Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Melica californica, known by the common name California Melicgrass, is a species in the Poaceae (Grass) family. It is native to Oregon and California, where it grows in many types of habitats, from mountain forests to open grassland at sea level. In California it is found primarily in the Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills.

California Melicgrass is a perennial grass, generally with rhizomes, producing a dense cluster of stems up to about 4 ft. (1.3 meters) in maximum height. The flower cluster is a narrow series of purple-banded green spikelets. The flower clusters are attractive even after this grass has gone dormant in late summer or fall. In cultivation it performs best in part shade with low to moderate water.

Melica torreyana is a species of grass known by the common name Torrey's Melicgrass. There are numerous species in the genus Melica that are native to different parts of the state. This species is endemic to California, where it grows in chaparral, grassland, and other hillside and mountain habitats in the central Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. It is a perennial grass with dense clumps of stems up to a meter long but often less. The flower cluster is a narrow panicle of small spikelets each under a centimeter long. It does not have a rhizome, and propagation is by seeds, which resemble grains of rice. Near the coast it can tolerate full sun, inland it needs part shade. In the fog belt or with supplemental water it will stay evergeen. It is tolerant of both poor soil and garden conditions, making it useful for gardens in the central part of the state. For other regions, see other species of Melica.

Menodora scabra is a species of flowering plant in the olive family known by the common name rough menodora. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in varied mountain, plateau, and desert habitat. It is a small, multibranched subshrub producing several upright stems no more than 30 centimeters tall. It is coated in rough hairs and short, woolly fibers. The leaves are oblong or oval in shape, smooth along the edges, and alternately arranged on the branches. They are one or two centimeters long, the larger leaves located lower on the plant. The flower cluster is a loose cluster of yellow flowers at the tip of a stem branch. The flower corolla has 4 to 6 lobes with the stamens and stigma protruding from the short throat. The fruit is a capsule.

Mentzelia albicaulis is a species of flowering plants in the family Loasaceae known by the common name whitestem blazing star. It is native to much of western North America, where it grows in mountain, desert, and plateau habitat. It is an annual herb producing a stem up to 42 centimeters long, sometimes growing erect. The leaves are up to 11 centimeters long in the basal rosette, divided into even comblike lobes, and smaller farther up on the plant. The flower has five shiny yellow petals 2 to 7 millimeters long each. The fruit is a narrow, straight or curving utricle 1 to 3 centimeters long. It contains many angular seeds covered in tiny bumps.

Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis is a showy wildflower native to western North America. In California it is found in most counties throughout the state. Its common names include Giant Blazing Star and Smoothstem Blazing Star. It grows a weedy-looking, branched stem which may reach a meter in height. The whitish-green stem and its lateral branches bear the occasional triangular sawtoothed leaf. At the tip of each branch blooms a spectacular yellow flower. The star-shaped flower has five narrow, pointed petals with shiny yellow surfaces, each up to 8 centimeters long. Between the petals are long, thin yellow sepals. The center of the open-faced flower is filled with a great many whiskery yellow stamens. Beneath the petals are long, curling leaves. The plant bears capsule fruits containing winged seeds. This is a widespread plant which can be found in sandy, rocky, and disturbed areas, such as roadsides.

White Four O'Clock (Mirabilis albida) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 4900-8200 feet.

Mirabilis multiflora is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name Colorado four o'clock. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Colorado and Texas, as well as far northern Mexico, where it grows in mostly dry habitat types in a number of regions. It is a perennial herb growing upright to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are oppositely arranged on the spreading stem branches. Each fleshy leaf has an oval or rounded blade up to 12 centimeters long and is hairless or sparsely hairy. The flowers occur in leaf axils on the upper branches. Usually six flowers bloom in a bell-shaped involucre of five partly fused leafs. Each five-lobed, funnel-shaped flower is 4 to 6 centimeters wide and magenta in color.

Pony Beebalm (Monarda pectinata) is a rare native annual herb that grows in Southern California, primarily in the Desert Mountains and Mojave Desert regions. It tends to grow in washes and rocky slopes, at elevations from 3800-4900 feet.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Monardella australis is a perennial herb growing in a small tuft and producing long, sometimes erect flowering stems. The pale green or grayish leaves are oval or lance-shaped and often toothed.

