Perideridia kelloggii is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Kellogg's yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the north and central coasts, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in grassland habitat, sometimes on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb which may reach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from a cluster of long, narrow, fibrous roots each up to 15 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 45 centimeters wide which are divided into many leaflets subdivided into narrow, elongated lobes. The flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimeter long.

Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus) is a native perennial herb that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-1300 feet.

Phacelia bolanderi is a species of flowering plant known by several common names, including Bolander's phacelia, Bolander's scorpionweed, blue-flowered grape-leaf, and caterpillar flower. It bears attractive papery inch-wide purple, lavender, or blue flowers and strongly toothed leaves which resemble those of grape. The plant blooms later than most others, and is commonly in flower during the hottest summer months. The plant is native to Oregon and coastal northern California. It was named for the California botanist Henry Nicholas Bolander.

Phacelia ciliata is a species of phacelia known by the common name Great Valley phacelia. It is native to California, where it can be found in many of the coastal mountain ranges, the Central Valley, and the Sierra Nevada foothills; its distribution extends into Baja California. It grows in grassland and low mountain slopes. It is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near half a meter. The branching or unbranched stem is hairy and lightly hairy. The oblong or oval leaves are up to 15 centimeters long, the larger ones divided into lobed or toothed leaflets. The flower cluster is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of many flowers. Each funnel- or bell-shaped flower has deeply veined, hair-lined sepals and a blue corolla with a pale throat.

Phacelia imbricata is a species in the Boraginaceae (Fort-me-not) family known by the common name Imbricate Phacelia. It is native to much of California and Baja California, where it can be found in varied habitat in mountains, valleys, and coastline. It is a perennial herb growing decumbent or erect to a maximum height exceeding one meter. It is hairy and coated in stiff hairs. The leaves may be up to 15 centimeters long and are divided into several leaflets. The flower cluster is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of many bell-shaped flowers. The flower is roughly half a centimeter long and white to pale purple in color. It is almost always grown from seed. There are four recognized varieties with differing geographic ranges.

It should be noted that there are a very large number of species in the genus Phacelia. Most are annuals. Gardeners should look for species appropriate to their area and garden conditions.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden (Cheyenne Research in Wyoming).

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selection by Roger Raiche and Ron Lutsko from shasta County.

Philadelphus microphyllus is a species of mock-orange known by the common name littleleaf mock-orange. It is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern quadrant of the United States as far north as Wyoming, where it grows in scrub and brush habitat in foothills and mountains, often in very rocky areas, sometimes anchoring itself in rock cracks and crevices. It is a highly variable plant with many subspecies. In general it is a rounded, spreading shrub reaching a maximum height around 2 meters. Young branches are coated in stiff hairs, and older branches have reddish, yellowish, or gray shredding bark. The pointed oval or lance-shaped leaves are up to 2.5 centimeters long, green, and sometimes hairy. They are oppositely arranged and deciduous. The flower cluster is a solitary flower or cluster of two or three. The fragrant flower has four or five white or cream petals and a cluster of many stout stamens. The fruit is a hard capsule containing many seeds. This flowering shrub is propagated and used as a drought-tolerant ornamental plant in its native range.

Pinus contorta is a common tree in western North America with the bulk of its population to the north and east of California. Within California it is found primarily in the Sierras, with scattered populations in other mountains. There are three recognized subspecies which can vary greatly in appearance. In the Sierras ssp. Murrayana can be very tall with a straight trunk, consistent with the common name Lodgepole Pine. It is found at elevations from 1,500 ft. to 12,000 ft. Near the coast ssp. contorta can be shrub height with twisted trunk and branches and known as Beach Pine. It is found from sea level to about 2,000 ft. Ssp. bolanderi is a rare species from the coast of Mendocino County northward to Oregon.

Pinus contorta is a moderately important timber wood but not often used in landscaping. The needles are held in bundles of two. The cones of may be of either the closed or open type and remain on the tree for many years. The bark is relatively thin and susceptible to fire.

