Gray Beardtongue (Penstemon cinereus) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in northern California.

Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) is a striking perennial with bright red, tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. Native to Southern and Central California, it thrives in desert mountains and the Mojave Desert at elevations of 4,900–9,200 feet.

This heat-loving, drought-tolerant plant is ideal for rock gardens, desert landscapes, and interior valleys. Its long, scarlet flower spikes add vibrant color while supporting pollinators in dry, sunny gardens.

Penstemon grinnellii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Grinnell's beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in several mountain ranges from those around the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierra Nevada to the Peninsular Ranges near the Mexican border. It is a perennial herb producing upright stems growing to 85 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are oblong, up to 9 centimeters in length, folded lengthwise and curved backward. The hairy flower cluster produces several tubular purple-tinged white or violet flowers 1 to 2 centimeters long. The mouth of the flower has three lower lobes streaked with dark lines, a hairy throat and a long-haired, protruding staminode.

Foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus) is a stunning perennial with profuse clusters of blue to magenta tubular flowers. Foothill penstemon can be found in all major coastal mountain ranges and the northern Sierra Nevada foothills. It occurs in many local habitat types from grassland to chaparral to forests.

Foothill penstemon is a wonderful addition to front of borders. Blooming begins in May and continues for a month or two. Taking off dead flower stalks will induce more flowering. The plant’s stems can exceed 3 feet and may become woody at the base. Several cultivars have been developed for use in summer-dry climate and other low-water-use gardens, including 'Electric Blue,' 'Margarita BOP,' and 'Blue Springs' which may grow only 12 to 18 inches tall. 

This is a fast-growing, easy and hardy flowering plant that requires moderate water and sun to light shade. It is adaptable to different types of soil so long as drainage is good.  

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. Selected for the garden.

Margarita BOP Penstemon is a low-growing, evergreen perennial prized for its long-lasting, vibrant blue-to-rose-purple flowers. Thought to be a hybrid of Penstemon heterophyllus and Penstemon laetus, its name comes from where it thrived with little care—“Bottom of the Porch.”

This adaptable plant flourishes in various garden settings, from borders to rock gardens and slopes. It is drought-adapted once established and benefits from cutting back spent flower spikes to encourage reblooming. A magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies, margarita BOP penstemon is an excellent choice for pollinator-friendly landscapes.

Penstemon labrosus is a species of penstemon known by the common name San Gabriel beardtongue. It is native to the Transverse Ranges of southern California, including the San Gabriel Mountains, and the Peninsular Ranges to the south, its distribution extending into Mexico. It grows in forest and woodland habitat. It is a perennial herb growing erect to about 70 centimeters tall. The long, paired leaves are linear in shape with rolled, untoothed edges, and reach over 8 centimeters in maximum length. The flower cluster produces bright red to orange or yellowish flowers 3 to 4 centimeters long. The upper lip is hood-shaped and the lower is divided into 3 narrow lobes which are sometimes reflexed. The flower is hairless, including the staminode.

Penstemon neotericus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Plumas County beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the northern Sierra Nevada and adjacent southern peaks of the Cascade Range. It grows in forest, scrub, and other mountain habitat. It is a perennial herb growing erect to about 80 centimeters tall, becoming woody toward the base. The paired leaves are lance-shaped and nearly 9 centimeters in maximum length. The hairy flower cluster bears blue-purple or pinkish flowers up to 4 centimeters long. The flowers have white, mostly hairless mouths and hairless staminodes.

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 by Nevin smitth.

Small Penstemon (Penstemon parvulus) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range and High Sierra Nevada regions. It tends to grow in rocky and open slopes, at elevations from 2400-9500 feet.

