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

Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) is a flowering perennial best known for the Monarch butterflies it will attract into the garden. Its long, thin pointed leaves give the plant a soft, wispy look. It blooms in summer to fall, with clusters of lavender or pinkish white flowers, each one an interesting button shape. The fruits are smooth pods, which split open to spill seeds along with plentiful silky hairs that may carry the seeds through the air.

This plant grows fast to 3 feet tall and is dormant in winter, often dying back to the ground. It will take full sun but is adaptable to most conditions, being easy to grow in soils with good drainage, even with no summer water. It can self-seed if the seed pods are not removed

This species is probably the single most important host plant for Monarch Butterflies in California, attracting them and hosting their caterpillars. It is crucial to not use any pesticide on or around the plant, because doing so will be fatal to the caterpillars. The plant also provides resources for many beneficial creatures, including native bees. Don't cut the dry stems down too soon as Orioles may use them for nesting.

Named for its abundant clusters of starlike flowers, showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is an eye-catching native plant selection for the butterfly garden. In the summer months, showy milkweed is covered in fragrant blooms in delicate shades of pink, white, and purple. The large leaves are an attractive grayish-green color.

After blooming, the plant produces large pods that contain seeds with long silky tassels, so they can be dispersed by the wind. Individual plants spread by underground rhizomes into an expanding clump. Showy milkweed has thick, sturdy stems and an upright growth habit. It can reach up to 6 ft in height. The plant goes dormant during the winter months. 

Showy milkweed is an important butterfly host plant, especially for the Monarch butterfly. Adult butterflies feed on the flower nectar and caterpillars eat the leaves. The blooms also attract hummingbirds. Like other milkweeds, this plant produces alkaloids that, when consumed, protect the caterpillars from predators.

Showy milkweed is easy to care for. It grows well in full sun and should be planted in dry, well-drained soil. Remove seed pods to prevent self-sowing. Large clumps can be pruned during the winter dormancy season.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selection from Davis, CA.

Asclepias subulata is a species of milkweed known commonly as the rush milkweed or ajamete. This is an erect perennial herb which loses its leaves early in the season and stands as a cluster of naked stalks. Atop the stems are flower clusters of distinctive flowers. Each cream-white flower has a reflexed corolla that reveals the inner parts, a network of five shiny columns, each topped with a tiny hook. The fruit is a pouchlike follicle that contains many flat, oval seeds with long, silky hairlike plumes. This milkweed is native to the desert southwest of the United States and northern Mexico.

Astragalus agrestis is a species of milkvetch known by the common names purple milkvetch, purple loco, and field milkvetch. It is native to much of western and northern North America from most of Canada to the southwestern United States, as well as eastern Asia. It grows in vernally moist areas such as meadows, and is often found in sagebrush. This is a perennial herb growing a slender but sturdy stem from an underground caudex. It leans or grows upright to a maximum height near 30 centimeters. The stem is often roughly hairy. Alternately arranged leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and made up of several pairs of leaflets up to 2 centimeters long each. They are oval to lance-shaped and may have notched tips. The inflorescence is an oval-shaped cluster of up to 15 purple or pink-tinted to nearly white pealike flowers. Each flower is up to 2 centimeters long. This is a perennial herb growing a slender but sturdy stem from an underground caudex. It leans or grows upright to a maximum height near 30 centimeters. The stem is often roughly hairy. Alternately arranged leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and made up of several pairs of leaflets up to 2 centimeters long each. They are oval to lance-shaped and may have notched tips. The inflorescence is an oval-shaped cluster of up to 15 purple or pink-tinted to nearly white pealike flowers. Each flower is up to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is an oval-shaped legume pod up to a centimeter long. It is dark colored with white hairs and dries to a papery texture.

Astragalus canadensis is a common and widespread member of the milkvetch genus in the legume family, known commonly as Canadian milkvetch. The plant is found throughout Canada and the United States in many habitats including wetlands, woodlands, and prairies. It sends out several thin, erect, green stems, bearing leaves that are actually made up of pairs of leaflets, each leaflet up to 3 centimeters in length. It has flower clusters of tubular, greenish-white flowers which yield beanlike fruits within pods that rattle when dry. Like other Astragalus species, A. canadensis is somewhat toxic, but it has been used medicinally by Native American groups such as the Blackfoot and Lakota people, particularly the roots.

