Arctostaphylos rainbowensis is a rare species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family known by the common name Rainbow manzanita. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from northern San Diego and southern Riverside Counties. A specimen was first collected in 1973 and considered to be part of a disjunct population of Arctostaphylos peninsularis, or alternately a hybrid between A. glauca and Arctostaphylos glandulosa. Following phenetic analyses both possibilities were discarded and the plant was described as a new species in 1994. It was named for the community of Rainbow, California, near where it is most common in the chaparral of the lower elevation coastal mountains and the only manzanita species throughout most of its range.

This is an erect shrub reaching a bushlike one meter to a treelike four meters in height. It produces a burl at its base and is coated in reddish brown, smooth bark. The oval leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and 3.5 wide and are hairless and somewhat waxy in texture. The flower cluster is a hanging cluster of white urn-shaped flowers each about 6 to 8 millimeters long. The fruit is about a centimeter wide and ripens to a dark purple-brown.

Arctostaphylos refugioensis is a species in the Heath family (Ericaceae) known by the common name Refugio manzanita. It is endemic to Santa Barbara County, California, where it can be found along the immediate coastline, including the vicinity of Refugio State Beach, and into the Santa Ynez Mountains. It is a plant of the coastal chaparral on sandstone soils. This is a shrub reaching at least two meters tall and known to exceed four meters in maximum height. Its branches are covered in long, gland-tipped bristles and a dense foliage of oblong greenish to deep red leaves. Each leaf is dull, waxy, and often bristly in texture, smooth or toothed along the edges, and up to 4.5 centimeters long. The shrub flowers in winter in clusters of cone-shaped or urn-shaped flowers each up to a centimeter long. The fruit is a spherical to oval red drupe with a pointed end, measuring at least a centimeter long. Despite being from a mild climate area, it seems to do well in cultivation in hotter and colder inland areas.

Arctostaphylos regismontana is a species of manzanita known by the common name Kings Mountain manzanita. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the northern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the southern San Francisco Bay Area. It can be found in chaparral and broadleaf and coniferous forest on granite and sandstone soils. This is an erect shrub reaching over two meters in height and known to exceed four meters. It is bristly and hairy, exuding sticky resins. It has a dense foliage of curved oval-shaped leaves which are greenish in color and fuzzy and sticky in texture. They are smooth or toothed along the edges and up to 6 centimeters long. The flower cluster is an open cluster of conical manzanita flowers each one half to one centimeter long. The fruit is a hairy, sticky drupe.

Kinnikinnick is a popular low-growing manzanita that is often used as a groundcover and lawn replacement plant. It is a spreading evergreen shrub that features small, pinkish-white flowers and red berries. Both the flowers and fruit are attractive to birds and insects.

Kinnikinnick and its cultivars grow best in cooler mountainous or coastal regions of California. When planted in hot, dry inland areas, it requires afternoon shade and supplemental water. Kinnikinnick likes loamy, acidic soil.

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi from Anchor Bay in the north coast, just south of Mendocino. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. A garden selection from Anchor Bay in Mendocino County.

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. One of the faster growing manzanitas, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Green supreme' is truly superior when it comes to dense, low, evergreen ground cover. 'Green supreme' has noticeably brighter green leaves than most manzanita, a brilliant contrast with the plant's ruddy branches and stems. With very little to no die back in the center, Green supreme's exceptionally dense foliage helps suppress weeds. This manzanita grows just 6 inches tall but can spread up to 12 feet. It does well on slopes, thriving in well-drained soil but also grows well in heavier clay soil that has reasonable drainage. 'Green supreme' enjoys full sun and is drought tolerant, but occasional watering every 4-6 weeks will keep this manzanita looking extra dapper. Green supreme is frost hardy to 15 to 20 °F. It is more reluctant to bloom than other manzanita varieties, but a scattering of white to pale pink flowers will appear in late spring to early summer. Green supreme is a garden hybrid introduced by the Tilden Botanic Garden. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. A garden selection introduced by the Tilden Regional park Botanic Garden.

