1. CA Native Plants for Western L.A. County – Spices, Seasoning Herbs and Condiments
I
Scientific Name
Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
To 50 ft t
30-50 ft w
Yellow/W-Sp
Light**
Trees and Tree-like Large Shrubs
Umbellularia californica
CA Bay
FS coast
Ps inland
Large Shrubs (> 6 ft tall; including those for screens and hedges)
Soil
Any
except
alkali
Water
Zone+
2
Availability
Notes
3, 6, 8, 14
Leaves used as
seasoning
1, 2, 16
Maintain size
through pruning
X
Atriplex lentiformis ssp.
breweri
Coast Quailbush/
Big Saltbush
To 8 ft tall
To 20 ft w
Green/Su
FS
Any incl.
alkali,
salty
1-2
X
Cleome isomeris
(Isomeris arborea)
Bladderpod
2-6+ ft
Yellow/
Sp +
FS
Welldrained
1
X Lycium californicum
California Boxthorn
4-12 ft tall
4-10 ft w
Wht-purple/
Sp-Su
FS/PS
Sandy/
rocky
best
1 to 1-2
1, 6, 13, 14
X Lycium hassei
Catalina Boxthorn
To 8 ft
To 10 ft
White/
FS
?sandy
1 to 1-2
1
Nevin’s Barberry
3-8+ ft tall
6-12 ft w
Yellow/Sp
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2
1, 7, 13, 14
Jojoba
5-12 ft tall
& wide
Yellow/Sp
FS
Welldrained
1-2
1, 8, 14, 16,
20
Roast, grind nuts;
use as flavoring
Gold/Su
FS
Welldrained
1
1, 7-10, 12,
13, 14, 16, 18
'Canyon Gray';
use sparingly as
seasoning herb;
good for flavored
vinegars
Yellow/Sp
PS
any
2-3 to 3
1, 7, 9, 13, 14
FS
Welldrained
1
1, 3, 5, 9, 10,
13, 14, 16, 19
FS
Welldrained
1
1, 6, 8, 14, 19
X
Mahonia (Berberis)
nevinii
X * Simmondsia chinensis
1, 3, 7, 10, 12,
13, 16
Unusual scent;
spicy seedpod &
seeds
Sea-bluffs;
make tomatolike sauce from
RIPE berries
Long dormant
season; make
tomato- like
sauce from RIPE
berries
Berries make
nice sauce/jelly
or boil in soup
Smaller Shrubs ( < 6 ft. tall) ; includes woody sub-shrubs
X Artemisia californica
X
* Berberis (Mahonia)
aquifolium
Coastal Sagebrush
3-6 ft tall
Oregon Grape
< 6 ft
X Salvia apiana
White Sage
3-5 ft
X * Salvia brandegeei
Santa Rosa Island
Sage
To 3-4 ft;
often
sprawling
White/
Sp-Su
Pale
lavender/
Sp-Su
Berries make
nice sauce/jelly
or boil in soup
Seed used for
flavoring
Dark-green
foliage
1

2. I
Scientific Name
Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
Light**
Soil
Water
Zone+
Availability
Notes
Cultivars: ‘Betsy
Clebsch’,
‘Compacta’,
‘Winifred
Gilman’,
Silver-white
foliage; fragrant
Fragrant
(Chaparral) Sage
2-5 ft
Purple/lav.
Sp-Su
FS
Welldrained
1 to 1-2
1, 3, 8, 9, 10,
13, 14, 16, 19
‘Vicki Romo’ Sage
3-4 ft tall &
wide
Lavender/Sp
FS
Most
1-2 to 2
6, 8
Fragrant
(Chaparral) Sage
2-4 ft tall &
wide
Light blue/
Sp-Su
FS
Welldrained
1 to 1-2
1, 3, 13, 14
Silvery foliage;
prune back by
1/3 in fall
X Salvia leucophylla
Purple Sage
3- 5 ft
Lavender/Sp
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2
1, 3, 5, 8, 9,
10, 12, 13, 14,
16,18, 19
Nice scent
X Salvia mellifera
Black Sage
3-5 ft
Light
purple/Sp
FS
Welldrained
1-2
1, 3, 8, 10, 13,
14, 16, 18, 19
Leaf used for
seasoning
San Diego Sage
2-3 ft tall
3-4 ft w
FS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2-3
1, 3, 6, 8, 13,
14, 16, 17
‘Roger’s Red’
California Grape
> 20 ft
White/Sp
FS/PS
Any
1-2 to 2-3
1, 8, 13
Desert Grape
> 25 ft
White/Su
PS
any
2-3
X * Salvia clevelandii
** Salvia apiana X S.
clevelandii ‘Vicki Romo’
** Salvia clevelandii X
X S. leucophylla ‘Allen
Chickering’
* Salvia munzii
Blue/Su
Perennial Vines
X
** Vitis californica
‘Roger’s Red’
X Vitis girdiana
2, 3, 10, 13,
20
Fragrant like
Black Sage;
‘Baja Blue’,
‘Emerald Cascade’
Use leaves for
stuffed grape
leaves
Use leaves for
stuffed grape
leaves
Perennial Groundcover Plants
* Berberis (Mahonia)
aquifolium var. repens
Creeping Oregon
Grape
1 ft tall
< 6 ft wide
Yellow/Sp
PS/FSH
Any;
acidic
1-2 to 3
1, 7, 9, 13, 14
** Berberis (Mahonia)
aquifolium ‘Compacta’
X
‘Compacta’ Oregon
Grape
2-4 ft tall
2-4 ft wide
Yellow/Sp
PS/FSH
Any;
acidic
1-2 to 2-3
1, 13
White/Spr
PS/PS/ FSH
* Heuchera maxima
X (incl. many cultivars &
hybrids)
X * Heuchera micrantha
Island Alumroot
Crevice Alumroot
1- 3 ft
1-3 ft
Pink/Spr
PS/PS/ FSH
Any, incl.
clays
1-2 to
2-3
Welldrained
2-3 to 3
1, 3, 7, 8, 13,
14
1, 3, 8
Berries make
nice sauce/jelly
or boil in soup
Berries make
nice sauce/jelly
or boil in soup
Small amount of
leaves can
flavor soups
Small amount of
leaves can
flavor soups
2

