Argemone corymbosa (Mojave prickly poppy) is a flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae native to the eastern Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States. It especially common around Cima, California and the nearby community of Kelso, California. The plant grows in sandy places and on dry slopes, and is very similar to desert prickly poppy. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 40-80 centimeter tall, with distinctive orange latex in the stems. The leaves are 8-15 centimeter long, with prickly margins. The flowers are 4-8 centimeter diameter, with four white petals and an orange-colored center.

Argemone munita is a species of prickly poppy known by the common names flatbud prickly poppy and chicalote. This flower is native to California, where it is widespread throughout the western part of the state and its eastern deserts. Its range also extends into Baja California. This poppy bears its flowers on erect, spiny stems which can exceed a meter in height. The mint-green lobed leaves are also very prickly. The white poppy blooms have usually six crinkly petals, each up to 4 centimeters long. The center of the flower is surrounded by a dense ring of up to 250 small yellow stamens bearing the pollen. The fruits are spiny white capsules 3 to 5 centimeters long, each containing many small seeds.

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

Aristida divaricata is a species of grass known by the common name poverty threeawn. It is native to the Americas from the central United States to Guatemala. It is a perennial grass forming clumps of unbranched stems up to 70 centimeters tall. Leaves are mostly basal and roll along the edges. The sparse flower cluster is a wide, flat, open array of spikelets that break apart easily. The grain has a twisted tip and three awns up to 2 centimeters long.

Purple three awn (Aristida purpurea) is a perennial bunchgrass known for its graceful, upright form and striking seed heads. The base of the plant appears green, while its feathery seed heads range in color from light brown to reddish-purple, creating a dynamic visual effect as they sway in the wind. This resilient grass thrives in various habitats across the United States, including deserts, mountains, and coastal regions.

Purple three awn's seeds provide food for some songbirds, supporting wildlife in natural landscapes. The grass also serves as a valuable native alternative to invasive species, offering a durable and low-maintenance option for landscaping. Its dense root system helps stabilize the soil and creates a matrix that supports the growth of wildflowers, enhancing biodiversity.

Purple three awn is a tough and attractive plant, its seeds can be sharp and may become a nuisance in areas with heavy foot traffic. The grass self-seeds readily, so it is important to manage young plants to prevent unwanted spread.

This hardy bunchgrass is a beautiful addition to native gardens and restoration projects, offering both aesthetic value and ecological benefits.

Red Three Awn (Aristida purpurea var. longiseta) is a native grass that grows in southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 1.4 feet, with active growth during the fall, winter and spring. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in sandy rocky soils, slopes and plains, at elevations from 1000-5200 feet.

Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea var. purpurea) is a native grass that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow in sandy rocky soils, slopes and plains, at elevations from 800-2600 feet.

Spidergrass (Aristida ternipes) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry hills and slopes, at elevations from 300-4400 feet.

Hook Three Awn (Aristida ternipes var. hamulosa) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry hills and slopes, at elevations from 300-4400 feet.

Armeria maritima is the botanical name for a species of flowering plant. It is a popular garden flower, known by several common names, including "thrift", "sea thrift", and "sea pink".

The plant has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower. It does well in gardens designed as xeriscapes or rock gardens. If planted in its native coastal strand, this plant needs no supplementary irrigation after established. Plant in full sun, in well draining soils or in cliffs or rock walls. Often short lived away from cool seashore conditions since supplementary watering will often rot centers of plants.

Arnica cordifolia is a species of arnica known by the common name heartleaf arnica. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to New Mexico, and it is distributed as far east as Ontario and Michigan. It is a plant of many habitat types, including coniferous forests and mountain meadows. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing one or more erect stems reaching a maximum height near half a meter. It has two to four pairs of leaves on the stem, each on a long petiole. The leaves are heart-shaped to arrowhead-shaped and finely toothed along the edges. The flower cluster bears one or more daisylike flower heads lined with white-haired phyllaries and sometimes studded with resin glands. The center of each head contains golden yellow disc florets and a fringe of bright golden ray florets approaching 3 centimeters in maximum length. The fruit is a hairy achene up to a centimeter long, not counting its off-white pappus. Seeds are dispersed on the wind. An individual plant can live twelve years, surviving periodic wildfire by resprouting from its long, slender rhizome afterward.

