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.

Monardella viridis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family which is endemic to California. The plant has a disjunct distribution, its two subspecies separated by several hundred miles. The green monardella, ssp. viridis, is limited to the North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area, while the rock monardella, ssp. saxicola, is endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains of the Los Angeles Area. The plant has a disjunct distribution, its two subspecies separated by several hundred miles. The green monardella, ssp. viridis, is limited to the North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area, while the rock monardella, ssp. saxicola, is endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains of the Los Angeles Area. In general, Monardella viridis is a perennial herb producing a hairy erect or decumbent stem lined with pairs of oval leaves with woolly undersides. The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a small cup of rough-haired, leaflike bracts. The light pink or purple flowers are between 1 and 2 centimeters long.

Monotropa uniflora, also known as the ghost plant, Indian pipe, or corpse plant, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to temperate regions of Udmurtiya in European Russia, Asia, North America and northern South America, but with large gaps between areas. It was formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae; however, it has now been included within the Ericaceae. It is generally scarce or rare in occurrence. Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll. Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, more specifically a myco-heterotroph. Its hosts are certain fungi that are mycorrhizal with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees. Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments as in the understory of dense forest. It is often associated with beech trees. The complex relationship that allows this plant to grow also makes propagation difficult.

Montia diffusa is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family known by the common names branching montia and spreading miner's lettuce. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it occurs mainly west of Cascade Range crest. It grows in moist to wet wooded areas, including areas recently affected by wildfire. Montia diffusa is an annual herb growing erect to about 20 centimeters in maximum height, its stem branching intricately. The diamond or lance-shaped leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 5 centimeters in length, not counting their long petioles. The inflorescence is a raceme of 3 or more flowers. Each flower has usually five pink or white petals under half a centimeter in length blooming from a nearly closed cup of small green sepals wrapped around their bases. Montia diffusa is an annual herb growing erect to about 20 centimeters in maximum height, its stem branching intricately. The diamond or lance-shaped leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 5 centimeters in length, not counting their long petioles. The inflorescence is a raceme of 3 or more flowers. Each flower has usually five pink or white petals under half a centimeter in length blooming from a nearly closed cup of small green sepals wrapped around their bases.

Montia fontana, commonly known as blinks or water blinks, water chickweed or annual water miner's lettuce, is a herbaceous annual plant of the genus Montia. It is a common plant that can be found in wet environments around the globe, from the tropics to the Arctic. It is quite variable in morphology, taking a variety of forms. It is sometimes aquatic.

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.

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

California Spineflower (Mucronea californica) is a rare native annual herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow in sandy places, at elevations from 0-4600 feet.

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.

Muhlenbergia californica is an uncommon species of grass known by the common name California muhly. It is endemic to California Transverse Ranges, where it is known only from the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. It grows in moist habitat, such as streambanks and ditches, in the chaparral and woodlands.

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 microsperma is a species of grass known by the common name littleseed muhly. It is native to the Americas from the southwestern United States through Central America into Peru and Venezuela. It can be found in many habitat types, including disturbed areas. It is an annual or perennial grass growing up to 60 to 80 centimeters tall. The flower cluster is an open, spreading array of thin branches bearing small spikelets which have awns up to 3 centimeters long. Spikelets lower in the flower cluster stay within sheaths and do not bloom.

This native bunchgrass, Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) is a popular plant choice for groundcover and lawn replacement applications. It's an attractive, low-water grass that's very easy to grow. Deergrass does best in sandy soil and full sun, but it is versatile enough to tolerate shade and a variety of soil types.

The leaf blades are pale green, and in spring the plant produces tall spikes of yellow flowers. The seeds provide food for birds in summer. Plant this large mounding grass in groups for an impressive display.

Muhlenbergia utilis is a species of grass known by the common name Aparejograss. It is native to North and Central America, where it can be found throughout the Southwestern United States and California, through Mexico, as far south as Costa Rica. It grows in wet habitats, including riverbanks and meadows, sometimes in alkaline soils.

Myosotis laxa is a species of forget-me-not known by several common names, including tufted forget-me-not, bay forget-me-not, and small-flowered forget-me-not. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows in many types of habitat, including moist and wet areas; it is sometimes aquatic, growing in shallow water. Henry David Thoreau described Myosotis laxa:

Myrica hartwegii, known by the common names Sierra sweet bay and Sierra bayberry, is a species of shrub in the bayberry family. The plant is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in moist areas, such as streambanks, in the foothills and lower slopes up to a maximum elevation of 1,500-1,800 metres (4,900-5,900 ft) . Myrica hartwegii is deciduous shrub that grows 1-2 metres (3. 3-6. 6 ft) tall with purple-black branches and twigs studded with yellowish resin glands. The leaves are widely lance-shaped to oval with blunt tips. They are up to about 10 cm long and about 3 wide, and they are usually edged with a few shallow teeth. They have scattered hairs and are densely coated in resin glands. The male and female flowers are arranged in separate spikelike inflorescences. The spherical, slightly waxy fruit is just under 2 mm wide and is dotted with glands.