Penstemon procerus is a species of penstemon known by the common name littleflower penstemon. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, as far east in Canada as Manitoba, where it grows in mountain habitat such as meadows, often in alpine climates. It is a perennial herb forming mats of herbage with some erect stems reaching about 40 centimeters in maximum height. There are several varieties which vary in morphology, some more decumbent than others, several which are known commonly as pincushion penstemons for their matted forms. In general, the leaves are lance-shaped to oval, plentiful around the base of the plant with smaller ones arranged in opposite pairs along the stem. The flower cluster is made up of one or more clusters of tubular flowers with lipped, lobed mouths. Each flower is no more than one centimeter in length and is purple to blue in color, often with a white throat. The outside of the flower is generally hairless, while the inside may be lined with white or yellowish hairs.

Western Small Flowered Penstemon (Penstemon procerus var. formosus) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range and High Sierra Nevada regions. It tends to grow in meadows, at elevations from 8200-11800 feet.

Penstemon rostriflorus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Bridge penstemon, or Bridges' penstemon. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in many types of sagebrush, scrub, woodland, and forest habitat. It is a perennial herb growing in clumps of many erect stems from a woody base. It may reach one meter in height. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped, smooth-edged, and up to 7 centimeters long. The hairy flower cluster bears tubular red to orange-red flowers 2 to 3 centimeters long. The mouth of the flower has a hooded upper lip and a three-lobed lower lip.

Rydberg's Penstemon (Penstemon rydbergii) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the High Sierra Nevada region. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 3 feet, with active growth during the spring. Flowers are blue and striking, and bloom in the mid summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in moist meadows and streambanks, at elevations from 3,900-10,200 feet.

Royal Penstemon is native to the western United States where it can be found in many types of habitat, including plateau and foothill scrub and sub-alpine mountain forests. It is a perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height near 60 centimeters. The leaves are usually lance-shaped and sometimes folded lengthwise, measuring up to 9 centimeters long. They are arranged oppositely and often clasp the stem at the bases. The showy flower cluster bears tubular flowers with expanded mouths, the largest reaching nearly 4 centimeters in length. The flowers come in many shades of light to deep blue, lavender, and purple, and usually have white throats.

Penstemon thurberi is a species of penstemon known by the common name Thurber's beardtongue. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in many types of desert and mountain habitat, including sandy flats, chaparral, scrub, and woodlands. It is a shrub growing erect and somewhat rounded in form, reaching around 80 centimeters in maximum height. Many slender stems emerge from its woody base. The leaves are narrow, linear in shape, with edges rolled upward nearly into a tube. The long flower cluster bears funnel-shaped lavender, pink, or pale blue-purple flowers up to 1.5 centimeters in length.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Introduced by Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden. Hybrid of p. centranthifolius and p. Spectabilis.

Perideridia bolanderi is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Bolander's yampah. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial herb which may approach one meter in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from tubers measuring up to 7 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 20 centimeters long which are divided into many subdivided lobes of various sizes and shapes; the terminal segments are usually lined with teeth. Leaves higher on the plant are smaller and less divided. The flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits about half a centimeter long. The Atsugewi and Miwok of California used the tuberous roots of this plant for food.

Perideridia kelloggii is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Kellogg's yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the north and central coasts, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in grassland habitat, sometimes on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb which may reach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from a cluster of long, narrow, fibrous roots each up to 15 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 45 centimeters wide which are divided into many leaflets subdivided into narrow, elongated lobes. The flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimeter long.

Perideridia parishii is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Parish's yampah. It is native to mountainous regions of the southwestern United States, where it grows in forests and other habitat. It is a perennial herb growing up to 90 centimeters tall, its slender green stem growing from a small tuber. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades 10 to 20 centimeters long divided into pairs of leaflets, which may be subdivided or lobed. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, round or oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimeter long.

Phacelia bolanderi is a species of flowering plant known by several common names, including Bolander's phacelia, Bolander's scorpionweed, blue-flowered grape-leaf, and caterpillar flower. It bears attractive papery inch-wide purple, lavender, or blue flowers and strongly toothed leaves which resemble those of grape. The plant blooms later than most others, and is commonly in flower during the hottest summer months. The plant is native to Oregon and coastal northern California. It was named for the California botanist Henry Nicholas Bolander.

