In the 1500's
California went through an 80 year drought. During the winter there
were blizzards in Central California, the Salinas river froze solid
where it flowed into the Monterey Bay. During the summer there was no
humidity, no rain, and temperatures in the hundreds for many
months. During one year in the 1840's there was no measurable rain in
Santa Barbara. (The highest measured rainfall in an hour also was in
Southern California, 11 inches in an hour) The same native
plants that lived through that are still on
the hillsides of California. California native plants that do not
normally live in the creeks and ponds are very drought
tolerant.
The best way to find your plant is to check
www.mynativeplants.com and
do not water at all. But if you want a
simple list of drought tolerant plants that can work for your garden
here are some.
Plant Image | Short Description |
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Arctostaphylos
glandulosa adamsii
Laguna Manzanita Laguna manzanita is a sprawling evergreen manzanita shrub that will form a knee high groundcover. ... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
insularis
Island Manzanita Island Manzanita is an evergreen shrub to 7', needing sun and good drainage. This one has glossy d... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
luciana Adelaide Manzanita
Santa Lucia Manzanita Santa Lucia Manzanita is a rare, evergreen shrub, 3' by 6' with 1" white leaves and red bark. It gro... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
manzanita Dr. Hurd Manzanita Tree
Northern California Manzanita Dr. Hurd Manzanita is an evergreen, multi-branched, treelike hybrid shrub with glossy, light green f... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
manzanita_x_densiflora Austin Griffiths Manzanita
Austin Griifith's Manzanita Austin Griffiths Manzanita is a hybrid between Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' and Arctostaphyl... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
purissima Burton Mesa Groundcover
Lompoc Manzanita Evergreen sub-shrub, 2 foot by four foot (the form we grow), on some sites and the one next to it ma... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
rainbowensis Rainbowensis is a lower moundy Big Berried Manzanita. We grew some for a remediation in South River... Learn more |
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Artemisia
ludoviciana
White Sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana, White Sagebrush is a rhizomatous perennial native from Baja to Ontario Canada... Learn more |
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Baccharis
pilularis consanguinea
Coyote Brush Deer proof throughout Ca. (so-far). You might want to cover it for the first year. Drought tolerant,... Learn more |
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Balsamorhiza
sagittata
Arrowleaf balsamroot syn Buphthalmum sagittata, Espeletia s., E. helianthoides, Balsamorhiza h.. Arrowleaf balsamroot gro... Learn more |
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Ceanothus
arboreus Owlswood Blue
Island Mtn. Lilac Evergreen shrub fast to 10', a C. aboreus cultivar-hybrid, deer love these, blue flowers on long spi... Learn more |
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Ceanothus
Concha
California Mountain Lilac Ceanothus 'Concha' is one of the oldest and best hybrid ceanothus. Ours are 4' high by 4' wide, and ... Learn more |
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Ceanothus
cyaneus
San Diego Mtn. Lilac San Diego Mountain Lilac is a medium sized evergreen shrub that is covered with light blue flowers... Learn more |
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Ceanothus
Ray Hartman
Mountain Lilac The Ray Hartman' form of mountain lilac is an evergreen shrub to 20'. The flowers are light to mediu... Learn more |
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Corethrogyne
filaginifolia Silver carpet
Common Corethrogyne (Lessingia filaginifolia, Aster filaginifolia, Aster tomentellius, Aplopappus haenkei, Corethrogyne ... Learn more |
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Deschampsia
elongata A grass that disappears in summer(drops to a faint brown patch), a light grass that blows in the bre... Learn more |
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Diplacus
puniceus
Red Monkey Flower Red monkey flower is a two foot high evergreen shrub with red flowers most of the year. The species... Learn more |
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Dodecatheon
clevelandii Small perennial, goes dormant in summer, has a 1 foot high flower cluster with 1/2 inch shooting sta... Learn more |
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Dudleya
lanceolata
Liveforever Dudleya lanceolata is an one foot tall and wide succulent,native to central and southern Californi... Learn more |
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Eriogonum
parvifolium
Cliff Buckwheat A perennial, 2 ft. by 2 ft.. Native near coast from Monterey to San Diego, shade to sun, red-green f... Learn more |
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Gnaphalium
californicum
California Pearly Everlasting A native biennial or short-lived perennial that grows in disturbed places.This species is a pioneer ... Learn more |
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Koeleria
macrantha
June Grass A small perennial grass that looks like it belongs in a Japanese Garden. Although it grows in pine w... Learn more |
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Lepechinia
fragrans
Wallaces Pitcher Plant An evergreen perennial shrub like Lepechinia calycina but flower is pink and leaves a little fuzzie... Learn more |
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Malacothamnus
clementinus
San Clemente Bush Mallow Native to San Clemente Is. where it grows on rocky caynon walls(probably hiding from the feral anima... Learn more |
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Muhlenbergia
montana
Mountain Muhly A small little perennial that grows in our western mountains.The most likely place to find Mountain ... Learn more |
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Ribes
speciosum
Fuchsia-Flowering Gooseberry Fuchsia flowering or fuchsia flowering gooseberry is a four foot nearly evergreen shrub with red fu... Learn more |
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Ribes
viburnifolium
Evergreen Currant Catalina Perfume or Evergreen currant is a two to three foot evergreen perennial shrub that can gro... Learn more |
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Salvia
Daras Choice A hybrid between Salvia mellifera and Salvia sonomensis. Dara's Choice grows 3' tall and 3' across ... Learn more |
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Satureja
chandleri
Shrubby Yerba Buena (Calamintha chandleri (Smith & Berg) A 1 to 2 feet high by 3 foot perennial with very fragrant fol... Learn more |
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Sisyrinchium
bellum
Blue-Eyed Grass Blue-eyed Grass. Sisyrinchium bellum is a 1 foot tall perennial with 1 inch blue flowers in Jan.-Ju... Learn more |
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Stipa
comata
Needle and thread grass Needle and thread is a tufted little perennial grass that is probably the most wide ranging bunch gr... Learn more |
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Symphoricarpos
mollis
Southern California Snowberry Creeping Snowberry grows on north slopes, in ravines, and sometimes is all that's left of an oak woo... Learn more |
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Viguiera
laciniata
San Diego Sunflower A very floriferous perennial sub-shrub that grows in southern San Diego County. In many gardens it w... Learn more |
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Zauschneria
californica Ghostly Red
Red California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) A one foot high grey-green leaved perennial California native hummingbird fuchsia.... Learn more |