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566 shade plants native to California
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1
Like many other species of salvia, Hummingbird Sage is a magnet for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and —- of course —- hummingbirds! This attractive sage is notable for its bold pink and red flowering spikes and pleasant fragrance. It spreads by rhizomes and over time can cover a large area, making it a popular groundcover plant.
Hummingbird Sage grows well in shade and part-shade. In its natural environment, it’s often found under trees and large shrubs. It is drought tolerant an...
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2
The Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) is a common and attractive wildflower of the coastal regions of Northern and Central California and Southern Oregon, with scattered locations inland. The Douglas Iris grows mainly at lower elevations, below 330 feet, though it is occasionally found at heights of up to 3,300 feet. It is most common in grasslands near the coast; it is regarded as a noxious weed in pastures, because it forms clumps that inhibit other vegetation, and its leaves are bitter and unpa...
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3
Berberis aquifolium is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to western North America. It is the state flower of Oregon. In California, it grows throughout the mountains and foothills of northern and central California, and in Southern California, it grows primarily in the Transverse Range Mountains, Sierra foothills and higher elevations of the Peninsular Range. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (6 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) wide that spreads slowly by rhizomes. T...
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4
The Western Columbine is also known as the Red or Crimson Columbine because of its attractive red-and-yellow-colored flowers. The blooms are very appealing to hummingbirds. Mature seedheads provide food for finches and other bird species.This charming wildflower is a member of the buttercup family and grows in moist, shady locations. In the garden, it likes regular water, partial shade, and compost-rich, well-draining soil. It does self-sow, but deadheading will control spreading.
5
The California Black Oak gets its name from the dark bark color of mature trees. It has distinctive, deeply lobed leaves that turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange in the fall. It is a large deciduous tree that can grow up to 80 feet tall. It also has a large, spreading root system.
Black Oak acorns are an important food source for a wide range of wildlife, including birds, deer, squirrels, and other mammals. It is also a host plant for butterflies and moths. It is a drought-tolerant tree ...
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6
Attractive, hardy, and easy to grow, the Blue Elderberry is also an important food source for California wildlife. In spring, large clusters of cream-colored flowers attract butterflies and bees. The abundant blue berries provide food for birds and other animals. Humans can eat the fruit as long as it?s cooked.This fast-growing shrub is tolerant of a variety of growing conditions, although it does best in sun and well-drained moist, rich soil. It can grow to the size of a small tree, up to 30 fe...
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7
Island Alum Root (Heuchera maxima) is species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family. It is endemic to three of the eight Channel Islands of California, where it grows on cliffs. It is rare in the wild, due to its limited distribution. It is also cultivated as an attractive garden plant, valued as a groundcover for both its foliage and its flowers.This rhizomatous perennial herb forms a broad patch of large, rounded, multi-lobed green leaves with long leaf stalks and a fringe of hairs along ...
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8
Fuchsiaflower Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum) is one of the most spectacularly blooming native California shrubs during the wet season, with beautiful fuchsia-red flowers hanging down in abundance from the branches throughout the bush. The tube-shaped flowers with their protruding stamens and stigmas look a little like red-dressed ballerinas dancing in a line.
The plant grows in a somewhat upright mounding form, quickly reaching 6-10 feet in height, and 3-8 feet in width under favorable condition...
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9
The Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea, syn. C. stolonifera, Swida sericea) is a species of dogwood native throughout northern and western North America from Alaska east to Newfoundland, south to Durango and Nuevo Len in the west, and Illinois and Virginia in the east. Other names include Redtwig Dogwood, Red-rood, American Dogwood, and (subsp. occidentalis) Western Dogwood. In the wild, it commonly grows in areas of damp soil, such as wetlands. It is a medium to tall deciduous shrub, growing 1....
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10
Clematis ligusticifolia is a climbing, spreading vine with showy flowers. It is also known as Old-man's Beard and Yerba de Chiva, and Virgin's bower, (though the last name may also refer to C. lasiantha). It is native to North America where it is widespread across the western United States in streamside thickets, wooded hillsides, and coniferous forests up to 4,000 feet. It was called "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American Old West. They used it as a pepper substitute to ...
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11
Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata) is a species of fern known by the common name giant chain fern. It is native to the forests of the west coast of North America, and is the largest fern in North America, with very long fronds. The spore-producing dots on the back of its fronds are short but broad and are arranged in neat lines, the characteristic that gives the chain ferns their name. The chain shape is visible on both surface and underside of each leaflet. This fern can be either evergree...