The plant is endemic to southern California, in the Greater Los Angeles Area. It is known only from populations in the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains of the eastern Transverse Ranges, and the adjacent San Jacinto Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. Its habitats include the red fir forest and yellow pine forest on the higher slopes of the ranges.

A great butterfly plant for a rock garden or other small space. Inland, protect from afternoon sun. Both leaves and flowers are fragrant. Distasteful to deer.

Monardella linoides is a species of flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) known by the common names flaxleaf monardella and narrow leaf monardella. It is native to southern California and adjacent sections of Nevada, Arizona, and Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat from desert flats to subalpine forests. It is a gray-green perennial herb producing a slender erect stem up to about 50 centimeters in maximum height. The linear to oval leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long and coated in grayish hairs. The flower cluster is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pale whitish or pink-tinged papery leafs 2 or 3 centimeters wide. The flowers are just over a centimeter long and light purple in color. There are several subspecies of this plant. One closely related separate species called Monardella viminea (willowy monardella), is a rare plant limited to northern Baja California and parts of San Diego, California. It is treated as a federally listed endangered species in the United States. All are low growing, highly aromatic herbs that like afternoon shade, look great in a rock garden and also do well in containers.

Monardella macrantha is a species of flowering plant in the Laminaceae (Mint) family known by the common name Red Monardella. It is native to coastal mountain ranges of southern California and Baja California, at elevations from 2,000 ft. to over 7,500 ft. It grows in several habitat types, including chaparral, woodland, and forest. It is a perennial herb forming a low tuft of slender stems lined with thick, shiny green leaves up to 3 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a head of several tubular flowers blooming in a cup of red-tinged green leaves up to 4 centimeters wide. The clustered flowers are bright red to yellowish in color, sometimes exceeding 4 centimeters in length with narrow lobed mouths. It has a reputation for being somewhat difficult to get established and short-lived, but the showy flowers and fragrance make it worth the effort.

Horticultural selection from Monardella macrantha. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Monardella nana is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name yellow monardella. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges of southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in several local habitat types, such as chaparral and mountain forest. Monardella nana is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming a tuft or mat of slender stems lined with hairy to hairless oval leaves up to 3 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pink-tinged white bracts. The tubular flowers are white to pale pink in color and up to 3 centimeters long. Monardella nana is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming a tuft or mat of slender stems lined with hairy to hairless oval leaves up to 3 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pink-tinged white bracts. The tubular flowers are white to pale pink in color and up to 3 centimeters long. There are several subspecies of this plant, all limited to the mountains straddling the border between California and Baja California.

Mountain coyote mint (Monardella odoratissima) is a fragrant perennial herb in the Mint family. It grows in mountain forests and sagebrush scrub, thriving at elevations between 2,000 and 10,000 feet. This plant is native to Northern California’s Klamath Mountains, North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau, White Mountains, and Inyo Mountains, and it extends into Washington, Nevada, and Utah.

Mountain coyote mint has upright to sprawling stems that may become woody at the base. The foliage ranges from smooth, dark green to hairy, gray-green, often dotted with glands that release a strong minty scent when touched. Its lance-shaped to oval leaves are up to 1.75 inches long.

The flowers bloom from April to August, appearing in compact clusters ranging from white and pale pink to light bluish-purple. The bracts surrounding the flowers may have a rose or purplish tint. The blossoms are tubular, with two distinct lips, and are highly attractive to butterflies, their primary pollinators.

This plant grows well in full sun to partial shade and adapts easily to gardens. It can be pruned in late fall or winter to encourage bushier growth. Deadheading spent flowers keeps the plant looking vibrant and promotes continuous blooming. Mountain coyote mint is easy to propagate from cuttings and does not spread by runners like many other mints.

Monardella glauca is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name pale monardella. It is native to the western United States where it grows in many types of habitat. It is quite variable in appearance. In general, it is a perennial herb producing one or more greenish, grayish, or purplish stems which may be hairy to hairless, waxy, or bristly in texture. The oval leaves are oppositely arranged about the stem. The flower cluster is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of purple-tinged leafs. The flowers are purple to reddish in color and one to two centimeters long.

Monardella sheltonii is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name Shelton's monardella. It is native to the mountains of northern California and southern Oregon, including the Klamath Mountains and Sierra Nevada, where it grows in chaparral, forest, and other habitat, often on serpentine soils. Monardella sheltonii is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing an erect stem lined with pairs of oppositely arranged lance-shaped leaves. The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of leaflike bracts 1 to 3 centimeters wide. The five-lobed purple flowers are 1 to 2 centimeters long.

