1. Western Los Angeles County Native Plants – Annuals & Biennial Wildflowers
Flower/ Water
Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes
I season Zone+
Any incl. Showy white
Achyrachaena mollis Blow-wives 1 ft tall Yellow/Sp FS/PS 1 to 2-3 19
clays seed head
Ambrosia acanthicarpa Annual Bursedge 2-3 ft tall Yellow/F FS Any 1 to 2 10, 16 weedy
Eastwood’s Well-
Amsinckia eastwoodiae 1-2 ft tall Gold/Sp 1 16
Fiddleneck FS drained
Amsinckia menziesii Common Yellow-gold/ Well- Good for slopes
X 1-3 ft tall 1
var. intermedia Fiddleneck Sp FS/PS drained 10, 16 & in grasses
Atriplex argentea ssp. Silverscale 1-3 ft tall & Yellow- Well- Tolerates alkali
FS 1-2 10
expansa Saltbush wide green/ Su drained soils
Atriplex serenana var. 1-3 ft tall Tolerates saline
Bractscale Green/Sp-F FS Any 1-2 10
davidsonii & serenana spreading & alkali soils
< 1 ft tall Bright Good for water
X Calandrinia ciliata Red Maids FS Any 2, 5, 10
1-2 ft w. pink/Sp 2-3 to 3 gardens
< 1 ft tall Yellow/Sp-
X Camissonia bistorta California Sun Cup FS/PS Any 1-2 1, 10, 13, 16 ‘Sun Flakes’
1-3 ft wide Su
California/Mustard 1-3 ft tall & Well-
Camissonia californica Yellow/Sp FS 1 10, 13, 16
Primrose wide drained
1-2 ft tall & Clays
X Camissonia ignota Jurupa Hills sun-cups Yellow/Sp FS 1-2 13
wide best
Small Evening Sandy
Camissonia micrantha 6-18 in. T Yellow/Sp FS 1-2 10
Primrose best
Castilleja exserta ssp. Purple Owl’s Well- 2, 5, 16 (our
X 1-2 ft tall Magenta/Sp FS 1
exserta Clover drained ssp)
Magenta,
X Centaurium venustum Beautiful Centaury < 1 ft tall FS Any 1 to 1-2 8
white/Sp-Su
Centromadia
Vernal pool
X (Hemizonia) parryi ssp. Southern Tarplant 2-4 ft tall Yellow/Su-F FS any 1 2
plant
australis
Chaenactis glabriuscula
Yellow/Sp
X var. glabruiscula & var. Yellow Pincushion 1-3 ft tall FS any 1 10, 13
orcuttiana
Cirsium occidentale var.
4-6 ft tall Well- May survive
X californicum & Cobwebby Thistle Pink/Sp-Su FS 1-2 13, 19, 21
1-2 ft w. drained several seasons
occidentale
Lavender/ 1, 2, 10, 13,
X Clarkia purpurea Purple Clarkia 2-3 ft tall FS/PS any 1-2
Sp-Su 16
1

2. Flower/ Water
Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes
I season Zone+
Pink-purple/ 2, 5, 10, 13, Needs drought
X Clarkia unguiculata Elegant Clarkia 2-5 ft tall FS/PS any 1 to 2-3
Sp-Su 16 for seeds
Claytonia perfoliata
X Miner’s Lettuce 1 ft tall White/Sp-Su PS/FSH any 1-2 2, 5, 10
ssp. perfoliata
Collinsia heterophylla Purple-white 1, 5, 10, 13, Well-drained
X Chinese Houses 1-2 ft tall PS/FSH any 1-2
var. heterphylla Sp-Su 16 soil
Somewhat
Doveweed; Turkey < 1 ft tall Well-
X Croton setigerus Yellow/Su FS 1 to 1-2 2, 10, 16 invasive;
Mullein 2-4 ft wide drained
stinging hairs
White Forget- Me- Well-
Cryptantha intermedia 1-3 ft tall White/Sp-Su FS 2-3 10
Nots drained
Well-
Cryptantha muricata Prickly Cryptantha 1-2 ft tall White/Sp FS 1-2 10
drained
Deinandra (Hemizonia) Gold-yellow/
Slender Tarweed 1-3 ft tall FS any 1 to 1-2 10, 16
fasciculata Su-F
Emmenanthe 1-2 ft tall &
X Whispering Bells Yellow/Sp FS Most 1-1-2 10, 13 Fire follower
penduliflora wide
Davidson’s Dry areas under
* Eriogonum davidsonii 1-3 ft tall Pink/Su-F FS gravelly 1-2 10
Buckwheat pines
Eriogonum gracile var.