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12
The shrub California barberry (Berberis pinnata) was formerly known as Mahonia pinnata, and some sources still refer to it that way. The genus Mahonia is sometimes considered to be part of Berberis. Other common names for this species are wavyleaf barberry and shinyleaf mahonia. It is a dark green bush which resembles holly with its serrated leaves but bears round purple fruits that look like small grapes. This species is quite similar to the Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium), and is sometimes c...
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13
The Southern Maiden Hair is a species of fern with a semi-worldwide distribution. It occurs in numerous locations and habitats throughout California, always growing where it is somewhat shaded and in moist but not saturated soil. It is often found near springs, seeps or stream banks, including desert palm oases. This native fern is hardy to USDA zone 7.
The Southern Maiden Hair fern grows 6 to 28 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide. The foliage is delicate and lacy, featuring dark stripes that ...
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14
Also known as the baldhip or dwarf rose, the wood rose is a woodland shrub that grows best in shady or sun-dappled areas. Delicate, fragrant blooms in shades of pink and lavender are flat and open-faced. The stems are covered in long, straight spines and vibrant green leaves.
The flowers attract butterflies and bees. After blooming, the hips are a food source for birds. The wood rose is a good plant selection for a waterwise dry shade garden. It is drought tolerant and has low water requirement...
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15
Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) is an evergreen fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns occurring along the Pacific coast from southeast Alaska south to southern California, and also inland east to southeastern British Columbia, northern Idaho and western Montana, with isolated populations in interior northern British Columbia, the Black Hills in South Dakota, and on Guadalupe Island off Baja California. The dark green fronds of this fern grow in...
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16
Allium unifolium, the one-leaf onion or American garlic, is a North American species of wild onion. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of California, Oregon, and Baja California. It grows on clay soils including serpentine, at elevations up to 1100 m. Allium unifolium, despite its name, usually has 2-3 flat leaves up to 50 cm long. Bulbs, though, are usually solitary, egg-shaped, up to 2 cm long, often formed at the end of rhizomes spreading out from the parent plant. Scapes are round i...
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17
The California Wild Rose (Rosa californica) is a beautiful rose species that grows through the coast and foothills of California and in the mountains up to elevations of 6000 feet. It is a deciduous, thicket-forming shrub with prickly, curving stems. Each rose is open-faced and generally flat, with five petals in any shade of pink from almost white to deep magenta. The fragrant flowers may grow singly or in flower clusters of several blooms. It produces typical rose hips containing yellow seeds....
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18
Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) is a native perennial herb in the Crassulaceae (Stonecrop) family that is found in rocky or mountainous areas over a large part of the state, but more commonly in northern California. It is also found northward to British Columbia. It tends to grow in a hanging or sprawling manner on the face of cliffs or steep rocky outcrops, often in shade, at elevations from 0-7500 feet. The leaves are somewhat thick and succulent. In spring the plant puts up an erect f...
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19
Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) is a creeping perennial herb that grows primarily in northern and central California, barely extending into southern California and the Channel Islands. It tends to grow at elevations below 3000 feet. It was formerly so common in the Bay Area that San Francisco was initially called Yerba Buena. The plant has a delicate appearance, with tiny leaves on very slender stems that creep along the ground. It does not have rhizomes but roots itself as it spreads. The l...
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20
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 spre...
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21
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 sour...
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22
Yarrow is an all-star, popular plant choice among California native gardeners, including beginners! It is durable and easy to grow in a wide range of soil types and has low moisture requirements. It reseeds and spreads quickly, making it a good groundcover plant for lawn replacement.Yarrow's abundant white flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other insects. It is a staple in native pollinator gardens throughout the state. Yarrow has many alternative common names, including soldier's woundwort ...
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23
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), also Western redcedar, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae. In the American horticultural trade, it is also known as the Giant Arborvitae, Arborvitae being another name for its genus. Western red cedar is the Provincial tree of British Columbia, and has extensive applications for the indigenous First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. The western red cedar is not actually a cedar (Cedrus), but belongs in the Cup...
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24
Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wild ginger, Western wild ginger, or long-tailed wild ginger) is native to rich moist forests of western North America from British Columbia to California and as far east as western Montana. Within California it is found primarily along the coast from Santa Cruz County northward. In spring, it develops distinct hirsute (hairy) cup-shaped, brown-purple to green-yellow flowers which terminate in three long gracefully curved lobes, often concealed by leaves. The lo...
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25
Dichelostemma ida-maia is a species of flowering plant known as firecracker flower. It is native to northern California and southern Oregon, where it grows in mountain forests, woodlands, and coastal meadows. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for its showy crimson and cream flowers. This is a perennial herb growing from a corm which erects a tall, naked stem topped with an umbel of six to 20 flowers. Each flower is a cylindrical red tube two to three centimeters long. The tip o...
