California natives recommended
for northwest California gardens

North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society home page

Scientific Name Common Name Notes
Acer circinatum vine maple Slow growing, delicate maple. Seldom needs pruning. Good with Azaleas.
Acer macrophyllum big leaf maple Fast growing. Provides garden interest throughout the year. Lower branches may be pruned.
Aesculus californica California buckeye, horse chestnut All parts of this plant are poisonous. Flowers are poisonous to honeybees. Native Americans used ground seed as fish poison.
Alnus rubra red alder, Oregon alder Rapid growing, moisture loving tree. Can have invasive roots. Effective grown in groups. Don't plant under power or telephone lines. STBL.
Antennaria suffrutescens evergreen everlasting  
Aquilegia formosa red columbine Easy to grow, elegant sprays of light green, lacy foliage. Needs water when flowering. Reseeds easily. Spurs hold nectar for hummingbirds.
Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn' Sonoma manzanita Highly recommended. Handsome plant. Long-lived and dependable.
Arctostaphylos edmundsii Little Sur manzanita Five varieties of this species. May be grown from cuttings.
Arbutus menziesii Pacific madrone Attractive smooth red peeling bark. Berries attract birds. Year long leaf drop. Overwatering causes leaf spotting blight.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Kinnikinnick, bearberry Bears heavy crop of large radiant-red berries. Long trailing branches root at nodes.
Asarum caudatum wild ginger Excellent ground cover in shady areas. Propagates readily from seed or by rooted sections of stems.
Aster chilensis aster Good nectar plant for butterflies. Good for stabilizing slopes. Grows rapidly, may be invasive in some locations.
Asarum hartwegii Hartweg's ginger May be difficult to establish. Slower to spread than other Asarums.
Carpenteria californica tree anemone, Carpenteria Wonderful shrub. Use for naturalizing, in foundation plantings or as a specimen. Will grow from cuttings, flowering after the third year.
Calamagrostis nutkatensis Nutka reed grass Good background or accent plant inwoodland garden or meadow. Good for soil erosion control.
Calycanthus occientalis western spicebush Grows rapidily with regular water. Good with other shrubs and trees. Propagates from cuttings. Long-lived.
Ceanothus cuneatus buck brush Ceanothus are California's classic drought resistant shrubs. Avoid overwatering and rich soils. Good for erosion control and large-scale plantings.
Ceanothus gloriosus Point Reyes ceanothus Commonly used garden plant near coast.
Ceanothus griseus horizontalis Carmel creeper Excellent for coarse, low-maintenance woody ground cover.
Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter' ceanothus Grows as mound rather than ground cover..
Cercis occidentalis western redbud, Judas tree Vivid flowers appear in early spring before the leaves. Pendant seedpods and heart-shaped bright green foliage. May be pruned. Tends to be long-lived.
Ceanothus thrysiflorus blue blossom, blue brush Prolific blooms and attractive foliage. Ideal for a dry border. Good for many situations such as hedges, roadside plantings, and specimen plants. May be pinched and trained.
Clintonia andrewsiana Clintonia, beadlily, bride's bonnet  
Cornus canadensis bunchberry Good woodland ground cover.
Corylus cornuta var. californica hazelnut, filbert Plant in background of a woodland garden or by pond with western azalea, rhododendron, huckleberries and currents.
Cupressus lawsoniana (Chamaecyparis) Port-Orford cedar, Lawson cypress Large handsome tree that may be used as a windbreak, sunscreen, or specimen. Fruiting begins at 12 years of age.
Cupressus nootkatensis Alaska cedar  
Danthonia californica California oatgrass Palatable to livestock. Withstands traffic. Good for erosion control. Good with low growing wildflowers.
Deschampsia cespitosa tufted hairgrass Good forage for wildlife, Good ground cover under native oak trees.
Dicentra formosa bleeding hearts Easy to grow. Can increase rapidly. Good ground cover under trees. Summer water improves appearance.
