters wide and bright scarlet red to orange-red petals. There is a thick nectar chamber and many thready pink stamens at the center of the corolla. The flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds.

Ephedra californica is a species of Ephedra known by the common names California jointfir, California ephedra, desert tea, and caatillo. It is native to southern California, Arizona, and Baja California, where it grows in varied scrub and open habitats, including chaparral and grassland. This is a spindly shrub made up of twigs which are greenish when new and age to a yellowish-gray color and have fine longitudinal grooves on their surfaces. It may exceed a meter in height. The tiny leaves grow at nodes on the twigs and dry and crumble away to leave brownish ridges there. Male plants produce clumps of pollen cones at the nodes and female plants produce egg-shaped seed cones each about a centimeter long.

Desi's blossom fuchsia (Epilobium 'Desi's Blossom') is a low, slightly spreading deciduous perennial in the evening primrose family. This hybrid is a natural cross between Epilobium canum ‘Catalina’ and E. latifolium, combining some of the best traits of both species. It forms a small, upright mound and produces a prolific display of bright red-orange tubular flowers that bloom late summer into fall. The flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds, which are also responsible for the hybrid’s origin—this selection resulted from natural cross-pollination in a garden.

Like other Epilobium cultivars, it thrives in full sun, is drought-adapted once established, and works well in borders, slopes, or pollinator gardens. Occasional pruning after bloom can help maintain a compact shape and encourage more flowers the following season.

The delicate gray-green foliage and scarlet flowers of Hollywood Flame California fuchsia (Epilobium canum 'Hollywood Flame') make this an attractive garden plant. Like the straight California fuchsia from which it was cultivated, as well as the many other cultivars of this species, its profuse blooms in late summer create a hummingbird magnet.

It now grows wild in the Hollywood Hills after which it is said to be named.

Eriastrum densifolium is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name giant woollystar. This wildflower is native to California and Baja California where it grows in open areas such as sand dunes and dry washes. It grows on an erect stem with slightly hairy to densely woolly foliage, often giving the plant a dark gray-green color. The leaves are narrow and spike-shaped with pointed lobes. The top of each stem is occupied by a bunched flower cluster full of woolly leaflike leafs and funnel-shaped, flat-faced flowers. The flowers are each 1 to 3 centimeters long with a face up to three or four centimeters wide. The lobes are white to bright, striking blue, sometimes with longitudinal pinstripes. The stamens protrude from the throat.

Palmer's Goldenbush (Ericameria palmeri) is a native shrub that grows in Southern and Central California, primarily in the South Coast, the Channel Islands and Sonoran Desert regions. It was formerly classified in the genus Haplopappus, and some sources may still refer to it by that name. There are two recognized varieties, var. palmeri and var. pachylepis  It tends to grow in flats and slopes, at elevations from 0-2600 feet. While not the most attractive plant, it has wildlife value and is probably best suited for restoration projects or wildlife gardens. Its very late bloom time when little else is in flower makes it important for pollinators.

Hybrid of Fremontodendron californicum and Fremontodendron mexicanum, a cultivar by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. It is a large, robust plant reported to reach 15 - 20 feet tall, and grows in an upright to vase shape. However, we have noticed that this hybrid grows more slowly and stays smaller than the original and may be more suitable for smaller spaces. Pacific Sunset has large, fuzzy, 3 inch wide yellow flowers that have an orange-red blush, as opposed to the original full yellow. The leaves of the plant are fairly sturdy like a geranium's, and have a similar shape. Called Flannel Bush due to the leaves, stems, and flower bracts all being covered in thick, visible hairs. The hairs can cause allergic reactions or allergies for some people. This is a stunning plant when in bloom in spring, and is an interesting evergreen texture in winter. Fremontodendron 'Pacific sunset' does well on slopes since it favors sandy, rocky, exceptionally well-draining soil. It needs full sun to light shade, and dry conditions. 'Pacific sunset' is drought tolerant and needs no supplemental water in summer once established.

The common wildflower Hieracium albiflorum is known by the names white hawkweed and white-flowered hawkweed. It is found in western North America, from Alaska to California and east to the Rockies. Some hawkweeds were introduced to North America and are invasive weeds in the region, but white hawkweed is native and is a part of the balanced ecology. It is shaped like a dandelion, with hairy, elliptical leaves and long stalks that bear small white flowers with serrated petals. The plant is found in forests and woodlands at low to moderate elevation.

