Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Eriogonum fasciculatum from Dana Point in Orange County. This horticultural selection blooms pretty white flowers during the summer, and has an attractive tight mounding form. The flowers are important sources of food for butterflies and birds.

Horticultural selection E. fasciculatum: origin = cuttings (1983) Dana Point headlands, south coast, Orange Co.; intro Tree of Life Nursery 1985. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selection of foothill and desert species of southern California. Introduced by the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley.

Warriner Lytle Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum 'Warriner Lytle', is a low horticultural selection of the perennial soft woody shrub species Eriogonum fasciculatum (California Buckwheat). This tough and drought tolerant native cultivar combines the hardiness and habitat value of the species, with the garden versatility of its selected low-growing form. This dependable groundcover plant is adaptable and easy to grow.

Warriner Lytle Buckwheat can reach 1-2' high but is often more prostrate. Its arching branches can spread 4'-5' wide. Fine dark-green, needle-like green leaves are topped in the summer by globe shaped clusters of pinkish-white to cream flowers, that then age to a rusty red-brown in late summer or autumn. It adds floral color to the summer native garden, and is a major draw in butterfly, pollinator, and bird habitat gardens. This low buckwheat makes a good ground cover, or an accent plant beside patios and pathways for enjoying the blooms and many butterflies they attract. With its dense foliage coverage and deep roots this ground cover is good for erosion control, slope stabilization, suppressing weed germination, and dry hot slopes.

California Buckwheats are a favorite nectar source for many butterfly species, native leaf cutter bees, and honey bees. As the summer progresses into autumn the birds will flock to feed on the seeds. Warriner Lytle Buckwheat will tolerate almost any soil type, including clay when planted on slopes or raised mounds, and take summer's high heat. Once established it needs very little water, one can provide occasional deep watering or none. Eriogonum fasciculatum 'Warriner Lytle' was selected and introduced for gardens by the Theodore Payne Foundation in Los Angeles, who named it for one of their dedicated volunteers.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum) is a common native that grows in southern California. It tends to grow in dry south facing slopes, at elevations from 0-7500 feet.

Leafy California Buckwheat, (Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum), is one of the four recognized varieties of this widespread species, and the one most often seen in populated areas of southern California. However, it is fairly common throughout central and southern California along the coast and on western side of the peninsular range, where it grows on dry slopes, washes and canyons, at elevations from sea level to 5,200 feet.

This plant is tough and easy to grow, even in very dry conditions. Plant in a well draining sunny site. It shouldn't need supplemental water after established, but it will tolerate occasional summer water better than most extremely drought tolerant California natives. Form is is variable, ranging from more often open and upright in the foothills, to often dense and mounding closer to the coast. As the plant ages, it often develops a beautiful ropy red, brown and gray ropy woody trunk and interesting twisting structure. Produces profuse pink to white and cream-colored flowers as early as March that dry to a pretty red rust color as the soil dries. It sheds its dried flowers and significant portion of its small blade-like leaves each dry season, and is an important plant for creating natural mulch. California Buckwheats are a keystone species for sagebrush scrub ecosystems, and a great choice for wildlife and butterfly gardens.

For further detail please refer to the listing for the main species, Eriogonum fasciculatum.

Eriogonum grande is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name redflower buckwheat. It is native to the Channel Islands of California, as well as northwestern Baja California. It is a mat-forming perennial herb producing tall, stout flower clusters of white, pink, or red flowers. Its long bloom time in summer makes it popular with pollinators. Leaves are located mainly at the base of the plant and are wavy along the edges and up to 10 centimeters long; the upper side is dark green, the underside is very pale. Although it is spreading, it doesn't spread far or fast and retains a petite form. It is useful in rock gardens, spilling over a wall, or in the understory of larger plants. Despite its island origin, it performs well inland if given some afternoon shade and a little extra water. There are three recognized varieties in the wild. Var. rubescens is the most commonly available form found in nurseries.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Coast Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium) is a shrub-like perennial in the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). It has oval, wooly white-green leaves with small, pink and white flowers in round clusters at the ends of long, wooly stems. The flowers fade to an attractive copper color in the fall.

Also known as Seaside Buckwheat, it naturally grows on coastal bluffs and slopes, where it receives full sun and all of its water from fog and rainfall.

In the garden, plant Coast Buckwheat on rocky slopes, in crevices, or sunny rock walls. When planted in its natural range, it will not need additional summer water after its first year. Provide part shade and some supplemental water when planted away from the immediate coast.