Coyote Mint is a spreading subshrub distinguished by its fragrant mint-scented foliage and delicate lavender flowers. During the summer blooming season, the flowers are attractive to bees and especially butterflies. The 'Russian River' cultivar is a popular nursery selection.

Coyote mint does best in well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant, but bloom and foliage quality improve with some summer irrigation, particularly inland. Light pruning helps maintain a neat appearance.

In traditional medicine, the leaves are made into a tea that treats upset stomach and other ailments.

San Francisco coyote mint (Monardella villosa ssp. franciscana) is a subspecies of coyote mint limited to the San Francisco area where it is found in the Presidio, above Laguna Honda Reservoir, and on Bernal Heights, Twin Peaks, Mt. Davidson, Bayview Hill, and Yerba Buena Island. Coyote mint is a clumping perennial in the Lamiaceae or mint family. It develops into a low mound from a woody base, has small pleasantly fragrant leaves and bears tubular lavender flowers from June through August. 

San Francisco coyote mint is not adapted to sandy soils, preferring soil that is a little heavier. It requires good drainage to prevent rotting in winter. Avoid summer watering. Light pruning helps maintain a neat appearance.

The flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Cal Flora Nursery from sonoma County (Russian River).

Monardella antonina is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name San Antonio Hills monardella. It is endemic to California, where its two subspecies are restricted to narrow sections of the Central Coast Ranges. The distribution of ssp. antonina is unclear, but it is mainly found in chaparral and wooded slopes in Monterey County. The rarer ssp. benitensis, the San Benito monardella, is a serpentine soils endemic which is mainly limited to the barren hills near the ghost town of New Idria in San Benito County. This is a pale green, rhizomatous, hairy perennial herb coated in whitish hairs. The oppositely arranged leaves are oval in shape and generally toothed. The flower cluster is a head of several flowers up to 1.5 centimeters wide with a base of leaflike leafs. Each flower is lavender in color. It has two long upper lobes and three lower with four long, protruding stamens at the center.

Willowy Monardella (Monardella viminea) is an extremely rare native perennial herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows exclusively in San Diego County. Most of the world's willowy mint grows on the eastern side of the Miramar marine base or in nearby canyons. Its habitat consists of ephemeral streams: the bed, the edge, or the bench within a few feet of the bed. This species was formerly classified as a subspecies of Monardella linoides, and some sources still list it that way.

Despite its rarity and protected status, this plant is easy to grow in gardens and is often available from nurseries. It has a delightful mint fragrance. The pink to lavender flowers are attractive and does well in containers. Monthly irrigation keeps it evergreen and enables it to rebloom at any time of the year.

Montia parvifolia is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family known by the common names littleleaf minerslettuce, small-leaved blinks and small-leafed montia. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Montana, where it grows in moist to wet areas in several types of mountain habitat. Montia parvifolia is a perennial herb growing erect to about 40 centimeters tall from a matted, branching caudex base. It spreads via leafy stolons with sprouting bulblets. The fleshy oval leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 6 centimeters in length. The inflorescence at the tip of the stem bears 1 to 12 flowers each with five pink or white petals up to 1. 5 centimeters long. Montia parvifolia is a perennial herb growing erect to about 40 centimeters tall from a matted, branching caudex base. It spreads via leafy stolons with sprouting bulblets. The fleshy oval leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 6 centimeters in length. The inflorescence at the tip of the stem bears 1 to 12 flowers each with five pink or white petals up to 1. 5 centimeters long.

California wax myrtle (Morella californica) is a moderately fast growing and long-lived shrub or tree.It grows in an upright form, with active growth during the spring and summer. The shiny dark-green leaves remain on the plant throughout the year, making it an attractive garden planting. The flowers are yellow and bloom in the early summer.

This plant does well in coastal gardens and also inland if given slightly more moisture and afternoon shade.  In general, California wax myrtle is a low water plant and should be watered a maximum of once a week in summer  once established. It tolerates a variety of soils and may be sheared to form a hedge or to create a more formal appearance.