Slender Buckwheat 1-3 ft tall Pink/Su-F FS any 1-2 10, 16 (?var) unusual
gracile
Eschscholzia californica Yellow/Or/ Be sure to get
X Coastal CA Poppy < 1 ft tall FS/PS 1 to 2 1, 2 many
ssp. californica Sp-F coastal ssp.
Eucrypta 1-2 ft tall & Well- Fire follower;
X Common Eucrypta White/Sp FS/PS/ FSH 1 to 1-2 13, 16, 21
chrysanthemifolia wide drained fern-like foliage
Gilia capitata ssp. Purple-blue/ Any well-
X Globe Gilia 1-2+ ft FS 1 to 1-2 5, 13 easy
abrotanifolia Sp drained
Yellow/Blue Well-
X Gilia nevinii Nevin’s Gilia 1-2 ft tall FS/PS 1 to 1-2 19
Sp drained
Yellow/Blue
X Gilia tricolor Bird’s Eye Gilia 1-2 ft tall FS/PS any 1 to 1-2 2, 5, 10, 13 Easy; fragrant
Sp
Western Marsh
Gnaphalium palustre 1-2 ft tall White/Su-F FS/PS any 1 to 2-3 2 easy
Cudweed
Rosilla; 1-5 ft tall Yellow- Edible;
X Helenium puberulum FS any 2-3 to 3 2, 6, 13, 21
Sneezeweed 1 ft wide brown/ Su pollinator plant;
Common (Annual) 2, 10 (local
X Helianthus annuus 5-8 ft tall Yellow/Su-F FS any 1-2 easy
Sunflower var.)
X Hemizonia fasciculata Slender Tarweed Med/tall Gold-
Any 1 10, 16
FS
yellow/Su
2

3. Flower/ Water
Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes
I season Zone+
Abundant
X Heterotheca grandiflora Telegraph Weed 4-5+ ft tall Yellow/Su-F FS Any 1 to 1-2 1, 2, 10, 16
reseeder
Heterotheca sessiliflora 1-2 ft tall 3, 8, 13, 16 (?
X Erect Goldenaster Yellow/F FS Sandy 2 Dune plant
ssp sessiliflora 1 ft wide ssp)
California
X Lasthenia californica < 1 ft tall Yellow/W-Sp FS any 1 to 1-2 10, 13 Salt tolerant
Goldfields
Moderately salt
Lasthenia coronaria Royal Goldenfields < 1 ft tall Yellow/W-Sp FS any 1 to 2-3 10,
tolerant
Good for water
Lasthenia glabrata ssp.
X Coulter's Goldfields < 1 ft tall Yellow/Sp FS any 1 to 2-3 5, 10 gardens; salt
coulteri tolerant
Shining 1 ft tall &
Lepidium nitidum White/ FS/PS Any 2-3 to 3 10 edible
Peppergrass wide
Yellow/white
X Layia platyglossa Coastal Tidy-Tips 1-2 ft tall FS any 1 to 2-3 5, 10, 13 easy
/ Sp
Yellow/white
X Limnanthes douglasii Meadowfoam < 1 ft tall FS any 1 to 2-3 5,
Sp
X Linanthus dianthiflorus Linanthus < 1 ft tall Purple-blue FS any 2-3 16
Small-flowered Well-
Lotus hamatus < 1 ft tall Yellow/Sp FS 1 to 1-2 10
Lotus drained
Lotus salsuginosus var. Short-bannered Sandy
< 1 ft tall Yellow/Sp FS 1 to 1-2 10
salsuginosus Coastal Lotus best
Lotus strigosus Biship’s Lotus < 1 ft tall Yellow FS any 1 to 2-3 10
Lotus unifoliatus Pink-
X Spanish Lotus 2-3 ft tall FS any 1-2 2, 10
(purshianus) var. unifoliatus white/Su-F
X Lupinus bicolor Miniature Lupine < 1 ft tall Blue/white FS/PS any 1- 2-3 2, 5, 10, 13
Scarlet Lupine/ Red- Sandy
X Lupinus concinnus < 1 ft tall FS 1 10
Bajada Lupine purple/Sp best
Well-
Lupinus excubitus var. 2-4 ft tall & 8 (other vars. Flowers smell
X Grape Soda Lupine Violet/Sp FS drained/s 1 to 1-2
hallii wide
andy
at 3, 10, 13) like grape soda
Magenta- Well-
X Lupinus hirsutissimus Stinging Lupine 1-3 ft tall FS/PS 1 10, 13, 16
purple/Sp drained
