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 for
Yorba Linda, California.
This partial search is full sun, with loam soil, no water after
first summer, and shredded redwood bark as mulch. (This example was
done in 2010, inventory/price subject to change.)
Plant Image | Short Description |
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Arctostaphylos
densiflora Sentinel Manzanita
Sentinel Manzanita
Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' was selected way back when as an upright floweriest of manzanit... Learn more |
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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
glauca
Big Berry Manzanita
Big berry Manzanita is an evergreen shrub to small tree, with red-brown bark, 7-10' foot high and wi... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
glauca Frazier Park Manzanita
Mt. Pinos Manzanita
This Big Berry manzanita was selected from John's property in the Lake of the Woods/Frazier Park ar... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
glauca Ramona Manzanita
Ramona Manzanita
A really glorious Big Berry manzanita from the San Vicente/Ramona area. The mother plant was growin... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
Ian Bush Manzanita
Manzanita
Ian bush manzanita is fast to four feet and seems to stabilize at five feet with a very open form. T... 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
parryana Snow Lodge Manzanita
Parry Manzanita
Arctostaphylos parryana, Parry Manzanita, or Snow Lodge Manzanita, is a very clean, light-green, eve... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
pechoensis Margarita's Joy
Manzanita
This manzanita is an interesting natural hybrid that occurs on the central coast. The parents were p... Learn more |
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Arctostaphylos
pungens
Pointleaf Manzanita
Mexican manzanita is an evergreen shrub around six foot tall, (usually taller than wide) that grows ... 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
californica
California Sagebrush
California sagebrush is an evergray shrub, three to four foot high. This sage brush is native to mu... 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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Bahia
dissecta
Ragged leaf bahia
Ragged leaf bahia is a little fuzzy gray perennial that kinda turns green and grows tall when it flo... 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
Celestial Blue
Celestial Blue is a very blue,sometimes purple, with some red flowered California lilac with a light... 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
maritimus
Bluff California Lilac
Maritime California Lilac is native San Luis Obispo county where it grows on old ocean beaches and... Learn more |
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Ceanothus
Mountain Haze
Mountain Haze
An evergreen shrub to 8 feet with medium to small dark green leaves garden tolerant, good hedge or s... 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
California Corethrogyne
California Aster, the original common name was California Corethrogyne. (Lessingia filaginifolia... 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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Cupressus
nevadensis
Piute Cypress
This small tree grows in the mountains of Kern County. Fast to 20' then slowly to 30'. Very grey fol... 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
longiflorus
Southern Monkey Flower
Diplacus longiflorus is a very large flowered monkey flower that is native on the Santa Margarita N... 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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Encelia
californica
Coast Sunflower
Perennial shrub, 3-4 ft. high, good large scale ground cover with 2 inch daisy, Native from Santa Ma... 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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Eriogonum
umbellatum polyanthum Shasta Buckwheat
Sulfur Buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum polyanthum is a wide ranging form normal in the middle elevation Sierras, yello... 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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Helianthemum
scoparium
Sun Rose
A little non-descript perennial that grows in openings amoungst shrubs,. When it flowers it turns in... Learn more |
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Horkelia
cuneata
A small perennial that is common in coastal dunes and interior dunes from San Francisco to San Diego... Learn more |
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Juniperus
occidentalis
Western Juniper
The huge trees of Western Ceder are OLD, older than me and I'm old. 2000-3000 years is possible for ... 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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Mahonia
haematocarpa
Red barberry
syn.Berberis haematocarpa, Odostemon haematocarpus, .Red barberry grows in favorable spots in our So... 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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Monardella
antonina
Butterfly Mint Bush
Butterfly Mint Bush(sounds better than San Antonio Hills Monardella) is a one foot perennial covere... 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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Pinus
torreyana
Torrey Pine
A gray conifer to 40 ft.. There are two wild colonies left in San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island. A ... Learn more |
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Poa
fendleriana
Mutton Grass
Mutton Grass is so called as it grows a bunch grass in many of the drier plant communities of the we... Learn more |
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Rhus
integrifolia
Lemonade Berry
Lemonade Berry is an evergreen shrub to 8' inland, 2' tall in view of ocean. Native from about Santa... 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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Salvia
apiana
White Sage
White sage is a two to five foot evergreen perennial. The flowers emerge in summer and are white w... Learn more |
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Salvia
apianaXclevelandii Vicki Romo
Vicki Romo white sage
Salvia Vicki Romo was apparently a hybrid between Salvia clevelandii, Salvia apiana, maybe Salvia le... Learn more |
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Salvia
clevelandii Alpine Cleveland sage
Musk Sage
A form of Salvia clevelandii that was found near the town of Alpine in San Diego County. The form a... Learn more |
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Salvia
clevelandii Deer Springs
Cleveland Sage
Salvia clevelandii 'Deer Springs' is a Cleveland Sage from Northern San Diego County. It was collect... Learn more |
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Salvia
clevelandii Winifred Gilman Cleveland Sage
Musk Sage
Salvia clevelandii Winifred Gilman" is an evergreen shrub with flowers lavender to blue. This Clevel... 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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Salvia
leucophylla Point Sal
Low Purple sage
Salvia Point Sal is a gray ground cover that generally grows 3-4 foot across and a few inches tall. ... Learn more |
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Salvia
mellifera
Black Sage
Black Sage is a three foot evergreen shrub with white to light blue flowers from March to July. Thi... Learn more |
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Salvia
mellifera repens
Creeping Black Sage
A flat fragrant shrub with dark green foliage and light blue flowers. It can get to be 6' across wit... 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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Sidalcea
hickmanii anomala
A 1-2' perennial with 1"pink flowers on green-grey stems. A nice looking plant for serpentine areas ... Learn more |
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Sidalcea
malvaeflora
Checkerbloom
This checker bloom is a perennial with a small cluster of leaves at its base and a 2-3ft. spike of ... 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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Stipa
pulchra
Purple Stipa
Purple Needle Grass is native throughout our area. Nice plant. Use simply. Leaves are bright green u... 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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Xylococcus
bicolor
Mission Manzanita
Mission Manzanita is an evergreen shrub that grows along the coast from Los Angeles to Baja and on S... Learn more |