Native Plants for the S. Ca. Habitat Garden

NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HABITAT GARDEN

Perennial Herbs and Ground covers Height x Width

*Asterisk denotes plants that are locally native to the coastal areas of the CNPS South Coast Chapter

NOTE: Two useful online tools: Use Calscape to find plants local to your area.  Use Calflora to learn about plant distributions.

  • Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 1’ x 3’
    • White flowers for butterflies and other insects
  • Red Columbine (Aquilegia Formosa) 1’ x 1’
    • Nectar for hummingbirds in partial shade
  • Narrow-leaf Milkweed (Asclepius fascicularis) 3’ x 3’+ *
    • Larval food for Monarch Butterfly and nectar for all
  • California Aster (Aster chilensis) 1’ x 3’+
    • Excellent nectar source for insects
  • Rattlepod/Milk Vetch (Astragalus trichopodus) 2’ x 3’ *
    • Pea flowers provide nectar and larval food for Palos Verdes Blue butterfly
  • Beach Primrose (Camissoniopsis cheiranthfolia) 1’ x 3’ *
    • Good local nectar plant for sandy soils
  • Island Dudleya (Dudleya virens spp. Insularis) 1’ x 2-3’ *
    • Local succulent for seaside gardens
  • California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) 1-2’ x 3’+ *
    • Late summer/fall nectar for hummingbirds
  • Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) 1’ x 3’
    • Good nectar plant for the seaside
  • Coastal California (Poppy Eschscholzia maritima) 1’ x 3’+ *
    • Coastal yellow perennial poppy provides pollen for bumblebees
  • Island Coral Bells (Heuchera maxima) 1’ x 2’
    • Hummingbird plant for the shade from Catalina Island
  • Sea Dahlia (Leptosyne maritima) 2’ x 3’ *
    • Formerly Coreopsis.  Bright yellow Coreopsis flowers attract for nectar and seeds
  • Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea) 2’ x 3’+
    • Magenta flower spikes are loved by hummingbirds

Low/Small Shrubs

  • Deer Vetch (Acmispon glaber) 3’ x 3’ *
    • Yellow nectar flowers and likes sandy soils
  • Centennial Ceanothus (Ceanothus hybrid) 1’ x 5’
    • Dark blue flowers attract bees and butterflies
  • Conejo Buckwheat (Eriogonum crocatum) 1’ x 2’
    • Sulphur yellow flowers attract nectar seekers
  • Coastal Buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium) 2’ x 3’ *
    • Larval food for the El Segundo Blue Butterfly (ESB)
  • Firecracker Island Snapdragon (Gambelia speciosia ‘Firecracker’) 2’ x 3’
    • Tubular red flowers for hummers.  ‘Firecracker’ is a selection particularly well-suited for our gardens.
  • Lilac Verbena (Verbena lilacina) 3’ x 3’
    • Lavender flowers for nectar seeking insects

Medium Shrubs

  • Howard McMinn Manzanita (Arctostaphylos densiflora) 4’ x 6 ‘
    • Pink flowers for nectar followed by edible fruit
  • Sunset Manzanita (Arctostaphylos hybrid) 4’ x 5’
    • Another one of many species and hybrids for habitat
  • Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium) 5’ x 5’
    • Yellow nectar flowers and blue edible berries
  • California Brickellbush (Brickellia californica) 4’ x 4’
    • Sweetly fragrant night blooming flowers attract moths
  • Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica) 4’x 4’
    • Showy red flowers irresistible to hummingbirds
  • Yankee Point Ceanothus (Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis ‘Yankee Point’) 3’ x 8’+
    • Low spreading groundcover with nectar-rich blue flowers
  • Concha Ceanothus (Ceanothus hybrid) 5’ x 6’
    • Cobalt blue flowers on one of many species and hybrids
  • Catalina Silver Lace (Constancia nevinii) 3’ x 4’+
    • Looks similar to Dusty Miller foliage with yellow nectar rich flowers
  • California Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica) 3’ x 4’ *
    • Great nectar source and seeds enjoyed by birds
  • Island Buckwheat (Eriogonum arborescens) 3’ x 3’
    • Light pink flowers and open structure
  • Ashy Leaf Buckwheat (Eriogonum cinereum) 3’ x 6’ *
    • Pink flower heads attract a wide range of critters
  • California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) 4’ x 4’+ *
    • Nectar for all insects—low varieties available
  • St Catherine’s Lace (Eriogonum giganteum) 6’ x 6’
    • Showy white/beige flowers great for insect life
  • Giant Coreopsis (Leposyne gigantea) 4’ x 2’
    • Summer dormant with ‘daisy’ flowers for nectar and seeds
  • Showy Penstemon (Penstemon spectabilis) 3’ x 3’
    • Tubular purple flowers adapted to hummingbirds
  • White Sage (Salvia apiana) 3’ x 4’
    • Apiana means bee as in bumblebee.  Sacramental sage for indigenous people.
  • Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla) 4’ x 6’ *
    • Lavender bee/hummer flowers followed by edible seeds
  • Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) 4’ x 5’ *
    • Light blue flowers for bees and seeds for birds
  • Pink Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) 6’ x 6’
    • Showy hummer flowers and edible fruits
  • Fuchsia Flowering Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum) 5’ x 5’
    • Hummers love the flowers and other birds love the berries