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26
The Nootka Rose, Rosa nutkana, is a rose which is native to the Pacific Northwest. It takes its name from the Nuu-chah-nulth people, who are commonly though incorrectly known also as the Nootka. In California it is most commonly found near the coast from Sonoma County to Del Norte County. Like other wild roses, it prefers moist areas and will become a large, impenetrable thicket. The spines can be rather dangerous so don't plant near walkways. One plant association in which this rose occurs is t...
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27
Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry) is a species in the Rose family native to the west coast of North America from west central Alaska to California. In California it is found primarily along the coast from Santa Cruz County northward, typically in moist areas under tree canopy. It is a shrub growing to 1-4 meter tall, with perennial, not biennial woody stems (unlike other species). It forms large, dense patches given favorable conditions. The leaves are trifoliate, 7-22 centimeter long, the termina...
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28
Cardinal Flower is an evergreen species native to the Americas, from southeastern Canada through the eastern and southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia. It tends to grow in very wet areas like stream bottoms, bogs and seeps. It grows to about a meter tall (when in flower) and has bright red flowers. Hummingbirds love it. Cardinal flower is often cultivated for ornamental purposes and has also been used for medicinal purposes.
The plant is very alkaloid an...
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29
Dicentra formosa, the western bleeding heart or Pacific bleeding heart, is a flowering plant in Poppy family, generally found in moist wooded areas from California to British Columbia. It is a perennial that grows from a horizontal rootstock (tuber). The plant can approach half a meter in height. The flower has four petals between one and two centimeters long in shades of purple to pink to nearly white. The outer two petals curve and pouch, forming a rough heart shape. Leaves are finely divided ...
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30
Heuchera micrantha is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name crevice alumroot. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows on rocky slopes and cliffs. Within California it is found primarily in the central and northern Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills.This plant is quite variable in appearance. There are a number of wild and cultivated Varieties: The leaves are lobed and usually coated in glandular hairs. They ...
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31
Maianthemum stellatum (False Solomon's Seal) is a species of flowering plant in the family Ruscaceae, native across North America generally from Alaska to California in the west and from Newfoundland to the central Appalachian Mountains in the east. In California it is found primarily in the Coast Ranges and Sierras. An everchanging seasonal plant with little white buds in the spring, followed by delicate starry flowers, then stripy berries and deep red berries in the fall. It is a woodland herb...
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32
Canyon live oak is a species of evergreen oak that is found in the southwestern part of North America, notably in the California Coast Ranges. It is the most wide-spread oak in the state. Its ultimate size and shade are determined by its location within the state. This tree is often found near creeks and drainage swales growing in moist cool microhabitats. Its leaves are a glossy dark green on the upper surface with prominent spines; a further rapid identification arises from the leaves of Canyo...
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33
Ithuriel's Spear (Triteleia laxa) is a common native perennial herb in the Themidaceae (Lily) family that grows primarily in northern and central California. It tends to grow in openings in forest or woodland with sandy soil, at elevations from 0-4600 feet.
It is a geophyte related to lilies and onions, growing from an edible corm. In spring it sends up one or a few slender grass-like leaves, followed by a leafless stem topped with a spray of blue to purple (rarely white) flowers. After flower...
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34
Meadow Rue is a native perennial herb in the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup) family. However, it looks nothing like the conventional image of a Buttercup. It is widespread in Western North America. In California it is found in many locations including the Bay Area, central coast, Coast Ranges, Sierras, and coastal Southern California. It is found from sea level to 10,500 ft., most often in moist forest or woodland areas. It is a shade lover and works well with ferns and other shade plants. In warmer o...
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35
Chaparral Clematis (Clelmatis lasiantha) is a creamy-white flowering vine, belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, of the large Clematis genus. It is found on the Pacific coast of North America, from the San Francisco Bay Area southwards into Baja California. It extends as far east as the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, at elevations below 5900 feet. It grows on hillsides, in chaparral, and in open woodland. Its leaves are three-lobed and generally grow in groups of three to five leaflets...
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36
Adiantum jordanii is a perennial species Pteridaceae known by the common name California maidenhair. It is native to California and Baja California. It grows in shaded woods, usually in wetter spots such as moist rock outcropping and lower parts of north facing slopes. It can take a little sun near the coast or full shade inland. Each trailing leaf may reach over half a meter in length and is made up of many rounded green segments. Each segment has two to four lobes and it may split between the ...
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37
Fragaria vesca, commonly known as Woodland Strawberry, occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In California it is found along the coast, in the Coast Ranges, and in the Sierra. Like all strawberries, it is in the family Rosaceae.
This groundcover plant spreads by runners without being considered invasive. Both people and wildlife enjoy its fruits. Consistent with its "Woodland" name, this plant favors rich soil, with plentiful organic matter.
