Drought tolerant plants for a  Downtown San Diego Garden.

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 or the internal search on laspilitas.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.
This partial search is full sun, with loam soil, no water after first summer, and shredded redwood bark as mulch. (This example was done in 2010, inventory/price subject to chamge.)

Plant Image	Short Description	Container Size	Availability
	Adenostoma sparsifolium Red Shanks Red shanks grows from the San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara County line south in chaparral, down throug... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:8 In-Stock: 79	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glauca Big Berry Manzanita Big berry Manzanita is an evergreen shrub to small tree, with red-brown bark, 7-10' foot high and wi... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: -1	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glauca Ramona Manzanita Ramona Manzanita A really glorious Big Berry manzanita from the San Vicente/Ramona area. The mother plant was growin... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:85 In-Stock: 24	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos manzanita Dr. Hurd Manzanita Tree Northern California Manzanita Dr. Hurd Manzanita is an evergreen, multi-branched, treelike hybrid shrub with glossy, light green f... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 127	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos manzanita Dr. Hurd Manzanita Tree Northern California Manzanita Dr. Hurd Manzanita is an evergreen, multi-branched, treelike hybrid shrub with glossy, light green f... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 11	Unit-Price $ 24.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos pungens Pointleaf Manzanita Mexican manzanita is an evergreen shrub around six foot tall, (usually taller than wide) that grows ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:41 In-Stock: 56	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos pungens Pointleaf Manzanita Mexican manzanita is an evergreen shrub around six foot tall, (usually taller than wide) that grows ... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 35.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Baccharis pilularis consanguinea Coyote Brush Deer proof throughout Ca. (so-far). You might want to cover it for the first year. Drought tolerant,... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:16 In-Stock: 24	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Calystegia macrostegia California Morning Glory This coastal/Island Morning Glory is a twining vine with large creamy flowers. Calystegia macrostegi... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 11	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Ceanothus arboreus Tree Lilac Fast to 20' high 10' wide, large dark green leaves,medimum blue flowers in 6" spikes, good where you... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: -3	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Ceanothus Frosty Blue Frosty Blue Mountain Blue Ceanothus Frosty Blue' is an evergreen mountain lilac that grows to six or eight feet tall and about... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:31 In-Stock: -1	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Diplacus longiflorus Southern Monkey Flower Diplacus longiflorus is a very large flowered monkey flower that is native on the Santa Margarita N... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:40 In-Stock: 233	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Eriogonum arborescens Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat is a shrub to three feet in the coastal areas, it will be smaller in the... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:54 In-Stock: -8	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Eriogonum fasciculatum polifolium Interior California Buckwheat California interior buckwheat ia as Eriogonum fasciculatum but grayer and tougher, hardy to -20 . Fo... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:55 In-Stock: 11	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Haplopappus venetus furfuracea Furry DYC A sprawling little perennial that has merit in revegetation and butterfly gardens. It is trivial unt... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: -3	Unit-Price $ 7.00 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Helianthemum scoparium Sun Rose A little non-descript perennial that grows in openings amoungst shrubs,. When it flowers it turns in... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:67 In-Stock: 2	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Lotus scoparius Deerweed Lotus scoparius Deerweed is a short- lived ( 7-20 years! ) perennial in the pea family. From sp... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:50 In-Stock: 19	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Lupinus albifrons Silver Bush Lupine A 3-5' perennial. The flowers 3" blue spikes on a white-silver bush. Many varieties range from S. Or... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Lupinus excubitus Grape soda lupine Grape soda lupine is one of the smaller bush lupines with many different forms that range from the ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:29 In-Stock: 3	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Mahonia nevinii Nevin's Barberry Nevin's Barberry is an evergreen shrub fast to 5 feet then can slowly become a slightly larger tree-... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:126 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Mirabilis californica Wishbone Bush Old Name: Mirabilis laevis. A trailing to ascending perennial subshrub with many stems arising from ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:170 In-Stock: 20	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Monardella antonina Butterfly Mint Bush Butterfly Mint Bush(sounds better than San Antonio Hills Monardella) is a one foot perennial covere... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 94	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Monardella villosa Coyote Mint Coyote Mint is a two-foot-high perennial with gray-green leaves and light purple clusters of flower... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 8	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Opuntia littoralis Prickly-Pear A cactus with yellow to red flowers, prickly, red fruit, very important wildlife plant, somewhat low... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: -1	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Penstemon spectabilis Showy Penstemon Penstemon spectabilis is a 3' perennial with lavender flowers in April-June. Native in dry creek b... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:53 In-Stock: 97	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.

	Pinus edulis Pinyon Pine Pinyon pine (or Colorado Pine) is a short conifer usually reaching less than 45 feet at the most, w... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 7	Unit-Price $ 14.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Rhus ovata Sugar Bush Rhus ovata, Sugar Bush is an eight foot evergreen shrub that can grow to twelve feet. This native ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 4	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Rhus ovata Sugar Bush Rhus ovata, Sugar Bush is an eight foot evergreen shrub that can grow to twelve feet. This native ... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 24.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia apiana White Sage White sage is a two to five foot evergreen perennial. The flowers emerge in summer and are white w... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:116 In-Stock: -2	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia apianaXclevelandii Vicki Romo Vicki Romo white sage Salvia Vicki Romo was apparently a hybrid between Salvia clevelandii, Salvia apiana, maybe Salvia le... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:143 In-Stock: 39	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia brandegei Brandegees Sage Brandegee's sage, named after an early American botanist, is a beautiful sage with shimmering, blue... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 88	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia Celestial Blue Las Pilitas Sage Celestial Blue Sage is a hybrid between Salvia clevelandii and Salvia pachyphylla or a three way hy... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 75	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia clevelandii Alpine Cleveland sage Musk Sage A form of Salvia clevelandii that was found near the town of Alpine in San Diego County. The form a... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:138 In-Stock: 115	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia Gracias Creeping sage Salvia sonomensis X Salvia clevelandii Gracias is all the information we can find as to the history ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 141	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia leucophylla Purple Sage Purple sage is a three to six foot evergreen shrub with flowers that are light purple in May-Jul.. ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 26	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia mellifera Black Sage Black Sage is a three foot evergreen shrub with white to light blue flowers from March to July. Thi... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 17	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia Pozo Blue Grey Musk Sage Salvia Pozo Blue is very drought tolerant three foot green-gray perennial. A hybrid of Salvia cleve... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:240 In-Stock: 112	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Salvia Pozo Blue Grey Musk Sage Salvia Pozo Blue is very drought tolerant three foot green-gray perennial. A hybrid of Salvia cleve... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: -2	Unit-Price $ 24.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Sphaeralcea ambigua Desert Mallow Desert Mallow is a two foot perennial with many one inch orange flowers on a two to three foot spi... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 128	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Stipa speciosa Desert needle grass (Syn. Achnatherum speciosa) Desert needle grass is a 1-2' bunch grass that is native to Mojave and C... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 4	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Trichostema lanatum Woolly Blue Curls Woolly Blue Curls is a three to four foot evergreen shrub with flowers violet in fuzzy spikes in May... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:152 In-Stock: 13	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.