Go Native!

The global economy means that plant lovers now have access to a vast variety of plant species. However, there are several reasons a gardener may want to stick with the plants that are native to his or her own neighborhood.

Drought-tolerance

As California's drought continues, many gardeners are looking for water-sipping plants that are better suited to the dry climate. Drought-tolerant native plants offer distinct advantages over non-native drought tolerant species, as they may be easier to establish in our areas. They often require less water, provided they are planted in a location that is relatively similar to their native environment.

Here are some drought-tolerant plants that are also great ornamentals:

• Plants in the Asteraceae family, like Symphyotrichum chilense (California Aster), are drought tolerant as well as beautiful. This fall-blooming plant is well-liked by butterfly colonies that migrate to the coastal areas in the autumn season.
• Salvias are also noted as drought tolerant: Salvia mellifera (Black sage) and Salvia columbariae (Chia sage) are pretty plants that do well in low-water conditions.
• An often overlooked drought tolerant native plant is Mimulus aurantiacus (Sticky monkeyflower). Also nice is M. aurantiacus var. puniceus (Red monkeyflower) which is the red version of this little gem.

Choose wisely

It's important to note that while a plant may be native to your area, you still have to be mindful of planting it in an area that's similar to where it would grow naturally. For example, the central coast of California has many plants that grow near rivers and streams (riparian), while other plants prefer the shrublands (chaparral). Trying relocate a riparian plant to a chaparral is not likely to work well for you. Cultural requirements for particular species should be sought from local nursery associates or California Native Plant Society (CNPS) volunteers. Some general cultural recommendations are:

• Areas with soils containing large amounts of decomposed granite (DG) should be amended with firbark or a component with similar properties to improve aeration and drainage.
• Plant a little bit high - don't bury the base of the stem.
• Irrigate new native additions regularly (approximately 1-2 times per week to monthly) during the first few summers.
• Fertilizers are rarely needed (although there are some exceptions) and new transplants of most species will be enhanced by dressing the area surrounding the crown with mulch to ensure roots aren't expose and with the occasional top dressing of compost.
• Water in after planting, even if rain is expected. Watering in will help soil settle around roots and remove air pockets.
• If you are near within a few miles of wildlands, do not plant cultivars of native species to prevent hybridization with local natives.

When you do find plants that work in your area it is a wonderful way to feel connected to nature, whether you're experiencing it in a park, in your landscaping, or in a container garden.

Pollinator-friendliness

It isn't hard to get blown away by the beauty of native plants from the central coast. Other important characteristics, such as their ability to attract pollinators, may be reason enough for plant enthusiasts to give them a second look. Achillea millefolium (yarrow) is known to be of particular interest to bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. Often, garden enthusiasts have specific objectives when selecting pollinator plants, such as looking for plants to be foraged primarily by the European honeybee, which likes nectar or pollen producing specimens. In such cases, selection of plants can be helped by the extension evaluation and survey work that has been completed by UC research groups. The data are particularly robust for bees, as they are under heightened interest to ensure they can be protected from a variety of challenges, such as misuse of chemical pesticides and Varroa mite infestations. See a few useful examples below. A comprehensive list provided in a recent UC Davis bee-keeping class can be found at the end of this article.

• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus (Carmel ceanothus) and the clonally propagated C. ‘Ray Hartman' are among those visited by the European honey bee
• Arctostaphylos spp. (Manzanita) is a shrub well known to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, as well as cutter and bumble bees.
• A third amazing native pollinator plant is Sambucus sp. (Elderberry). Two examples originating from the Monterey Bay include S. nigra (Black elderberry) and S. nigra ssp. caerulea (Blue elderberry). Elderberry plants are a favorite of butterflies, hummingbirds and many bees.
• More pollinator-friendly plants that originate from the Central Coast include:

?      Eriodictyon californicum (Yerba santa)

?      Clinopodium douglasii (Yerba buena)

?      Frankenia salina (Alkali seaheath)

?      Arctostaphylos crustacea ssp. crustacea (Brittle leaf manzanita)

?      A. edmundsii (Little sur manzanita)

?      A. hookeri ssp. hookeri (Hooker's manzanita)

?      A. pumila (Sandmat manzanita)