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

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi from Point Reyes just north of san Francisco. 'Point Reyes' is one of the most common manzanitas in cultivaton. It has deep green shiny leaves. it makes a great groundcover and slope stabilizer. It uusally stays under 1 foot tallbut will spread to about 10-12 feet. It has proven to be very garden tolerant and has done well here in the interior heat with some regular summer water. Give this manzanita a well-draining soil for best performance, but you will find it is not fussy about what type of soil; rocky or sandy, acid soils to richer heavier soils, Point Reyes seems to grow in all these conditions.

Horticultural selection A. uva-ursi: origin = cuttings (1949)Pt. Reyeys, north coast, Marin Co.; intro Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden 1956 Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. A garden selection from coastal san Francisco Bay Area (point Reyes). Introduced by Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. Radiant manzanita is found in the northern parts of the US, growing amidst the conifers and oaks on the west coast from northern California up to Alaska. It makes an excellent matting ground cover, growing only up to 8 inches high and spreading up to 6 feet. Radiant manzanita can spill over a wall, down a slope, or replace a lawn. It has small pink flowers in early winter followed by bright red berries that make a great wildlife offering for native birds. Full sun along the coast, but some shade inland in hot areas would be appreciated by this fresh looking, evergreen groundcover. Requires more water inland, but grows faster when provided that extra moisture. Radiant manzanita will grow in most soils including clay and sand as long as there is good drainage and some moisture, adapting to traditional garden conditions quite well. This showy evergreen groundcover manzanita is an excellent choice to replace a lawn, line a walkway, or cover a tree studded slope. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Garden selection from san Bruno Mountain in san Mateo. Introduced by Ken Taylor.

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

Horticultural selection from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. We have grown to love this great performing low groundcover manzanita. Woods Compact is one of the few manzanitas that will stay compact and full in shade situations. It will take part shade anywhere, but can also thrive in full sun in coastal locations. Woods Compact manzanita has glossy green foliage, small pink, urn-shaped flowers in late winter, which go on to form beautiful red fruit. It will stay under 1' in height and spread to about 3' across. Supplemental summer water once per month is recommended. This manzanita is a great option for planting under oak trees. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Ed Wood.

Arctostaphylos viridissima is a species of manzanita known by the common names whitehair manzanita and McMinn's manzanita. It is endemic to Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. This is a shrub varying in shape and size. It may be a matted bush one meter tall to a spreading treelike form over 4 meters in height. Its stem and branches are covered in peeling red bark and its smaller twigs are woolly and bear long white bristles. The leaves are oval in shape, fuzzy when new and green and shiny when mature, reaching 3.5 centimeters. The flower cluster is a dense cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a fuzzy drupe just over a centimeter wide.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected from a plant on santa Cruz Island by Bert Johnson in 1979.

Arctostaphylos viscida is a species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family known by the common names whiteleaf manzanita and sticky manzanita. This is a treelike shrub reaching up to five meters in height. The stems may be smooth or fuzzy, and are often hairy. The leaves are rounded to oval, sometimes slightly toothed or with hairs along the edges, and usually dull green on both surfaces. When in flower the shrub is packed heavily with densely bunching flower clusters of urn-shaped white to pale pink flowers. The fruits are shiny red or greenish-brown drupes between one half and one centimeter wide. Seeds require fire for germination. This is a plant of chaparral and coniferous forests of 3,000-5,000 ft. elevation. It is native to California and Oregon. The Miwok of northern California used the fruits to make cider.

Artemisia arbuscula is a species of sagebrush known by the common names little sagebrush, low sagebrush, or black sagebrush. It is native to the western United States from Washington to California to Colorado, where it grows in open, exposed habitat on dry, sterile soils high in rock and clay content. This is a gray-green to gray shrub forming mounds generally no higher than 30 centimeters. Its many branches are covered in hairy leaves each less than a centimeter long. The flower cluster is a spike-shaped array of clusters of hairy flower heads. Each head contains a few pale yellow disc florets. The fruit is a tiny achene less than a millimeter wide.