* Lupinus nanus ssp. Blue/white/
X Sky Lupine 1-2 ft tall FS/PS any 2-3 2, 5, 10, 13
latifolius Sp
Mojave Lupine/ 1-3 ft tall & Well-
X Lupinus sparsiflorus Blue/W-Sp FS 1 10,16 ?easy
Coulter’s Lupine wide drained
Arroyo (Succulent) Blue- 1, 2, 5, 8, 10,
X Lupinus succulentus 1-3 ft tall FS/PS any 1 to 1-2 Easy
Lupine purple/Sp 13, 16, 18
3

4. Flower/ Water
Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes
I season Zone+
Red-Purple/
X Lupinus truncatus Dwarf Lupine 1-2 ft tall FS/PS any 1 to 2-3 10, 13,
Sp
Yellow-red/ Well- Foliage aroma
X * Madia elegans Common Madia 1-3 ft FS 1-2 to 2 5, 10, 16, 19
Su-F drained of tropical fruit
Sandy or Desert annual;
* Malacothrix glabrata Desert Dandylion 1 ft Yellow/Sp FS 1 10, 13
rocky showy flowers
Well-
X * Mentzelia lindleyi Linley’s Blazingstar 1-2 ft Yellow/Sp FS 1-2 5, 13, 16 Fragrant flowers
drained
San Luis Yellow/Sp-
Mentzelia micrantha 1-3 ft tall FS any 1 10
Blazingstar Su
Microseris (Uropappus) Yellow/Sp- Showy seed
X Silver Puffs 1 ft tall FS Any 2-3 13
lindleyi Su heads
Widethroat Yellow Yellow/W- Sandy or 1-2 to
X Mimulus brevipes 2-3 ft tall FS/PS 10, 13 Many blooms
Monkeyflower Spr rocky 2-3
Seep Yellow/W- 1, 3, 5, 8, 10,
X Mimulus guttatus 1-5 ft tall FS Any 2-3 to 3
Monkeyflower Spr 12, 13, 14, 16
Mucronea californica CA Spineflower 1 ft tall White/Sp-Su FS sandy 1 to 1-2 10 Tiny flowers
Purple- Need summer
X * Nemophila maculata Five-Spot 1 ft tall FS/PS any 2-3 to 3 5, 10, 13, 16
white/Sp dry for seeds
Nemophila menziesii
X Baby Blue-eyes 1-2 ft tall Blue/Sp-Su PS/FSH any 2-3 5, 10, 13, 16 easy
var. menzeisii
Nicotiana quadrivalvis
Indian Tobacco 1-3 ft tall White/Su FS any 2-3 10 Sweet scent
var. bigelovii
Nuttallanthus/Linaria Sandy
Blue Toadflax 1-3 ft tall Blue/Sp-Su FS/PS 2-3 16,
canadensis best
Oenothera elata ssp. Hooker’s Evening Well- Abundant
X 5+ ft tall Yellow/Su FS 1-2 to 2-3 10, 16
hirsutissima & hookeri Primrose drained reseeders
White- Any More common
Perityle emoryi Rock Daisy < 1 ft tall FS - to +/- 10
Yellow/ Sp in desert areas
* Phacelia Well- 5, 8, 10, 13,
X Desert Bluebells 1-2 ft tall Blue/Sp FS/PS 1-2 Lovely flowers
campanularia drained 14, 16
Phacelia cicutaria var. Any well-
Caterpillar Phacelia 1-2 ft tall Light Purple FS 1 10, 16
hispida drained
Well-
Large-flowered 8, 10, 13, 16,
X Phacelia grandiflora 1-3 ft tall Purple/Sp FS/PS drained/ 2 to 3 Very showy
Phacelia sandy
17, 19
Parry’s Phacelia Purple- Any well-
X Phacelia parryi 1-3 ft tall FS/PS 2-3 13, 16
(Fiddleneck) white/Sp drained
4

5. Flower/ Water
Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes
I season Zone+
Easy, pretty,
Purple/Sp- Any well-
X Phacelia tanacetifolia Purple fiddleneck 1-3 ft tall FS/PS 2-3 to 3 5, 10, 13, scent, cut
Su drained
flower
Blue- 1-2 to
X Phacelia viscida Sticky Phacelia 1-2 ft tall FS/PS any 2, 8, 19 Easy, pretty
White/Sp 2-3
California
X Plantago erecta < 1 ft tall White/green FS/PS any 2-3 2, 16
(Dotseed) Plantain