Nasturtium gambellii (syn. Rorippa gambellii) is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names Gambel's yellowcress and Gambel's watercress. It is known from three or four scattered occurrences in California. It has been reported to exist in central Mexico and Guatemala, but these reports remain unconfirmed and in need of further investigation. Its total U. S. population was last estimated at fewer than 300 individuals. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 1993. Some sources spell the epithet with a single "l" as "gambelii," others with a double "ll" as "gambellii. " Watson, in the original 1876 publication, spelled it with a double "l" and stated that it was named after "Gambell," collector of the type specimen. The collector was in fact William Gambel. Section 60. 7 of the ICN states that such errors in the spelling of personal names is to be corrected only in the case of the omission of the final letter of the person's name. This is not what happened here. Watson added an extra letter rather than deleting a letter. Hence Watson's error must stand uncorrected in the scientific epithet, though no such rules apply to the common name.

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.

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.

Nemophila breviflora is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names basin nemophila, Great Basin nemophila, and Great Basin baby-blue-eyes. It is native to southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States, where it generally grows in wooded and forested areas in thickets and moist streambanks. It is an annual herb with a fleshy, somewhat prickly stem growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall. The alternately arranged leaves are divided into several wide, pointed lobes. Flowers are solitary, each on a short pedicel. The flower has a calyx of sepals each a few millimeters long, pointed, and edged with stiff hairs, and there are reflexed appendages between the sepals. The bell-shaped flower corolla is white or purple-tinged and a few millimeters wide. The fruit is a capsule which develops within the calyx of sepals and contains a single red, pitted seed.

Nemophila heterophylla is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name small baby blue eyes. It is native to Oregon and California north of the Transverse Ranges. It grows in many types of habitat, from valley chaparral to mountain talus. Nemophila heterophylla is an annual herb with a fleshy but delicate and usually hairy stem. The lower leaves are oppositely arranged and divided into several wide lobes. Upper leaves are smaller, narrower, and alternately arranged. Flowers are solitary, each on a short pedicel. The flower has a calyx of sepals each a few millimeters long, pointed, and covered with long hairs, and there are reflexed appendages between the sepals. The bowl-shaped flower corolla is white or blue and a few millimeters to over a centimeter wide. The fruit is a capsule which develops within the calyx of sepals and contains a few yellowish seeds.

Named for the five purple spots that adorn each flower petal tip, Fivespot (Nemophila maculata) is a cute and cheerful annual that's native to California's Sierra foothills. Fivespot is a member of the Borage family. It is related to Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), another popular native annual. But it is not related to Desert Fivespot (Eremalche rotundifolia).

Fivespot's appealing white and purple flowers bloom in early spring and attract bees, butterflies, and other insects. Fivespot is a low, compact plant, making it a good choice for containers and small beds. It likes sun or partial shade and does best in loose, nutrient-rich garden soil. Since it is native to cooler regions of California, it tolerates cold temperatures but needs afternoon shade and supplemental moisture in hot, dry climates. Fivespot seeds are often included in wildflower seed mixes and the plant will self-sow in the garden.

Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), a common annual of California, Oregon, and Baja California, is a popular garden plant. It is a spring-blooming wildflower that gets its name from the bright blue flowers of two of the three varieties that are recognized. One variety, var. atomaria, is found in the north coast and has almost pure white flowers.

It can occasionally be found outside its native range as an introduced species, in Alaska, for example. Baby Blue Eyes grows virtually throughout California at heights from sea level up to almost 6500 feet in many types of habitat. It is easy to grow from seed along with other annuals in a wildflower meadow or in openings between trees and shrubs.

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.

Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii var. atomaria) is a flowering annual in the Boraginaceae, or borage/forget-me-not family, found in grasslands in Northwestern California and Oregon.  This variety of Nemophila menziesii has white flowers with black dots, often with a faint blue tint or blue veins, other times a pure white.  

Sow seed October through February. This plant has a low, creeping growth and blooms from early spring to mid-summer. It works well in a wildflower garden or as a container plant. It will resow itself reliably if non-native grasses and weeds are controlled. Protect seedlings in spring and fall from slugs.

Baby blue eyes is visited by many pollinators and is a favorite of native bees.