Dwarf Sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula) is a native shrub that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in clay soil slopes, at elevations from 4900-12500 feet.

Artemisia bigelovii is a North American species of sagebrush known by the common name Bigelow sagebrush or flat sagebrush. It grows in the deserts of the southwestern United States. It is native to California (Inyo + San Bernardino Counties), Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. It grows in desert, basin, grassland, and juniper woodland habitats. It is very drought-tolerant and lives in arid regions on sandy and limestone-rich soils. Artemisia bigelovii is a shrub growing from a woody base and reaching a maximum height around 50 cm (20 inches). It has many slender, curving branches with shredding bark and is generally in overall habit. The stem branches and leaves are coated in silvery hairs, giving the plant a gray color. The leaves are less than 3 centimeters long and may end in a point or in three distinct teeth. The inflorescence is a panicle of flower heads containing yellowish disc florets and occasionally a small ray floret. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long. This species of sagebrush is good winter fodder for grazing animals and it is cultivated as plant cover on recovering rangeland and for erosion control.

With its aromatic fragrance and threadlike, silvery-green foliage, California Sagebrush (Artemesia californica) is a feast for the senses. This resilient, easy-to-grow shrub thrives in the toughest environments. It's a good choice for dry, sunny, and sloped areas. It tolerates nutrient-poor sandy soil, as long as it's well-draining.

California Sagebrush is extremely drought adapted; some summer water is optional but not required. A little pruning keeps it compact in the garden.

This important coastal scrub plant supports the California gnatcatcher and quail, as well as other bird and insect species.

Canyon Gray Sagebrush (Artemisia californica 'Canyon Gray') is a natural cultivar of California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) from San Miguel Island, one of the Channel Islands in Southern California. This prostrate horticultural selection was collected and introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

This plant can become a large scale groundcover, forming a 1 to 2 feet high compact mat of finely textured silvery gray-green foliage, that spreads 4 to 10 feet wide. It works well on dry slopes and draping down over walls. The flowers are fairly inconspicuous, the foliage is very aromatic when brushed.

Canyon Gray Sagebrush requires little irrigation once established, though it can go semi-dormant by later summer without occasional irrigation. It is reportedly hardy to about 20-25° F.

It tolerates almost any soil type with drainage. It prefers full sun in coastal sites, and sun to part shade in inland sites. To keep the fast growing foliage dense, the plantings can look best if 'mowed' or heavily trimmed down every 1 or 2 years.

Horticultural selection from Artemisia californica from Montara Mountain south of san Francisco. If you need an unusual groundcover that can tolerate the hot dry summer, try this low, spreading artemisia out. This lovely groundcover sagebrush has a nice neat, dense form with aromatic gray green foliage. It's a great way to add texture, color contrast and fragrance in a drought-tolerant garden. Despite it's north coast origins we have found 'Montara' to thrive in hot inland conditions with almost no supplmental water. Some speculate that it is a natural hybrid between Artemisia calif. and Artemisia pycnocephala. This is fast becoming a landscaping favorite, but is not commercially grown in many nurseries and so is hard to find.

'Montara' was selected from a cutting at Montara Mountain by Roger Raiche and introduced by Wildwood nursery in 1987. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Silver Sagebrush (Artemisia cana) is a native shrub that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the High Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada Foothills and High Sierra Nevada regions. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 5 feet, with active growth during the spring, summer, fall. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the late summer. Leaves are gray-green and deciduous. It tends to grow in meadows and streambanks and gravelly places, at elevations from 5200-10800 feet.

Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) is a fast growing shrub chosen primarily for its aromatic gray foliage which makes a year round contrast behind other plants. The beautiful, silver gray leaves add texture and color to the garden. It grows to 4 feet high by 5 feet wide and will spread by underground rhizomes, especially in moist areas.The flowers are small and inconspicuous, often not producing viable seed. 

It does best in the sun but will tolerate shade. As it is native to riverbeds and other moist places it is vigorous if given water, but will tolerate drier conditions.  Dead stems cut back in the winter will resprout in the spring.