Phacelia californica is a species of phacelia known by the common names California phacelia and California scorpionweed. It is native to coastal northern California and Oregon, where it grows in chaparral, woodland, and coastal bluffs and grassland. It is a perennial herb growing decumbent or erect, its branching stems reaching up to 90 centimeters long. It is roughly hairy in texture. The leaves are up to 20 centimeters long, the lower ones divided into several leaflets. The dense, hairy flower cluster is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of many bell-shaped flowers. Each white or pale blue to lavender flower is under a centimeter wide. This native wildflower is a food source for the Mission blue butterfly, an endangered species endemic to San Francisco.

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.

Phacelia ramosissima is a species in the Boraginaceae (Borage) family known by the common name Branching Phacelia. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to the southwestern United States, where it can be found in many types of habitats. It is variable in appearance, and there are many intergrading Varieties: In general it is a spreading or sprawling prostrate or upright perennial herb which may approach 1.5 meters in stem length. It is hairless to densely hairy, and some people detect an unpleasant odor from the glandular hairs. The leaves are 4 to 20 centimeters long and most are divided into several toothed or lobed leaflets. The flower cluster is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of funnel- or bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is under a centimeter long and white to lavender in color with protruding stamens.

Mock orange (Philadephus lewisii) is a deciduous shrub covered in a mass of white blossoms at the height of flowering, in spring to summer. Mock orange is widespread but not common, usually appearing as an individual plant in a mix of other species. 

The shrub sends out long stems, which are red when new and fade to gray with age. Its leaves are light green in color with a rough texture, generally turning a lovely yellow in fall.  The large flowers bloom in clusters at the ends of long stems and have a heavy, sweet scent similar to citrus blossom. They are among the most fragrant flowers of any California native plant. It is fast-growing and tolerates almost any soil type, making it a wonderful focal plant in a garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden (Cheyenne Research in Wyoming).

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selection by Roger Raiche and Ron Lutsko from shasta County.

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

Common reed (Phragmites australis) is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Common reed commonly forms extensive stands (known as reed beds), which may be as much as a square kilometer or more in extent. Where conditions are suitable, it can spread 16 feet or more per year by horizontal runners, which put down roots at regular intervals. 

It can grow in damp ground, in standing water (up to three feet or so deep), or even as a floating mat. One of the few native plants that the California Invasive Plant Council has determined is invasive in regions outside its natural range.

The erect stems grow to 6 to 20 ft tall. The tallest plants grow in areas that have hot summers and fertile growing conditions.

Common reed is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species. In particular, the South Asian Khagra Reed (P. karka) is often treated as distinct. 

Phyllodoce breweri is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common names purple mountain heath and Brewer's mountain heather. It is native to California, where it can be found in mountain ranges including the southern Cascade Range, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada, its distribution extending into Nevada. It grows in rocky subalpine mountain habitat, such as slopes and meadows. Phyllodoce breweri is a matlike shrub with many short stems lined densely with leathery evergreen needlelike leaves. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flowers toward the ends of the stems, with some flowers occurring below in leaf axils. The bright purple-pink flowers are cup-shaped as the petals are fused except for the very tips, which roll under. At the center of the flower is a yellow ovary and ten long, protruding stamens tipped with large anthers.

Physalis hederifolia is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by the common name ivyleaf groundcherry. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in rocky, dry desert and mountain habitat. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a hairy, branching stem 10 to 80 centimeters long. The gray-green oval leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long and have smooth or bluntly toothed edges. The flowers growing from the leaf axils are bell-shaped and just over a centimeter long. They are yellow with five brown smudges in the throats. The five-lobed calyx of sepals at the base of the flower enlarges as the fruit develops, becoming an inflated, veined nearly spherical structure 2 or 3 centimeters long which contains the berry.

There are several wild varieties of this species.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected from san Bruno Mountain.