Epilobium californica (Zauschneria) Californica fuschia One of few CA natives blooming in late summer and early fall. Important nectar plant for hummingbirds. May become leggy. Pinch back for fullness.
Erysimum capitata foothill wallflower, western wallflower Grows easily from seed. May bloom after first year and persist several years.
Eriogonum compositum var. compositum a California buckwheat" Excellent plant for dry gardens.
Eriophyllum confertiflorum golden-yarrow Valuable for summer flowers. Don't overwater. Cut to a few inches tall in late autumn.
Eriogonum fasciculatum a California buckwheat Excellent plant for bees. Good ground cover on dry slopes. Not recommended where fire may be a problem.
Erigeron glaucus seaside daisy Good for coastal areas. Summer watering prolongs bloom.
Eriogonum latifolium coast California buckwheat Drought tolerant, hardy. Long flowering period. Good ground cover on dry slopes. Long lived.
Festuca californica California fescue Elegant specimen grass or in masses. Excellent slope stabilizer.
Festuca idahoensis Idaho fescue, blue bunchgrass Good slope stabilizer.
Festuca rubra red fescue Not fussy about soil, makes attractive meadow on slopes too steep to mow.
Fragaria vesca wood strawberry Intermediate to F. chiloensis or F. virginiana
Geum macrophyllum large leaf geum Resemble ornamental garden geums. Flowers not showy however, seed heads add interest to garden.
Grindelia stricta dune or bluff gum weed Good on poor soils or in windy spots. Tough ground cover, slope stabilizer.
Heteromeles arbutifolia toyon, Christmas berry Attractive specimen plant. Berries attract birds.
Heuchera maxima Island alumroot Easy to grow in woodland gardens. Attractive all year with water.
Helenium puberelum sneezeweed Handsome foliage. Good for rehabilitation.
Iris bracteata Siskiyou iris  
Iris douglasiana Pacific coast iris, Douglas iris Use in rock gardens, borders, or as a groundcover. Good for naturalizing. Cut back old leaves in autumn. Free-flowering, long-lived.
Iris innominata Del Norte iris Very fine for shaded spots, ideal for shaded rock gardens. Choice.
Lewisia cotyledon ssp. cotyledon lewisia, cliff maids Excellent rock garden plant. Does well in pots. Needs definite dry rest after flowering. One of the best Lewisia for gardens
Linnaea borealis twinflower Difficult to grow. Takes time to establish. Needs cool, moist spot.
Linanthus grandiflorus mountain phlox Sow seed directly and protect from birds. Use in mass plantings.
Lilium humboldtii Humboldt lily Once established, plants will increase in size and vigor. Does well under tall trees shrubs.
Lonicera hispidula hairy honeysuckle Use as climber in wild garden or plant for wildlife.
Lonicera involucrata twinberry Good in mixed plantings, along pool edgesor moist sites with shade.
Lavatera assurgentiflora malva rosa, island mallow Excellent for gardens with room. Place in back of shorter plants for best effecct or trained against a warm wall by itself.
Lupinus excubitus var. hallii Payne's lupine  
Melica imperfecta small-flowered melic grass Good soil stabilizer.
Mianthemum dilitatum false lily-of-the-valley Fall/Winter dormant. Spreads by shallow underground rootstock. Forms a thick ground cover in moist, shady locations.
Mimulus guttatus stream monkey flower Almost everblooming with water and fertilizer. Good pot plant. Roots by stolons.
Mimulus sp. (Diplacus) yellow or orange bush monkey flower Free flowering for long periods. May be grown from cuttings.
Monardella odoratissima mountain pennyroyal Good ground cover. Good bee and butterflyplant.
Myrica californica California wax myrtle Excellent hedge or screen. Moderately slow growning.
Oxalis oregona redwood sorrel Good as ground cover in woodland garden. Increases quickly but shallow rootstock easy to control.