Mugwort is sometimes grown for medicinal purposes. It is also useful in restoration projects and for erosion control.

Various insects are attracted to the flowers and it hosts a likely total of 28 species of butterfly and moth.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden. This selection from Bodega Bay is thought to be a hybrid between A. douglasiana & A. Suksdorfii.

Tarragon or Dragon's-wort (Artemisia dracunculus) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. Plants in this genus are frequently called Wormwood, but this species is usually known as Tarragon. A European cultivar of this species is used as a popular culinary spice. The species name "dracunculus" leads to the common name "dragon herb." It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from easternmost Europe across central and eastern Asia to India, western North America, and south to northern Mexico. The North American populations may, however, be naturalized from early human introduction. In California it is found primarily in the southern half of the state, in the coastal mountains and Sierras. Tarragon grows to 120-150 centimeter tall, with slender branched stems. The leaves are lance-shaped, 2-8 centimeter long and 2-10 millimeter broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitulae 2-4 millimeter diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets. Some sources refer to this plant as an unattractive weed. It is cultivated primarily for culinary purposes but also has some wildlife value.

Artemisia ludoviciana is a species of sagebrush known by several common names, including silver wormwood, white sagebrush, and gray sagewort. It is native to North America where it is widespread coast to coast, but many subspecies are found only in the western United States. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing to heights between 30 centimeters and one meter. The stems bear linear leaves up to 11 centimeters long. The stems and foliage are covered in woolly gray or white hairs. The top of the stem is occupied by a narrow flower cluster of many nodding flower heads. Each small head is a cup of hairy phyllaries surrounding a center of yellowish disc florets and is about half a centimeter wide. The fruit is a minute achene. This plant was used by many Native American groups for a variety of medicinal, veterinary, and ceremonial purposes.

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

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

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

White Mugwort (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. albula) is a common native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry and sandy and rocky places, at elevations from 0-4600 feet.

Artemisia nesiotica is a species of sagebrush known by the common name island sagebrush. It is endemic to the three of the eight Channel Islands of California. This is a small shrub growing up to about half a meter tall and generally rounded in shape. It produces several thin, upright stems from a woody base. The foliage is made up of woolly leaves divided into many thin, flat, threadlike segments. The flower cluster is a narrow cluster of several flower heads. The fruit is a tiny resinous achene with a pappus of hairs.

Artemisia nova is a species of sagebrush known by the common name black sagebrush. It is native to the western United States from California to Montana to New Mexico, where it grows in forest, woodland, and grassland habitats. It is "one of the most common shrubs in the western United States". Identification is sometimes difficult, because this species is similar in appearance to little sagebrush, Artemisia arbuscula, and it easily hybridizes with big sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, when the it grows in the same area, leading to intermediate forms. Also, A. nova has two main morphological forms, a darker, easily recognized form, and a less common light gray-green colored variant which closely resembles other sagebrush species. In general, this is a small, erect shrub producing upright stems branched off a central trunklike base. It is usually no taller than 20 to 30 centimeters but it has been known to exceed 70 centimeters in height. The aromatic leaves are green, short, narrow, and sometimes toothed at the tip. This species can sometimes be distinguished from its similar-looking relatives by black-tipped hairy hairs on its leaves. The flower cluster bears clusters of flower heads lined with shiny, oily, yellow-green phyllaries with transparent tips. The fruit is a tiny achene up to a millimeter long. The plant reproduces from seed except in very rare occasions when it reproduces vegetatively by layering.

Artemisia palmeri is a rare species of sagebrush known by the common names San Diego sagewort and Palmer sagewort. It is native to northern Baja California and San Diego County, California, where its natural habitat is sandy coastal ravines and river drainages. Most of this habitat has been destroyed as the land has been claimed for human use. It is occasionally found farther inland in chaparral plant communities in the region. This is a perennial or biennial herb producing brittle erect or spreading stems 1 to 3 meters tall. The base is woody. The aromatic foliage is made up of long, narrow leaves deeply cut into several narrow, pointed lobes. The flower cluster contains clusters of flower heads containing pale yellow hairy disc florets. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long. It is rumored David Bowie ate this type of sagewort while writing his album Low. This plant does best in part shade, but can handle full sun or full shade as well. It is an attractive looking plant and would make a great addition to any garden, not to mention its habitat value, which is an added bonus.