Picea breweriana (Brewer Spruce or Weeping Spruce) is a species of spruce native to western North America, where it is one of the rarest in the continent, endemic to the Klamath Mountains of southwest Oregon and northwest California. It grows at moderately high altitudes, from 1000-2700 meter. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 20-40 meter tall, exceptionally 54 meter, and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 meter. The bark is thin and scaly, and purple-gray in color. The crown is very distinct, distinguished by level branches with vertically pendulous branchlets, each branch forming a 'curtain' of foliage. The pendulous foliage only develops when the tree grows to about 1.5-2 meter tall; young trees smaller than this (up to about 10-20 years old) are open-crowned with sparse, level branchlets. The shoots are orange-brown, with dense short fine hair about 0.2 millimeter long and very rough with pulvini 1-2 millimeter long.

Pickeringia is a monotypic genus containing only the legume Pickeringia montana, which is known by the common name chaparral pea. It is sometimes called Montana chaparral pea, but this plant is found only in California. It is one of very few legumes native to the chaparral habitat. Its nitrogen-fixing ability helps it thrive in rocky, sandy soil. The plant is also well-suited to a landscape of hills, slopes, and recently-burned areas; its roots spread quickly and help anchor loose soil, preventing erosion. The chaparral pea is said to rarely sprout from seed because the plant rarely produces seed pods. More often it sends up new stems from roots growing outward from the mother plant. It forms low, dense, thorny thickets of shiny dark green leaves. In spring and summer the plant bursts into blossom, covering the thickets with bright magenta flowers.

Pinus albicaulis (known commonly as Whitebark pine, Pitch pine, Scrub pine, and Creeping pine) occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains (including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem). The Whitebark Pine is typically the highest-elevation pine tree of these mountains, marking the tree line. Thus, it is often found as krummholz, trees dwarfed by exposure and growing close to the ground. In more favourable conditions, trees may grow to 20 meter in height, although some can reach up to 27 meter. It shares the common name Creeping pine with several other plants.

Pinus contorta is a common tree in western North America with the bulk of its population to the north and east of California. Within California it is found primarily in the Sierras, with scattered populations in other mountains. There are three recognized subspecies which can vary greatly in appearance. In the Sierras ssp. Murrayana can be very tall with a straight trunk, consistent with the common name Lodgepole Pine. It is found at elevations from 1,500 ft. to 12,000 ft. Near the coast ssp. contorta can be shrub height with twisted trunk and branches and known as Beach Pine. It is found from sea level to about 2,000 ft. Ssp. bolanderi is a rare species from the coast of Mendocino County northward to Oregon.

Pinus contorta is a moderately important timber wood but not often used in landscaping. The needles are held in bundles of two. The cones of may be of either the closed or open type and remain on the tree for many years. The bark is relatively thin and susceptible to fire.

The Colorado Pinyon, Two-needle Pinyon or Pion Pine (Pinus edulis) is a pine in the pinyon pine group whose ancestor was a member of the Madro-Tertiary Flora (a group of drought resistant trees) and is native to the United States. The range is in Colorado, southern Wyoming, eastern and central Utah, northern Arizona, New Mexico, and the Guadalupe Mountains in westernmost Texas. It occurs at moderate altitudes from 1600-2400 meter, rarely as low as 1400 meter and as high as 3000 meter. It is widespread and often abundant in this region, forming extensive open woodlands, usually mixed with junipers. The Colorado pinyon (pion) grows as the dominant species on 4.8 million acres (19,000 km) in Colorado, making up 22% of the state's forests. The Colorado pinyon has cultural meaning to agriculture, as strong pion wood "plow heads" were used to break soil for crop planting at the state's earliest known agricultural settlements. There is one known example of a Colorado Pinyon growing amongst Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) at nearly 3,170 meters (10,400 feet) on Kendrick Peak in the Kaibab National Forest of northern Arizona.

The Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis; family Pinaceae) is a species of pine tree that occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Rocky Mountains from southwest Alberta south to the Mexican border; the Great Basin mountains of Nevada and Utah; and the White Mountains, the east slope of the Sierra Nevada and the San Bernardino Mountains in California with a small disjunct population in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is typically a high-elevation pine, often marking the tree line either on its own, or with Whitebark Pine, either of the bristlecone pines, or Lodgepole Pine. In favourable conditions, it makes a tree to 20 meter, rarely 25 meter tall, but on exposed tree line sites only 5-10 meter tall. It is also called Rocky Mountain White Pine. Limber Pine is a member of the white pine group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. This distinguishes it from the Lodgepole Pine, with two needles per fascicle, and the bristlecone pines, which share five needles per fascicle but have a semi-persistent sheath.

Plantago subnuda is a species of plantain known by the common name tall coastal plantain. It is native to western North America from the west coast of the United States to west-central Mexico, where it grows in wet and moist habitat types, often in coastal areas, such as marshland. It is a perennial herb producing few oval leaves around a thick caudex. The broad smooth-edged or slightly toothed leaves may be up to 40 centimeters long. The stemlike flower clusters grow erect to a maximum height near half a meter. Atop the peduncle of the flower cluster is a dense cylindrical spike of many tiny flowers. Each flower has a corolla of ephemeral petals about 3 millimeters long.

Pluchea odorata is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae, that is native to the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Common names include Sweetscent, Salt Marsh Fleabane, and Shrubby Camphorweed. It inhabits wetlands and other coastal habitats and moist inland areas, often in saline substrates. It is an introduced species and a noxious weed in Hawaii. It is an annual or perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height over one meter. It is hairy, coated in rough trichomes (hairs), and strongly aromatic. The toothed oval leaves are up to 12 centimeter (4.7 inches) long and alternately arranged on the stiff stems. The flower cluster is a large cluster of many flower heads. Each head is less than 1 centimeter (0.39 inches) long and filled with bright pinkish-purple or magenta flowers. The fruit is a tiny achene tipped with a bristly pappus.

Pluchea sericea, commonly called Arrowweed, is a rhizomatous evergreen shrub of riparian areas in the lower Sonoran Desert and surrounding areas. It is common in the lower Colorado River valley of California, Nevada and Arizona, as far east as Texas, and in northern Mexico where it often forms dense impenetrable thickets. It was once used medicinally by Native Americans as an antidiarrheal and eyewash. Other traditional uses include thatching, arrowmaking and food, especially the edible root.

Poa glauca is a species of grass known by the common names glaucous bluegrass, glaucous meadow-grass and white bluegrass. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is also known from Patagonia. It is a common grass, occurring in Arctic and alpine climates and other areas. It can be found throughout the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in many types of habitat, including disturbed and barren areas. This is a perennial bunchgrass growing small, dense clumps of waxy leaves and stems up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height, but often remaining dwarfed, no more than 10 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is variable in appearance, growing into a short or long arrangement of thin branches bearing spikelets.

Poa secunda (variously known by the common names of Sandberg bluegrass, alkali bluegrass, big bluegrass, Canby's bluegrass, Nevada bluegrass, one-sided bluegrass, Pacific bluegrass, pine blugrass, slender bluegrass, wild bluegrass, and curly bluegrass. ) is a widespread species of grass native to North and South America. It is highly resistant to drought conditions, and provides excellent fodder; and has also been used in controlling soil erosion, and as revegetator, often after forest fires. Cultivars include 'Canbar', 'Service', 'Sherman', and 'Supernova'. Historically, indigenous Americans, such as the Gosiute of Utah, have used P. secunda for food. It was originally described botanically in 1830 by Jan Svatopluk Presl, from a holotype collected from Chile by Thaddäus Haenke in 1790.

One-sided Bluegrass (Poa secunda ssp. secunda) is a common native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-12500 feet.

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.

