NATIVE PLANTS OF THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA
That are Suitable for Gardens
Compiled by Angelika Brinkmann-Busi
(Preferably only plants of local origin should be used to prevent detrimental impact on local plant populations)
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | HEIGHT / WIDTH | TYPE | PREFERENCE | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyon | Heteromeles Arbutifolia | 15'xl0' | Trees | sun/dry-moist | Evergreen, red berries in winter |
| Mexican Elderberry | Sambucus mexicana | 30'x20' | Trees | sun/moist | Blue berries, decidious |
| California Sagebrush | Artemisia californica | 5'x4' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Cut back regularly to keep compact |
| Coyote Brush | Baccharis pilularis | 8'x6' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Evergreen |
| California Bush Sunflower | Encelia californica | 4'x4' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Cut down to base if too leggy |
| Palmer's Goldenbush | Ericameria palmeri pachilepis | 3x4' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Late summer bloomer |
| Sawtooth Goldenbush | Hazardia squarrosa | 4' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Late summer bloomer |
| Coast Goldenbush | Isocoma menziesii | 4' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Late summer bloomer |
| Bladder Pod | Isomeris arborea | Shrubs | sun/dry | Fire retardant, blooms most of the year | |
| Honeysuckle | Lonicera subspicata | -6' | Shrubs | sun/moist to shade/dry | |
| Laurel Sumac | Malosma laurina | 10'x10' | Shrubs | sun/dry | |
| Lemonadeberry | Rhus integrifolia | -15'xl0' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Evergreen shrub |
| Suger Bush | Rhus ovata | 10'x10' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Evergreen shrub |
| California Gooseberry | Ribes californicum | 4' | Shrubs | shade/moist | Winter bloomer |
| California Wild Rose | Rosa californica | 4'x4'+ | Shrubs | sun-part shade/moist | Pink flowers |
| Purple Sage | Salvia leucophylla | 5'x5' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Aromatic foliage |
| Black Sage | Salvia mellifera | 4' | Shrubs | sun/dry | Aromatic foliage |
| Snowberry | Symphoricarpus mollis | 4' | Shrubs | shade/dry | Nice white berries |
| Perezia | Acourtia microcephala | 3' | Perennials | sun/dry | |
| Milkweed | Asclepias fascicularis | 3'xl' | Perennials | sun/dry | Food plant of Monarch Butterfly |
| Ocean Locoweed | Astragalus trichopodus lonchus | 1' | Perennials | sun/dry | Food plant of PV blue butterfly |
| Beach Primrose | Camissonia cheiranthifolia | 3-4" | Perennials | sun/dry | Sandy soil |
| Indian Paintbrush | Castilleja affinis | 1.5' | Perennials | sun/dry | Needs to grow among CSS shrubs |
| Parry's Larkspur | Delphinium parryi | 1.5î | Perennials | sun/dry | |
| Lance-Leaved Liveforever | Dudleya lanceolata | 6' | Perennials | shade/dry | On rock outcrops |
| Bright-Green Dudleya | Dudleya virens | 6" | Perennials | sun/dry | For coastal bluffs |
| Fleabane | Erigeron foliosus | 1' | Perennials | shade/dry | |
| Ashy-Leaved Buckwheat | Eriogonum cinereum | 3' | Perennials | sun/dry | Great butterfly nectar plant |
| California Buckwheat | Eriogonum fasciculatum | 2'x4' | Perennials | sun/dry | Great butterfly nectar plant |
| Seacliff Buckwheat | Eriogonum parvifolium | 3'x3' | Perennials | sun/dry | Plant of El Segundo Blue Butterfly |
| Golden Yarrow | Eriophyllum confertiflorum | 2' | Perennials | sun/dry | |
| California Fuchsia | Epilobium canum | 2'x4' | Perennials | sun-part shade/ dry, sun/moist | Great hummingbird plant; late bloomer |
| Two-tone Everlasting | Gnaphalium bicolor | -3' | Perennials | sun/dry | Scented foliage |
| California Everlasting | Gnaphalium californicum | 2' | Perennials | sun-part shade/dry | Scented foliage |
| Felt-leaf Everlasting | Gnaphalium californicum | 2' | Perennials | sun-shade/dry | |
| Gum Plant | Grindelia robusta | 4' | Perennials | sun/dry | Long bloom, yellow fIowers |
| Matchweed | Gutierrezia californica | 2' | Perennials | sun/dry | Late bloomer |
| Wild Heliotrope | Heliotropium currasavicum | 8" | Perennials | sun/dry-moist | |
| Horkelia | Horkelia cuneata | 2' | Perennials | sun/dry | Interesting leaves, small white flowers |
| California Aster | Lessingia filaginifolia | 3' | Perennials | sun/dry | Grey foliage, lavender flowers |
