California Native Plants in a Palo Alto Garden

As a companion to her article on A Small Urban Native Wildflower Garden, in the January 2009 issue of Pacific Horticulture, Glenda Jones provides the following list of California native plants that have proven particularly successful in her garden in Palo Alto, California.

Trees
Aesculus californica
California buckeye
Fremontodendron californica
flannel bush

Shrubs
Baccharis pilularis ‘Coyote Point’
coyote bush
Carpenteria californica
bush anemone
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ and ‘Evie’
silktassel bush cultivars
Mahonia ‘Golden Abundance’
hybrid Oregon grape
Rhamnus californica ‘Ed Holm’
coffeeberry
Ribes aureum
golden currant
Ribes sanguineum ‘Claremont’
pink winter currant
Ribes malvaceum
chaparrel currant

Perennials
Asclepias fascicularis
narrow-leaf milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
milkweed
Ceanothus griseus ‘Hearts Desire’
Carmel ceanothus cultivar
Eriogonum crocatum
saffron buckwheat
Eriogonum giganteum
St Catherine’s lace
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
red buckwheat
Iris douglasiana and Pacific Coast Hybrids
native iris
Linum lewisii
blue flax
Penstemon centranthifolius
scarlet bugler
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Blue Springs’ and ‘Margarita BOP’
Penstemon cultivars
Salvia apiana
white sage
Salvia clevelandii ‘Betsy Clebsch’ and ‘Winifred Gilman’
Cleveland sage cultivars
Salvia mellifera
black sage
Salvia spathacea and cultivars ‘Kawatre’ and ‘Avis Keedy’
hummingbird sage
Sidalacea malviflora
checkerbloom
Sisyrinchium bellum
blue-eyed grass
Trichostema lanatum
woolly bluecurls
Zaushneria (syn. Epilobium) canum ‘UC Hybrid’ and ‘Everett’s Choice’
California fuchsia cultivars

Grasses
Carex tumulicola
foothill sedge
Festuca californica
California fescue
Festuca idahoensis ‘Siskyou Blue’
Idaho fescue
Muhlenbergia rigens
deer grass
Nassella cernua
nodding needle grass

Bulbs
Allium amplectens
wild onion
Allium dichlamydeum
wild onion
Allium peninsulare
wild onion
Allium sanbornii var. congdonii
Congdon’s onion
Calochortus amoenus and others
mariposa lily
Dichelostemma capitatum
blue dicks
Dichelostemma pulchellum
blue dicks
Erythronium multiscapoideum
fawn lily
Triteleia ixiodes
golden brodiaea
Triteleia laxa and cultivars ‘Humboldt Star’, ‘Sierra Giant’, and ‘Starlight’
Ithuriel’s spear

Annuals
Calandrinia ciliata
red maids
Clarkia unguiculata
mountain garland
Clarkia species
farewell-to-spring
Collinsia heterophylla
Chinese houses
Eschscholzia californica and cultivars ‘Mahogany Red’ and ‘Moonglow’
California poppy
Eschscholzia californica var. maritima
coastal California poppy
Gilia achilleifolia
blue gilia
Gilia capitata
dune gilia
Gilia tricolor
bird’s eye gilia
Layia platyglossa
tidy-tips
Lupinus densiflorus var. aureus
yellow lupine
Nemophila menziesii
baby blue-eyes
Phacelia tanacetifolia
tansy phacelia

Non-natives
Achillea ‘Moonshine’
yarrow
Allium sphaerocephalum
drumstick onion
Perovskia atriplicifolia
Russian sage
Pteris ensiformis ’Evergemiensis’
brake fern