Potamogeton amplifolius, commonly known as largeleaf pondweed or broad-leaved pondweed, is an aquatic plant of North America. It grows in water bodies such as lakes, ponds, and rivers, often in deep water. This perennial plant grows from rhizomes and produces a very slender, cylindrical, sometimes spotted stem up to a meter or so long. The leaves take two forms. Submersed leaves are up to 20 centimeters long by 7 wide and may be folded along their midribs. The submersed leaves have more veins than do those of other pondweed species, up to 49. Floating leaves are up to 10 centimeters long by 5 wide, leathery in texture, and borne on long petioles. The inflorescence is a spike of many flowers rising above the water surface on a thick peduncle.

Potamogeton epihydrus is a perennial aquatic plant known by the common name ribbonleaf pondweed, Nuttall's pondweed (not to be confused with Elodea nuttallii) or in Britain and Ireland American pondweed. It is native to much of North America, where it grows in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and slow-moving streams. Ribbonleaf pondweed is predominantly a North American species, and is widespread in boreal and temperate North America. Its centre of distribution is the northeastern USA and southeastern Canada from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, and on the Pacific seaboard from northern California to British Columbia. However, there are scattered populations in Alabama and Louisiana, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana and central Canada. There are also two isolated populations in Britain, where it was identified as recently as 1944. Ribbonleaf pondweed generally grows in shallow, standing to slow-flowing standing and running waters at up to 1900 m altitude. It tolerates acid waters as low as pH 5 and has a preference for oligotrophic, soft water conditions. Nevertheless, liming experiments suggest that ribbonleaf pondweed is sensitive to severe acidification. P. epihydrus is a poor disperser relative to many other aquatic plants occurring in Connecticut lakes. Ribbonleaf pondweed is generally common and widespread in North America. However, it is listed as Endangered in Indiana and Special Concern in Tennessee. In Britain it is Nationally Rare and listed as Vulnerable. British populations lack detectable genetic variation, suggesting a strong founder effect. P. epihydrus is not in cultivation, but would be worth attempting to grow. Its fairly small size, ribbon-like underwater leaves and scattered floating leaves could be effectively used in a garden pond, tub or stream. Introduced populations in Britain have not proved invasive, so there is little chance of it becoming problematic. Like other pondweeds, it needs to be planted with the root in contact with a suitable substrate such as aquatic compost.

Potamogeton natans L. (Broad-leaved Pondweed, Floating Pondweed, Floating-leaf pondweed) is an aquatic species in the genus Potamogeton native to quiet or slow-flowing freshwater habitats throughout the Holarctic Kingdom. It produces both floating and submersed leaves on the same plant. The floating leaves are ovate to oblong-ovate and almost always heart-shaped at the base. They are dark green, leathery, opaque, with translucent longitudinal veins. They are 5 to 10 centimeter long, pointed at the tips, and rounded at the base.

Potamogeton nodosus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names longleaf pondweed and Loddon pondweed. It is native to Eurasia and the Americas, where it is widespread and can be found in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and streams. This is a perennial herb producing a thin, branching stem easily exceeding a meter in maximum length. The leaves are linear to widely lance-shaped and up to 15 centimeters long by 4 wide. Both floating leaves and submerged leaves are borne on long petioles, a distinguishing characteristic. The inflorescence is a spike of many small flowers arising from the water on a peduncle.

Potamogeton robbinsii, commonly known as Robbins' pondweed, is a North American perennial herb. It is found in "deep to shallow, quiet, often muddy waters of lakes, ponds, and rivers. "

Potamogeton compressus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names grass-wrack pondweed, flatstem pondweed and eel-grass pondweed. Potamogeton compressus is native to northern Europe (Austria, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine), Asia (China (Yunnan), Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia). In North America P. compressus / zosteriformis occurs in northern USA and Canada. There are isolated populations in the Balkans, Oregon and the Rockies. There is considerable undertainty regarding the exact distribution of this species in Siberia and Canada. Ecology and Grass-wrack pondweed grows in still or slow-flowing, lowland, calcareous and often rather nutrient-rich water bodies such as backwaters in rivers, ponds and slow-moving streams, usually on fine substrates such as sand, silt, clay or peat, usually in less than 1. 5 m water depth. However, Japanese populations have been reported growing in 5 m of water. It is also capable of colonising artificial habitats such as canals and drainage ditches, so long as these are not heavily boated. Grass-wrack pondweed is intolerant of turbid water and prefers some shade.

