Native Landscape Favorites

Our top 50 picks for hardy natives to use in landscaping and gardens.

Groundcovers

Aster chilensis 'Point Saint George' (Coast Aster)

Lush spreading groundcover with violet blooms in summer to fall.

Artemisia californica 'Canyon Gray' (Coastal Sagebrush)

A fragrant, low spreading groundcover. A natural cultivar of California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) from the windswept San Miguel Island in the Channel Islands.

Baccharis pilularis ‘Pigeon Point’ (Dwarf Coyote Brush)

A great mass evergreen groundcover that is adaptable and dependable.

Corethrogyne filaginifolia 'Silver Carpet' (Silver Carpet Aster)

A low-growing, carpet-like groundcover with pink flowers and silver foliage.

Clinopodium douglasii (Yerba Buena)

A spreading perennial found in shady, moist areas. It has a pleasant fragrance and the leaves can be used for tea.

Ceanothus ‘Joyce Coulter’ (Joyce Coulter Mountain Lilac)

A fast growing groundcover selection of Ceanothus, great for covering large areas.

Erigeron glaucus (Seaside Daisy)

A low-growing evergreen with nearly year-round pink flowers. A pollinator favorite.

Fragaria chiloensis (Beach Strawberry)

A great groundcover for sandy soils. Blooms with little white flowers that turn into tiny strawberries. One of the two strawberry species used to create the modern hybrid strawberry.

Grindelia stricta venulosa (Gumweed)

A particularly hardy and fast growing evergreen groundcover with yellow flowers. Great for erosion control.

Iva hayesiana (San Diego Marsh-elder)

An adaptable, low maintenance evergreen groundcover. Has tiny yellow flowers in the spring.

Jaumea carnosa (Marsh Jaumea)

A groundcover with small yellow flowers in the summer. Good for stabilization in coastal areas.

Salvia leucophylla 'Point Sal Spreader' (Purple Sage)

A medium height groundcover with silver foliage and pink flowers in winter. Tolerates drought and garden conditions.

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Groundcovers

Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard Mcminn’ (Howard Mcminn Manzanita)

One of the most garden tolerant species of manzanita, so a good species to start with if you want to try a manzanita.

Abutilon palmeri (Palmer's Indian Mallow)

An evergreen, medium sized shrub with soft grey leaves and nearly ever-present blooms. Native to the desert but also does great on the coast.

Acalypha californica (California Copperleaf)

A beautiful red-twigged shrub that is underused in native landscaping. Blooms most of the year if watered periodically.

Bahiopsis laciniata (San Diego Sunflower)

A shrub local to the San Diego region that has large masses of yellow flowers in the spring.

Condea emoryi (Desert Lavender)

A desert shrub that needs little water, is heat tolerant, and produces fragrant, colorful flowers over a long season.

Calliandra californica (Baja Fairy Duster)

A striking evergreen shrub with red "powder puff" flowers. A great native alternative to Callistemon 'Little John'.

Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon)

A great evergreen shrub that is very easy to grow and has beautiful red berries during the winter.

Heteromeles arbutifolia ‘Davis Gold’ (Golden Berry Toyon)

An upright growing, evergreen small tree with yellow berries instead of the typical red Toyon berries. This selection has larger leaves and a particularly attractive branching structure.

Prunus illicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)

A medium sized evergreen tree with leaves that resemble holly. A profusion of fragrant, small white flowers arrive early to late spring. Red fruits follow which songbirds love.

Ribes viburnifolium (Catalina Currant)

Good low growing bush or tall ground cover for shady areas, spreads at a medium rate through layering. Has beautiful clusters of deep red flowers that bloom in late winter/early spring.

Sphaeralcea ambigua ‘Coral’(Coral Desert Globemallow)

A beautiful perennial with long-blooming vibrant red flowers.

Sphaeralcea ambigua (Desert Globemallow)

A drought tolerant perennial with vibrant orange blooms. Works great in hot, sunny areas.

Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba)

Very drought tolerant, Jojoba grows from the coast all the way out to the desert. Thrives in full sun with minimal water.

Salvia leucophylla 'Point Sal Spreader' (Purple Sage)

A medium height groundcover with silver foliage and pink flowers in winter. Tolerates drought and garden conditions.

Salvia 'Pozo Blue' (Pozo Blue Sage)

A quintessential native plant with whirls of purple to blue flowers in spring. Great for attracting pollinators and hummingbirds.

