Brush Sunflower

BOTANICAL NAME: Encelia Californica

COMMON NAME: Brush sunflower

FAMILY: Asteraceae

PLANT TYPE: Deciduous Shrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Feb-June

COLOR: yellow

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Hardy growth up to 3’ – 4’ tall. Loose cluster of daisies will droop in times of drought but will bloom profusely for months. Excellent choice on for hillside erosion control.

Coastal Four O'Clock

BOTANICAL NAME: Mirabilis multiflora

COMMON NAME: Coastal Four O’Clock

FAMILY: Nyctaginaceae

PLANT TYPE: Perennial Shrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Dec-June

COLOR: magenta

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Stem trailing mound shrub. Flowers open late in the afternoon. Requires little water. Seeds and roots are poisonous.

Coast Barrel Cactus

BOTANICAL NAME: Ferocactus viridescens

COMMON NAME: Coast Barrel cactus

FAMILY: Cactaceae

PLANT TYPE: Cacti, Shrub (stem succulent)

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: May - June

COLOR: yellow to orange flowers

HABITAT: Coastal Sage Scrub

COMMENTS: A medium to large cactus. Very spiny. Very drought tolerant. Included in the CNPS inventory of rare and endangered plants

California Popcorn Flower

BOTANICAL NAME: Plagiobothrys distantiflorus

COMMON NAME: California Popcorn Flower

FAMILY: Boraginaceae

PLANT TYPE: Annual Shrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: Mar – May

COLOR: white

HABITAT: Coastal sage scrub

COMMENTS: Annual herb with a spreading or erect stem and white flowers with five petals.

California Poppy

BOTANICAL NAME: Eschscholzia californica

COMMON NAME: California Poppy

FAMILY: Papaveracaea

PLANT TYPE: Perennial

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Feb – Sept

COLOR: yellow

HABITAT: Coastal Sage Scrub

COMMENTS: State flower and are great for naturalizing hillsides. Features long blue-green stems and bright satiny petaled flowers.

White Sage

BOTANICAL NAME: Salvia apiana

COMMON NAME: White Sage or Bee sage

FAMILY: Lamiaceae

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Shrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Apr – July

COLOR: yellow, white, silvery leaf

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Aromatic. Grows 3’ to 5’ tall and in the Spring gets a lavender tinged white flower. Bees make a delicate flavored honey from its flowers. Attractive at night as it reflects the moon or garden lighting. Some Indian tribes consider the white sage sacred. Drought tolerant.

California Buckwheat

BOTANICAL NAME: Eriogonum fasciculatum ssp. fasciculatum

COMMON NAME: California Buckwheat

FAMILY: Polygonaceae

PLANT TYPE: Shrubby Perrenials

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: March – Oct

COLOR: white

HABITAT: Native on the foothills. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Forms 1’ -3’ clumps offers an abundance of flowers which benefit wildlife. Drought tolerant. Good for erosion control. It is the state’s most wide spread buckwheat. In the Fall as the flower matures they change in appearance from white to rust or coppery seed heads.

Rush Rose

BOTANICAL NAME: Helianthemum scoparium

COMMON NAME: Rush Rose or Sunrose

FAMILY: Cistaceae

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Shrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: Mar-June

COLOR: yellow

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS:. Five petal, red stem ovary above petal. Also called rock roses. Good drainage is essential. Does well in rock gardens and seashore gardens. They are abundant after a fire.

Lance-Leaf Dudleya

BOTANICAL NAME: Dudleya lanceolata

COMMON NAME: Lance-Leaf Dudleya

FAMILY: Crassulace

PLANT TYPE: Succulent Perennial

LIGHT: Sun to partial shade

BLOOM: May - July

COLOR: long green stalks filled with rich pink blooms

HABITAT: Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub

COMMENTS: These plants are commonly called “liveforever” and can grow to one foot. They can be totally neglected and still thrive. Very good for rock gardens, they prefer poor rocky, sandy soil. Drought tolerant. A good plant for hummingbirds.

Coast Prickly Pear

BOTANICAL NAME: Opuntia littoralis

COMMON NAME: Coast Prickly Pear

FAMILY: Cactacaea

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Cactus

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: May - June

COLOR: yellow

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Very drought tolerant. spine clusters. Produces prickly red fruit that are edible. Forms wide clumps that can invade areas.