38
California Polypody (Polypodium californicum) is a native fern that grows in northern, southern and central California, primarily along the coast, foothills and coastal mountains. It tends to grow in canyons, streambanks and north facing slopes, at elevations from sea level to 4,000 feet. It spreads slowly by rhizome. In areas that are wet year round it may stay evergreen; in areas of summer dryness it will become deciduous. It is one of the more popular native ferns for shade gardens.
39
Nemophila maculata is a species of flowering plant in the Borage family, Boraginaceae. It is an annual herb that flowers in the spring, and it is endemic to California. In the wild it is found primarily in the Sierra foothills, but it is also planted extensively in gardens. The seeds are often included in wildflower mixes. The flowers are bowl-shaped consisting of five petals, white with dark veins and dots. The lobe tips are purple-spotted, leading to the common name. The corolla is 1 to 2 cent...
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40
Maianthemum dilatatum (Two-leaved Solomon's Seal or False Lily of the Valley) is a common rhizomatous perennial flowering plant in the Ruscaceae Butcher's Broom) family. It is native to western North America from northern California to the Aleutian islands, and Asia across the Kamchatka Peninsula, Japan, and Korea. It grows in coastal temperate rainforests, and is often the dominant groundcover plant in Sitka Spruce forests. The plant produces an erect, unbranched stem up to about 40 centimeters...
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41
White Fir (Abies concolor) is a member of the Pinaceae (Pine) family native to the mountains of western North America, occurring at altitudes of 900-3,400 meter. In California it is quite common in the Sierras and North Coast Range, with scattered locations in the mountains of southern California. It is a medium to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25-60 meters tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 meters. The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 2.5-6 centimeter long and 2 millimeter...
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42
Cream Bush (also called Ocean Spray) is famous for its cascading clusters of fragrant, creamy white flowers. These lovely blooms attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. After blooming, the seeds provide food for birds, and the plant itself provides shelter for birds and small animals.
Cream Bush is an attractive deciduous shrub, commonly found in forest and woodland environments. In the garden, it does well in shade or part shade and adapts to a variety of soil types. Water needs are moder...
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43
Lilium columbianum is a lily native to western North America. It is also known as the Columbia Lily or Tiger Lily (sharing the latter common name with several other species in its genus). It occurs in open woods and forest openings from southern British Columbia in Canada south to northern California and east to Idaho and Nevada in the USA. It grows up to 1.2 meter tall, and bears from few to many orange flowers with darker spots. The petals are 3 to 6 centimeter long and the flowers are lightl...
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44
Lilium parvum is a species of lily known by the common names Sierra tiger lily and alpine lily. It is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada. The plant grows in mountainous forests, sending up stems with flower clusters of lily flowers during the summer months. The flowers are small for lilies, and more bell-shaped than most others. They are yellowish-orange to dark orange-red with lighter orange or yellow centers. The petals are spotted with purple or brown markings. There is a va...
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45
Echinocereus triglochidiatus is a species of hedgehog cactus known by several common names, including kingcup cactus, claretcup, and Mojave mound cactus. This cactus is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is a resident of varied habitats from low desert to rocky slopes, scrub, and mountain woodland. It is most abundant in shady areas. There are a number of varieties of this highly variable cactus species, but not all are universally recognized. In general it is...
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46
Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) is a species of dogwood native to western North America from lowlands of southern British Columbia to mountains of southern California. An inland population occurs in central Idaho. Cultivated examples are found as far north as the Queen Charlotte Islands. This small to medium-sized deciduous tree often has multiple trunks and and an irregular form. What appears to be its flower is actually a dense, rounded, greenish-white flowerhead composed by myriad tiny flo...
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47
Bigflower Tellima (Tellima grandiflora) is a native perennial herb in the Saxifagiaceae (Saxifrage) family that grows in central and northern California, from Santa Cruz northward. It is found in the Coast Ranges and northern Sierras. It tends to grow in the moist shade of evergreen forest at elevations from sea level to 5,000 feet. The basal leaves resemble Heuchera and other plants in the same family. The leaves and inflorescence are somewhat hairy. The spike-like raceme carries numerous red, ...
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48
Pacific Blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family that is native to a large part of western North America from Baja to Canada and from the coast to the Rocky Mountains. This is a wide, spreading shrub or vine-bearing bush with prickly branches, white flowers and edible fruits. This species is one of the original parents of the hybrids Loganberry and Boysenberry. Pacific Blackberry typically does not set fruit until the second year after planting, and it is typically d...
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49
Snowberry is a practical and versatile shrub in the honeysuckle family. It provides food and shelter for wildlife and is an ideal pick for shady and sloped areas in the landscape. Its delicate bell-shaped flowers attract local bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The white berries that give this bush its name are a favorite food for birds (although they are toxic to humans).