Atriplex canescens (Chamiso, Chamiza, Four wing saltbush, Four-wing saltbush, Fourwing saltbush) is a species of evergreen shrub in the Amaranthaceae family, which is native to the western United States. Fourwing saltbush has a highly variable form, and readily hybridizes with several other species in the Atriplex genus. The degree of polyploidy also results in variations in form. Its height can vary from 1 foot to 10 feet, but 2 to 4 feet is most common. The leaves are thin and 0.5 to 2 inches long. It is most readily identified by its fruits, which have four wings at roughly 90 degree angles and are densely packed on long stems. The fruit stem resembles a mass of corn flakes.

Atriplex canscens is a great bird plant. Best to plant in dry salty soils. Susceptible to root rot unless drought or salt stressed.

Atriplex confertifolia (Shadscale) is a species of evergreen shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, which is native to the western United States. Shadscale is a common, often dominant, shrub in the lowest and driest areas of the Great Basin. It prefers sandy, well-drained soils and it is tolerant of moderately saline conditions. Its height varies from 1 to 3 feet. Compared to fourwing saltbush, shadscale has shorter and wider leaves and the fruit does not have four wings (although it may have two wings in a "V" shape).

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

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

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

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Atriplex 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.

Atriplex polycarpa (Allscale, Cattle spinach, Allscale saltbush, Cattle saltbush) is a plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Baccharis Centennial is considered a hybrid between Baccharis pilularis and Baccharis sarothroides. This large bushy evergreen has brilliant green stems which give it a rounded profile. It is exteremely heat an drought tolerant. If the shrub becomes woody, prune in the winter. Limiting water after the plant is established encourages dense growth. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for use in the garden. Hybrid of B. pilularis x B. Sarothroides.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden; Hybrid of B. pilularis x sarothroides.

Baccharis douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names saltmarsh baccharis and Douglas' baccharis. It is native to California, where it grows in wet places such as salt marshes. Its range may extend into Oregon. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing to heights between one and two meters. The lance-shaped leaves are up to about 12 centimeters long and have short winged petioles. The foliage and flower clusters are resinous and sticky. The plants are dioecious, with male plants producing clusters of up to 40 whitish staminate flowers and female plants bearing bunches of up to 150 fluffy whitish pistillate flowers with a hairlike pappus attached to each developing fruit.

Coyote Bush (also called Coyote Brush) is a common California native shrub. It is versatile and adaptable in a wide range of landscape applications. Its short height and spreading habit make this plant a practical choice for groundcover and bank stabilization. It is also said to be fire-resistant and can tolerate recycled water.

It has small, evergreen leaves and abundant white and yellow flowers that are very attractive to insects. Coyote Bush grows well in most soil types. It is a drought-adapted, low-water plant that requires minimal summer irrigation.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Baccharis pilularis from Pigeon Point on the central California Coast north of santa Cruz. Baccharis Pigeon Point' grows into a 1' by 6' wide bright green groundcover. This is the preferred form of Dwarf Coyote Brush for slope stabilization and landscaping in almost all areas. Plant from gallons three to five feet apart for a two year or so fill-in. If you plant close together they grow over each other and you end up with a higher groundcover. 'Pigeon Point' doesn't tend to get woody and seems to stay low and clean for at least ten to twelve years. Baccharis species are the nectary sources for most of the predatory wasps, native (small) butterflies and native flies. These plants 'sing' with life. They're great startups for bad sites, and the evergreen carpet is pleasant to the eye. Water about once every two weeks to wash the dust off of the foliage. Coyote Brush, like many native plants, hates dust.

Horticultural selection B. pilularis: origin = cuttings (19 ) Pigeon Pt., north coast, san Mateo Co.; intro Ken Taylor Nursery 1975.

Note: Baccharis Pilularis is dioecious. The original plant was a male, but there is now a mixture of male and female plants that are in the nursery trade.