Pleuraphis jamesii (syn. Hilaria jamesii) is a species of grass known by the common name James' galleta. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it is widespread in scrub, woodland, grassland, and plateau habitat. It is tolerant of arid environments such as desert floors. It is a rhizomatous perennial grass producing bunches of erect stems approximately one millimeter wide and up to about 60 centimeters in maximum height. The woody rhizome is shallow, spreading just under the soil surface, but it may reach 6 feet in length and when dense helps the grass form a sod. The flower cluster is a series of hairy, rectangular spikelets. The grass produces relatively little viable seed and spreads mostly via its rhizome.

Coreopsis bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy or sunflower family, Asteraceae, with the common names Bigelow coreopsis and Bigelow's tickseed. It is endemic to California. The plant is known from the southern California Coast Ranges, southwestern Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and the Mojave and Colorado deserts. It is widespread in a number of habitat types from Merced and Inyo Counties south to San Diego County. Coreopsis bigelovii is annual herb that produces one to many stems with erect, stemlike inflorescences 10 to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are divided into narrow lobes which are sometimes subdivided, and most of the leaves are located at the base of the plant. The many inflorescences bear solitary flower heads, each with a bulbous involucre of rough phyllaries. The flower head has a center of many yellow disc florets and a fringe of 5 to 10 ray florets up to 2. 5 centimeters (1 inch) long. The fruit is a small achene. The fruit of the ray floret is rough and bumpy and lacks a pappus; that of the disc floret is more slender, shiny, edged with hairs, and tipped with a pappus of scales. Uses. This plant was eaten as a raw or cooked green vegetable by the native Kawaiisu and Tübatulabal peoples of California.

Giant coreopsis is a woody perennial plant native to California and Baja California. Its stem is actually a tall, thick trunk, occasionally branching. Bright green leaves and flowers adorn the top of the trunk; the rest of the trunk is bare. The flowers are daisy-like and yellow,, attracting birds, butterflies, moths and other pollinators. Giant coreopsis is summer deciduous, leaving a bare trunk in summer. Its unusual form and generous flowering nature make this plant a welcome addition to gardens near the coast.

Giant Coreopsis is quite drought-adapted. Though not native to San Diego County, it is distributed on the South California central coast, north and central Southern California coast, the California Channel Islands, and further south on Guadalupe Island, Mexico. It's becoming more common due to its use in revegetation projects.

Malacothrix saxatilis is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name cliff desertdandelion. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the central and southern coastal hills and mountain ranges. It is a perennial herb growing 30 to 60 centimeters tall from a rhizome and caudex unit. The leaves are variable in size and shape and may be lobed or not. The flower cluster is an array of flower heads lined with lance-shaped phyllaries. The ray florets are 1 or 2 centimeters long and white in color. There are five varieties which intergrade, some of which are very limited in distribution.

Mammillaria dioica, also called Strawberry Cactus, California Fishhook cactus, Strawberry Pincusion or Fishhook Cactus, is a species of the genus Mammillaria found in California and northwestern Mexico, including Baja California and the state of Sonora. It is one of the smallest cacti in California and may appear as a single stem or as a clump of numerous stems. Very large specimens can be up to 6" high but usually less. In desert areas it is most often found growing in very rocky areas, sometimes growing out of crevices in granite boulders in the desert-edge canyons. In San Diego County it is also found on the immediate coast growing on sandstone bluffs as part of Maritime Succulent Scrub. The plant possesses short, firm tubercles ending in the spines. Most of these spines are whitish and straight, but each tubercle has a longer central spine which is slightly curved and dark, leading to the Fishhook name. The flowers are small but showy. A closely related species is Mammillaria tetrancistra which is very similar in general appearance but has pink flowers.

Navarretia hamata is a highly variable species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name hooked pincushionplant. It is native to the coastal mountains and valleys of California as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area and as far south as Baja California. It is often a member of the chaparral flora. It is a hairy annual herb that has a spreading or erect stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. It usually has a strong skunky scent. The leaves are divided into narrow, sharp-tipped lobes, the ones at the tip of each leaf hooked. The flower cluster is a head filled with green, leaflike bracts. The light pink, hot pink, white/blue, or purple flowers are tubular, typically have five-lobed limbs, and are 1.5 centimeters long.

The plant blooms for about a month at the end of the rainy season in southern California.

Oenothera caespitosa, known commonly as tufted evening primrose and fragrant evening primrose, is a perennial plant of the genus Oenothera native to much of western and central North America. It produces a rosette of lobed or toothed leaves each up to 36 centimeters long around a woody caudex.

Oenothera deltoides is a species of evening primrose known by several common names, including birdcage evening primrose, basket evening primrose, lion in a cage, and devil's lantern. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy habitats from desert to beach. The plant is grayish with basal, deltoid leaves. The large white flowers turn pinkish as they mature. When the plants die, the stems curl upward and form the "birdcage" for which the common name is derived.

Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose (Oenothera deltoides ssp. howellii) is a rare (federally endangered) native perennial herb that grows in Central California, primarily in the SF Bay region. It tends to grow in dunes, at elevations from 0-5900 feet.

Named for its broad, flat leaf pads, Beavertail Pricklypear (Opuntia basilaris) is a medium sized cactus that's known for its vibrant magenta flowers. While the pads do not have the long spines of other cactus species, they do have small barbs that can be painful when touched. Beavertail Pricklypear blooms profusely in spring and early summer. The bright flowers attract pollinators and provide visual interest in a xeric landscape.

This succulent is native to the Southwestern desert regions of the US. It also grows in Mexico where it is called Nopal. Indigenous peoples consumed the fruit, leaf pad buds, and seeds. Beavertail Pricklypear requires minimal supplemental irrigation. Plant in full sun in sandy, well-draining soil. This cactus grows in clusters that can spread up to 6 ft wide. The pads can shrivel in the summer but will plump up during the winter rainy season. Dead pads can be removed, otherwise little maintenance is needed.

Opuntia engelmannii is a prickly pear common across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It goes by a variety of common names, including "cow's tongue cactus", "cow tongue prickly pear", "desert prickly pear", "discus prickly pear", "Engelmann's prickly pear", and "Texas prickly pear" in the US, and "nopal", "abrojo", "joconostle", and "vela de coyote" in Mexico. Its overall form is generally shrubby, with dense clumps up to 3.5 meter high, usually with no apparent trunk. The pads are green (rarely blue-green), obovate to round, about 15-30 centimeter long and 12-20 centimeter wide. The glochids are yellow initially, then brown with age. Spines are extremely variable, with anywhere from 1-8 per areole, and often absent from lower areoles; they are yellow to white, slightly flattened, and 1-6 centimeter long. The flowers are yellow, occasionally reddish, 5-8 centimeter in diameter and about as long. The purple fleshy fruits are 3-7 centimeter long.

Phacelia parryi is a species in the Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Not) family known by the common name Parry's Phacelia. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal and inland mountain ranges and deserts. It is found in many types of local habitats, such as coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and open, recently burned slopes. It is an annual herb growing a mostly erect stem 10 to 70 centimeters long. It is hairy and coated in soft and stiff glandular hairs. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long with toothed oval blades borne on petioles. The flower cluster is a cyme of widely bell-shaped flowers each 1 to 2 centimeters long. The flower is purple in color, sometimes with pale coloration in the throat, and an arrangement of five white spots. The five protruding stamens are hairy and tipped with white anthers. It is typically grown from seed with other annuals.

This species can be easily confused with Phacelia minor, and their ranges overlap, though more easily distinguished when in flower. It should be noted that there are a very large number of species in the genus Phacelia. Most are annuals. Gardeners should look for species appropriate to their area and garden conditions.

Polygonum paronychia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common names dune knotweed, black knotweed, and beach knotweed. It is native to the coastline of western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in sandy coastal habitat such as beaches, dunes, and scrub. Polygonum paronychia is a small prostrate or upright shrub producing multibranched brown stems up to a meter (40 inches) long. The stems may root at nodes that come in contact with moist substrate. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stems but are mostly located bunched around the tips of the stem branches. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped with rolled edges and bristly midribs on the undersides. Each leaf has a large stipule which forms a wide, membranous ochrea. The ochrea is up to 2 centimeters (0. 8 inches) long and is persistent, fraying into fibrous, silvery shreds that remain on the plant through the seasons. Flowers occur in the leaf axils. Each is up to a centimeter (0. 4 inches) wide with five narrow white or pinkish corolla lobes. Polygonum paronychia is a small prostrate or upright shrub producing multibranched brown stems up to a meter (40 inches) long. The stems may root at nodes that come in contact with moist substrate. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stems but are mostly located bunched around the tips of the stem branches. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped with rolled edges and bristly midribs on the undersides. Each leaf has a large stipule which forms a wide, membranous ochrea. The ochrea is up to 2 centimeters (0. 8 inches) long and is persistent, fraying into fibrous, silvery shreds that remain on the plant through the seasons. Flowers occur in the leaf axils. Each is up to a centimeter (0. 4 inches) wide with five narrow white or pinkish corolla lobes.

Native deciduous shrub grows 3 to 5 feet tall with straight stems coming up from the ground and spreading by roots.

