A Guide to California Native Plants
The purpose of this guide is to make it easier for the novice as well as the expert to understand native plants, and how each species can be used in native plant landscapes and natural settings.
A long list of plants can be bewildering and confusing. How do you make sense of it all?
The normal route is to learn one species at a time, however, we find that plants usually grow and behave much like related species. This website uses this idea a few different ways. The first way is to provide information about a plant’s genus, family or order. By knowing which species the native is related to, you will have a great headstart in understanding the species’ behavior and horticultural requirements.
On our plant lists, we show familiar California native species, along with a parallel list of well known species from around the world. If you know something about the growth conditions and horticultural requirements of the non-native species, this may assist you in understanding the natives. Please note that these are not strict lists of California genera versus non-native genera. Many genera from California are found throughout the world. Many genera listed in the right hand column have California cousins.
If you are looking for an individual species, please search using the genus page. We have also grouped the species into their families and orders. Use these pages for looking at plant relationships.
Note: This plant guide is in the early phases construction. Only a few of the pages are ready to be posted. Keep checking back as we add more.
Enjoy the plant guide and happy hunting!
- Dave Kaplow
California Native
Plant Guide