Horticultural selection from Baccharis pilularis. Pozo surf Coyote Bush is also known as Lowly Coyote bush or Parking strip coyote bush due to its reputation as a virtually indestructible groundcover that will survive the abuses of narrow parking strips. Given its drought tolerance, ability to thrive in many soil types, including clay it should perhaps be called Tough-As-Nails Coyote Bush? This is the mounding, evergreen groundcover you need for those narrow spaces where nothing else will thrive. It may reach 2' high and spread 2-3'.

This cultivar is a low growing (prostrate form) coyote brush. It is specifically seed producing (instead of pollen producing), hence the name 'San Bruno Lady '. One of the few low growing cultivars that produces seeds.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected from san Bruno Mountain.

Low growing horticultural selection from Baccharis pilularis from Twin Peaks in San Francisco. Twin Peaks II is a compact low growing shrub reaching 12-18 inch high with a 5-6 ft spread. It has dark leaves that are deeply toothed. Needs sun and regular water, but must have good drainage. Selection is pollen producing only (no seed producing plants). For seed producing selections, 'San Bruno Lady' is one option. Tolerates almost any soil type.

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.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden; introduced by Las pilitas nursery.

Tolerates almost any soil type. A selection for garden use. Introduced by Ken Taylor.

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

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

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

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

Baccharis emoryi is a species in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name Emory's Baccharis. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy, moist habitat such as riverbanks or alkali marsh, but also occasionally in more xeric areas. In California it is found in the southern half of the state. This is a shrub producing erect, branching stems approaching three meters in maximum height. The thick leaves are oblong to oval in shape and sometimes have roughly toothed edges. They may be up to 7 centimeters long. The shrub is dioecious, with male and female plants producing flower heads of different types. The head is enclosed in a layer of phyllaries and the female flowers yield fruits, each an achene with a white pappus about a centimeter long. The foliage and flower heads are hairy and sticky. This species is very similar to its relatives, Baccharis pilularis and Baccharis salicifolia. It's a good choice for a bioswale, edge of a pond, alkaline soil patches, or where rapid growth is desired and its tendency to spread can be accommodated.

Native to coastal Southern California, San Diego county viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata) adds a bright splash of yellow to the waterwise landscape. This evergreen shrub is a member of the Aster family. It is sometimes called the San Diego sunflower or tornleaf goldeneye.

The sunflower-like blooms cover the plant from winter to summer. The small, toothed leaves are a vibrant, shiny green. San Diego county viguiera is a hardy, fast-growing shrub. It is easy to grow and does well in sandy, well-draining soil with minimal watering. 

San Diego county viguiera’s cheerful blooms attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to the garden. The plant provides cover for wildlife. After blooming, the spent flowers can be deadheaded or left for birds. Prune in the fall after flowering.

This plant does well on dry slopes. Plant in clusters to form a hedge or combine with other colorful, low-water perennials for visual interest.

Baileya multiradiata is a species of sun-loving wildflower native to western North America, especially the US desert southwest and northern Mexico. It is an annual or perennial clumping patch of silvery-green foliage which bears many tall, naked stems, each topped with a bright yellow marigoldlike flower. The bloom loses its ray florets early, leaving behind a nodding stalk holding the disc florets where the seeds develop. In the garden give it fast drainage, not too much water and lots of surface rocks (no organic mulch or fertilizer). It is somewhat short-lived as a perennial but readily re-seeds itself if conditions are right.

Balsamorhiza serrata (serrate balsamroot) is a North American species of plants in the sunflower tribe within the aster family. It is native to the western United States, primarily the northern part of the Great Plains. It has been found in Washington, Oregon, northern Nevada, and the northeastern corner of California (Modoc County). Balsamorhiza serrata is an herb up to 30 cm (12 inches) tall. Leaves have teeth along the edges, hence the name "serrata. " It has yellow flower heads, usually borne one at a time, with both ray florets and disc florets.