In its natural setting, snowberry grows in moist, shady areas. In the garden, snowberry is easy to grow in either sun or s...
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50
Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) is an aromatic shrub in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family, although plants in this genus don't look like that would be the case. Found in virtually every county of California, this plant has been used as a ceremonial plant in many Native American cultures, for use in treating a minor injury, or as a dream potentiator.
The plant is native to the western United States and into Baja California, where it is often found in moist areas such as drainages. It's often ri...
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51
Equisetum hyemale (Rough Horsetail or Scouring Rush) is a widespread species ative to moist forests, forest edges and stream banks, swamps, fens throughout most of California. It is primarily found in wetlands, and in riparian zones of rivers and streams where it can withstand seasonal flooding. It is also found around springs and seeps, and can indicate their presence when not flowing. Other habitats include moist forest and woodland openings, lake and pond shores, ditches, and marshes and swam...
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52
Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific Ninebark) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family native to western North America from southern Alaska east to Montana and Utah, and south to central California. It is found in the Coast Ranges and the Sierras. It is a dense deciduous shrub growing to 1 to 2.5 meters tall. The name comes from the appearance of the bark, which is flaky, peeling away in many layers. The shrub has distinctive maple-like lobed leaves 3-14 centimeter long and broad, and ball-like clu...
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53
This slow-growing deciduous shrub is native to central and northern California. California Hazel typically grows in moist riparian areas and slopes. In spring, it blooms bright flowers that vary from red to yellow, eventually forming nuts that attract birds and small mammals. Plant in well-draining soil and under part shade.
54
Blechnum spicant is a species of fern within its own family (Blechnaceae) known by the common name Deer Fern. It is native to Europe and western North America. In California it is found primarily along the coast from Santa Cruz northward. It is found is damp, shaded forest areas such as Redwood Forest and Mixed Evergreen Forest. Like some other Blechnum species it has two types of leaves. The sterile leaves have flat, wavy-margined leaflets 5 to 8 millimeters wide and arch gracefully, while the ...
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55
Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family, in the Bird Cherry (Padus) subgenus. It is native to North America where it is found almost throughout the continent except for the deep south and the far north. The plant is widespread in California, particularly in the mountains. It is a suckering shrub or small tree growing to 5 meter tall. The leaves are oval, 3-10 centimeter long, with a coarsely serrated margin. It is deciduous, and the leaves provide some fall co...
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56
Koeleria macrantha is a species in the Poaceae (Grass) family known by the common name Junegrass. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska to northern Mexico to the eastern United States. In California it is found from the coast to the mountains but is largely absent from the deserts and central valley. It occurs in a large number of habitat types, especially prairie. This is a short, tuft-forming perennial bunchgrass, reaching heights from 20 to 70 centimeters. The leaves are basal an...
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57
Alnus rubra (red alder) is a deciduous broadleaf tree in the Betulaceae (Birch) family native to western North America. In California it is found primarily along the coast from San Luis Obispo County northward. In southern california Alnus rhombifolia is the more commonly found alder. Red Alder is the largest species of alder in North America and one of the largest in the world, reaching heights of 20-30 meters. The official tallest red alder (1979) stands 32 meters tall in Clatsop County, Orego...
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58
Betula occidentalis (Water Birch) is a species in the Betulaceae family native to western North America. In California its distribution is somewhat patchy, being found in the southern Sierras, Siskiyu and Modoc counties. It typically occurs along streams in mountainous regions from 2,000 ft. to over 11,000 ft. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 10 meter high, usually with multiple trunks. The bark is dark red-brown to blackish, and smooth but not exfoliating. The twigs are smooth o...
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59
Dudleya farinosa is a succulent plant known by several common names, including bluff lettuce, powdery liveforever, and powdery dudleya. This dudleya is variable in appearance from drab to spectacular. It grows from a branching caudex and forms a basal rosette of wide, pointed, spade-shaped leaves, each up to about six centimeters across. The leaves are generally very pale green but they often have edges or tips of bright colors, particularly bright reds. The plant erects a tall stem which is pal...
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60
Gaultheria shallon is a leathery-leaved shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae), related to Manzanitas and Madrone. It is native to western North America as far north as Alaska. In California it is found primarily along the coast from Pt. Conception northwards. The foliage is dark green and attractive, sometimes used in commercial flower arrangements. The flowers are pink to white and urn-shaped, much like Manzanitas. The dark blue fruit is edible. Gaultheria shallon is very tolerant of both ope...