Salvia 'Allen Chickering' (Allen Chickering Sage)

One of the largest Salvia clevelandii cultivars. Fragrant leaves and beautiful purple/blue flowers.

Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina' (De La Mina Verbena)

An adaptable perennial with lightly scented purple blossoms that attract butterflies. Though this plant has more flowers in the spring, it does have blossoms throughout most of the year, especially if given supplemental water.

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Groundcovers

Chilopsis linearis (Desert Willow)

A small tree with beautiful, large pink flowers. Ideal for full sun and sandy soil.

Cercocarpus betuloides (Mountain Mahogany)

A columnar small evergreen tree with delicate feather-like flowers. Great for screening or pruned into a small tree.

Hesperocyparis forbesii (Tecate Cypress)

A native cypress that makes a great hedge or screen plant.

Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii (Catalina Cherry)

A glossy-leafed evergreen tree from the Channel Islands with white flowers in spring and an edible red cherry. Makes a great screening plant or small tree.

Prunus illicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)

A medium sized evergreen tree with leaves that resemble holly. A profusion of fragrant, small white flowers arrive early to late spring. Red fruits follow which songbirds love.

Quercus engelmannii (Engelmann Oak)

A beautiful rare oak native to Southern California that has lost much of its native habitat due to development.

Quercus chrysolepis (Canyon Live Oak)

The most wide-spread oak in the state, typically located alongside creeks and in drainage swales, thriving in moist and cool microhabitats.

Quercus agrifolia (Coast Live Oak)

One of the only native oaks that thrives in coastal environments. An iconic tree that serves as an essential species for wildlife and the surrounding ecosystem.

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Groundcovers

Agave shawii (Shaw's Agave)

Rare in California due to habitat loss. Found only along the Pacific coast of Baja and San Diego.

Dudleya brittonii (Giant Chalk Dudleya)

A striking silver succulent that maintains a small rosette form year-round. Great as an accent around rocks or planted en masse.

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Groundcovers

Carex praegracilis (Clustered Field Sedge)

A great native lawn replacement - can be mowed or left long. Requires significantly less water than turf grass.

Muhlenbergia rigens (Deergrass)

A large clump forming grass. Great as textural accent or planted en masse.

Sporobolus airoides (Alkali Sacaton)

A good grass for mass planting, adds a nice textural element to a landscape.

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Groundcovers

Lonicera hispidula (Pink honeysuckle)

A vine with beautiful pink blooms that hummingbirds love.

Vitis 'Roger's Red' (Roger's Red Grape)

A deciduous vine known for its vivid red foliage in fall. Ideal for arbors, it offers summer shade with its lush leaves, but still permits sunlight through in winter after it drops its leaves.

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Groundcovers

Aster chilensis 'Point Saint George' (Coast Aster)

Lush spreading groundcover with violet blooms in summer to fall.

Anemopsis californica (Yerba Mansa)

Naturally found along stream and pond edges, requires moist soil. Beautiful spring blooms.

Achillea millefolium (Common Yarrow)

Easy to grow with bright spring and summer flowers that attract pollinators.

Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’ (Paprika Yarrow)

Long blooming, striking red flowers that attract butterflies.

Achillea ‘Moonshine’ (Moonshine Yarrow)

Vibrant yellow flowers that bloom all summer and attract pollinators.

Corethrogyne filaginifolia 'Silver Carpet' (Silver Carpet Aster)

A low-growing, carpet-like groundcover with pink flowers and silver foliage.

Clinopodium douglasii (Yerba Buena)

A spreading perennial found in shady, moist areas. It has a pleasant fragrance and the leaves can be used for tea.

Eriogonum grande var. rubescens (Red-flowered Buckwheat)

A uniquely low-growing buckwheat from the Channel Islands with bright red/pink flower clusters.

Erigeron glaucus (Seaside Daisy)

A low-growing evergreen with nearly year-round pink flowers. A pollinator favorite.

Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia)

Bright red flowers that bloom in summer and autumn. One of the few natives to be blooming during this time, so a good addition to a garden to balance out color year-round.

Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’ (Calistoga California Fuchsia)

A low-growing selection of California Fuchsia with large red tubular flowers in Summer.

Fragaria chiloensis (Beach Strawberry)

A great groundcover for sandy soils. Blooms with little white flowers that turn into tiny strawberries. One of the two strawberry species used to create the modern hybrid strawberry.