Bebbia is a genus of plants in the daisy family; it is often considered monotypic, but it is sometimes treated as a genus of two or more species if Bebbia juncea is divided. The common name of B. juncea is sweetbush. It is an aromatic shrub of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico which bears plentiful yellow discoid flowers.

Berula erecta, known as lesser water-parsnip or cutleaf waterparsnip, is a member of the carrot family. Growing to around 1 m (3 ft) tall, it is found in or by water. It is widespread across much of Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Berula erecta is an herb sometimes reaching up to 100 cm (40 inches) in height. Stem is hollow. Underwater leaves consist of compound with thread-like lobes; leaves above the surface of the water and flatter and broader. The plant produces many small white flowers in a compound umbel.

Bidens cernua is a plant species in the sunflower family, widespread across much of Eurasia and North America. It is commonly called nodding beggarticks or nodding bur-marigold,Bidens cernua sometimes grows as high as 400 cm (160 inches) tall in favorable conditions. The leaves are sessile with coarsely-toothed margins. The name "cernua" means "nodding," or "hanging . " This refers to the fact that the flower heads are sometimes oriented horizontally or downwards. The plant does best in wet habitats such as swamps, marshes, and flood plains.

Bidens frondosa is a North American species of flowering plant in the aster family, sunflower family. It is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and Mexico It is known in many other parts of the world as an introduced species, including Europe, Asia, Morocco, and New Zealand. Its many common names include devil's beggarticks, devil's-pitchfork, devil's bootjack, sticktights, bur marigold, pitchfork weed, tickseed sunflower, leafy beggarticks, and common beggar-ticks. Bidens frondosa is annual herb is usually about 20 to 60 (8-20 inches) centimeters tall, but it can reach 1. 8 meters (72 inches or 6 feet) at times. The stems are square in cross-section and may branch near the top. The leaves are pinnate, divided into a few toothed triangular or lance-shaped leaflets usually up to 6 or 8 centimeters long, sometimes up to 12. The inflorescence is often a solitary flower head, but there may be pairs or arrays of several heads. The head contains many orange disc florets. It often lacks ray florets but some heads have a few small yellow rays. The fruit is a flat black or brown barbed cypsela up to a centimeter long which has two obvious hornlike pappi at one end. The barbed pappi on the fruit help it stick to animals, facilitating seed dispersal. Ecology. The defoliating caterpillar of Hadjina chinensis, which is limited to Bidens species, has been observed on this plant. Invasive species. This plant is invasive in some parts of the world. In New Zealand it is classed as an environmental weed by the Department of It is also weedy in its native range, occurring in pastures and fields and along roadsides.

Bidens laevis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names bur-marigold and smooth beggarticks. It is native to the southern half of the United States, where it grows in wetlands, including estuaries and riverbanks. It is similar in appearance to its relative Bidens cernua and the two are sometimes confused. This is an annual or perennial herb growing over 20 centimeters tall and sometimes much taller, exceeding one meter in height and sometimes approaching two. The narrow lance-shaped leaves are 5 to 15 centimeters long, with finely toothed edges and pointed tips. The flower cluster bears one or more flower heads which bend down as they become heavy with fruit after flowering. Each head has a center of yellow disc florets and a fringe of 7 or 8 yellow ray florets each up to 3 centimeters long. The fruit is a sharply barbed achene.

Bothriochloa barbinodis is a species of grass known by the common name cane bluestem. It is native to the Americas, including most of South and Central America, Mexico, and the southernmost continental United States from California to Florida. It is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed, such as in Hawaii. This is a perennial grass growing in upright clumps 60 to 120 centimeters tall. The straw-colored stems have nodes at intervals which are fringed with fluffy hairs. The leaves are 20 to 30 centimeters long and blue-green when new, drying to a reddish yellow. The flower cluster is a feathery array of spikelet units. Each unit is composed of one hairy, tan, fertile spikelet with a twisted awn up to 3.5 centimeters long twinned with a stalked, sterile spikelet which is much smaller and lacks an awn. The long-haired spikelets are wind-dispersed. In its native range, this grass is useful as a forage for grazing animals and a groundcover for revegetating cleared land. It is very drought resistant. It is considered an indicator of rangeland damage, as it is often one of the first native species to be eliminated when an area is overgrazed. It is grown as an ornamental plant for its showy flower clusters.