Coast Buckwheat supports many pollinators, and is an important food source for butterflies and moths. Allowing the flower stalks to remain through winter provides seeds for hungry birds.

Nude buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum) is a perennial shrub in the wild buckwheat family  that features a striking, upright form. It has a basal rosette of flat green leaves from which tall, bare stems rise, reaching up to six feet. At the top of these stems, rounded clusters of white, pale pink, or yellow flowers bloom, adding delicate color to the landscape.

This adaptable plant has one of the widest ecological distributions of all buckwheats. It thrives in environments ranging from wet coastal areas to the cold, dry elevations of the Sierra Nevada. While the species is generally common, certain varieties are rare.

Nude buckwheat is easy to grow and looks especially beautiful when planted in groups for a massed effect. The nectar-rich flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while its seeds provide food for birds. Additionally, the plant serves as a host for caterpillars, supporting native ecosystems.

Cascading mounds of pale pink and white flowers make sea cliff buckwheat (Erigonum parvifolium) an attractive feature of a native hillside or pollinator garden. Found on coastal cliffs in Southern and Central California, sea cliff buckwheat is also a useful selection for the home garden. It is sometimes called dune or coast buckwheat.

Sea cliff buckwheat grows in mounds up to 3 ft in width and height. This plant provides good coverage and erosion control for sloped landscapes. Alone or planted in clusters, it's also at home in rock gardens, containers, borders, and as a lawn replacement.

The small evergreen leaves are dark green, accented with a reddish tint. During the long flowering season, the blooms change from a delicate pinkish-white to a rusty brown. The blooms are an important food source for many native butterflies and moths, including endangered species such as the El Segundo Blue butterfly. 

Sea cliff buckwheat grows in full sun at the coast, but can benefit from some shade in hot inland areas. Water needs are low. Once a month watering is sufficient after the plant is established. Prune back in early spring, before flower buds appear. Deadheading is not recommended because the spent flowers provide seeds for birds and extra shade for the plants in hot weather.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Eriogonum trichopes is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name little desert trumpet. It is native to the mountain slopes and deserts of the southwestern United States from California to New Mexico, and its range extends into Mexico. This is an annual herb quite variable in height, growing to a spindly 10 centimeters or a sprawling, brambly 1.5 meters. Its leaves form a basal patch on the ground, each rounded with ruffled margins and covered in woolly or stiff hairs. The erect flower cluster is naked and sometimes hairy, with many slender branches that flower year-round. Flower clusters hang on short, thready stalks. Each minuscule flower is hairy or hairy and is bright yellow when new, darkening over time to a reddish color.

Sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum) is an attractive small perennial with cute spoon-shaped leaves and bright yellow to creamy yellow flowers. This species has many varieties. It may form a small clump with rosettes of silver-green foliage and flowers to 4 inches tall, or a sprawling shrub approaching 7 feet high and wide.  It is fast growing and flowers in summer.

Sulphur buckwheat grows in full to part sun and prefers well-draining, rocky, acidic soil. It is drought-adapted, and an important pollinator plant, hosting a likely total of 37 species of butterfly and moth.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Bart O'Brien.

Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) is a flowering plant in the daisy family that is highly variable and can be an annual, a perennial or a small shrub.  Golden yarrow is part of a number of plant communities, including chaparral, coastal sage shrub, and southern oak woodland.

 It grows in large clumps of many erect stems, often as high as 2 feet high and 2 feet wide. It has lacy silver foliage.  At the top of each stem is a flower cluster of up to 30 flower heads, each bright golden yellow.  The long blooming season from winter to summer makes this plant welcome in the garden. Cutting the dead flower heads extends the bloom.

IT is not to be confused with Yellow Achillea which is a European import. Golden yarrow is very attractive to pollinators, especially butterflies.

Golden yarrow is a fast growing plant that takes full sun and well-draining soil. It needs very little water, a maximum of two times per month in summer once established.

Common wooly sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum) is a perennial with yellow flowers looking much like true sunflowers. One flower head is borne on each flowering stalk, exhibiting great variability. There are many recognized varieties, some classified as rare.

Common wooly sunflower grows in full sun or part shade and is tolerant of a variety of soils including sand, clay and alkaline. It requires watering no more than once a month in summer.

It is deer resistant and supports many insects, hosting a likely total of 7 species of butterfly and moths.