Nemophila parviflora (smallflower nemophila, small-flowered nemophila or oak-leaved nemophila) is a dicot in the borage family, Boraginaceae, in the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. The plant is native to the low to moderate elevation forests and chaparral and oak woodlands of western North America, from California to British Columbia and Utah. Nemophila parviflora is an annual herb that grows in the spring. The flowers are bowl-shaped, white to lavender, solitary from leaf axils. The corolla is up to 4. 5 millimeters wide. The leaves are 10-35 mm long and 8-25 mm wide. They have 2 pairs of lateral lobes and the lobes are entire. The fruit is a capsule with a single seed. Varieties: Varieties include: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniaeNemophila parviflora var. parvifloraNemophila parviflora var. quercifolia

Nemophila pedunculata is a common annual wildflower found throughout western North America. Its common names include littlefoot nemophila and meadow nemophila. Nemophila pedunculata grows low to the ground, with a fleshy stem and thick, bristly leaves. The flowers are tiny, only about a centimeter wide. They are a broad bell shape and they vary widely in color. Some are blue, but most are white with a variety of markings, including small blue streaks or speckles, or an eye-catching purple spot at the tip of each petal.

Nemophila pulchella, known by the common name Eastwood's baby blue-eyes, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family. It is endemic to California, where it is found from the San Francisco Bay Area to the southern Sierra Nevada to the Transverse Ranges. It grows in many types of mountain, foothill, and valley habitats. Nemophila pulchella is an annual herb with a fleshy and delicate stem. The leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and generally divided into five wide, rounded lobes. Flowers are solitary, each on a pedicel up to 3 centimeters in length. The flower has a calyx of hairy, pointed sepals. The bowl-shaped flower corolla is white or blue, the largest just over a centimeter wide. Nemophila pulchella is an annual herb with a fleshy and delicate stem. The leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and generally divided into five wide, rounded lobes. Flowers are solitary, each on a pedicel up to 3 centimeters in length. The flower has a calyx of hairy, pointed sepals. The bowl-shaped flower corolla is white or blue, the largest just over a centimeter wide. There are three Varieties: Fremont's baby blue-eyes, var. fremontii, has white flowers, as doesvar. gracilis, which is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothillsvar. pulchella has blue flowers with white centers.

Nemophila spatulata, with the common names Sierra baby blue-eyes and Sierra nemophila, is a dicot in the family Boraginaceae. The plant is an annual herb wildflower that grows in California, and adjacent areas of Nevada and Oregon. It is found on slopes at elevations between 1,100-3,000 metres (3,600-9,800 ft), in meadows, road banks, and woodlands. It grows in the following plant communities: Yellow pine forestRed fir forestLodgepole forestBioregional Distribution includes: Southern High Cascade RangeHigh Sierra Nevada and Southern Sierra Nevada FoothillsTehachapi MountainsTransverse Ranges, in the San Bernardino Mountains and Santa Monica MountainsPeninsular Ranges in the San Jacinto MountainsThe flowers of Nemophila spatulata are bowl-shaped, white or blue and generally veined and dotted. The lobes are sometimes purple-spotted. The corolla is 2-8 mm long and 2-10 mm wide. The leaves are opposite, 5-30 mm long, and the petiole is winged. The lower blades have 3-5 lobes, are shallow and generally entire. The upper blade lobes have 3-5 triangular teeth. The seeds are brown and are smooth but shallowly pitted. The fruit produces between 5-7 seeds.

Nicotiana attenuata is a species of wild tobacco known by the common name coyote tobacco. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Texas and northern Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a hairy and sparsely hairy annual herb exceeding a meter in maximum height. The leaf blades may be 10 centimeters long, the lower ones oval and the upper narrower in shape, and are borne on petioles. The flower cluster bears several flowers with pinkish or greenish white tubular throats 2 to 3 centimeters long, their bases enclosed in pointed sepals. The flower face has five mostly white lobes. The fruit is a capsule about a centimeter long. This plant was used for a great variety of medicinal purposes by many Native American groups, and was smoked ceremonially by the Hopi, Apache, Navajo, Paiute, and other groups.

Nicotiana clevelandii is a species of wild tobacco known by the common name Cleveland's tobacco. It is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States in California and Arizona, where it grows in the Sonoran Desert, Colorado Desert, and in chaparral of the coastal canyons of the Peninsular Ranges and the Channel Islands of California. Nicotiana clevelandii is a glandular and sparsely hairy annual herb producing a slender stem up to about 60 centimetres (24 in) in maximum height. The leaf blades may be 18 centimetres (7. 1 in) long, the lower ones borne on petioles. The inflorescence bears white or green-tinged flowers with tubular throats around 2 centimeters long, their bases enclosed in pointed sepals which are unequal in length. The flower face is about a centimeter wide with five mostly white lobes. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter long. Uses. This plant was used for a variety of medicinal purposes and smoked in rituals by the Cahuilla.