Shore Pine (Pinus contorta ssp. contorta) is a native tree that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the North Coast region. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-11500 feet.

Pinus lambertiana (commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine) is the tallest and most massive pine tree, and has the longest cones of any conifer. It is native to the mountains of the Pacific coast of North America, from Oregon through California to Baja California. The sugar pine occurs in the mountains of Oregon and California in the western United States, and Baja California in northwestern Mexico; specifically the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and Sierra San Pedro Martir. The sugar pine is the largest species of pine, commonly growing to 40-60 meters (130-200 ft) tall, exceptionally up to 82 m (269 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of 1. 5-2. 5 m (4. 9-8. 2 ft), exceptionally 3. 5 m (11 ft). Pinus lambertiana is a member of the white pine group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in bundles (fascicles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. They are 6-11 cm (2. 4-4. 3 in)ch) long. Sugar pine is notable for having the longest cones of any conifer, mostly 25-50 cm (9. 8-19. 7 in) long, exceptionally up to 66 cm (26 in) long (although the cones of the Coulter pine are more massive). The seeds are 10-12 mm (0. 39-0. 47 in) long, with a 2-3 cm (0. 79-1. 18 in) long wing that aids wind dispersal. The seeds of the sugar pine are also a type of pine nut and are edible.

The Single-leaf Pinyon (Pinus monophylla) is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to the United States and northwest Baja, Mexico. Within California it is found in the Sierras, the Transverse Range, and Peninsular Range. It occurs at moderate altitudes from 1200-2300 meter, rarely as low as 950 meter and as high as 2900 meter, in the most arid areas occupied by any pine in California. It is widespread and often abundant in this region, forming extensive open woodlands, often mixed with junipers. It is a small to medium size tree, reaching 10-20 meter tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 80 centimeter, rarely more. However, it is very slow growing, reaching only 3 ft. in seven years.The bark is irregularly furrowed and scaly. It is the world's only 1-needled pine; the leaves ('needles') are usually single (though trees with needles in pairs are found occasionally), stout, 4-6 centimeter long, and grey-green to strongly waxy pale blue-green, with stomata over the whole needle surface (and on both inner and outer surfaces of paired needles). The cones are acute-globose, the largest of the true pinyons, 4.5-8 centimeter long and broad when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-buff when 18-20 months old, with only a small number of very thick scales, typically 8-20 fertile scales. The cones open to 6-9 centimeter broad when mature, holding the seeds on the scales after opening. The seeds are 11-16 millimeter long, with a thin shell, a white endosperm, and a vestigial 1-2 millimeter wing; they are dispersed by the Pinyon Jay, which plucks the seeds out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a food resource, stores many of the seeds for later use by burying them. Some of these stored seeds are not used and are able to grow into new trees. Indeed, Pinyon seeds will rarely germinate in the wild unless they are cached by jays or other animals. The seeds (pine nuts) are also harvested and eaten by people.

The Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata) is a pine with a very restricted range: mostly California, USA, including some offshore islands, and a few locations in Baja California, Mexico, and always on or near the coast, from Trinidad Head in Humboldt County, California south to San Vicente in Baja California. The mature trees grow to a height of 15-25 meter, rarely up to 34 meter, with a trunk diameter of up to 1.2 meter. The species is often smaller, stunted and twisted in coastal exposures. It is drought-tolerant and grows on dry, rocky soil. P. muricata has been used in plantations with resultant growth rates higher than in the wild, but with adverse impacts to biodiversity. The common name Bishop Pine resulted from the tree having been first identified near the Mission of San Luis Obispo. This tree has a large number of common names and other prior scientific names, due primarily to numerous variant forms. Other English names that have occasionally been used are: Obispo Pine, Santa Cruz Pine, Dwarf Marine Pine, and Pricklecone Pine.

Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane. It is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association Ponderosa shrub forest. Like most western pines, the ponderosa is associated with mountainous topography. It is found on the Black Hills and on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central and southern Rocky Mountains as well as the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Modern forestry research identifies four different taxa of Ponderosa Pine, with differing botanical characters and adapted to different climatic conditions. These have been termed "geographic races" in forestry literature, while some botanists historically treated them as distinct species. In modern botanical usage, they best match the rank of subspecies, but not all of the relevant botanical combinations have been formally published.