Muhlenbergia asperifolia is a species of grass known by the common names alkali muhly and scratchgrass. It is native to much of North America, including most of southern Canada, most of the continental United States except for the southeastern region, and parts of northern Mexico. It is also known from South America. Muhlenbergia asperifolia is a rhizomatous perennial grass growing decumbent or spreading or erect up to about 60 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is a very open, wispy array of many hair-thin, outstretched branches each up to 14 centimeters long. The spikelets at the tips of the branches are only 1 or 2 millimeters long. Muhlenbergia asperifolia is a valuable grass for habitat restoration and revegetation projects in disturbed habitat in the Southwest United States, especially in riparian zones in California and the Intermountain West. It is planted with Sporobolus airoides - Alkali sacaton for Mojave River and other Riparian zone restoration in the Mojave Desert. It produces dense groundcover once established.

Bull grass (Muhlenbergia emersleyi) is a grass valued for both wildland restoration and water-wise landscapes. In California it holds a California Rare Plant Rank of 2B.2, meaning it is rare, threatened, or endangered in the state but more common elsewhere. It is known from only a few occurrences in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains of Riverside County, where it grows in relatively specialized conditions.

This perennial bunchgrass forms dense, upright clumps of blue-green to pale green foliage, typically reaching 2–3 feet tall and about as wide. Narrow leaves arise from the base, creating a tidy mound that works well in naturalistic plantings. In late summer to fall, bull grass produces open, airy panicles with purplish to tan flower spikes that catch the light and add subtle movement and texture to the landscape.

In the wild, bull grass is found in montane chaparral and along washes or rocky slopes with seasonally available moisture. It often flowers in response to summer monsoon rains, which partly explains why it was documented relatively late by botanists. In gardens, it is drought-adapted once established and performs best in full sun to part shade with well-drained soils. It is well suited to meadow plantings, slope stabilization, and habitat gardens where a soft, natural look is desired.

To maintain a healthy, attractive clump, cut plants back hard to about 6 inches from the ground in April to refresh growth, or cut back every few years to remove accumulated dead material.

Muhlenbergia mexicana is a species of grass known by the common names Mexican muhly and wirestem muhly. It is native to North America, including most of the United States and southern Canada. It does not occur in Mexico. It is known mainly from moist and wet habitat, such as meadows, wetlands, and ditches. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing 30 to 70 centimeters tall. The flower cluster is a narrow series of short, appressed to upright branches lined densely in small, pointed spikelets each a few millimeters long.

Muhlenbergia montana is a species of grass known by the common name mountain muhly. It is native to North and Central America, where it is found throughout the western United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. It can be found in several types of habitat, including grassland, rocky outcrops, and open areas. It is a perennial grass forming tufts of stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The flower cluster is an open array of spreading or upright branches bearing small, awned spikelets.

Muhlenbergia richardsonis, known by the common name Mat muhly, is a species of grass. It is native to North America, where it can be found throughout much of Canada, Alaska, the western half of the contiguous United States through California, and in Baja California, Mexico. Muhlenbergia richardsonis is a rhizomatous perennial grass producing knotted, mat-forming stems up to about 40 centimeters long. The blue-green leaves are up to 5 or 6 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a narrow cylindrical series of tighly appressed branches bearing gray-green, single-flowered spikelets 2 or 3 millimeters long.

Najas flexilis is an aquatic annual plant native to parts of North America and Europe. It is native to northern and Central Europe from Norway to Ireland to Switzerland, and from there across Russia and Siberia. It is also considered native throughout most of Canada, and the northern United States in disjunct populations in southern California, Arizona, Missouri, South Carolina and Utah. Its common names include slender naiad and nodding waternymph. Najas flexilis inhabits shallow bodies of brackish and fresh water such as lakes and bays. It is also native to northern Europe, where its range includes Scotland, Poland and Sweden. It is rare in the European portion of its range and is strictly protected by Appendix I of the Berne Convention. The largest population is in Lake Siveri in Latvia.

Najas guadalupensis (najas grass or guppy grass) is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names southern waternymph and common water nymph. It is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It is considered native to Central Canada from Alberta to Quebec, plus most of the contiguous United States, Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and South America. It is naturalized in Japan, Israel and Palestine. Najas guadalupensis is an annual, growing submerged in aquatic habitat types such as ponds, ditches, and streams. It produces a slender, branching stem up to 60 to 90 centimeters in maximum length. The thin, somewhat transparent, flexible leaves are up to 3 centimeters long and just 1 or 2 millimeters wide. They are edged with minute, unicellular teeth. Tiny flowers occur in the leaf axils; staminate flowers grow toward the end of the plant and pistillate closer to the base.

