Here are some California native plants that have some late fall or winter color.
I've tried to include a variety of plants that have leaf color, fruit color or flowers in the period from about the first of December to March. You'll still need to match plant conditions with your garden.
Vine
maple, Acer circinatum has fall or early winter leaf color, just before the leaves fall off. AND, flowers in late winter.
The Southern form of Big
Berry Manzanita, Arctostaphylos glauca, 'Ramona'
Cottonwoods also commonly turn color between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Arctostaphylos
manzanita_x_densiflora Austin Griffiths Manzanita flowers in late December or January.
Aristolochia
californica,
California Pipevine flowers in late winter.
Cornus
stolonifera, Red Stem Dogwood has great fall color that extends into December.
Cornus californica, California Dogwood fall COLOR
Western
Thorn Apple, Hawthorn, Douglas Thorntree and Black Haw, Crataegus douglasii can have spectacular fall color.
Oregon
Grape, Mahonia aquifolium can be a very good in contrast in a snow covered garden.
In many coastal areas of California, Malus fusca, Pacific Crabapple
has fall color where other plants have none.
Chrysothamnus
nauseosus. Rabbitbrush.; Aster
chilensis
California Aster, and Zauschneria
latifolia johnstonii Bush California Fuchsia
have great fall color. Ours are commonly in flower until the first killing frost freezes the bejesus out of them.
Kellogg
Oak, California Black Oak can have good fall color.
California Buckwheat holds its flowers all winter.
Platanus
racemosa, California Sycamore can have leaf color in fall that will
be yellow one year, almost red other years.
Toyon
or Christmas Berry has great big clusters of red berries in
winter.The berries are not very toxic, regular Holly berries are.
California
Grape can have fantastic fall color.
Squaw
Bush Sumac, Rhus
trilobata, has great fall color in early December in
most of California.
Snowberries can add interest to a native winter garden.
Mission
Manzanita, Xylococcus bicolor
in flower for Christmas
Keep your eyes open in winter, there are all sorts of cool things out there.
