Plant Database
We’re here to help you navigate the process of creating a thriving native landscape.
We’re passionate about your success with native plants. Our goal is to expand this resource over time, empowering gardeners, contractors, and architects with the knowledge they need to create thriving native landscapes.
We prepared these plant profiles with anecdotal experiences: insights from our own gardens and stories shared by others. We encourage you to comment on the plant profiles and share your experiences and recommendations.
We’ve started with 50 of our hardiest species and will continue adding from our inventory.
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.
Bahiopsis laciniata (San Diego Sunflower)
A shrub local to the San Diego region that has large masses of yellow flowers in the spring.
Baccharis pilularis ‘Pigeon Point’ (Dwarf Coyote Brush)
A great mass evergreen groundcover that is adaptable and dependable.
Cercocarpus betuloides (Mountain Mahogany)
A columnar small evergreen tree with delicate feather-like flowers. Great for screening or pruned into a small tree.
Carex praegracilis (Clustered Field Sedge)
A great native lawn replacement - can be mowed or left long. Requires significantly less water than turf grass.
Erigeron glaucus (Seaside Daisy)
A low-growing evergreen with nearly year-round pink flowers. A pollinator favorite.
Grindelia stricta venulosa (Gumweed)
A particularly hardy and fast growing evergreen groundcover with yellow flowers. Great for erosion control.
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.
Muhlenbergia rigens (Deergrass)
A large clump forming grass. Great as textural accent or planted en masse.
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.
Sporobolus airoides (Alkali Sacaton)
A good grass for mass planting, adds a nice textural element to a landscape.
Sisyrinchium bellum (Blue-eyed Grass)
One of the easiest herbaceous perennials, provides a vibrant pop of color during springtime.
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.