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a fast-growing aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial. The hollow stems of watercress float on water. Watercress produces small white and green flowers in clusters.

This species is widely accepted as native from Europe to central Asia. The leading experts on the Brassica family, to which watercress belongs, have concluded that this plant also arrived in North America before European explorers, spread by migratory aquatic birds. For this reason, Jepson lists this plant as native; some other sources do not.

Watercress is sometimes quite aggressive in riparian environments in California. In some other states, it is classified as an invasive species.

Watercress is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings. These plants are botanically related to garden cress and mustard, all noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavor.

Navarretia hamata is a highly variable species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name hooked pincushionplant. It is native to the coastal mountains and valleys of California as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area and as far south as Baja California. It is often a member of the chaparral flora. It is a hairy annual herb that has a spreading or erect stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. It usually has a strong skunky scent. The leaves are divided into narrow, sharp-tipped lobes, the ones at the tip of each leaf hooked. The flower cluster is a head filled with green, leaflike bracts. The light pink, hot pink, white/blue, or purple flowers are tubular, typically have five-lobed limbs, and are 1.5 centimeters long.

The plant blooms for about a month at the end of the rainy season in southern California.

Neltuma odorata, commonly known as Honey Mesquite, is a species of small to medium-sized flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to California, the southwestern United States and Mexico, but has been introduced to at least a half-dozen other countries. The IUCN considers it as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. However, in California's Central Valley and deserts it is an important habitat plant for many species of wildlife. Honey Mesquite has a rounded crown and crooked, drooping branches with feathery foliage and straight, paired spines on twigs. In some settings it will remain a low growing shrub forming dense thickets that are used as refuge by rabbits, quail, and other animals. In other settings it grows as a tree that reaches 20-30 feet, rarely as tall as 50 feet. It is highly adapted to arid environments with a very deep taproot (up to 100 ft.) to reach underground water. The fruit is a nutritious "bean pod" that is valued by many animals and is eaten by Indigenous Peoples of the desert. It has spines and caution should be used when deciding where to plant it. It is an essential plant for the desert wildlife garden.

Nolina interrata is a rare species of flowering plant known by the common names Dehesa nolina and Dehesa beargrass. It is known from about ten occurrences in central San Diego County, California, and fewer than 100 individual plants on land across the border in Baja California. The plant was first described in 1946 when found at the type locality near El Cajon, California, and all the individuals known in California are located within a six-square-mile area there. Although rare, numbering about 9,000 plants total in existence, the species is relatively well protected in its habitat and a proposal for federal protected status was withdrawn. This plant produces a branching stem, part of which grows underground, lined with rosettes of stiff, waxy, blue-green leaves, up to 45 per rosette. The leaves are thick and somewhat fleshy at the bases, and shreddy and serrated along the edges. The erect flower cluster may be up to 1.6 meters tall, bearing branches lined with tiny flowers each with six whitish petals a few millimeters long. The fruit is a papery capsule containing reddish brown seeds about half a centimeter wide.

Tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) is an evergreen tree in the beech family (Fagaceae), which includes beeches, oaks, and chestnuts. Despite producing acorns, it is not a true oak. It was formerly classified as Lithocarpus, and some sources may still use that name. Native to the western United States, tanoak grows from southwest Oregon to California, as far south as the Transverse Ranges.

Tanoak is slow-growing but remains a moderate size in garden settings. Unfortunately, it is highly susceptible to sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum), which has caused significant mortality within its range.

This tree provides critical habitat for wildlife. Its dense foliage offers cover for resting, hiding, and nesting, while its acorns are an important food source for birds such as Steller’s jay, band-tailed pigeon, varied thrush, and acorn woodpecker.

There are two recognized varieties of tanoak:

• N. densiflorus var. densiflorus – the more common variety
• N. densiflorus var. echinoides – a shrubbier form found in the northern part of its range.

Oenothera caespitosa, known commonly as tufted evening primrose and fragrant evening primrose, is a perennial plant of the genus Oenothera native to much of western and central North America. It produces a rosette of lobed or toothed leaves each up to 36 centimeters long around a woody caudex.