Indian Fig

BOTANICAL NAME: Opuntia ficus-indica

COMMON NAME: Indian Fig

FAMILY: Cactacaea

PLANT TYPE: Cacti

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: May – June

COLOR: yellow orange

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Very drought tolerant. Without spines – length and the direction in which they are pointing. Blossoms are followed by roundish fruit that are yellow red and are sold in the grocery store. Following is a link to the many medicinal qualities of the Indian Fig . http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/indian-fig.html

Mission Manzanita

BOTANICAL NAME: Arctostaphylos,Xylococcus bicolor

COMMON NAME: Mission Manzanita

FAMILY: Ericaceae

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Shrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Dec-Mar

COLOR: yellow

HABITAT: Maritime Chaparral

COMMENTS:. Densely branched can grow to eight feet tall with tightly curled under dark leaves. Salmon colored bark and short racemes of pale yellow, lantern like flowers followed by nearly black berries. Must have excellent drainage.

Bladderpod

BOTANICAL NAME: Isomeris arborea

COMMON NAME: Bladderpod

FAMILY: Capparaceae

PLANT TYPE: Semi-evergreen shrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Jan - Dec

COLOR: yellow

HABITAT: Coastal sage scrub

COMMENTS:. Cluster four petaled flowers, dense racemes (spike) stalks followed by green balloon shaped seed pods. Drought tolerant. Can bloom nearly all year and attracts hummingbirds. Bruised foliage gives off a strong pungent scent.

Yucca, Spanish Bayonet

BOTANICAL NAME: Yucca schidigera

COMMON NAME: Yucca, Spanish Bayonet

FAMILY: Agavaceae

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Subshrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM: Apr-May

COLOR: Purple tinted white flowers

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Grows to 10 ft tall. Fibrous, can make baskets from fibers and shampoo from the roots. Also it can be cooked as a vegetable and you can make syrup. Pollinated at night by small moths.

Indian Paintbrush

BOTANICAL NAME: Castilleja affinis

COMMON NAME: Indian Paintbrush

FAMILY: Scrophulariaceae

PLANT TYPE: Perrennial deciduous subshrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: Mar - May

COLOR: red orange

HABITAT: Native on the coast.

COMMENTS:. Perrined flower. Likes to grow on south facing slopes. It can handle poor sandy or rocky soil conditions. And must have good drainage. Attracts hummingbirds.

Deer Weed

BOTANICAL NAME: Lotus scoparius

COMMON NAME: Deer Weed or California Broom

FAMILY: Fabaceae (leguminosae)

PLANT TYPE: Perennial Deciduous Shrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: Mar - Aug

COLOR: yellow orange turns red

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Very drought tolerant. Adds nitrogen to the soil. Butterflies use it as a food source. Produces trailing stems and can be used as a ground cover.

Dudleya, Lady Fingers

BOTANICAL NAME: Dudleya edulis

COMMON NAME: Mission Dudleya, Lady Fingers

FAMILY: Crassulaceae

PLANT TYPE: Succulent perennials

LIGHT: Full sun

BLOOM: May - June

COLOR: white red tips

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Fleshy stems. When they bloom they produce long stalks with little yellow flowers. Good for low borders. Likes rocky slopes and edges.

Purple Night Shade

BOTANICAL NAME: Solanum aviculare

COMMON NAME: Purple Night Shade

FAMILY: Solanaceae

PLANT TYPE: Shrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: early spring

COLOR: purple

HABITAT: Chaparral

COMMENTS: Not native to California. It has become naturalized in the wild. Has small five pointed blue/purple flowers.

Laurel Sumac

BOTANICAL NAME:   Rhus laurina var Malosma laurina

COMMON NAME: Laurel Sumac

FAMILY: Anacardiaceae

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Shrub

LIGHT: Sun

BLOOM:

HABITAT: chaparral and coastal sage scrub

COLOR: dark red stem color

COMMENTS:. Taco shaped leaf. Drought-tolerant shrub. Because the leafy branches die back in the frost, California avocado and citrus growers have used this plant to warn of frost. It is valued as bee food.

Coastal Sage Scrub Oak

BOTANICAL NAME: Quercus dumosa var durata

COMMON NAME: Nuttall's Scrub Oak, Coastal Sage Scrub Oak

FAMILY: Fagaceae

PLANT TYPE: Evergreen Shrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: Mar - May

COLOR: reddish berry acorn

HABITAT: Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub

COMMENTS: Rare and endangered. Confined to nutrient poor soil. Bare to somewhat leggy can grow to 10’ tall.

Coast Spicebush

BOTANICAL NAME: Calycanthus occidentalis

COMMON NAME: Coast Spicebush

FAMILY: Citrus

PLANT TYPE: Deciduous Shrub

LIGHT: Sun to light shade

BLOOM: Nov-Mar

COLOR: white flowers, red berries

HABITAT: Native on the coast. Chaparral

COMMENTS: Winter color. The fruit is dimpled like an orange. The

fragrant flowers have four petals. Fast growing to 5-8’ it can control erosion.