Plant Profiles

There are over 6,000 different species of California native plants, though not all are in cultivation. Over the years we've planted hundreds of natives, and we'll feature just a few of them here (see list in leftmost column) as time allows.

In most cases, you should be able to also google the botanical name and find out lots more information. (Remember that using the common names may turn up completely different plants!)

Resources

The information contained in the plant profile pages is distilled from many books on native plants, including California Native Trees and Shrubs by Lenz & Dourley (recently re-released by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden), Landscape Plants for Western Regions by Bob Perry (out of print), An Illustrated Manual of California Shrubs by Howard McMinn (out of print), the Complete Garden Guide to the Native Perennials of California by Glenn Keator, the Complete Garden Guide to the Native Shrubs of California by Glenn Keator (both sadly out of print), plus our own experiences growing these plants at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.

One of our favorite online resources is Calflora, a database of California native plants. You can read all about Calflora's mission and FAQs here.