Oenothera deltoides is a species of evening primrose known by several common names, including birdcage evening primrose, basket evening primrose, lion in a cage, and devil's lantern. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy habitats from desert to beach. The plant is grayish with basal, deltoid leaves. The large white flowers turn pinkish as they mature. When the plants die, the stems curl upward and form the "birdcage" for which the common name is derived.

Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose (Oenothera deltoides ssp. howellii) is a rare (federally endangered) native perennial herb that grows in Central California, primarily in the SF Bay region. It tends to grow in dunes, at elevations from 0-5900 feet.

Hooker's evening primrose (Oenothera elata) is a perennial that blooms copiously and is very showy, with large flowers that vary in color from yellow to orange.  As with other "evening" primroses, the flowers close up during mid-day. The flower stalks arch up 3 to 5 feet high from a basal rosette of leaves and flowers bloom in the spring and summer of the plant’s second year.  The leaf base is usually 1 to 3 feet wide. There are two recognized subspecies, ssp. hookeri and ssp. hirsutissima.

Although this plant is typically found in moist areas in the wild, it  is also surprisingly drought tolerant, tough and easy to grow in the garden. Give it full sun or part shade and well-draining soil of any kind. It tolerates virtually any soil.  It develops a stout taproot and woody stems with age but can be pruned radically in winter to control ranginess and recovers quickly. It is a prolific seeder, and gardeners will need to be prepared to pull up numerous seedlings from areas where it is not wanted. 

A number of insects use this plant, particularly the large Sphinx moths. It hosts a likely total of 15 species of butterfly and moth. Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers, and smaller birds such as Goldfinches are attracted to the seeds in fall.

Hairy Evening Primrose (Oenothera elata ssp. hirsutissima) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in moist places, at elevations from 0-9200 feet.

Hooker's Evening Primrose (Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri) is a native perennial herb in the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) family that grows primarily along the coast between San Francisco and San Diego and northern Baja. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 5 feet, with active growth during the summer. Flowers are yellow and striking, and bloom in the late summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. Its form may be either upright or sprawling. It tends to grow in moist places, at elevations from sea level to 7,000 feet where it is a pioneer species. However, it is also somewhat drought-tolerant in garden situations. In the wild it is usually crowded out over time by more woody trees or shrubs. It spreads by prolific seed production, which also makes it attractive to many seed-eating birds.

Opuntia fragilis is a prickly pear cactus known by the common names brittle prickly pear and little prickly pear native to much of North America. It occurs in several Canadian provinces. It is known from farther north than any other cactus, occurring near the Arctic Circle in Alberta. There is an isolated and possibly genetically unique population in Eastern Ontario known as the "Kaladar Cactus". Brittle Prickly Pear is a small decumbent cactus that grows to a maximum height of 10 centimeters. Both the common and scientific names refer to the easily detached stem segments. This is known to be a means of plant dispersal. Opuntia fragilis, Haw. A small, prostrate plant, rarely more than 4 inches high: joints tumid, fragile, easily detached, oval, elliptical, or subglobose, 1-2 inches long and nearly as thick as broad, bright green: areoles - inches apart, with whitish wool and a few white to yellow bristles, which are much longer and more abundant on older joints; spines 1-4, occasionally a few small additional ones, weak, dark brown, the upper one usually longer and stronger than the others, rarely an inch in length: flowers greenish yellow, 1-1 inches wide: fruit ovate to subglobose. with few spines or bristles, mostly sterile, an inch or less long; seeds few and large. Rocky Mountain region from Canada to New Mexico.

Opuntia phaeacantha is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common names tulip prickly pear and desert prickly pear. It is found across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has a characteristic prickly pear appearance, with flattened green pads bearing wool and spines. The spines are brown, reddish-brown, or gray, and often over 3 centimeters in length. The flowers are usually bright yellow with reddish centers, and sometimes peach, pinkish or reddish overall. The edible fruits are red or purple with green flesh. The pads and fruit bear tiny glochids which can lodge in the skin and cause irritation. The plant forms dense but localized thickets. There are several varieties of this particular species, and it also hybridizes easily with other prickly pears, making identification sometimes tricky.