3. Scientific Name
Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
** Salvia mellifera
‘Tera Seca’
Tera Seca
(Prostrate Black)
Sage
2 ft tall
6-8 ft wide
Light
purple/Spr
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2-3
** Salvia mellifera
‘Green Carpet’
Green Carpet Sage
1-2 ft tall
8 ft wide
Light blue/
Spr-Su
FS
Welldrained
1-2
1, 13, 19
** Salvia munzii
‘Emerald Cascade’
Emerald Cascade
Sage
2-3 ft tall
2-3 ft wide
Light blue/
FS
Welldrained
1-2
1, 8, 11, 13
X Artemisia dracunculus
California
Tarragon;
1-3 ft tall
2-3 ft w
White/F
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2
10, 16
X * Linum lewisii
Blue Flax
1-3 ft tall
1-3 ft wide
Blue/Sp-Su
FS/PS
Welldrained
2 to 2-3
1, 3, 5, 8, 10,
13, 14, 16, 19
CA Bee Plant
2-3 ft
Red/Spr
2-3 to 3
1, 5, 8, 10, 12,
13, 16
I
X
Light**
Soil
Water
Zone+
Availability
1, 3, 8, 13, 16
Notes
Dense; small
amounts used
for flavoring
Small amounts
used for
flavoring
Evergreen; sm.
amounts used
for flavoring
Herbaceous Perennials
X
Scrophularia californica
ssp. floribunda
PS
Afternn.
shade
Herbaceous Annuals & Biennials (also short-lived perennials usually grown as annuals)
Atriplex argentea ssp.
expansa
–
no water after flowering
Tol. alkali soils;
leaves used for
seasoning
2
Aromatic seeds,
parched
1 to 1-2
2, 16,
Aromatic seeds,
parched
1 to 1-2
10, 16
1-3 ft tall &
wide
Yellowgreen/ Su
FS
Welldrained
Southern Tarplant
2-4 ft tall
Yellow/Su-F
FS
any
1
Smooth Tarplant
1-4 ft tall
Yellow/Su-F
FS
any
Slender Tarweed
1-3 ft tall
Gold-yellow/
Su-F
FS
any
Descurainia pinnata
Tansy Mustard
1-3 ft tall
Yellow/Sp
FS
Welldrained
Lepidium nitidum
Shining
Peppergrass
1 ft tall &
wide
White/
X
Salvia columbariae var.
columbariae
Chia Sage
1-2 ft
Blue-purple/
Sp
Beach
Spectaclepod
1-2 ft tall &
wide
White/Sp
X Thysanocarpus curvipes
1-2
1-2
?
Any
2-3 to 3
10
FS
Sandy or
rocky
1 to 1-2
5, 10, 13, 16
FS
Sand to
clay
FS/PS
dried leaves for
seasoning
10
Silverscale
Saltbush
Centromadia
X (Hemizonia) parryi ssp.
australis
Centromadia
(Hemizonia) pungens
Deinandra (Hemizonia)
X
fasciculata
Leaves, seeds as flavoring in
soups, etc.
Parched seeds
have a pleasant
flavor
2 to 2-3
2, 13
Aromatic seeds,
parched
Seeds parched,
ground;
peppery taste
edible
Parched seeds;
distinctive flavor
Seeds parched,
ground;
peppery taste
3

4. Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
X Allium haematochiton
Red-skin Onion
1-1 ½ ft
White-pink/
Sp
X Allium praecox
Early Onion
1-1 ½ ft
Whitepurple/Sp
I
Scientific Name
Bulbs and Corms
Light**
Soil
Water
Zone+
Availability
Notes
All parts used
as onions
Difficult; All
parts used as
onions
3/6/2011
FS/PS
Welldrained
1
1, 8, 10, 13,
16
PS
Welldrained
1
1, 10, 16
I : X = Gardening Information Sheet :(http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants.html) or at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center
* may not be immediately local, but is a CA native plant
++
+
** horticultural cultivar
light: FS=full sun; PS=part shade; FSH=full shade
Water Zones: 1 = no summer water; 1-2 = very occasional summer water (several times per summer); 2 = let soil dry out between waterings;
2-3 some regular summer water (about once a week); 3 = regular watering/moist soil (like a conventional lawn)
Availability: numbers correspond to the Plant and Seed Sources List at: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/where-to-purchase-native-plants.html
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