Drought tolerant plants for a San Luis Obispo area 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 adobe soil, no water after first summer, and shredded redwood bark as mulch. (This example was done in 2010, inventory/price subject to change.)

Drought resistant plants for the San Luis Obispo Garden.

Plant Image	Short Description	Container Size	Availability
	Achillea millefolium californica Yarrow (Achillea borealis ssp. californica (Munz)) Western Yarrow, A perennial that spreads by rhizomes. I... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 11	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	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:19 In-Stock: 6	Unit-Price $ 14.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Agoseris grandiflora Mountain dandelion Mountain dandelion is a little perennial with large dandelion seed 'balls'. These 'balls' (head of f... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:22 In-Stock: 2	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos Baby Bear Manzanita Bush Manzanita by the baby bear Dark red bark, bright rose pink flowers, liked by hummingbirds, butterflies, bumblebees and other na... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:45 In-Stock: 81	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos densiflora Harmony Manzanita Harmony Harmony manzanita is an evergreen shrub with pink flowers that commonly grows two or three feet hig... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:40 In-Stock: 186	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos densiflora Sentinel Manzanita Sentinel Manzanita Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' was selected way back when as an upright floweriest of manzanit... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 129	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos densiflora Sentinel Manzanita Sentinel Manzanita Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' was selected way back when as an upright floweriest of manzanit... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 28	Unit-Price $ 24.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glandulosa adamsii Laguna Manzanita Laguna manzanita is a sprawling evergreen manzanita shrub that will form a knee high groundcover. ... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 115	Unit-Price $ 11.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glandulosa howellii Harris Grade manzanita A very refined manzanita. Foliage is a glossy green. As a groundcover, it is low, 2 1/2 to 3 feet h... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:40 In-Stock: 16	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glandulosa howellii Harris Grade manzanita A very refined manzanita. Foliage is a glossy green. As a groundcover, it is low, 2 1/2 to 3 feet h... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 20.00 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: 166	Unit-Price $ 8.99 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	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 12	Unit-Price $ 24.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glauca Frazier Park Manzanita Mt. Pinos Manzanita This Big Berry manzanita was selected from John's property in the Lake of the Woods/Frazier Park ar... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:48 In-Stock: 41	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glauca Frazier Park Manzanita Mt. Pinos Manzanita This Big Berry manzanita was selected from John's property in the Lake of the Woods/Frazier Park ar... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 29.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos glauca Los Angeles Los Angeles Big Berry Manzanita A manzanita from the Santa Monica Mountains. This one was originally in the area of Mullhuland and K... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:41 In-Stock: 3	Unit-Price $ 12.99 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:13 In-Stock: 99	Unit-Price $ 9.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos Ian Bush Manzanita Manzanita Ian bush manzanita is fast to four feet and seems to stabilize at five feet with a very open form. T... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 81	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos Ian Bush Manzanita Manzanita Ian bush manzanita is fast to four feet and seems to stabilize at five feet with a very open form. T... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 6	Unit-Price $ 29.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos Mama Bear Manzanita Mama Bear Manzanita 'Mama Bear'manzanita seems to be beautiful, very stable, very blossomy, has a nice form, sprouts bac... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:210 In-Stock: 82	Unit-Price $ 7.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos Mama Bear Manzanita Mama Bear Manzanita 'Mama Bear'manzanita seems to be beautiful, very stable, very blossomy, has a nice form, sprouts bac... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:6 In-Stock: 10	Unit-Price $ 24.99 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:115 In-Stock: 132	Unit-Price $ 8.99 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:6 In-Stock: 1	Unit-Price $ 30.00 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	Fifteen Gallon	In-Production:0 In-Stock: 2	Unit-Price $ 90.00 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos manzanita_x_densiflora Austin Griffiths Manzanita Austin Griifith's Manzanita Austin Griffiths Manzanita is a hybrid between Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' and Arctostaphyl... Learn more	One Gallon	In-Production:16 In-Stock: 168	Unit-Price $ 8.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.
	Arctostaphylos manzanita_x_densiflora Austin Griffiths Manzanita Austin Griifith's Manzanita Austin Griffiths Manzanita is a hybrid between Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' and Arctostaphyl... Learn more	Five Gallon	In-Production:14 In-Stock: 31	Unit-Price $ 29.99 Items must be purchased at physical store.