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

Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana) is a common subspecies of the small to medium-sized flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, but has been introduced to at least a half-dozen other countries. In California's Central Valley and deserts it is an important habitat plant for many species of wildlife. Honey Mesquite has a rounded crown and crooked, drooping branches with feathery foliage and straight, paired spines on twigs. In some settings it will remain a low growing shrub forming dense thickets that are used as refuge by rabbits, quail, and other animals. In other settings it grows as a tree that reaches 20-30 feet, rarely as tall as 50 feet. It is highly adapted to arid environments with a very deep taproot (up to 100 ft.) to reach underground water. The fruit is a nutritious "bean pod" that is valued by many animals and was eaten by native people of the desert. It has spines and caution should be used when deciding where to plant it. It is an essential plant for the desert wildlife garden.

Prunella vulgaris, known as common selfheal, heal-all, heart-of-the-earth or h kh tho in Vietnamese, is a medicinal plant in the genus Prunella. It grows from 1 to 2 feet high, with creeping, self-rooting, tough, square, reddish stems branching at leaf axis. The leaves are lance shaped, serrated and reddish at tip, about an inch long and 1/2 inch broad, grow on short stalks in opposite pairs down the square stem. The flowers grow from a clublike, somewhat square, whirled cluster, immediately below this club are a pair of stalkless leaves standing out on either side like a collar. Flowers are two lipped and tubular, the top lip is a purple hood, and the bottom lip is often white, it has three lobes with the middle lobe being larger and fringed upwardly. Flowers bloom at different times depending on climate and other conditions; Mostly from June to August. For medicinal purposes, the whole plant is gathered when the flowers bloom, and dried. The leaves and small flowers of heal-all are edible. Heal-all is a perennial herb found throughout Europe, Asia, Japan and the United States of America, as well as most temperate climates. Its origin seems to be European, though it has been documented in other countries since before any history of travel. In the United Kingdom it is abundant throughout Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. In the Republic of Ireland it is currently abundant in the west in counties Galway and Clare, the south-west in Kerry, the south coast and is also found around the central basin of Ireland. It is often found growing in waste ground, grassland, woodland edges, usually on basic and neutral soils. It is grown in any damp soil in full sun or in light shade. Seeds are sown in very early spring in a flat outdoor area.

Lance Leaf Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from - feet.

California Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum) is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It is native to the west coast of North America from Washington to Baja California, where it is a member of the flora of many habitats, including chaparral. In California it is most often found near the coast from Sonoma County southward and in the Sierra foothills.

This is an annual or biennial herb with branching stems. Its green herbage is hairy, sticky and scented. The flower head is a wide cluster of flowers, each enveloped in ringed rows of bright white. The flowers are very long lasting when dried and are used in flower arrangements.

Classification is disputed between the genera Pseudognaphalium and Gnaphalium, but it is presently classified as Pseudognaphlium. Also, some sources refer to this plant as Pearly Everlasting, but that's actually the common name of a different species (Anaphlis margaritacea). California Cudweed would work best in an informal garden or wildscape. It re-seeds prolifically, so be prepared to pull seedlings from areas where it is not wanted.

Pseudognaphalium canescens (syn. Gnaphalium canescens) is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name Wright's Cudweed. It is native to western North America from western Canada to northern Mexico. It can be found in many habitats, from mountains to plateau to coastline. The many-branched stem is erect to a maximum height of around a meter. It is gray-green and woolly with many narrow leaves. Atop the stem branches are flower clusters of several pointed oval-shaped pale yellowish, cream, or white flower heads. Each woolly head is a few millimeters across and contains many tiny disc florets. This plant is seldom seen in gardens but is useful for restoration projects.