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61
Agrostis pallens is a species of grass known by the common name seashore bent grass. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Montana to California, where it grows in many types of habitats. In California it is widespread except for the central valley and deserts. It is a perennial grass growing 10 to 70 centimeters in height, sometimes from a rhizome. The leaves vary in width and length but are generally not more than 5 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a narrow arra...
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62
Acer circinatum (Vine Maple) is a species of maple native to western North America, from southwest British Columbia to northern California, usually within 300 km of the Pacific Ocean coast. It most commonly grows as a large shrub growing to around 5-8 meters tall, but it will occasionally form a small to medium-sized tree, exceptionally to 18 meters tall. The shoots are slender and hairless. It typically grows in the understory below much taller forest trees, but can sometimes be found in open g...
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63
Aralia californica, known by the common name elk clover though not actually a clover, is a large herb in the family Araliaceae, the only member of that family native to California and southwestern Oregon. It is a deciduous herbaceous perennial plant growing to a height of 2-3 meters on stems which are thick but not woody. The stems bear large green pinnate or bipinnate leaves 1-2 meters long and 1 meter broad, the leaflets 15-30 centimeter long and 7-15 centimeter broad. The greenish white flowe...
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Dudleya caespitosa is a succulent plant known by several common names, including sealettuce, sand lettuce, and coast dudleya. It is endemic to California, where it grows along the coastline from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This dudleya starts from a rosette up to 20 centimeters wide, containing up to 30 leaves. The leaves are fleshy, pale green, and cone-shaped to oblong, one or two centimeters wide and almost a centimeter thick. The stem is a caudex which grows erect up to about 20 centimeter...
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Sierra Currant (Ribes nevadense) is a native shrub in the Grossulariaceae (Currant/Gooseberry) family that grows primarily in the mountainous interior regions of the state. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in a semi-upright form to a height of 6 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are red and striking, and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in open places, at elevations from 3,000-10,000 feet but is s...
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California Hedgenettle (Stachys bullata) is a native perennial herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that is found primarily along the coastal strip from the Bay Area southward. Despite its common name, it does not form a hedge and it does not sting like true nettles. Instead, it is a delicate, attractive flowering plant that performs well in damp, partially shaded areas. It tends to grow in wet, swampy, boggy places, at elevations from sea level to 1,600 feet. It tolerates inundation but is usual...
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Canyon Snowberry is recognized variety of Symphoricarpos albus. For garden purposes, the two are virtually identical. It is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California, along the coast, in the coastal mountain ranges, and in the Sierra foothills. It tends to grow in woods, streambanks and north-facing slopes, at elevations from 0-4000 feet.It is a beautiful plant with lovely white berries in autumn and a great plant for wildlife gardens. It attracts many birds includin...
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Woods' Rose (Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in moist places, at elevations from 3500-11500 feet.
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Dunn's Lobelia (Lobelia dunnii) is a native perennial herb that grows in Southern California, primarily in the South Coast Range, the South Coast and Transverse Range regions. It tends to grow in falls and moist cliffs, at elevations from 0-3000 feet.
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Carex nudata is a species in the Cyperaceae (Sedge) family known by several common names, including Torrent Sedge, California Black-flowering Sedge, Dudley's Sedge, and Naked Sedge. This is a bright green sedge which grows in mounds below the high-water mark in marshes and on river banks. It bears long scaly spikes of black, dark reddish or dusky brown flowers, which begin erect and then droop when they become heavy. It grows amidst rocks and becomes a dense mounding tussock. It is found mainly ...
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Leathery Polypody (Polypodium scouleri) is a native fern that grows along the coast primarily in northern and central California, from Santa Barbara County northward, and on Santa Cruz Island. It tends to grow in fog drip or saltspray zones, at elevations from sea level to 2,000 feet. It is quite often seen growing on trees or fallen logs and spreads slowly by rhizomes. It is an attractive fern for shaded areas.
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Euonymus occidentalis is a species in the Celastraceae (Bittersweet) family known by the common name Burning Bush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it is the only member of its genus growing wild. In California it is found in two disjunct locations corresponding to its two recognized Varieties: Var. occidentalis is found along the coast from Santa Cruz northward, and in the Cascades and Sierra foothills. Var. parishii is found far to the south in t...
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Melica torreyana is a species of grass known by the common name Torrey's Melicgrass. There are numerous species in the genus Melica that are native to different parts of the state. This species is endemic to California, where it grows in chaparral, grassland, and other hillside and mountain habitats in the central Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. It is a perennial grass with dense clumps of stems up to a meter long but often less. The flower cluster is a narrow panicle of small spikelets each ...
