List of California Native Plants
According to the California Native Plant Society, there are numerous benefits to growing native plants in California gardens. Native plants preserve water, do not require pesticides, attract local wildlife, require minimal maintenance, and support the native ecological system. Looks can be deceiving, however; some of the more beautiful California native plants are also classified as invasive, such as the floating primrose willow, coastal bush lupine, and Monterey pine. Does this Spark an idea?
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Native Wildflowers
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California is home to many beautiful wildflowers, both annual and perennial. Verbenas, of the abronia family, are native perennials that grow in a wide variety of settings. Native verbenas include the sand verbena, dwarf sand verbena, Mojave sand verbena, and hairy sand verbena. Verbena plants are quite easy to care for, and their beautiful petite flowers are an excellent accent for any garden.
Oxytheca is one of the more exotic wildflowers found in California. These plants grow particularly well in dry climates, and their bold yet dainty flowers are quite striking. Many types of oxytheca, including Parish's oxytheca and Abram's oxytheca, are on the state's list of rare species. The beautiful Cushenbury oxytheca is endangered. The California poppy is the state flower.
Native Ferns
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Beautiful ferns such as the common ladyfern, deer fern, common grapefern and five finger fern can be found throughout the state of California. These ferns are hardy and able to survive in many climates. The unique green spleenwort, as well as the scalloped moonwort, common moonwort, and Crater Lake grapefern, are only a few of the rare fern species that are native to California.
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Native Trees
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California native trees are abundant and include many common types of trees, such as fir trees, maple trees, elder trees, and manzanita trees. Within these generic families, however, there are many rare species. The stunning Alpine fir tree, for example, is primarily found in Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest and Red Fir Forest. Hearst's manzanita, found primarily in the chaparral and dry desert of the state, is an endangered tree species. The coast redwood and the giant sequoia are California's state trees.
Native Grasses
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California is home to many common grasses, such as bentgrass, foxtail, needlegrass, and ricegrass. Rare grasses include the Mormon needle grass, San Diego County needlegrass, Blasdale bentgrass, and mountain bentgrass.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit sunshine through fir tree image by Petro Feketa from Fotolia.com