Artemisia pycnocephala is a species of sagebrush in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common names Beach Sagewort, Beach Wormwood and Coastal Sagewort. This plant is native to the western United States coastline extending from Oregon to Central California. It is a leafy perennial wormwood forming clumps about half a meter in height. It extends erect stems covered in dense foliage which ranges in color from light green to nearly white. The fuzzy flower clusters are studded with small lobular leaves and rounded yellowish flower buds. The plant is aromatic but much less so than are other wormwoods. It is restricted to the immediate coast, often in dunes, where it is protected from temperature extremes. There is a popular cultivar known as 'David's Choice'.

David’s choice sagebrush (Artemisia pycnocephala 'David’s Choice') is a compact, silvery shrub with soft, velvety foliage. It was selected from native sagebrush at Point Reyes, north of San Francisco, and introduced by David Amme in 1980.

This drought-adapted plant thrives in well-drained, sandy soils and prefers coastal conditions, though it can handle partial shade inland. While its yellow flowers are inconspicuous, they can be trimmed back to maintain its neat, rounded form.

David’s choice sagebrush is an excellent choice for borders or as a groundcover, providing a striking contrast to darker green plants like Ceanothus or low-growing Iris. It also offers forage for wildlife, contributing to a healthy garden ecosystem.

Artemisia suksdorfii is a species of sagebrush known by the common names coastal mugwort, coastal wormwood, and Suksdorf sagewort. It is native to coastal western North America from British Columbia to northern California, and it is also known from the Channel Islands of California. It grows in coastal drainages and other habitat near the ocean. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing many erect stems one half to two meters in height. The unbranched stems are brownish and have woody bases. The leaves are narrow and lobed, green and hairless on top and white and woolly underneath. The flower cluster is generally spike-like, up to 30 centimeters long and a few wide. It contains many clusters of small flower heads with shiny yellow-green phyllaries and yellow disc and pistillate florets. The fruit is a tiny achene less than a millimeter long.

Asclepias asperula is a species of milkweed native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its common names include antelope horns, green-flowered milkweed, and spider antelope horns. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.6-2 meter (1-2 feet) tall, with clustered greenish-yellow flowers with maroon highlights. It blooms from April through June, and favors moist, sandy or rocky soil. Like several other species of milkweed, A. asperula is a food for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Along with being a source of nutrition for monarchs, the plants also contain alkaloids that the monarchs retain, making them unpalatable and poisonous to predators. For the same reason, A. asperula can be poisonous to livestock and other animals, including humans.

California Milkweed (Asclepias californica) is a species in the Apocynaceae (Dogbane) family. It is native to California and northern Baja California from the East Bay region southward and the foothills of the Sierra.

This flowering perennial has thick, white, woolly stems that bend or run along the ground. The plentiful, hanging flowers are rounded structures.

The flowers are dull to bright shades of lavender or pink and form an attractive contrast with the grey-to-white foliage. This plant was eaten as candy by the Kawaiisu tribes of Indigenous California; the milky sap within the leaves is said to be flavorful and chewy when cooked.

To maximize Monarch butterflies reaching their overwintering areas, plant only locally native milkweed species.