Orthocarpus cuspidatus is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name toothed owl's clover. It is native to mountain and plateau habitat in Oregon, California, and Nevada. It is an annual herb producing a slender, hairy, hairy, purple-green stem up to about 40 centimeters tall. The narrow leaves are up to 5 centimeters long, the upper ones deeply divided into three linear lobes. The flower cluster is a dense cylindrical spike of wide, oval green leafs with pinkish points. The flowers emerge from between the leafs. Each purple-pink flower is fuzzy in texture and club-shaped, the lower lip an expanded pouch and the upper lip a narrow, straight beak.

Orthocarpus luteus is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name yellow owl's clover. It is native to much of western and central North America, where it grows in many types of plateau, grassland, and mountain habitat. It is an annual herb producing a slender, hairy, hairy, bright yellowish green to deep purple stem up to about 40 centimeters tall. The narrow leaves are up to 5 centimeters long, the upper ones sometimes divided into three lobes. The flower cluster is a dense cylindrical spike of green leafs, the flowers emerging from between them. The lightly hairy flowers are 1 to 1.5 centimeters long and bright yellow in color. They are club-shaped, the upper lip a tiny, curving beak and the lower lip a narrow pouch.

Grows best in loamy, medium draining soil. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. Selection of from the Klamath Mountains of southwest Oregon.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers shade in coastal sites, and shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Oxyria digyna (mountain sorrel, wood sorrel, Alpine sorrel or Alpine mountainsorrel) a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. It is common in the tundra of Arctic. Further south, it has a circumboreal distribution, growing in high mountainous areas in the Northern Hemisphere like the Alps, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade Range. It grows in dense tufts, with stems 10-20 centimeter high. Both flowering stems and leaf stalks are somewhat reddish. Leaves are kidney-shaped, somewhat fleshy, on stalks from the basal part of the stem. Flowers are small, green and later reddish, and are grouped in an open upright cluster. The fruit is a small nut, encircled by a broad wing which finally turns red. Forming dense, red tufts, the plant is easily recognized. O. digyna grows in wet places protected by snow in winter. Oxyria (from Greek) means "sour".

Parnassia fimbriata is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae known by the common name fringed grass of Parnassus. It is native to western North America from Alaska and northwestern Canada to the southern Rocky Mountains, where it is a plant of alpine and subalpine environments. It is a perennial herb producing an erect flowering stem from a patch of basal leaves. The leaf has a rounded blade at the end of a long petiole, the leaf reaching a total of up to 16 centimeters long. The inflorescence may be up to 40 centimeters tall and consists of a mostly naked peduncle with one clasping bract midway up.

Parnassia californica is a species of flowering plant in the small plant family Parnassiaceae known by the common name California Grass of Parnassus. It is native to the mountains of Oregon, California, and Nevada, where it grows in moist areas such as meadows and streambanks. It is a perennial herb producing an erect flowering stem from a patch of basal leaves. The leaf is up to 14 centimeters long with an oval or spoon-shaped blade at the end of a long petiole. The flower cluster may be nearly half a meter tall and consists of a mostly naked peduncle with one leaf midway up. The single flower has five small sepals behind five veined white petals each 1 to 2 centimeters long. At the center of the flower are five stamens and five staminodes with fringes of many hairlike, sphere-tipped lobes.

Paspalum distichum is a species of grass known by the common name knotgrass. Other common names include couch paspalum, eternity grass, gingergrass, and Thompson grass. Its native range is obscure because it has long been present on most continents, and in most areas it is certainly an introduced species. Its native range probably includes parts of the tropical Americas. This is a perennial grass forming clumps and spreading via rhizomes and stolons. It grows decumbent or erect to a maximum height near 60 centimeters. The flower cluster is usually divided into two braches lined with spikelets.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Hybrid of p. Spectabilis x p. centranthifolius.

Penstemon azureus is a species of penstemon known by the common name azure penstemon. It is native to the mountains of Oregon and northern California, where it grows in coniferous forests and woodlands. It is a perennial herb, woody toward the base, with many thin branches reaching up to about 70 centimeters in maximum height. The oppositely arranged leaves are linear or lance-shaped, the ones higher on the plant clasping the stem. The flower cluster produces several hairless tubular flowers in shades of blue to lavender measuring up to 3.5 centimeters long.

Azure Penstemon (Penstemon azureus var. angustissimus) is a native perennial herb that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in moist, open places, at elevations from 1000-2300 feet.

Azure Penstemon (Penstemon azureus var. azureus) is a native perennial herb that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow at elevations from 1600-8200 feet.