Erysimum capitatum is a species of wallflower known commonly as the sanddune wallflower, western wallflower, or prairie rocket. It is a mustard-like plant with thin, erect stems growing from a basal rosette and topped with dense bunches of variably colored flowers. Flowers are most typically bright golden, yellow, tangerine-colored, but plants in some populations may have red, white or purple flowers. Each flower has four flat petals. Seed pods are nearly-parallel to the stem. Although quite variable in appearance, it is an attractive garden plant. There are several natural variants of this plant. Each is treated separately, with certain variants considered endangered species in some areas. For example Erysimum capitatum var angustatum, the Contra Costa wallflower, is an endangered plant in the state of California.

Scarlet monkeyflower is a herbacious perennial in the lopseed family. It is an attractive plant which bears red or orange-red flowers and toothed, downy leaves. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California. It is typically found in wetlands or moist areas. It can take full sun but seems to do better with part shade. It is sometimes used as a garden plant for its blooms, which attract hummingbirds. It is a fairly large, spreading, attractive plant which bears strongly reflexed, nectar-rich red or orange-red flowers and toothed, downy leaves. It is native to the West Coast and Southwestern United States and Baja California, and is generally found at low elevation in moist areas. Occasional populations of yellow-flowered Erythranthe cardinalis (which lack anthocyanin pigments in their corollas) are found in the wild.

Erythranthe cardinalis is cultivated in the horticulture trade and widely available as an ornamental plant for traditional gardens; natural landscape, native plant, and habitat gardens; and various types of municipal, commercial, and agency sustainable landscape projects. Cultivars come in a range of colors between yellow and red, including the "Santa Cruz Island Gold" variety, originally collected from Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. A hybrid between E. tuolumnense and E. californicum.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Eschscholzia caespitosa is a species in the Papaveraceae (Poppy) family known by the common names Tufted Poppy and Foothill poppy. It is native to western North America from Oregon to Baja California where it is a member of the chaparral plant community. In California it is found primarily in the central Coast Ranges, the Sierra foothills, and the Transverse Range. This is an annual herb which is quite similar in appearance to its relative, the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). It produces patches of foliage made up of several leaflets per leaf and thin, erect stems up to 30 centimeters in height. The poppy flower has orange to yellow petals each one to two and a half centimeters long. The fruit is a cylindrical capsule 4 to 8 centimeters long containing tiny dark netted seeds. Because it is an annual, it is best used in a meadow-like setting with other annuals (see below).

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is the state flower of California. Every garden can find a place for this easy, cheerful annual. It self-seeds freely and will give your whole neighborhood poppies, but is not particularly invasive. 

The plant grows in full sun but will tolerate part shade. It reaches one to two foot tall and can be perennial in milder areas. The feathery foliage is blue-green The flowers range from yellow to bright orange, appearing from February to September, though primarily in spring. The petals may remain closed in cloudy weather. The fruit is a slender capsule which splits to release numerous small black or dark brown seeds. The seeds are ready to take when the pods become dry and brown. Birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators are attracted to this plant. Rabbits may browse the leaves but it is deer resistant.

It is best introduced into the garden from seed sown in fall at the start of the rainy season. Do not cover the seeds with soil or mulch. California poppies like fast draining soil and plenty of sunshine but are very hardy and will also thrive in poor soil conditions, such as clay. If planting from seedlings, be careful with the long sensitive roots and water occasionally until established.

A nursery cultivated California Poppy. Pale butter-yellow blooms tip lovely gray-green finely cut foliage. A self-sower that would be dearly missed if it didn't reappear every spring, choosing edges of paths and gravelly well-drained spots.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Eschscholzia californica. Mahogany California Poppy is a colorful variation on the California state flower. Scarlet buds are breathtaking before opening. Mahogany Poppy is an annual or biennial, but will become a perennial if coastal, and will flower spring, summer and and into the fall if watered. Mahogany California Poppy is normally quite a low maintenance plant and is very easy to grow - great for beginner gardeners! Plant in full sun in average to poor, well-draining soil.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Eschscholzia californica. Moonglow California Poppy is a colorful variation on the California state flower. This variety sports beautiful creamy yellow blooms. Moonglow is an annual or biennial, but Will become a perennial if coastal, and will flower spring, summer and into the fall if watered. Moonglow California Poppy is normally quite a low maintenance plant and is very easy to grow - great for beginner gardeners! Plant in full sun in average to poor, well-draining soil Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Eschscholzia californica. Eschscholzia californica 'Purple Gleam' is a light purple-pink to dusky rose version of the state flower of the Golden state. Blooms in spring from a fall sowing, or in summer from a spring sowing. Superb in meadows or native gardens. Dead-head for extra long bloom! Poor, dry or good soil. Great for a beginner gardener. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Eschscholzia lobbii is a species of poppy known by the common name frying pans. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills. Frying pans is a small annual herb growing from a patch of segmented leaves with pointed leaflets. It produces erect stalks up to 15 centimeters in height each bearing a single poppy flower. The petals are about a centimeter long and bright yellow to somewhat orange. The fruit is a capsule 3 to 7 centimeters long containing tiny brown seeds. The plant is named after William Lobb (1809 - 1864), the English plant collector.