Nicotiana obtusifolia, or desert tobacco, is a plant native to the southwestern United States (from California to Utah to Texas) and Mexico. It is a woody perennial herb growing up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves have blades up to 10 centimeters long, the lower ones borne on short petioles, the upper ones smaller and clasping the stem. The funnel-shaped flower is white or green-tinged, its tubular throat up to 2.6 centimeters long.

Nicotiana quadrivalvis is a species of wild tobacco known by the common name Indian tobacco. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a bushy, sprawling annual herb growing up to two meters in maximum height. The lower leaf blades are up to 15 centimeters long and are borne on short petioles, the upper smaller and sessile on the stem. The flower cluster is an array of several white, greenish, or purple-tinged flowers with tubular throats up to 5 centimeters long. The base of each is enclosed in a ridged calyx of sepals. The flower face may be 5 centimeters wide. The fruit is a capsule up to 2 centimeters in length.

Thlaspi montanum ssp. montanum is a native perennial herb that grows in northern California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-6600 feet.

Nolina bigelovii, Bigelow's nolina or beargrass, is a flowering monocot plant in the Ruscaceae (Butcher's-broom) family that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It grows in the driest desert areas and at elevations up to 1500 meters, primarily in the Mojave Desert. The genus Nolina has undergone several taxonomic changes. Despite its appearance and common name of Beargrass, it is not a grass. Both the foliage and flowers resemble Yuccas which are in a different family. It was previously grouped in the Liliaceae (Lily) family. The trunklike stem may exceed 2 meters in height, part of which may be underground. In maturity it may branch. The stiff, shreddy leaves are arranged in rosettes about the stem, with up to 150 per rosette. The bases are thick and fleshy and much wider than the rest of the blade. The treelike flower cluster may approach 4 meters in height. The tiny flowers each have six whitish petals a few millimeters in length.

Nolina cismontana, the chaparral beargrass, chaparral nolina, California beargrass, Peninsular beargrass, or peninsular nolina, is a rare species of flowering plant of the Peninsular and Transverse Ranges in California. It is endemic to (known from) only four counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Ventura Counties. There are perhaps 15 to 17 occurrences in existence, with a total population estimated between 10,000 and 20,000. This species, previously classified as a subspecies of Nolina parryi, was elevated to species status in 1995. The type specimen is from Trabuco Canyon. The two species differ in morphology as well as habitat and ecology. Nolina cismontana occurs in coastal mountain ranges in dry chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitat on rocky sandstone and gabbro substrates. By contrast, N. parryi is more often found in woodlands on granite soils. The plant is in decline throughout most of its range. Threats include destruction and fragmentation of habitat for development, construction of roads, and agriculture, changes in the fire regime, recreational activity, and non-native species. This species is a "fire-follower", experiencing reproduction and prolific blooming after wildfire. Nolina cismontana grows to 30 centimetres (0. 98 ft) in height but can be much taller, reaching well over 1 metre (3. 3 ft). At ground level is a rosette of 30 to 90 long, narrow leaves which measure up to 140 centimetres (4. 6 ft) long by 3 centimetres (0. 098 ft) wide with a widening at the bases. They are stiff, whiplike, or limp, sometimes waxy in texture, and serrated on the edges. The inflorescence is a compound panicle of whitish flowers interspersed with pointed bracts. The plant is dioecious, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants.

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.

Nolina parryi (Parry's Nolina or Giant Nolina) is a flowering plant in the family Ruscaceae. It grows in the upper elevations of the Peninsular Range, the Mojave Desert and the southern Sierra Nevada.up to 2100 meters. It can exceed two meters in height, its flower cluster reaching 4 meters. The trunk is up to 60 centimeters in diameter. Leaves are borne in dense rosettes, each with up to 220 stiff linear leaves up to 140 centimeters long and 4 broad. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants; the flowers are white, produced on the tall plume-like flower cluster that normally appears in late spring. The fruit is a delicate, papery, three-lobed pod.

This plant requires fast draining soil and dry slopes. It needs full sun. This plant is extremely drought tolerant, and after established, it should survive the dry months with no supplementary water. Since it's primarily a desert plant, it's evolved to handle summer monsoons, and tolerates occasional water (1x per month).

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.

Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-4900 feet.

Bush Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus var. echinoides) is a native tree or shrub that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow at elevations from 2000-6600 feet.

Blue toadflax (Nuttallanthus texanus) is an annual (occasionally biennial) wildflower in the Plantaginaceae (plantain) family. It features tiny violet to pale blue, two lipped flowers that bloom atop tall, slender stalks emerging from a basal rosette of narrow leaves. Native to much of the western United States, blue toadflax is commonly found in disturbed soils, but also thrives in dunes, grasslands, and open woodlands.

This plant adds a delicate and subtle touch of color to woodland gardens and naturalized settings. When planted in mass, it can form a soft sea of blue blooms.