Large Shrubs

  • Lester Rountree (Manzanita Arctostaphylos) hybrid 10’ x 10’+
    • Attracts birds for flowers and fruit—other varieties available
  • Coast Saltbush/Quail Bush (Atriplex lentiformis) 8’ x 15’+ *
    • Wildlife cover and larval food for Pygmy Blue Butterflies
  • Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis) 8’ x 8’ *
    • Small flowers but a lot of insect activity
  • Mule Fat (Baccharis salicifolia) 10’ x 10’ *
    • Insects and nesting materials for birds
  • Ray Hartman Ceanothus (Ceanothus hybrid) 15’ x 12’
    • One of several large Ceanothus with lots of habitat value
  • Summer Holly (Comarostaphylis diversifolia) 8’ x 8’
    • Handsome small tree with white flowers and red fruits
  • California Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum) 15’ x 15’
    • Needs no summer water and has large yellow flowers
  • Toyon/Christmas Berry (Heteromeles arbutifolia) 15’ x 15’ *
    • Small tree with white nectar flowers and red berries for birds
  • Lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia) 8’+ x 10’+ *
    • Pink flowers and flavorful sour berries
  • Sugar Bush (Rhus ovata) 8’+ x 10’+ *
    • Similar to Lemonadeberry with glossy oval leaves
  • Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri) 6’ x 10’++
    • Large ‘fried egg’ flowers attract pollinators
  • Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) 15’ x 15’ *
    • Great habitat tree with creamy flowers and blue berries

Vines

  • Island Pink Morning Glory (Calystegia macrostsegia)
    • Climbs. Can be aggressive. Large vine with big flowers that attract insects
  • Virgin’s Bower Clematis (ligusticifolia) *
    • Climbs. Pollinated by many insects and hummingbirds
  • Island Snapdragon (Gambelia speciosa)
    • Arches.  Attractive red flowers sought by hummingbirds
  • Climbing Penstemon (Keckiella cordifolia) *
    • Arches.  Brick red hummer flowers on drought deciduous shrub
  • California Honeysuckle (Lonicera subspicata) *
    • Arches.  Hummingbird flowers and edible fruits
  • California Blackberry (Rubus ursinus) *
    • Arches.  White nectar rich flowers followed by delicious fruits
  • California Wild Grape (Vitis californica)
    • Climbs.  Large vine with tasty small fruits that attract birds and mammals

The bulbs and annual natives listed below require a dry garden with no summer water to match our natural Mediterranean habitat. The bulbs need the summer dormant resting period and are best planted out as a bulb. The annuals are ideally planted as seed and will naturally reseed themselves. The seed can remain dormant in the soil until the winter rainfall and cool temperatures awaken them to germinate and go through their natural cycle. Of course birds and other animals will try to eat the buffet, so rake the seed in just before the rains.

Bulbs

  • Red Skin Onion (Allium haematochiton)
    • White flower heads
  • Golden Stars (Bloomeria crocea) *
    • Yellow star bursts
  • Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea jolonensis) *
    • Blue star flowers in umbels
  • Island Mariposa Lily (Calochortus catalinae) *
    • Cupped flowers with purple
  • Soap Plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum)
    • White flowers open at dusk for moths
  • Wild Hyacinth/Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) *
    • Violet clustered flowers

Annuals

  • Common Fiddleneck (Amsinckia intermedia) 3’ x 3’ *
    • Yellow/orange flowers on a coiled ‘scorpioid’ head
  • Red Maids (Calandrinia menziesii) 2’ x 2’ *
    • Bright red flowers and edible seeds
  • Farewell to Spring (Clarkia purpurea) 3’ x 1’ *
    • Lavender cup with purple center reseeds easily
  • Slender Tarweed (Deinandra fasciculata) 4’ x 3’ *
    • Small yellow flowers and seeds for birds
  • Globe Gilia (Gilia capitata) 1’ x 1’ *
    • Blue clustered heads easy to grow
  • Annual Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) 8’+ x 6’+ *
    • Many bright sunflower heads – seeds loved by gold finches
  • Tidy Tips (Layia platyglossa) 2’ x 2’ *
    • Yellow flowers with white tipped fringe
  • Arroyo Lupine (Lupinus succulentus) 3’ x 3’ *
    • Blue flowers loved by bees
  • Tansy Leaf Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) 3+’ x 3 *’
    • Blue coiled ‘fiddleneck flowers’ also attracts bees
  • Caterpillar Phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria) 2’ x 3’ *
    • Light blue fowers
  • Chia Sage (Salvia columbarae) 2’ x 2’ *
    • Whorled flower heads with edible seeds

*Asterisk denotes plants that are locally native to the coastal areas of the CNPS South Coast Chapter

This article was written by Tony Baker, October 2020.  Thanks, Tony!

Gardening, Plant List

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