Asclepias cordifolia is a species of milkweed commonly called Heart-leaf milkweed or Purple milkweed (not to be confused with Asclepias purpurascens, also commonly called Purple milkweed). It is native to the western United States (California, Nevada, Oregon), growing between 50-2000 meter elevation in the northern Sierra and Cascade ranges. Heart-leaf milkweed was valued by the Native American Miwok for its stems, which they dried and processed into cordage (string and rope). Monarch butterfly caterpillars eat the Heart-leaf milkweed leaves, which contain alkaloids that cause the butterfly to be unpalatable to predators. The species name, cordifolia (Latin for 'heart-leaved'), refers to the heart-shaped leaves, while the genus name honors the Greek physician Asclepius. Heart-leaf milkweed is a perennial that grows to a height of 0.3-0.6 meter, with dark red-purple flowers whose hoods are slightly elevated above the base of the corolla. The flower structure is unusual-it has five stamens fused into a column, with five circular attachments called 'hoods', and an anther head surrounding the large stigma at the flower's center. The fruit (photo at left) is a follicle with many flat seeds that have silky hairs which disperse easily in the wind. The large opposite leaves are heart-shaped, or heart-shaped. The plant grows in open or shaded woodland, often on rocky slopes and in mixed coniferous forest.

Asclepias eriocarpa is native to California and adjacent parts of Nevada and Baja California, where it grows in many habitat types, especially dry areas. In California it is found primarily in the Coast Ranges from Mendocino County southward into Mexico, in the Sierra foothills, and in the northern part of the Central Valley. It is an erect perennial herb which is usually coated in a thick layer of white hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, rippled, and arranged oppositely in pairs or in whorls of 3 or 4. The flower cluster is a large umbel-like cluster of flowers. Each flower is white to cream and usually tinted with bright pink. It has a central array of rounded hoods and a corolla reflexed against the stalk. The fruit is a large, woolly follicle. The plant is used as a source of fiber and medicine by several California Indian groups, including the Ohlone and Luiseno. In the garden it makes a striking specimen, especially when massed. All milkweeds are important to monarch butterflies.

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

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

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

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

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.

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).

Atriplex hymenelytra is a species of saltbush known by the common name desert holly. This is a desert-dwelling shrub reaching heights of between one half and one meter. It is generally a rounded bush covered in distinctive silver-gray, twisted, oblong, many-pointed leaves. The fruits are enclosed in disc-shaped leafeoles after flowering. The toothed leaves and the small reddish fruits borne on the plant give it a passing resemblance to the unrelated European holly. Desert holly is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

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 watsonii is a species of saltbush known by the common name Watson's saltbush, or Watson's orach. It is native to the coastline of California and Baja California, where it grows in areas with saline soils, such as salt marshes and beach scrub, with other salt-tolerant plants such as saltgrass. This is a gray-green to whitish perennial herb with tangled slender stems under a meter in length. It grows in mats up to 3 meters wide. The thick, fleshy, crusty leaves are up to 2.5 centimeters long and generally oval in shape. The plant is dioecious, with individuals bearing either male or female flowers. The male flowers grow in clusters or long spikes, and the female flowers can be found in small clusters in the leaf axils.

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.

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.

Dwarf Mahonia (Berberis aquifolium var. repens) is a native plant, growing in the mountains and foothills of the northern part of California. It enjoys dry shade below 700 ft. It can be found as far north as SE Alaska and eastern Alberta to central New Mexico. Outside its native range it qualifies as invasive. Dense yellow clusters of flowers give way to round dusty dark purple-blue berries, hence the common name Oregon Grape. The edible berries can be used to make wine and purple dye. Some sources describe it as toxic, however. The inner stem gives a yellow dye.

Dwarf Mahonia is very drought tolerant, and very easy to grow, but it looks better with a little bit of summer water.

Berberis haematocarpa, Woot. with the common names red barberry, Colorado barberry, and Mexican barberry, is a species in the Barberry family in southwestern North America. It is also sometimes called algerita, but that name is more often applied to its relative, Mahonia trifoliolata. The shrub is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico at elevations of 900-2,300 metres (3,000-7,500 ft). It grows on rocky slopes and canyons of mountains, in Pinyon-juniper woodlands, grasslands, and desert chaparral. It is found on slopes and mesas in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and Sonora. It is also native to sky island habitats of the Mojave Desert in California and southwestern Nevada. Berberis haematocarpa is a shrub growing up to 3-4 metres (9. 8-13. 1 ft) tall, with stiff and erect branches. It has thick, rigid pinnate leaves of several centimeters long. Each is made up of a few thick 3-7 lance-shaped leaflets with very spiny toothed edges. They are a glaucus whitish-gray in color, due to a thick cuticle of wax. The inflorescences bear 3 to 5 bright yellow flowers, each with nine sepals and six petals all arranged in whorls of three. The plant blooms from February to June. The fruit is a juicy, edible deep red to purplish-red berry, spherical and up to 8 mm across. Taxonomy. The compound leaves place this species in the group sometimes segregated as the genus Mahonia, and classified as Mahonia haematocarpa. Uses. Native Americans of the Apache tribe used the plant's wood shavings for a yellow dye and as a traditional eye medicine, and it's fresh and preserved fruit for food.