Plantago erecta is a small, unassuming annual herb with needle-like leaves and translucent flowers clustered on a stalk. It grows in sandy, clay, or serpentine soils, on grassy slopes and flats or open woodland, from California to Oregon. It is known variously as California Plantain, Foothill Plantain, Dot-seed Plantain, English Plantain, and Dwarf Plantain. P. erecta is a primary host plant for the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly.

Plantago subnuda is a species of plantain known by the common name tall coastal plantain. It is native to western North America from the west coast of the United States to west-central Mexico, where it grows in wet and moist habitat types, often in coastal areas, such as marshland. It is a perennial herb producing few oval leaves around a thick caudex. The broad smooth-edged or slightly toothed leaves may be up to 40 centimeters long. The stemlike flower clusters grow erect to a maximum height near half a meter. Atop the peduncle of the flower cluster is a dense cylindrical spike of many tiny flowers. Each flower has a corolla of ephemeral petals about 3 millimeters long.

The Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), a species of plane tree native to California, is a tall, distinctive tree that stands out in any landscape. This tree is known for its bark, which is mottled in shades of pale tan, gray, and white. The bark peels as it ages. It has twisting branches and large leaves which turn orange-yellow in the fall. It produces seed balls after blooming. It's an important host plant for the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

Naturally found in moist areas near rivers and streams, this tree requires a significant amount of water to thrive. When not planted near a water source, it needs regular irrigation. The Western Sycamore tolerates different soil types and does best in full sun. It can grow up to 100 feet tall and 50 feet wide, so be sure to give new trees a large planting area.

Pluchea odorata is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae, that is native to the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Common names include Sweetscent, Salt Marsh Fleabane, and Shrubby Camphorweed. It inhabits wetlands and other coastal habitats and moist inland areas, often in saline substrates. It is an introduced species and a noxious weed in Hawaii. It is an annual or perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height over one meter. It is hairy, coated in rough trichomes (hairs), and strongly aromatic. The toothed oval leaves are up to 12 centimeter (4.7 inches) long and alternately arranged on the stiff stems. The flower cluster is a large cluster of many flower heads. Each head is less than 1 centimeter (0.39 inches) long and filled with bright pinkish-purple or magenta flowers. The fruit is a tiny achene tipped with a bristly pappus.

Poa secunda (variously known by the common names of Sandberg bluegrass, alkali bluegrass, big bluegrass, Canby's bluegrass, Nevada bluegrass, one-sided bluegrass, Pacific bluegrass, pine blugrass, slender bluegrass, wild bluegrass, and curly bluegrass. ) is a widespread species of grass native to North and South America. It is highly resistant to drought conditions, and provides excellent fodder; and has also been used in controlling soil erosion, and as revegetator, often after forest fires. Cultivars include 'Canbar', 'Service', 'Sherman', and 'Supernova'. Historically, indigenous Americans, such as the Gosiute of Utah, have used P. secunda for food. It was originally described botanically in 1830 by Jan Svatopluk Presl, from a holotype collected from Chile by Thaddäus Haenke in 1790.

California Polypody (Polypodium californicum) is a native fern that grows in northern, southern and central California, primarily along the coast, foothills and coastal mountains. It tends to grow in canyons, streambanks and north facing slopes, at elevations from sea level to 4,000 feet. It spreads slowly by rhizome. In areas that are wet year round it may stay evergreen; in areas of summer dryness it will become deciduous. It is one of the more popular native ferns for shade gardens.

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

Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) is a large evergreen fern with dark green fronds that grow in a tight clump, spreading out radially from a round base. It grows up to 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and is moderate to fast growing. Individual fronds live for 1.5-2.5 years and remain attached to the base after withering.

It is excellent as an ornamental groundcover for shade. Plant in partial to full shade and give moderate to regular water. It prefers well-draining, rocky, acidic soil but can tolerate clay.