Small yellow blooms in spring followed by red "sour" berries in summer attract wildlife. Edible berries used by Native peoples to make a 'lemonade' drink and eaten with the addition of salt. They use the stems for baby cradle boards and basketry. Crushed leaves are more pungent (more skunklike), less fragrant, than those of Rhus aromatica.

Nice fall color, drought tolerant. Plant in full sun or light shade. Favors slopes and washes. Will grow to 4000 ft elevation. 

Formerly considered its own species (Rhus trilobata),  scientific sources now more commonly refer to it as Rhus aromatica var. trilobata.

White chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum 'Rana White') is a distinctive form of currant that features pure white flowers instead of the usual pink, creating a striking contrast against its true green, aromatic foliage. It grows into an upright shrub reaching 6 feet or more tall and wide. In winter and early spring, short, pendant clusters of fragrant white flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, followed by sticky berries enjoyed by birds. Extremely drought-adapted once established, it may drop its leaves in late summer and leaf out again in late fall, though with moderate watering it can remain nearly evergreen. Plant in full sun to light shade. Native to chaparral and woodland edges across much of California. Introduced by Rana Nursery.

Chia (Salvia columbariae) is a small annual sage with vivid blue-purple flowers  that looks great mixed with California poppy.  The leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant and flower stalks rise about one and a half feet. Flowers emerge in spring. 

Plant from seed in fall, on a sunny slope or in well-drained soil. Seedlings emerge early in the rainy season and grow fast.

Purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that can become a mounding form up to five feet tall, or a spreading form up to 10 feet wide and only 2  feet tall, which makes a great ground cover.  The leaves are gray green and in spring and summer large spikes bear whorls of purple flowers with a strong scent.

Purple sage grows in full sun and is amazingly drought-tolerant but can take light water up to twice per month in the summer, which will keep it looking a little greener.  Though it prefers well-draining soil, it is tough and easy to grow.  

The highly aromatic flowers attract a variety of birds and insects, with several butterflies and moths hosted.

Horticultural selection from salvia leucophylla. This large Purple sage was introduced by Carol Bernstein from a specimen found on the coastal bluffs of Pt. Sal in santa Barbara County. Amethyst Bluff starts out as a low-mounding shrub but eventually grows very large, reaching up to 1 feet in height and spreading up to 15 feet. It is ideally suited for a large scale planting, particularly on a sunny slope or bank where it can sprawl freely. This selection tolerates heavy soils and provides good erosion control. Amethyst Bluff has fragrant silvery foliage and showy lavender flowers on 12 inch long spikes. It is very attractive to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden. Introduced by C. Bornstein of Rancho santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Horticultural selection from salvia leucophylla. This is a low growing, evergeen shrub that produces beautiful pinkish-purple flowers in a circular bunch along the stem. The leaves are light green with a bumpy textured surface. The shrubs can grow to 3 or 4 feet tall and span up to six feet wide. They prefer well-drained soils or rocky hillscapes. The flowers are a great attractor of pollinators, including: birds, bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. They do well in full-sun or part-shade, proving to be both cold- and drought-tolerant.

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Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selection for the garden. Introduced by sunset Nurseries.

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

Horticultural selection from Salvia leucophylla from Pt. Sal, in the southern part of the central coast, just south of san Luis Obispo. One of the best Calfornia native groundcovers. This low-growing groundcover is a perfect selection for full-sun or part-shade areas. The 'Point sal' variety is a grayish-green leaved, multi-blossomed salvia hybrid that exhibits low water needs and has little demand in terms of maintenace. The flowers can be pruned in late fall to produce a good flush in the spring. The lavender flowers are arranged in a circular pattern around the green stems. The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

A selection from Point Sal in 1987. Plants usually stay under 2-1/2 ft tall with a graceful 8’ ft spread. Rose-pink flowers are produced in spring on an 8” inflorescence. Plants are deciduous in dry situations. Winter or spring leaves open apple green becoming gray, then white as the season progresses. Likes full sun or light shade with well-drained soils. A tough and durable selection well-suited to the dry garden. Great for erosion control on a sunny slope as limbs sometimes root where they touch the ground, producing a thicket. Highly useful as a groundcover for coastal bluffs or hot inland areas.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Black sage is the most common sage in California. Though less showy than other salvia species and cultivars, it is an important food source for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The flowers are small and pale blue-lavender in color. After blooming, black sage seeds provide food for birds, including quail and towhees.

A black sage shrub can grow up to 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide. In the garden, this aromatic plant prefers full sun and well-draining soil. It is a low-moisture plant, requiring no supplemental water once established. It is usual for the small, dark green leaves to curl during summer drought.