Native plants of California
These 53 plants belong to California. They were here before the gardens were: they know the weather, live on the rain that falls, and feed the insects and birds that grew up alongside them. Plant a few and your yard starts to fit its place.
Berries and small fruit (2)
- Golden currant (clove currant) · zones 2–8
- Serviceberry · zones 4–8
Perennial vegetables, greens and herbs (1)
- Tree collards · zones 8–10
Annual vegetables, herbs and grains (1)
- Golden chia (desert chia) · zones 7–10
Native and wild plants (48)
- Beach strawberry · zones 5–10
- Beaked hazelnut · zones 4–8
- Bigleaf maple · zones 6–9
- Blue elderberry · zones 5–10
- Blue palo verde · zones 8–10
- Blue vervain · zones 3–8
- Buttonbush · zones 4–10
- California bay laurel · zones 7–10
- California black walnut · zones 7–10
- California blackberry · zones 6–10
- California fuchsia · zones 8–10
- California lilac · zones 7–10
- California poppy · zones 6–10
- California wild grape · zones 7–10
- Camas · zones 4–8
- Cardinal flower · zones 3–9
- Cattail · zones 3–10
- Chokecherry · zones 2–7
- Cleveland sage · zones 8–10
- Coast live oak · zones 8–10
- Common sunflower · zones 2–11
- Deergrass · zones 7–10
- Desert globemallow · zones 6–10
- Desert willow · zones 7–9
- Desert wolfberry · zones 8–10
- Douglas fir · zones 4–8
- Evergreen huckleberry · zones 7–9
- Goldenrod · zones 3–9
- Hollyleaf cherry (islay) · zones 8–10
- Honey mesquite · zones 6–9
- Jojoba · zones 9–11
- Lacy phacelia · zones 3–10
- Manzanita · zones 7–10
- Nootka rose · zones 3–8
- Oregon grape · zones 5–9
- Oregon white oak · zones 6–9
- Pacific madrone · zones 7–9
- Ponderosa pine · zones 3–7
- Salal · zones 6–8
- Salmonberry · zones 5–9
- Screwbean mesquite · zones 7–10
- Showy milkweed · zones 3–9
- Thimbleberry · zones 3–8
- Toyon · zones 8–10
- Valley oak · zones 7–10
- Western columbine · zones 4–8
- Yarrow (native) · zones 3–9
- Yerba buena · zones 7–10
Helper plants for soil, wildlife and biomass (1)
- Milkweed · zones 3–9
Open the natives of California in the planner
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All regions · Plants by hardiness zone
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home