Bouteloua curtipendula, commonly known as sideoats grama, is a perennial, short prairie grass that is native throughout the temperate and tropical Western Hemisphere, from Canada south to Argentina. Bouteloua curtipendula foliage is blue-green in color and the flowers are purple. The small, oat-like seeds develop on the side of the stalk.

Bouteloua eriopoda, commonly known as Black Grama, is a perennial prairie grass that is native to the Southwestern United States. Its main means of reproduction is by stolons, as its ratio of viable seeds to sterile ones is naturally low. The disparity may play a role in its lack of tolerance to overgrazing (relative to other grasses), but aside from this B. eriopoda is a good forage food for livestock. It was first described, as Chondrosum eriopodum, in 1848 from specimens collected along and nearby the "Del Norte" river in New Mexico. B. eriopoda is found in the following U. S. states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a widespread, long-lived, warm-season, perennial grass native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico. In California, it is found primarily in arid mountains of San Bernardino County.

Blue Grama accounts for most of the net primary productivity in the shortgrass prairie of the central and southern Great Plains. Blue Grama grows on a wide array of topographic positions, and in a range of well-drained soil types, from fine- to coarse-textured.

Roots generally extend 1 to 1.5 feet from the edge of the plant, and 3 to 6 feet deep. Maximum rooting depth is approximately 6.5 feet. In recent years, Blue Grama has become a popular garden accent grass, due to its green to greyish color and interesting seed heads, which resemble small pennants. 'Blond Ambition" is a popular cultivar.

Boykinia occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name coastal brookfoam. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to Los Angeles County and in the central Sierras. It grows in shady areas near riverbanks and streams. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing large, palmate leaves with blades up to 45 centimeters long and 12 wide, borne on petioles up to 30 centimeters in length. Each leaf has several rounded lobes with dull teeth along the edges. The flower cluster reaches 30 to 60 centimeters tall on a thin stem. It bears an open array of many small white flowers, each with five tiny pointed sepals and five larger oval petals. The flowers are somewhat more showy than the closely related Boykinia rotundifolia.

Boykinia rotundifolia is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name Roundleafed Brookfoam. It is endemic to southern California from Ventura to San Diego Counties, where it grows in shady forested areas near streams in the mountains below 6,000 ft. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing leaves with blades up to 30 centimeters long, borne on petioles up to 18 centimeters in length. Each leaf has several rounded lobes with dull teeth along the edges. The flower cluster reaches up to a meter tall on a thin stem. It bears a dense array of many small white flowers, each with five tiny pointed sepals and five larger oval petals.

A species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name California Brickellbush. It is native to western North America from Baja California to Idaho to Oklahoma. It is a common plant in many habitat types, especially in dry areas, somewhat more common in the southern coastal part of the state. One of the best smelling California native plants. Although not particularly beautiful, it has an amazing fragrance that comes out in the summer months when it is in bloom, and the fragrance can carry a considerable distance. This is a thickly branching shrub growing one half to two meters in height. The fuzzy, hairy leaves are roughly triangular in shape with toothed to serrated edges. The leaves are 1 to 6 centimeters long. Although it is in the Sunflower family, the inconspicuous flowers look nothing like sunflower, being very small and rayless. The flower clusters at the end of stem branches contain many small leaves and bunches of narrow, cylindrical flower heads. Each head is about 13 millimeters long and wrapped in flat, wide, purplish green overlapping phyllaries. At the tip of the head are a number of long white to pink disc florets. The fruit is a hairy cylindrical achene 3 millimeters long with a pappus of bristles. In the garden it is best used in a location where its fragrance can be appreciated but its lack of showiness will not detract (see companion plants below).

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

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

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

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

Brodiaea terrestris or by its common name dwarf brodiaea is a species of plant in the genus Brodiaea that is native to California and Oregon. There are two subspecies: Brodiaea terrestris ssp. kernensis (Kern brodiaea) and Brodiaea terrestris ssp. terrestris (dwarf brodiaea).