| Deer Weed | Lotus scoparius | 3'x2' | Perennials | sun/dry | Great butterfly nectar plant |
| Bush Lupine | Lupinus longifolius | 5' | Perennials | sun/dry | Early bloomer |
| Cliff Aster | Malacothrix saxatilis | 3' | Perennials | sun/dry | Dormant in summer |
| Bush Monkey Flower | Mimulus longiflorus | 3'x2' | Perennials | sun-shade/dry | Hummingbird plant |
| Four-o'-Clock | Mirabilis californica | 2' | Perennials | sun/dry | Dormant in summer without supplemental water |
| Prickly Pear Cactus | Opuntia littoralis | 5' | Perennials | sun/dry | |
| Coast Cholla | Opuntia prolifera | 4' | Perennials | sun/dry | |
| California Buttercup | Ranunculus californicus | 2' | Perennials | sun/vernally moist | |
| Wild Rhubarb | Rumex hymenosepalus | 3' | Perennials | sun/dry | Sandy soil |
| Hedge Nettle | Stachys ajugoides rigida | 2' | Perennials | shade/dry | |
| Wild Morning-Glory | Calystegia macrostegia | 12'x2' | Climbing Plants | shade/dry | |
| Virgin's Bower | Clematis ligusticifolia | 20' | Climbing Plants | sun/moist to part-shade/dry | Feathery seeds, small white flowers |
| Climbing Penstemon | Keckiella cordifolia | -12'/4' | Climbing Plants | sun-part shade/dry-moist | Great hummingbird plant |
| Canyon Pea | Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus | 2' | Climbing Plants | part shade/dry | |
| Common Fiddleneck | Amsinckia intermedia | 2'-3' | Annuals | sun/dry | Small yellow flowers |
| Purple Snapdragon | Antirrhinum nuttallianum | 1'-2' | Annuals | sun-shade/dry | |
| Southern Sun Cups | Camissonia bistorta | 3" | Annuals | sun/dry | Sandy soil |
| Owl's Clover | Castilleja exserta | 1' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Purple Clarkia | Clarkia purpurea | 2' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Chinese Houses | Collinsia heterophylla | 1' | Annuals | sun/moist to part/shade/dry | |
| Popcorn Flower | Cryptantha clevelandii | 3-4" | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| California Poppy | Eschscholzia californica | 1/2' | Annuals | sun/dry | Yellow flowered form |
| Tarplant | Hemizonia fasciculata | 2-3' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Miniature Lupine | Lupinus bicolor | -4" | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Succulent/Arroyo Lupine | Lupinus succulentus | 2' | Annuals | sun/dry | One of the easiest lupines to grow |
| Owl's Clover | Castilleja exserta | 1' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Caterpillar Phacelia | Phacelia cicutaria | 2' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Fiesta Flower | Pholistoma auritum | -4' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Chia | Salvia columbariae | 1.5' | Annuals | sun/dry | |
| Golden Stars | Bloomeria crocea | 2' | Bulbous Plants | sun/dry | Umbel-like, yellow flower heads |
| Brodiaea | Brodiaea joloensis | 6" | Bulbous Plants | sun/dry | Very short species with blue flowers |
| Catalina Mariposa Lily | Calochortus catalinae | 2' | Bulbous Plants | sun/dry | White to pink, large flowers |
| Blue Dicks/Wild Hyacinth | Dichelostemma capitatum | 2' | Bulbous Plants | sun/dry | Bluish flowerheads |
| Giant Rye Grass | Leymus condensatus | 4-5' | Grasses | sun/moist to shade/dry | Tall, vigorously growing grass |
| Melic Grass | Melica imperfecta | 2' | Grasses | sun-part shade/dry | |
| Needle Grass | Nassella cernua | 2' | Grasses | sun/dry | Can spread easily |
| Needle Grass | Nassella lepida | 2' | Grasses | part shade/dry | |
| Purple Needle Grass | Nassella pulchra | 2' | Grasses | sun/dry | |
| Maidenhair Fern | Adiantum jordanii | 1' | Ferns | shade/dry-moist | |
| Coffee Fern | Pellaea andromedifolia | 1' | Ferns | shade/dry | |
| Goldback Fern | Pentagramma triangularis | 5' | Ferns | shade/dry | |
| California Polypody | Polypodium californicum | 8" | Ferns | shade/dry |
References:
Brinkmann-Busi, Angelika. Flora of the Palos Verdes Peninsula; Preliminary Checklist. 10 pp. 1992
Gales, Donald Moore. Handbook of Wildflowers, Weeds, Wildlife, and Weather of the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula. 3rd Ed., Palos Verdes Peninsula: FoldaRoll Company, 1988.
Hickman, James C. The Jepson Manual. Higher Plants of California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.
Munz, Philip A..A Flora of Southern California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979.