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Lupinus latifolius is a species of lupine known by the common name broadleaf lupine. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California to New Mexico, where it is common and can be found in several types of habitat. There are several subtaxa, described as subspecies or varieties, some common and some rare. They vary in morphology. In general this plant is an erect perennial herb. It grows 30 centimeters to over two meters in height, in texture hairy to nearly hairless...
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Aquilegia eximia is a species of columbine known by the common name Van Houtte's columbine. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the moist forests of the Coast Ranges. This is a perennial herb growing from a thick caudex and varying in height, reaching a maximum height near 5 feet. The lower leaves are divided into large, leaflike segments up to 1.5 to 2 inches long and a lobed oval in shape. Leaves farther up the stem are not segmented but may be deeply lobed. The flower cluster bears...
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Torreya californica is species of conifer endemic to California, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is commonly known as California Torreya or California Nutmeg (although not closely related to true nutmeg). It is an evergreen tree growing to 15-25 meter tall, with a trunk diameter of 0.5-1 meter (exceptionally 2 meter); the crown is conical in overall shape, with whorled branches. The leaves are needle-like, stiff, sharp pointed, 3-5 centimeter lon...
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Central Coast Iris (Iris longipetala) is a rare native perennial herb that is found in the wild only in the counties surrounding the Bay Area. It is included on CNPS list 4.2. It tends to grow in moist open places, at elevations from 0-1,500 feet. This Iris is a good garden performer with large flowers and a pleasant fragrance. It is recommended for gardens on the central and northern coast.
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Heuchera hirsutissima is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name shaggy-haired alumroot. It is endemic to the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County, California, where it grows on rocky slopes between 4,000 and 10,000 ft. It is a rare species, inlcuded on CNPS list 1B.3. While uncommon in the wild and normally found at higher elevations, this species is cultivated as an attractive garden flower and can be used at lower elevations. This is a rhizomatous pe...
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Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern or Common Lady-fern) is a large, feathery species of fern native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, where it is often abundant (one of the more common ferns) in damp, shady woodland environments and is often grown for decoration. The plant is caespitose (the fronds arising from a central point as a clump rather than along a rhizome). The fronds are light yellow-green, 20-90 centimeter long and 5-25 centimeter broad; they are deciduous. Sori ap...
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The mountain shrub Spiraea densiflora has several common names, including mountain spiraea, dense-flowered spiraea, rosy spiraea, and subalpine spiraea. It is found on the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia. It grows at elevations between 2,000 and 11,000 feet on inland mountain ranges. It is a woody shrub rarely reaching a meter in height. It has light green toothed leaves which turn yellow as cold weather approaches. The plant bears fragrant, fuzzy pom-pons of bri...
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Western Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. demissa) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and short-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 20 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are white and striking, and bloom in the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in rocky slopes, at elevations from 0-8200 feet.
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Deschampsia elongata is a species of grass known by the common name slender hairgrass. It is native to western North America from Alaska to Wyoming to northern Mexico, and South America in Chile. It grows at all elevations, often in moist areas. It is a perennial grass forming dense clumps sometimes exceeding a meter in height. Most of the leaves are located in a tuft about the base of the stems. The flower cluster is a thin row of V-shaped spikelets arranged parallel to and mostly flat against ...
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Carex obnupta is a species of sedge known by the common name slough sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California where it grows crudsaline habitat such as wetlands. The plant produces upright, angled stems approaching 1.2 meters in maximum height, growing in beds or colonies from rhizome networks. The flower cluster is a cluster of flower spikes accompanied by a long leaflike leaf. The pistillate spikes and sometimes the staminate spikes dangle on peduncles. T...
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Xerophyllum tenax is a North American species of plants in the corn lily family. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and basket grass. Xerophyllum tenax has flowers with six tepals and six stamens borne in a terminal raceme. The plant can grow to 15-150 cm in height. It grows in bunches with the leaves wrapped around and extending from a small stem at ground level. The leaves are 30-100 cm long and 2-6 mm wide, dull olive green with toothed edges. Th...
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Selaginella bigelovii is a species of spikemoss known by the common names bushy spikemoss and Bigelow's spikemoss. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in rocky places in many different habitat types, from the coastline to the mountains to the deserts. This lycophyte forms clumps of spreading upright to erect stems up to 20 centimeters long with a few short lateral branches. The linear or lance-shaped green leaves are up to 4 millimeters long, including the tiny rigid b...
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Delphinium nudicaule is a flowering plant known by the common names red larkspur, orange larkspur, and canyon delphinium. It sends up long, stringy thin stems with few leaves and bears attractive larkspur flowers in shades of red and orange. It is native to the low elevation canyons, foothills, and slopes of California and Oregon. The flowers attract hummingbirds. The root of the plant has been historically used as a medicinal narcotic, chiefly by the Mendocino Native Americans.