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

Elephant tree is a drought-adapted species in the Torchwood family, native to desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In the U.S., it is found in Southern California and Arizona, while in Mexico it grows in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas. The Anza-Borrego Desert in San Diego County marks the northern limit of its range in California. It is the only member of its family native to the U.S., though related species are more common in Mexico.

Although typically a small tree, the elephant tree can grow as a sprawling, shrub-like plant in harsher conditions, often reaching just three feet in height. It has light gray to white bark that peels off in thin, papery layers. Younger branches may appear reddish. The trunk is noticeably swollen, an adaptation that allows the tree to store water for long periods of drought. The leaves are small and light-colored, and the tree readily sheds them in response to dry conditions to conserve moisture.

Elephant tree produces rounded yellow buds that open into small, star-shaped flowers in white or cream hues. Its fruit is a yellow stone containing a single seed, which is dispersed by wildlife. The tree is well adapted to survive in extreme desert environments, thriving in rocky soils and withstanding prolonged dry spells.

The Cahuilla People of Southern California value the Elephant Tree for its red sap, which they used as a general remedy for various ailments. Its unique appearance, ecological role in desert habitats, and cultural significance make it an important plant in the arid landscapes it inhabits.

Calamagrostis breweri is a species of grass known by the common name shorthair reedgrass. It is native to the mountains of northern California and Oregon, where it grows in forests and meadows in subalpine and alpine climates. This is a perennial grass without rhizomes which forms tufts and bunches up to about 50 centimeters in maximum height, but generally shorter. The small, sparse leaves are mainly located at the base of the stems. The inflorescence is small and scattered, with spikelets about half a centimeter long.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for use in the garden. Introduced by Roger Raiche of the UC Botanic Garden.

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.

Calochortus leichtlinii is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Leichtlin's mariposa, smokey mariposa, and mariposa lily. The plant is native to the Sierra Nevada and Modoc Plateau of California and adjacent parts of the Great Basin in southeastern Oregon and western Nevada. It grows in coniferous forest and chaparral habitats, including the lowest grassy hills-such as along the Sierra Nevada boundary with the Central Valley and agriculture. Calochortus leichtlinii is a perennial herb producing an erect, unbranching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 15 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The inflorescence is a loose cluster of 1 to 5 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three petals 1 to 4 centimeters long which are white, pinkish, or dull blue in color and spotted with yellow and dark red or black and hairy at the bases. These color patterns vary widely among different regional and local populations. The fruit is a narrow capsule up to 6 centimeters long.

Calochortus macrocarpus, also known as sagebrush mariposa lily, occurs in northwestern United States and a small part of southern British Columbia. The leaves are blue-green and grass-like. The flowers are large, bloom in June, are three-petaled, and are pink and purple. The bulbs are tapering, like a carrot. First peoples in southern British Columbia harvested the bulbs from April to June. They can be eaten raw or cooked.

Calochortus nudus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name naked mariposa lily. It is native to the mountains of northern California and southern Oregon, where it grows in wet areas such as meadows and lakeside bogs. It is a perennial herb producing an unbranching stem up to about 25 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 5 to 15 centimeters long and does not wither at flowering. The flower cluster bears one or more erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three small, pointed sepals and three wider petals all pinkish or lavender in color. The petals are mostly hairless and about 1.5 centimeters long. The fruit is a capsule about 2 centimeters long.

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.

Calochortus superbus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name superb mariposa lily. It is endemic to California, where it is a common member of the flora in several types of habitat statewide. It is a perennial herb growing up to 40 to 60 centimeters tall with a basal leaf up to 30 centimeters long which withers by flowering. The flower cluster is a loose cluster of 1 to 3 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three sepals and three petals all up to 4 centimeters long and blotched with yellow at the bases. There is generally a darker spot within the yellow area, and the base color of the segments may be white to light purple or solid yellow. The fruit is an angled capsule 5 or 6 centimeters long. This plant resembles Calochortus luteus, a chief discriminant being the oval to crescent shaped nectary of C. luteus compared to the squarish nectary of C. superbus.