This plant attracts butterflies and hosts a likely total of 3 species of butterfly and moth. It is deer and rabbit resistant.

Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) is a fast-growing native shade tree found in alluvial bottomlands and along streamsides at elevations from 0 to 6,500 feet. It thrives in moist soils with plenty of sunlight and is known for its striking, heart-shaped leaves that shimmer in the wind.

This tree is tough and easy to grow, reaching up to 100 feet tall and 35 feet wide when well-watered. It can grow 10–20 feet in a single year, making it ideal for large spaces but unsuitable for small gardens. Due to its invasive roots, it should not be planted near lawns or structures.

Often, only male trees are sold to avoid the "cotton" produced by female trees. Fremont cottonwood is ecologically important, providing habitat and food for birds and butterflies.

Potentilla gracilis, known as Slender Cinquefoil, or Graceful Cinquefoil is a species of cinquefoil. Named varieties are:

Dodecatheon clevelandii is a species of Dodecatheon native to California and Baja California. Its common name is padre's shooting star. It is generally found in open grassy areas. It is spring deciduous, dying back to the ground after the rains cease. It has basal clumps of leaves up to 16 centimeters long with nodding flowers each about an inch long on stems up to a foot tall. The flowers are magenta to deep lavender to white. This species hybridizes with Dodecatheon hendersonii, from which it can be distinguished by its green stem.

Hybrid of Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry) and P. ilicifolia ssp. lyonii (Catalina Cherry). Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for use in the garden.

Oregon cherry or Bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata) is a species of Prunus native to western North America, from British Columbia south to California, and east to western Wyoming and Arizona. It is often found in recently disturbed areas, open woods, on nutrient-rich soil. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 1-15 meter tall with a slender oval trunk with smooth gray to reddish-brown bark with horizontal lenticels. The leaves are 2-8 centimeter long, thin, oval-shaped, and yellowish-green with unevenly-sized teeth on either side. The flowers are small, 10-15 millimeter diameter, with five white petals and numerous hairlike stamens; they are almond-scented, and produced in clusters in spring, and are pollinated by insects. The fruit is a juicy red or purple cherry 7-14 millimeter diameter, which, as the plant's English name suggests, are bitter. As well as reproducing by seed, it also sends out underground stems which then sprout above the surface to create a thicket.

Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii) is a lovely evergreen shrub with shiny soft leaves and dark cherry colored fruit.  In late spring, striking white flowers appear. Older trees may resemble coast live oak.

As a native plant, it grows in chaparral woodland, primarily in the Channel Islands region.

The edible fruits are favored by birds and other wildlife. 

Catalina cherry can be planted as a hedge because its dense vegetation creates a good screen. It is fairly easy to grow and will tolerate garden conditions, with summer watering once or twice a month. It is fast growing once established and moderately long-lived.  Fallen fruits may stain concrete paving, if any is nearby. 

California Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum) is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It is native to the west coast of North America from Washington to Baja California, where it is a member of the flora of many habitats, including chaparral. In California it is most often found near the coast from Sonoma County southward and in the Sierra foothills.

This is an annual or biennial herb with branching stems. Its green herbage is hairy, sticky and scented. The flower head is a wide cluster of flowers, each enveloped in ringed rows of bright white. The flowers are very long lasting when dried and are used in flower arrangements.

Classification is disputed between the genera Pseudognaphalium and Gnaphalium, but it is presently classified as Pseudognaphlium. Also, some sources refer to this plant as Pearly Everlasting, but that's actually the common name of a different species (Anaphlis margaritacea). California Cudweed would work best in an informal garden or wildscape. It re-seeds prolifically, so be prepared to pull seedlings from areas where it is not wanted.

Pseudognaphalium canescens (syn. Gnaphalium canescens) is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name Wright's Cudweed. It is native to western North America from western Canada to northern Mexico. It can be found in many habitats, from mountains to plateau to coastline. The many-branched stem is erect to a maximum height of around a meter. It is gray-green and woolly with many narrow leaves. Atop the stem branches are flower clusters of several pointed oval-shaped pale yellowish, cream, or white flower heads. Each woolly head is a few millimeters across and contains many tiny disc florets. This plant is seldom seen in gardens but is useful for restoration projects.