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Actaea rubra (red baneberry, chinaberry, doll's eye) is a poisonous herbaceous flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to North America. They are found growing in shady areas with moist to wet soils, open forest or dry slopes. In Alaska it ranges from the Kenai Peninsula, through Kodiak Island, Bristol Bay, and up the Yukon River. Ecology. Plants are slow growing and take a few years to grow large enough to flower. The western subspecies is ssp. arguta, and the northern subspecies is...
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Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus) is a native perennial herb that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-1300 feet.
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Scouringrush Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine) is a native fern that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the Warner Mountains and White and Inyo Mountain regions. It tends to grow in streams and moist, sandy or gravelly places, at elevations from 0-9800 feet.
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Dunn's Lobelia (Lobelia dunnii var. serrata) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow in falls and moist cliffs, at elevations from 0-3000 feet.
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Venegasia is a genus of North American plants in the tarweed tribe within the sunflower family. Venegasia carpesioides is the only known species in the genus. It is shrubby bush growing to 1. 8 m tall and prefers locations in moist canyons in southern California, and in Baja California. It is commonly known as the Canyon sunflower.
This plant is a great choice for a dry shady corner of a garden, though the plant is very versatile.
Tolerates full shade, as well as part shade or sun, and dry or...
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Creeping Blueblossom Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. thyrsiflorus
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. thyrsiflorus
Creeping Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. thyrsoflorus) is a the low growing form and variety of the native shrub and tree Ceanothus thyrsiflorus. It native range is coastal central and northern California, extending from northern Santa Barbara County to near the Oregon border, growing 1- 5 miles from the shore. The other variety of this species, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus (Carmel Ceanothus) is much more variable in form and is native to habitats closer to the coast.Creeping Blu...
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Sedum oreganum is a species of succulent plant of the genus Sedum. It grows along the Pacific Coast of North America from Alaska to far northern California. The plant, known by the common name Oregon stonecrop, grows in many types of rocky habitat, including coastal bluffs and cliffs and the talus of higher inland mountains. Media related to Sedum oreganum at Wikimedia Commons
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Tsuga mertensiana (Mountain Hemlock) is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Tulare County, California. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 20-40 meter tall, exceptionally 59 meter, and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 meter. The bark is thin and square-cracked or furrowed, and gray in color. The crown is a neat slender conic shape in young trees with a ti...
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Western Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), sometimes called yellow skunk cabbage, is a plant found in swamps and wet woods, along streams and in other wet areas of the Pacific Northwest, where it is one of the few native species in the arum family, together with the duckweeds. The plant grows from rhizomes that measure 30 centimeter or longer, and 2.5 to 5 centimeter in diameter. The leaves are the largest of any native plant in the region, 50-135 centimeter long and 30-80 centimeter wide wh...
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The canyon gooseberry (Ribes menziesii) is a distinctive plant found only in California and Oregon. There are five to six varieties of the species found across the low elevation mountains of California, especially the Coast Ranges, and the coastal canyons and foothills, into southern Oregon. It can be found in the chaparral plant community. It is in the genus which includes gooseberries and currants. The canyon gooseberry is an aromatic deciduous shrub with very prickly branches growing up to t...
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Abies grandis (Grand Fir, Giant Fir, Lowland White Fir, Great Silver Fir, Western White Fir, Vancouver Fir, or Oregon Fir) is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,800 meter. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 40-70 meter (exceptionally 80 meter) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 meter. The leaves are needle-like, flattened, and grow in a single flat plane, 3-6 centimeter long and 2 millimeter wide by 0.5 millimet...
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Erythronium revolutum is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by several common names, including mahogany fawn lily, coast fawn lily, and pink fawn lily. This plant is native to the west coast of North America from northern California to British Columbia. It is most abundant within 100 miles of the coast, and it is found in moist places, such as streambanks, bogs, and wet forest understory. This wildflower grows from an oval-shaped bulb 3 to 5 centimeters long and prod...
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Dodecatheon hendersonii is a species of Dodecatheon native to western North America, from California north to southern British Columbia and Idaho. In California, it occurs in the northwest (except the north coast), the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada foothills, the Central Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, the north Inner South Coast Ranges, and the San Bernardino Mountains. It is generally found in open woodlands, from sea level in British Columbia, up to 1900 meter altitude in California. C...
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Equisetum arvense, commonly known as the Field Horsetail or Common Horsetail, is a rather bushy perennial with a rhizomatous stem formation native to the northern hemisphere. These horsetails may have sterile or fertile stems. Sterile stems start to grow after the fertile stems have wilted. The sterile stems tend to be much taller and bushier, with the jointed segments being around one inch long with a diameter of about 1/20th of an inch. These segments contain one set of whorled, slender, erect...
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