Though not used as often as California Poppy (E. californica), this one would be a great choice for Central Valley gardens. Its best use is in a meadow-like patch of annual wildflowers.

Euonymus occidentalis is a species in the Celastraceae (Bittersweet) family known by the common name Burning Bush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it is the only member of its genus growing wild. In California it is found in two disjunct locations corresponding to its two recognized Varieties: Var. occidentalis is found along the coast from Santa Cruz northward, and in the Cascades and Sierra foothills. Var. parishii is found far to the south in the Peninsular Range. Though not designated as rare, it is a somewhat uncommon plant growing as a shrub or small tree reaching maximum heights from two to six meters. The thin, green, oval-shaped leaves are up to one and a half centimeters long and sometimes rolled under along the edges. The flower cluster holds up to five small flowers at the end of a long peduncle. Each flower has five rounded, mottled petals of red, pink, brown or white color, around a central nectar disc with 5 nubs. The fruit is a rounded red-orange capsule with three bulging lobes. It opens to reveal one seed in each of the three lobes. The seed in concealed in a red aril. Although this plant likes moist locations, it also needs good drainage. Burning Bush is a good choice for cool, shaded woodland gardens or higher elevation, forested gardens.

Euphorbia misera is a species in the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) family known by the common name Cliff Spurge. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it is known from the Sonoran Desert and the coastline, including the Channel Islands of California. It occurs in close proximity to the coast in Coastal Sage Scrub and Maritime Succulent Scrub vegetation, often on steep slopes. Although common in Baja, it is very rare in California. It was probably never common north of the border, and much of its former habitat has been lost to agriculture and urbanization.

This is a subshrub standing erect in protected areas, or prostrate when exposed to constant sea breeze. It reaches one half to one meter in height. The stems are limber and somewhat succulent. When broken, the stems produce a milky sap that is typical of Euphorbias. It has small, rounded, hairy leaves that are dropped readily in dry periods. The typical Euphorbia flower clusters are at the tips of the branches. The distinctive flower is hairy and has a central nectar disc with a bright red appendage with scalloped edges and a light yellow fringe. The style in the pistillate flower extends outward and is divided at the tip. The anthers are bright yellow. The fruit is a spherical capsule with lobes containing round, wrinkled gray seeds.

In the garden this plant can be a highly interesting though unusual specimen or accent plant. The flowers are not showy, but in garden conditions the plant can bloom nine months out of the year. It is especially effective with other succulents and decorative rock. It is best used in warm, relatively dry coastal gardens in the southern part of the state.

Euthamia occidentalis, known by the common names Western Goldenrod and Western Goldentop, is a deciduous flowering perennial plant. It is native to most of the western states. It is most widespread in California, where it is primarily found at elevations below 5,000 feet, in damp ground along rivers and streams, irrigation ditches, meadows, tidal channels, fresh to brackish marshes, and other wetlands.



Western Goldentop is a spreading rhizomatous plant with thin, tall, and branched stems clad with long, narrow, gray-green leaves. It will usually grow from 4 to 6 feet tall, and can be used for erosion control and bank stabilization. It produces numerous small yellow flower heads that are united into loose, rounded blossom clusters at the ends of the branches. It blooms during late summer and autumn, attracting many bees and other pollinators.

California fescue (Festuca californica) is a fast-growing perennial grass. It grows in clumps that spray out from the center to 3 feet wide and can reach 4 feet tall. The rough leaves are narrow but long, hosting butterflies and moths. 

California fescu is often used for revegetating grassland that has been cleared or claimed by non-native grasses. It prefers loamy or clay soils, grows poorly in sandy soils and tolerates serpentine soil.  It grows in full sun or part shade and takes very low water.  In summer, once established, it can be watered only 3 times per month.