White Everlasting (Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum) is a native perennial herb in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family that grows primarily in southern California, along the central coast, and in the Sierras. It tends to grow at elevations from sea level to 6,500 feet. Like other members of this genus, the flowers are very long-lasting when dried and are used in flower arrangements. It is the larval host plant for the American lady butterfly. Fuzzy greenish-white leaves and stems sometimes visited by Woolcarder Bees, who harvest the fuzz to build their nests. Flowers very long lasting and good in dried flower arrangements. Pioneer species along with native grasses and lotus (Acmispon) species.

Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii) is a moderately fast-growing tree, typically evergreen but sometimes drought-deciduous in hot summers. Native to Southern California, this rare oak has lost much of its range due to suburban development. It primarily survives in San Diego County, with smaller populations in Pasadena, Orange County, southern Riverside County, and Baja California.

This oak thrives above the dry coastal plain but below 4,200 feet, where winters can be colder. Its thick, leathery blue-green leaves provide year-round color and complement gray-green landscapes. Mature trees develop stunning, gnarled trunks and wide-spreading branches, making them a striking addition to open spaces.

Engelmann oak can be tricky to grow—it prefers dry soil but stays green year-round if it has access to groundwater or nearby irrigation. It requires plenty of space, full sun, and tolerates various soil types.

As a keystone species, Engelmann oak supports an extensive array of butterflies and birds, playing a vital role in Southern California ecosystems. It pairs well with native plants like ceanothus, coffeeberry, and silktassel.

Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizeni) is a slow-growing, evergreen tree with a distinctive broad crown. The glossy dark green leaves and reddish-brown bark give it a formal look.

In winter and spring, the oak blooms with green and white flowers. The tree's long, narrow acorns serve as a food source for deer.

Interior Live Oak is a resilient and adaptable species. It thrives at elevations ranging from sea level to 5,000 feet, making it an essential part of diverse ecosystems throughout California. Interior Live Oak grows in part to full shade and prefers dry, loamy soil.

California Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus) is a perennial herb with glossy, deep yellow flowers featuring 9 to 17 petals. Native to much of California, Baja California, Oregon, and Pacific coastal islands, it blooms in late winter to spring. Two varieties exist: Var. californicus grows 1–2 feet tall, while Var. cuneatus forms a low ground cover.

This buttercup thrives in borders, meadows, and with native annuals or bulbs, needing little summer water. It self-seeds easily and can be propagated from seeds. Occasionally, nursery plants are available. A beautiful, low-maintenance addition, its seeds can even be toasted for culinary use.

Rhamnus crocea is a species of buckthorn (Rhamnaceae). It is endemic to western North America. This evergreen shrub is typically one to two meters in height. R. crocea typically occurs in chaparral and several other vegetation communities below 3,000 ft. The flowers are not showy; this species is planted for the berries. You may need more than one plant to ensure pollination. It is spiny so consider where you place it. The leaves are small, round, dark green on top and brown or yellow on the underside. The berries and small spheres, bright red.

Western Azalea is best known of three Rhododendron species native to California. It occurs as far north as Bandon, Oregon and as far south as the Palomar Mountain area in southern California, possibly also in Baja California, Mexico. It is a shrub capable of growing to 5 meters tall but more commonly around 3 meters. The leaves are deciduous, 3-9 centimeters long and 1-3 centimeters broad. The flowers are 3.5-5 centimeters in diameter, with five lobes on the corolla; color varies from white to pink, often with a yellow blotch. It is most often found in moist forested areas. It typically gets summer fog drip or some other source of summer moisture. It is deciduous and will be leafless for some months out of the year, but does produce interesting fall color. It needs some sun for good flower production but also likes some high shade such as the edge of a woodland.

Lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia) is an evergreen shrub or small tree. It tends to grow slowly at first, then fast to 10 feet to 30 feet tall. Its form is upright  but it  can sprawl. However, it takes pruning very well and may be pruned, or sheared as a hedge, at any time of year.  The ;eaves are leathery, with a waxy appearance above and a paler tone below. The pink flowers, which appear from February to May, are small but noticeable. The fruit is dark red, block-shaped and sticky, and has a tart flavor which gives the plant its name. 

Lemonade berry is great for slopes. It is easy to grow and very hardy, becoming nearly indestructible once established. At that point it will stay green and healthy-looking year round without any supplementary summer water. It prefers sun or part sun and well-draining soil. 

Lemonade berry is very closely related to Sugar Bush. A good rule of thumb for landscaping applications is within 5-10 miles of the coast, lemonade berry is a better choice. More inland, sugar bush does better.

This is an important wildlife plant. The berries are a significant food source for birds and small mammals, and the thick sprawling form provides excellent animal shelter.  It hosts almost a dozen species of butterfly and moth. 

Golden currant is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub with golden spring blooms. The flowers and fruit of this fragrant and attractive shrub make the golden currant a valuable wildlife plant. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees are attracted to the golden yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. The fruit is an important food source for many bird species as well as small mammals like squirrels and chipmunks. The berries are also used in pies, preserves, and other dishes.

Golden currant is very easy to grow and spreads readily, making it a good choice for revegetation, hedging, and groundcover applications. It grows best in moist conditions and benefits from partial shade, irrigation, and mulching in drier areas. On the coast, it prefers full sun. Inland, it prefers part shade and does best when surrounded by mulch, and grows well under oaks and in mixed chaparral. Once established, golden currant needs no special care.

One of two recognized varieties of the species Ribes aureum, all known by the common name Golden Currant, it is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub 6-10 feet tall. It is native to the inland mountains of California, primarily the Sierras. It tends to have a more upright form than Ribes aureum var gracillimum. It blooms in spring with racemes of conspicuous golden yellow flowers that gradually turn red. Flowers often have a fragrance similar to that of cloves or vanilla. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Leaves are green, shaped similarly to gooseberry leaves, and turn red in autumn. The plant is deciduous from late December to early February. The shrub produces berries about half an inch in diameter from an early age. Ripe fruits, amber yellow to black in color, are edible, and attract a wide range of birds. This plant is recommended for higher elevation gardens.

Ribes aureum var gracillimum, known by the common name Golden Currant, is a species of small to medium-sized deciduous shrub that grows 3-6 feet tall. It's native to the coast and foothill regions of California, growing most commonly in the southern foothills of the Transverse Range, and more rarely in the coastal ranges as far as the Mendocino National Forest. It blooms in spring with racemes of conspicuous golden yellow flowers, often with a pronounced fragrance similar to that of cloves or vanilla. The flowers attract hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. Leaves are green, shaped similarly to gooseberry leaves, turning red in autumn. The plant is deciduous from late December to early February. The shrub produces berries about half an inch in diameter from an early age. Ripe fruits, amber yellow to black in color, are tasty, and attract a wide range of birds.

While Golden Currants are fairly drought tolerant once mature, they grow best in areas with somewhat more ground water, such as the bottom of slopes, near creeks or canyon bottoms, or near irrigated areas. On the coast, they prefer full sun, and inland, part shade. They do best when surrounded by mulch, and grow well under oak trees and in mixed chaparral. When Golden Currants are thriving, they self-seed and spread out from the original plant and can serve as a groundcover.

