Natives & Wildflowers
California native plants, and the drought-tolerant wildflowers that come up from the mixed seed I sow. What counts as native changes from place to place, so the links below help you find yours.
Why I Grow California Natives
Drought Tolerant
They handle our dry summers with little extra water.
Hardy
They're tough, and they put up with whatever the weather does.
Long Bloom Season
In our climate, their flowers can bloom for much of the year.
When to Plant
Sep
Lettuce, spinach, peas, cilantro; fall is the best time to plant CA natives and shrubs
Oct
Garlic, shallots, fava beans (cover crop), spring bulbs, natives
Nov
Garlic (last call), bulbs, wildflower seed before rain
Natives in My Garden
Wildflowers from Mixed Seed
I sow mixed wildflower seed, and something is blooming almost all year. The flowers are drought tolerant, but most aren't California natives: cosmos comes from Mexico, and black-eyed Susan and blanket flower come from other parts of North America. Of the flowers here, only the sunflower is native to California.
Check what's in a seed mix. Garland daisy came up from one of my mixes. The California Invasive Plant Council lists it as invasive in California (opens in a new tab): it escapes gardens and can form dense stands that crowd out native plants. Read the ingredient list before you sow a mix, and pull garland daisy before it goes to seed.
Find Natives for Your Garden
Calscape shows which plants are native to any address in California. The California Native Plant Society has chapters across the state, and many hold plant sales and spring garden tours.
Calscape (opens in a new tab)
California Native Plant Society, California
Find California native plants that grow near an address or ZIP code, with the pollinators they support
California Native Plant Society chapters (opens in a new tab)
California Native Plant Society, California
Find your local CNPS chapter: plant sales, field trips, and garden tours across the state