Ceanothus arboreus is a species of shrub endemic to California, especially to the Channel Islands. It is known commonly as feltleaf ceanothus. It is a species of what are sometimes called California lilacs, and may be referred to as the California mountain lilac or island mountain lilac. It is one of the tallest of the genus, growing up to 25-30 ft. in height, bearing glossy dark green leaves which are leathery or felt-like on their undersides. It is sometimes planted as a fast-growing ornamental for its showy bright blue flowers, which grow in plentiful panicles, or bunches, of tiny five-lobed blossoms. Some varieties and cultivars have light, powder blue blooms, and others bear darker blue flowers. One named variety is known as 'Owlswood Blue'. The species is used as a parent in popular ornamental hybrids such as 'Ray Hartman'. The fruits are three-lobed, triangular capsules. As a native of dry California, the plant is drought-tolerant and may be found in chaparral ecosystems. It has a reputation for being short lived, but life span is improved by not overwatering, withholding summer water and replicating natural conditions as much as possible.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selection from santa Cruz Island made in 1983 by David Fross.

Horticultural selection from Ceanothus arboreus.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden by Carol Bornstein from a specimen on the west end of santa Cruz Island. Introduced by santa Barbara Botanic Garden in 22.

Ceanothus crassifolius is a species of flowering shrub known by the common name hoaryleaf ceanothus. This Ceanothus is found throughout the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of California below 3,500 ft., and its range extends into Baja California. It is an erect, spreading shrub which can exceed three meters in height. The branches become long and the younger twigs are fuzzy with white or light brown hairs. The small evergreen leaves have widely-spaced teeth along the edges and the undersides are lighter in color and coated with hairs. The flower clusters are borne on short stalks less than three centimeters long and are small and rounded with tiny white flowers. They can be quite dense and can cover branches thickly, or they may be sparse. The flowers may have a yellowish or pink tint. The fruit is a horned capsule less than a centimeter wide. C. crassifolius typically occurs in California chaparral plant associations; other common flora associates are Toyon and Hollyleaf cherry.

Ceanothus cyaneus is a rare species of flowering shrub known by the common names San Diego Ceanothus and Lakeside Ceanothus. This Ceanothus is found in the mountains of San Diego County, California, and its range probably extends just into Baja California. Most of the remaining natural specimens are in a small area in the hills around Lakeside and Ramona in San Diego County. This is a tall, erect shrub which may approach 5 meters in height. Its spreading branches are gray-green, with the younger twigs a light greenish-brown. The evergreen leaves may be serrated and toothed with hairy knobs, or they may be smooth along the edges. The underside is a lighter green than the upper surface. The flower cluster may exceed 15 centimeters in length, bearing many bunches of flowers along the length of a greenish stalk. The long flowers exhibit protruding yellow anthers. The capsule fruits are about 4 millimeters long.

Ceanothus cyaneus can be tricky to grow in landscaping applications. After the first year, direct summer water will usually kill it, but it will often also die if it can't get it's roots to moisture over the summer. It's best to plant on dry rocky slopes near a damper area, such as a seasonal creek, or near an irrigated area, or even 5-10 feet from a bubbler. It does best if surrounded by rocks or other plants that can shade its roots from the sun. If happy, it produces profuse displays of flower ranging from bright blue to powder blue to dark purple in color. It does best on north facing slopes, but can also handle east or west facing slopes if there is nearby water.