White- Any well-
Plantago ovata Desert Plantain < 1 ft tall FS 2-3 10, 16 Maybe old alien
green/Sp drained
Platystemon Yellow-
X Cream Cups 1-2 ft tall FS/PS Any 1 to 1-2 5, 10
californicus white/Sp
Pseudognaphalium
Two-tone
X (Gnaphalium) 1-3 ft tall White/W-Sp FS/PS Any 1 to 1-2 1, 10, 12, 16
Everlasting
bioletta/bicolor
Pseudognaphalium 1, 2, 10, 13,
Macoun’s Cudweed 2-4 ft tall White/Sp-Su FS any 1-2
macounii 16
Pseudognaphalium Cotton-batting
< 1 ft tall White/Sp-Su FS any 1-2 2, 10
stramineum Plant
Sairocarpus
Coulter's Well-
X (Antirrhinum) 2-3 ft tall White/Su FS/PS 2-3 1, 13,
Snapdragon drained
coulterianus
Sairocarpus (Antirrhinum)
Well-
X nuttallianus ssp. Violet Snapdragon 2-3 ft tall Violet/Su FS/PS 2-3 1, 13,
drained
nuttallianus & subsessile
Annual Pickleweed Saltmarsh
Salicornia depressa 1-2 ft tall White/Su-F FS Sandy 2 to 3 10
(Glasswort) plant; edible
Lavender/ Sandy or
X Salvia carduacea Thistle Sage 1-2 ft tall FS 1 10, 13, 16
Sp rocky
Salvia columbariae var. Blue-purple/ Sandy or
X Chia Sage 1-2 ft FS 1 to 1-2 5, 10, 13, 16
columbariae Sp rocky
Senecio douglasii / Butterweed Sandy/
Yellow/ Toxic to
X Senecio flaccidus var. 1-2 ft FS rocky 1 1, 13, 14
Su-Fa livestock
douglasii best
Tolerates
Red-pink/ Well-
X Silene laciniata Red Catchfly 1-2 ft tall FS/PS 2-3 3, 12 seaside
Sp drained
conditions
Stephanomeria virgata Pale Purple/
Wand Wreathplant Med-tall FS Any 2-3 2, 19
?ssp. pleurocarpa Su
5

6. Flower/ Water
Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes
I season Zone+
Trichostema Any well-
X Vinegar Plant Med-tall Purple FS 1 10, 13,
lanceolatum drained
Trifolium Purple- Any well- 1-2 to Pollinator plant;
X Indian Clover < 1 ft FS 5, 16
albopurpureum white/Sp drained 2-3 edible
Pink- Any well- 1-2 to Pollinator plant;
X Trifolium ciliolatum Tree clover 1-3 ft FS/PS 5, 10
purple/Sp drained 2-3 edible
Bull Clover/Sour Any well- 1-2 to Pollinator plant;
X Trifolium fucatum 1-3 ft Yellow/ FS 5, 16
Clover drained 2-3 edible
Pink- Any well- 1-2 to Pollinator plant;
X Trifolium gracilentum Pin-point Clover 1-3 ft FS 10, 16
purple/Sp drained 2-3 edible
Trifolium Pink-purple/ Any well- 1-2 to
X Small-head Clover FS 10, 16
microcephalum Sp-Su drained 2-3
Creek (Clammy) 1-2 ft tall & Lavender/ Any well- Pollinator plant;
Trifolium obtusiflorum FS/PS 2 to 3 10, 16
Clover wide Sp-Su drained edible
1-2 to
X Trifolium willdenovii Tomcat Clover 1-2 ft Pink/Sp-Su FS/PS Any 10, 16, 19 Can spread
2-3
Veronica peregrina ssp. Purslane Any well-
1 ft White/Sp FS/PS 2-3 to 3 2
xalapensis Speedwell drained
Well-
Yellow/Sp- Don’t mulch;
Viola pedunculata Johnny Jump-up < 1 ft FS/PS drained 1 19
Su difficult
bare soil;
3/12/2011
I : X = Gardening Information Sheet available on-line (http://www.nbs.csudh.edu/biology/projectsound/) or at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center
* may not be immediately local, but is a CA native plant
** 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)
6