Penstemon centranthifolius scarlet bugler Showy flowers attract hummingbirds. Goodin mixed borders.
Penstemon grinnellii yellow penstemon Needs drainage and sun. Don't overwater.
Penstemon heterophyllus blue bedder penstemon Free-flowering. Rich soil and too much water may shorten life. Easy to start new plants from seed, cuttings or division.
Penstemon rattanii penstemon Don't overwater.
Penstemon rostiflorus ssp. bridgesii penstemon Don't overwater.
Penstemon spectablis royal penstemon May be difficult. Short lived, cold hardy. Propagate by seed or basal pieces.
Phacelia argentea sand dune phacelia Good in dune gardens. Known in CA from only four occurrences near Lake Earl and the Smith River Dunes. Thretened by coastal development, vehicles, and non-native plants. Candidate for state listing in OR.
Pinus contorta ssp. contorta shore pine, beach pine One of best small pines for small gardens. Does well in containers. Densly foliaged, takes training well. Good in seaside plantings.
Pinus sabiniana Digger pine Tree trunk divides to form two or more main forks. Large, heavy, chocolate brown cones measure 6-14 in. long.
Polystichum munitum western swordfern Good ground cover. Remove old fronds. Grow from spores or divide rhizome in spring to increase.
Quercus chrysolepis Canyon live oak Most widely distributed oak in CA. Quite variable in leaf shape, size and color. Growth rate is moderate if it receives summer moisture.
Quercus garrayana Oregon white oak Very slow growing. Don't underplant with lawn. One of the most hardy of all Pacific Coast oak species and most adaptable for horticultural use in the northwest.
Rhamnus californica coffeeberry Germination from seed easy.
Rhododendron occidentale western azalea Fragrant flowers bloom abundantly in clusters. Does well planted with rhodies and evergreens.
Ribes sanguineum red flowering current Excellent garden shrub. Especially good for edges of woodland gardens. Berries of questionable palatability.
Salvia brandegei Brandegee's sage Good plant for bees.
Salvia leucophylla Purple sage Good ground cover. Horticultural varieties are available. Good for restoration of degraded areas.
Salvia mellifera black sage Good bee plant. Use as a soil stabilizer.
Scrophularia californica California figwort, bee plant Can be invasive with summer water, but easy to control. Good bee plant.
Sisyrinchium bellum blue-eyed grass Easily propagated from seed or by dividing clumps in early spring.
Sisyrinchium californicum golden-eyed grass Low growing. Not cold hardy. Foliage dies back to black so it is not always attractive. Reseeds easily.
Solidago canadensis ssp. elongata Canada goldenrod May be invasive.
Symphoricarpus albus snowberry Woodland plant attracts wildlife. Berries may be toxic to humans.
Tellima grandiflora fringe cups Good as taller ground cover or along mossy banks with small to medium-sized ferns.
Thermopsis robusta robust false lupine Propagates by root division, good in mixedborder, trim back dead leaves and branches in Fall. Potentially threatened by logging.
Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata sugar-scoop Good plant for woodland gardens.
Tolmiea menziesii piggy back Excellent house plant, leave bear young plantlets, may increase rapidily.
Umbellularia californica California bay-laurel Oregon myrtle Same species as Oregon myrtlewood. Slow growing. Used extensively by woodworkers.
Vancouveria hexandra inside-out flower Slow to extablish. May propagate by divisions.
Vaccinium ovatum evergreen huckleberry May be trimmed into a hedge or grown in container. Cut branches popular for floral arrangements.
Viola adunca western dog violet Good ground cover by ponds. Reseeds freely.
Viola glabella stream violet  
Viola sempervirens redwood violet Spreads by creeping stems which root at nodes.
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California Native Plant Society - North Coast Chapter
P.O. Box 1067 Arcata, CA 95518-1067

plant list 7-98, page modifications 9-00 4-01