Plants For Riparian (rivers & creeks)

Fairy Duster is a 1 to 3 ft. shrub to sub-shrub that is native from San Diego County through New Mexico and south to Mexico. The 1-2 inch flowers are like a red cross between acacia and bottlebrush. ... Learn more.

Spicebush has fragrant, burgundy flowers, (April-Aug.), that smells kind of like a delicate red wine (if there is such a thing). Native to the mountains of central and northern California. Common a... Learn more.

A beautiful green perennial that lives in mountain meadows, road cuts, rocky slopes, and seeps. The soil can be fairly dry, but as it dries out the foliage will fade. This sedge looks kinda like som... Learn more.

Common in meadows, open, wet areas, marshes, seeps, seasonally wet edges of ponds, frequently alkaline soil, wide distribution , valleys up to middle elevations in CA, grows in western NA, to central ... Learn more.

A green perennial grass-like plant that grows along creek channels. Plant in cobble for a creek effect, plant with other Carex species, Mimulus species, (that is where the old separation between moi... Learn more.

A gray, perennial, grass-like sedge that grows along creek channels. Very dramatic specimen plant for a conventional garden or wet native garden. Plant in cobble for a creek effect, plant with other... Learn more.

A plant that looks like bunch grass that grows in seeps or along seasonal creeks. In our county it occurs in coastal seasonal seeps. Syn. Carex harfordii, Carex sub-bracteata, Carex gracilor, Carex m... Learn more.

Bush Anemone, Carpenteria californica is an evergreen shrub, 6' by 3' in the garden, 8 ft. X 12 ft. with a 6-12 inch trunk in the wild. Carpenteria is native to the foothills of Fresno County, wher... Learn more.

Celtis reticulata, or Hackberry, is a small, deciduous tree to 30'which grows best in full sun (a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight), and with regular water but can become very drought tolerant... Learn more.

Buttonwillow can occur as a 3 foot bush to 20 foot tree (Kern Canyon). It's deciduous, likes sun, water, and tolerates alkaline soil. The leaves are 3-6", and smooth, dark- green. The 1-2" creamy whi... Learn more.

Perennial to 3.5 ft. in height, with a caudex (thickened, woody stem base), flowers are insignificant, best in a wild garden as it shrivels to the ground in the dry season, survives with the aid of i... Learn more.

Desert willow, Chilopsis linearis is a large deciduous shrub or small tree. There is one in McFarland 30 feet+tall, but usually they are a 15 foot or so small tree. Its willow- like, long, narrow l... Learn more.

Yucca Valley is a beautiful white Desert Willow from the south western edge of the Mojave desert. It was found in a high desert wash mixed with Big Berry Manzanita, Bladder sage and near the original... Learn more.

Pipestem Clematis is a deciduous, dioecious vine, that grows to 8-20' and has showy, creamy white flowers from March-August. Chaparral clematis is native in the coast ranges and Sierra Nevada mounta... Learn more.

Clematis ligusticifolia is very similar to Clematis lasiantha. This Clematis grows in our area with Populus fremontii, Rosa californica, and Platanus racemosa, etc. This species is found in the rip... Learn more.

A little redstem dogwood that gives great fall color in most of California, Bigger leaves on a smaller plant. Part shade and regular water. If you want to get a headache, seek out McMinn's Illustr... Learn more.

A deciduous shrub that grows to 4' in bad conditions and 10' in moist shade. It has brown stems, green/brown/red leaves, creamy white flower clusters. It is always next to or in a stream. It grows dow... Learn more.

Cornus occidentalis is an elegant open shrub with white flower clusters in spring and red stems. Cornus occidentalis is nearly identical to C. stolonifera, they vary only in small taxonomic ways. It ... Learn more.

The American Dogwood or Red Stem Dogwood, Cornus stolonifera, is an elegant open shrub with creamy white flower clusters in spring and red stems.  It can be found in moist areas, in sun or shade. It i... Learn more.

Grows in seasonal creeks, wet areas commonly with with Salix lasiolepis, Ambrosia sp., Quercus agrifolia and Populus. Prefers wet soil, clay or gravel. Thrives in a disturbed plant community, rhizomat... Learn more.

This clumping perennial grass is so soft, and pretty, with really thin soft stems and leaves. Slender Hair Grass disappears in summer (drops to a faint brown patch); is a light grass that blows in the... Learn more.

Pacific Bleeding Heart (sometimes called Dutchman's Britches) is a 12-18 inch perennial with clusters of delicate, pink flowers in summer. A rock garden plant that grows in damp, places. This Dice... Learn more.

Broad-leafed shooting star is a nifty little early-spring perennial of the cool shady woods of central California and up into British Columbia, only growing in the mountains of southern California. I... Learn more.

A large clumping green grass. Native in the interface zone between plant communities or in openings. Commonly in areas that have seeps in winter. Drought resistant in most areas. In the desert areas, ... Learn more.

Elymus triticoides - Creeping Wild-Rye, Valley Wild-Rye, or Alkali Rye, is native in moist bottom lands throughout much of the west. Looks like a cross between Bermuda grass and Salt grass. Use as you... Learn more.