Arnica amplexicaulis is a species of arnica known by the common name clasping arnica. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Wyoming, where it grows in moist areas such as mountain meadows and streambanks. This is a perennial herb usually growing from a small rhizome and producing one or more hairy, hairy stems. The stems are lined with 5 to 10 pairs of oval-shaped, toothed leaves up to 12 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a cluster of several daisylike flower heads with a center of brownish disc florets and a fringe of yellow ray florets 1 to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a cylindrical achene covered in hairs and with a light brown pappus at one end.

Arnica latifolia is a species of arnica known by the common names Broadleaf Arnica, Broad Leaved Arnica, Mountain Arnica, and Daffodil Leopardbane. It is native to western North America from Alaska to New Mexico, where it grows in mountain habitat such as forest and meadows. This is a perennial herb growing from a long rhizome and producing a hairy, mostly naked stem 10 to 50 centimeters tall. It has a cluster of leaves around its base and usually a few pairs along the lower part of the stem. The leaves are lance-shaped to broad and nearly heart-shaped, and are usually toothed. The flower cluster contains one or more daisylike flower heads lined in hairy phyllaries. Each has a center of yellow disc florets and several yellow ray florets up to 3 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene with a white pappus.

Arnica ovata is a North American species of arnica in the sunflower family, known by the common name Sticky leaf arnica. It is native to western Canada (Yukon, Alberta, British Columbia), and the western United States (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado). Arnica ovata is an herb up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall. Flower heads are yellow, with both ray florets and disc florets. It grows in meadows and coniferous forests in mountainous areas.

Arnica sororia is a species of arnica known by the common name twin arnica. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Nebraska, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing one or more hairy, hairy stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall. There are several pairs of broadly lance-shaped leaves along along the stem, the lower ones borne on petioles. Leaves may reach up to 14 centimeters long. The flower cluster holds one to five daisylike flower heads lined with phyllaries coated in hairy hairs. The flower head has a center of hairy yellow disc florets and a fringe of yellow ray florets. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters long with a white pappus.

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.

Warm Springs Low Sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula ssp. thermopola) is a native shrub that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the North Coast, the North Coast Range and High Sierra Nevada regions. It tends to grow in clay soil slopes, at elevations from 7200-8200 feet.

Artemisia borealis is an arctic and alpine species plants of the sunflower family. Some common names are: boreal sage, boreal wormwood and boreal sagewort. It is native to high latitudes and high elevations in Eurasia and North America. In North America, it can be found in Alaska, Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, and the Rockies, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada as far south as Arizona and New Mexico. In Eurasia, it is widespread across European and Asiatic Russia and also grows in Scandinavia and in the mountains of central Europe (Carpathians, Alps, etc. )Perennials, (6-)8-20(-40) cm (caespitose), mildly aromatic; taprooted, caudices branched. Stems (1-)2-5, gray-green, tomentose. Leaves persistent, basal rosettes persistent, gray-green to white; blades ovate, 2-4 x 0. 5-1 cm, 2-3-pinnately or -ternately lobed, lobes linear to narrowly oblong, apices acute, faces moderately to densely sericeous. Heads (proximal sessile, distal pedunculate) in (leafy) spiciform arrays 4-9(-12) x (0. 5-)1-5 cm.

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.

White Sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) is a common native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry and sandy and rocky places, at elevations from 0-8500 feet.

Artemisia michauxiana is a species of wormwood known by the common names Michaux's wormwood and lemon sagewort. It is native to western North America from Yukon to California to Colorado, where it grows in mountain talus habitats in subalpine to alpine climates. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb with green, lemon-scented foliage. The plant grows up to a meter tall with several erect branches. The leaves are divided into many narrow segments which are hairless or lightly hairy and bear yellowish resin glands. The flower cluster is a spike up to 15 centimeters long full of clusters of small flower heads. Each head is lined with rough purplish green, hairy phyllaries and generally contains pale pistillate and disc florets. The fruit is a tiny hairless achene.

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.

Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a dense, silvery-gray shrub with an upright form, growing up to 4 feet tall and wide. Its highly aromatic foliage lasts year-round, and, unlike other sages, it develops a true woody trunk and branches, making it long-lived. In maturity, the twisted trunk adds unique visual appeal. The flowers, small and yellow-green, are often inconspicuous.

This plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, is nitrogen-fixing, and is drought-tolerant. It provides significant wildlife value, attracting a variety of insects, birds, and small mammals with its flowers and seeds.Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a dense, silvery-gray shrub with an upright form, growing up to 4 feet tall and wide. Its highly aromatic foliage lasts year-round, and, unlike other sages, it develops a true woody trunk and branches, making it long-lived. In maturity, the twisted trunk adds unique visual appeal. The flowers, small and yellow-green, are often inconspicuous.

This plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, is nitrogen-fixing, and is drought-adapted. It provides significant wildlife value, attracting a variety of insects, birds, and small mammals with its flowers and seeds.

Basin Big Sagebrush is a common native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is slow growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in a rounded form to a height of 9 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are green and striking, and bloom in the late summer. Leaves are gray-green, and remain on the plant throughout the year. It tends to grow in dry valleys and slopes, at elevations from 2600-6200 feet.

Mountain Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana) is a common native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is slow growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 7 feet, with active growth during the spring, summer, fall. Leaves are gray-green and deciduous. It tends to grow in dry valleys and slopes, at elevations from 5900-9800 feet.

Wyoming Sagebrush is a common native shrub that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Warner Mountains and Modoc Plateau regions. It is slow growing and long-lived It grows in an upright form to a height of 3 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the late summer Leaves are gray-green and deciduous. It tends to grow in dry valleys and slopes, at elevations from 0-7200 feet.

Arthrocnemum subterminale (syn. Salicornia subterminalis) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name Parish's glasswort. It is native to California and the northern states of Mexico, where it grows in coastal and inland salt marshes, alkali flats, and other habitat with saline soils. It is a halophyte, capable of growing in substrates with high salt concentrations. It is a perennial herb or subshrub growing in low clumps up to a meter wide, the plants with woody bases branching into fleshy, jointed green stems. The leaves appear as fused rings around stem, the tip of each individual blade narrowing to a point. The inflorescence is a fleshy, sticklike spike of minute flowers, each flower just a pocket made up of the joined sepals; there are no petals.

Asarum hartwegii is a species of wild ginger known by the common name Hartweg's wild ginger. It is endemic to California; It grows in forest habitat. This is a perennial herb growing from a ginger-scented rhizome which extends vertically deep into the ground. It forms a clump of elaborately white-veined leaves which are heart-shaped to round in shape and coated in curved hairs. Each is borne on a long petiole up to 21 centimeters long. It bears a solitary flower near the ground on a short peduncle. The flower has no petals but three curving, hairy, brownish or maroon sepals which are whitish with red stripes on their inner surfaces. The fruit is a fleshy capsule containing many seeds.

Asclepias albicans is a species of milkweed known by the common names whitestem milkweed and wax milkweed. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of California, Arizona, and Baja California. This is a spindly erect shrub growing usually 1 to 3 meters tall, but known to approach four meters. The sticklike branches are mostly naked, the younger ones coated in a waxy residue and a thin layer of woolly hairs. Leaves are ephemeral, growing in whorls of three on the lower branches and falling off after a short time. They are linear in shape and up to 3 centimeters long. The flower cluster is an umbel appearing at the tips of the long branches and sprouting from the sides at nodes. The flower cluster contains many small purple-tinted greenish flowers, each with a central array of bulbous hoods, and corollas reflexed back against the stalk. The plant may flower in any season except summer. The fruit is a large, long, thick follicle which dangles in bunches from the branch nodes.

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 cryptoceras is a species of milkweed known by the common names pallid milkweed and Humboldt Mountains milkweed. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat, especially dry areas. This is a perennial herb growing low against the ground or drooping. It arises from a fleshy, woody rhizome-like root. The thick leaves are round to heart-shaped and arranged oppositely on the short stem. The flower cluster is a cluster of small flowers with centers of bright to dull pink hoods surrounded by pale-colored reflexed corollas. The fruit is a follicle held erect on a small stalk.

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.

Asclepias nyctaginifolia is a species of milkweed known by the common name Mojave milkweed. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to New Mexico, where it grows mainly in desert habitat. This is a perennial herb growing up to about half a meter in maximum height when erect, but often bending or drooping. The thick leaves are oval to lance-shaped and arranged in opposite pairs about the stem. The leaves and stem are generally slightly hairy. The flower cluster is a dense umbel up to 8 centimeters wide and packed with pink-tinted pale green flowers. The fruit is a large follicle up to 9 centimeters long.

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.

Aspidotis californica is a species of fern known by the common name California lacefern. It is native to California and Baja California. It grows in rock cracks and crevices in many types of habitat, including Chaparral, Yellow pine forest, Foothill oak woodland, and Valley grassland. Aspidotis californica has leaves that are thin and dissected into many triangular leaflets which are subdivided into small segments with curled teeth. The leaf segments bear sori containing sporangia, with the edges of the leaves rolled under to create a false indusium over the sori.