Ribes cereum is a species of currant known by the common names wax currant (R. c. var. pedicellare is known as whisky currant). It is native to western North America, including British Columbia, Alberta, and much of the western United States, from Washington, Oregon, and California east as far as the western Dakotas and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Ribes cereum grows in several types of habitat, including mountain forests in alpine climates, sagebrush, and woodlands. It can grow in many types of soils, including sandy soils and soil made of clay substrates, serpentine soils, and lava beds. This is a spreading or erect shrub growing 20 centimeters (8 inches) to 2 meters (80 inches) tall. It is aromatic, with a "spicy" scent. The stems are fuzzy and often very glandular, and lack spines and prickles. The leaves are somewhat rounded and divided into shallow lobes which are toothed along the edges. The leaves are hairless to quite hairy, and usually studded with visible resin glands, particularly around the edges. The inflorescence is a clustered raceme of 2 to 9 flowers. The small flower is tubular with the white to pink sepals curling open at the tips to form a corolla-like structure. Inside there are minute white or pinkish petals, five stamens, and a two protruding green styles. The fruit is a rather tasteless red berry up to a centimeter (0. 4 inch) wide, with a characteristically long, dried flower remnant at the end.


One of it's former common names (S**** currant) is considered derogatory as a slur used against Native women.

Ribes indecorum is a species of currant known by the common names white-flowered currant and white chaparral currant. It is native to the southern California Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges, from around Santa Barbara County in California south into northern Baja California.

It is an erect shrub approaching three meters in maximum height. The stem is fuzzy and glandular in texture. The deciduous leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long. The thick, wrinkly blades are divided into three to five toothed lobes, and are hairy, glandular, and aromatic. The inflorescence is a loose raceme of 10 to 25 flowers. The flower is roughly tubular with the white or pink-tinged sepals spreading open to reveal smaller whitish petals inside. Flowers bloom in late winter / early spring, and have an exceptionally pleasant fragrance, among the best of any California native.The fruit is a hairy, sticky very attractive berry that can be orange, purple, pink or red, and are under a centimeter wide.

White Flowering Currant is very drought tolerant once established, but still does does best in part shade, or in spots that retain slightly more moisture, such as creek sides, north or east facing slopes, or adjacent to boulders. Best to avoid direct summer water after this plant is established. It'll go nearly completely summer deciduous, and then spring back to life with the start of the rainy season.

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

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

Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium) is a summer-deciduous shrub that native to southern and central California, growing primarily in the transverse range mountains and upper peninsular range mountains.

It grows quickly to about 6 feet in height, with beautiful red to light pink flowers in the winter that attract hummingbirds. It can handle some summer water (1-2x per month), and a wide variety of soil types. It prefers part shade or full shade.

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

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

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

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected by Roger Raiche on Inverness Ridge in Marin Co.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Introduced by Native sons Nursery from seedling on their property.

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

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selection from Tranquillon Ridge in santa Barbara, under bishop pines. Introduced by Native sons Nursery.

Fuchsia flowered gooseberry (Ribes speciosum) is a deciduous shrub in the Gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae). It has small, dark green, glossy leaves and thorns along the branches. The beautiful fuchsia-red flowers hang down in abundance from the branches throughout the bush. The tube-shaped flowers with their protruding stamens and stigmas look a little like red-dressed ballerinas dancing in a line.

The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths. Birds and other small mammals enjoy eating the berries. The numerous thorns make it unpalatable for deer. Fuchsia flowered gooseberries naturally grow in Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, and shady Woodlands. It prefers growing in the shade of oaks or larger shrubs, in seasonally moist locations. In the garden, plant it behind evergreen perennials or low shrubs, to hide the bare stems in summer. Site it away from walkways to avoid getting scratched by the thorns. The long-blooming, spectacular flowers make this shrub worth the months of bare stems and thorns. 

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. Selected from spooner's Mesa (san Diego County) along the Tijuana River estuary near Mexico by Dylan Hannon.

Hybrid of Romneya coulteri and Romneya trichocalyx. The Matilija Poppy "White Cloud" variety is similar to Rhomneya coulteri, having a fuzz on the calyx and thinner, narrower leaves. We find this selection to stay a little more compact, have profuse flowers and a slightly longer flowering season. The 6" wide flowers are precision white with a yellow, round center. These bushes spread via rhizomes and can be utilized in a beautiful hedge, if properly controlled. The bushes tend to reach eight feet in height and spread as long as there is room.

Hybrid, random; origin = plant (19__) R. coulteri x R. trichoclayx?; intro Theodore Payne pre-1956 Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Theodore payne.