?      A silvicola (Silverleaf manzanita)

?      Ceanothus cuneatus var. ramulosus (Buck brush)

?      C. rigidus (Monterey ceanothus)

?      Eriogonum nudum (Nude buckwheat)

?      Clarkia unguiculata (Elegant clarkia)

?      Epilobium canum (California fuchsia)

?      Frangula californica (California coffeeberry)

?      Penstemon rattanii (Rattan's beardtongue)

?      Solidago velutina ssp. californica (California goldenrod)

Health and nutrition

In addition to being drought-tolerant, beautiful, and pollinator-friendly, native plants may also have therapeutic and nutritional value properties. Several of the aforementioned plants are also used in herbal remedies. Yarrow is known to be a pain reliever. Yerba santa has been used as an expectorant for congestion as well as a fever reducer. Yerba buena is also used as a pain reliever and is sometimes used as a topical aid for insect bites. Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) got its common name because California gold rush miners ate it as a source of Vitamin C, but it can also accumulate toxic amounts of soluble oxalates. While foraging through local flora can be an extremely enjoyable experience, you must always be certain of what you have, as consuming the wrong plant species could cause poisoning. For instance, while the lovely Lupinus polyphyllus (Bigleaf lupine) has some bred varieties suitable as fodder plants, those native to our area could cause discomfort if ingested, due to high alkaloid levels found in their leaves.

 

Native plant online resources

The number of amazing native plants in our area can be a bit overwhelming and you may wonder where to start. There are many great opportunities to connect and learn about native plants in our area. The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has a chapter in Santa Cruz that meets bi-monthly at the UCSC Horticultural building and Monterey and San Benito Counties' chapter meets bi-monthly at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. For those living in the Monterey area, you can visit the Return of the Natives group each Tuesday from 10:30-12:30 at the Watershed Institute of CSUMB. CNPS and the Jepson Herbarium partnered on a great website with a native search tool to make it easy to find native plants in your area. In addition to local nurseries specializing in native plants, there are several native plant sales offered in the fall by organizations that support native plant research. Here are a few to watch for!

Upcoming native plant sales

• 

  Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman.' Photo: © Carol Nickbarg
  Elkhorn Slough Reserve: The Elkhorn Slough Reserve has an Open House and Native Plant Fair on September 24th from 10am-2pm.
• Monterey Bay CNPS: The annual plant sale is Saturday, October 1st from 10am-1pm at MEarth Hilton Bialek Habitat at Carmel Middle School.
• Watsonville Wetlands Watch: Saturday, October 1st, 9am-3pm, Watsonville Wetlands Watch hosts their 4th annual Habitat Festival and Native Plant Sale.
• Santa Cruz CNPS - UCSC Arboretum: This year's fall plant sale will take place on Saturday, October 15^th. Members of the CNPS and UCSC arboretum gain early admission from 10am-12pm, while the sale opens to the public from 12-4pm

References used in this article

Several online and print references were utilized for this article. Citation information follows:

• California Native Trees and Shrubs For Garden & Environmental Use in Southern California and Adjacent Areas. 1981. Lee W. Lenz & John Dourley. Claremont, California Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. 
• Culpeper's Complete Herbal. 1995. Nicholas Culpeper. Wadsworth Editions, Ltd. (Originally published in 1653)
• www.botanical.com - A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M Grieve, online version
• A Modern Herbal. 1992. M. Grieve. Dorset Press (Originally published in 1931).
• CNPS.org

Additional references on California native plants

Many additional print references exist for native plants. Following is a selection of a few used by members of the Native Plant Subject Group:

• California Native Plants for the Garden. 2005. Carol Bornstein, David Fross & Bart O'Brien. Cachuma Press.
• Complete Garden Guide to the Native Perennials of California. 1990. Glenn Keator. Chronicle Books.
• Complete Garden Guide to the Native Shrubs of California. 1994. Glenn Keator. Chronicle Books.
• Designing California Native Gardens: the Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens. 2007. Glenn Keator, Alrie Middlebrook & Phyllis Faber. University of California Press.
• Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses: Gardening with California Monocots. 2004. Nora Harlow & Kristin Jakob (eds). University of California Press.