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.
|
Plant Description |
|
Genus |
Species |
Variety |
Cultivar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Abronia |
villosa |
aurita |
|||
|
Achillea |
millefolium |
rosea |
Island Pink |
||
|
Achillea |
millefolium |
californica |
|||
|
Adenostoma |
fasciculatum |
||||
|
Adenostoma |
sparsifolium |
||||
|
Agoseris |
grandiflora |
||||
|
Amelanchier |
utahensis |
||||
|
Antirrhinum |
coulterianum |
||||
|
Antirrhinum |
nuttallianum |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glauca |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glauca |
Frazier Park Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glandulosa |
zacaensis |
San Marcos Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glandulosa |
ssp.crassifolia |
Del Mar Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
rudis |
Burton Beauty Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glauca |
Dwaine's Dwarf |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
hookeri |
hearstiorum |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
osoensis |
SLO Valley Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
wellsii |
Wells Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pungens |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
manzanita_x_densiflora |
Austin Griffiths Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glandulosa |
campbelliae |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pechoensis |
Margarita's Joy |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
rainbowensis |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glauca |
Ramona Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
otayensis |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pringlei |
drupacea |
Idyllwild Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glauca |
Los Angeles |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
Ian Bush Manzanita |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
insularis |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
luciana |
Adelaide Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
densiflora |
Sentinel Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
rudis |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
purissima |
Burton Mesa Groundcover |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
manzanita |
Dr. Hurd Manzanita Tree |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
viridissima |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
cruzensis |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pajaroensis |
Paradise Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
hookeri |
franciscana |
Franciscana Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
densiflora |
Harmony Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glandulosa |
adamsii |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
mariposa |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
cushingiana |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
patula |
platyphylla |
Julian Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
manzanita |
Real manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
Sonoma Manzanita Bush |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
glandulosa |
howellii |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
hookerii X pajaroensis |
Sunset Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
Baby Bear Manzanita Bush |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
obispoensis |
San Luis Obispo Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
tomentosa |
subcordata |
Tranquil Cliff |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
silvicola |
Ghostly Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
refugioensis |
Refugio Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pechoensis |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
stanfordiana |
stanfordiana |
Zin Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
edmundsii |
Big Sur Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
La Panza |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
Mama Bear Manzanita |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
Margarita Pearl |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
John Dourley |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
tomentosa |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
edmundsii |
Danville Manzanita |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
crustacea |
||||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pilosula |
pilosula |
Atascadero Manzanita |
||
|
Arctostaphylos |
pilosula |
pismoensis |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
edmundsii |
parvifolia |
|||
|
Arctostaphylos |
hookeri |
Wayside Manzanita |
|||
|
Artemisia |
ludoviciana |
ludoviciana |
|||
|
Artemisia |
californica |
||||
|
Artemisia |
californica |
Canyon Gray |
Canyon Grey |
||
|
Asclepias |
eriocarpa |
||||
|
Asclepias |
vestita |
||||
|
Asclepias |
speciosa |
||||
|
Asclepias |
fascicularis |
||||
|
Baccharis |
pilularis |
consanguinea |
|||
|
Baccharis |
viminea |
||||
|
Baccharis |
pilularis |
pilularis |
Santa Ana |
||
|
Baccharis |
pilularis |
consanguinea |
P.S. |
||
|
Baccharis |
pilularis |
pilularis |
Pigeon Point |
||
|
Baccharis |
pilularis |
pilularis |
Twin Peaks |
||
|
Bouteloua |
gracilis |
||||
|
Brickellia |
californica |
||||
|
Brickellia |
grandiflora |
||||
|
Brodiaea |
pulchella |
||||
|
Carpenteria |
californica |
||||
|
Castilleja |
foliolosa |
||||
|
Castilleja |
subinclusa |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
crassifolius |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
cuneatus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
arboreus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
arboreus |
Owlswood Blue |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
Mountain Haze |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Ray Hartman |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
ramulosus |
fascicularis |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
impressus |
nipomoensis |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
Mills Glory |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
purpureus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
megacarpusX |
Tranquil Margarita |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
Julia Phelps |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Dark Star |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
verrucosus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
cyaneus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
impressus |
impressus |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
Joyce Coulter |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Frosty Blue |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
greggii |
vestitus |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
tomentosus |
olivaceus |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
oliganthus |
oliganthus |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
cuneatus |
Sierra mt. lilac |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
maritimus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Remote Blue Ceanothus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Celestial Blue |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Rubins Blue |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
leucodermis |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Concha |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
sorediatus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
hearstiorum |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
jepsonii |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
gloriosus |
gloriosus |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
spinosus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
sorediatus |
Klamath |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
Wheeler Canyon |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Tassajara Blue Ceanothus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
Blue Cascade |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
cyaneus |
Sierra Blue Ceanothus |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
thyrsiflorus |
||||
|
Ceanothus |
thyrsiflorus |
repens |
|||
|
Ceanothus |
gloriosus |
exaltatus |
Emily Brown |
||
|
Cercis |
occidentalis |
||||
|
Cercocarpus |
alnifolius |
||||
|
Cercocarpus |
minutiflorus |
||||
|
Cercocarpus |
betuloides |
||||
|
Chenopodium |
californicum |
||||
|
Chilopsis |
linearis |
||||
|
Chlorogalum |
pomeridianum |
||||
|
Chrysothamnus |
nauseosus |
||||
|
Cirsium |
proteanum |
||||
|
Clarkia |
unguiculata |
||||
|
Clematis |
pauciflora |
||||
|
Cneoridium |
dumosum |
||||
|
Comarostaphylis |
diversifolia |
||||
|
Corethrogyne |
filaginifolia |
Silver carpet |
|||
|
Cowania |
mexicana |
stansburiana |
|||
|
Cupressus |
nevadensis |
||||
|
Cupressus |
macnabiana |
||||
|
Cupressus |
forbesii |
||||
|
Cupressus |
goveniana |
ssp. goveniana |
|||
|
Delphinium |
cardinale |
||||
|
Delphinium |
nudicale |
||||
|
Dendromecon |
harfordii |
||||
|
Dendromecon |
rigida |
||||
|
Deschampsia |
elongata |
||||
|
Diplacus |
aurantiacus |
australis |
Ramona |
||
|
Diplacus |
clevelandiiX |
puniceus |
San Diego Sunrise |
||
|
Diplacus |
fasciculatus |
||||
|
Diplacus |
aurantiacus |
lompocensis |
Vandenberg Monkey Flower |
||
|
Diplacus |
longiflorus |
Topanga monkey flower |
|||
|
Diplacus |
calycinus |
||||
|
Diplacus |
aurantiacus |
||||
|
Diplacus |
longiflorus |
Agoura Spunky Monkey |
|||
|
Diplacus |
puniceus |
Pumpkin |
|||
|
Diplacus |
aurantiacus |
Sierra monkey flower |
|||
|
Diplacus |
longiflorus |
Conejo monkey flower |
|||
|
Dodecatheon |
clevelandii |
||||
|
Dodecatheon |
clevelandii |
insulare |
|||
|
Dudleya |
edulis |
||||
|
Dudleya |
pulverulenta |
||||
|
Dudleya |
cymosa |
||||
|
Elymus |
glaucus |
||||
|
Elymus |
condensatus |
||||
|
Emmenanthe |
penduliflora |
||||