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Drought tolerant plants for the Santa Barbara and Goleta area.

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.

Salvia Dara's Choice covering a hillside in San Luis Obispo.  - grid24_12
Native plants are drought tolerant and work well in Santa Barbara or Goleta.

Drought Tolerant Native plants for Sunny Santa Barbara

Adenostoma fasciculatum, Chamise.

Adenostoma sparsifolium, Red Shanks

Agave deserti, Desert Agave

Agave shawii, Coastal Agave


Agave utahensis, Century Plant

Antirrhinum multiflorum, Multiflowered Snapdragon

Arctostaphylos La Panza, Grey Manzanita

Arctostaphylos densiflora Sentinel Manzanita

Arctostaphylos glandulosa adamsii, Laguna Manzanita.

Arctostaphylos crustacea eastwoodiana, Harris Grade manzanita.


Arctostaphylos glandulosa zacaensis, San Marcos Manzanita

Arctostaphylos glauca, Big Berry Manzanita.
Adenostoma sparsifolium, Red Shanks grows from San Luis Obispo County, through Santa Barbara down through San Diego. - grid24_12
Agave deserti, Desert Agave, here growing in San Felipe Valley of San Diego county, California.  - grid24_12
Antirrhinum multiflorum, Mutliflowered Snapdragon Flowers used to be common in the hills around Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. - grid24_12
A painted lady butterfly on a Sentinel manzanita flower - grid24_12

Arctostaphylos glauca, Ramona Manzanita


Arctostaphylos glauca-glandulosa, Weird Manzanita.

Arctostaphylos pungens,  Mexican Manzanita


Arctostaphylos refugioensis Refugio Manzanita

Aristida purpurea, Purple 3-awn

Artemisia californica, California Sagebrush


Artemisia douglasiana, Mugwort

Artemisia ludoviciana, White Sagebrush
The berry on the Arctostaphylos glauca glandulosa. Weird Manzanita grows in places like Santa Barbara, Ventura or Oxnard. - grid24_12
Arctostaphylos refugioensis is a nice large groundcover  or small bush manzanita. - grid24_12
Arctostaphylos refugioensis, Refugio manzanita is native around Refugio pass, Santa Barbara. - grid24_12

Asclepias fascicularis, Narrowleaf Milkweed


Astragalus trichopodus, Southern California Locoweed

Atriplex lentiformis Breweri, Brewers Salt Bush.

Baccharis pilularis pilularis Pigeon Point

Brickellia californica, Brickellbush.
Asclepias fascicularis, Narrow-leaf milkweed with a Monarch Butterfly larva. In towns like Santa Barbara or Santa Monica the Monarchs will eat the plants down several times a year. - grid24_12
Acmon Blue, Plebejus acmon on Brickellia californica - grid24_12
Ceanothus Concha, California Mountain Lilac

Ceanothus Joyce Coulter, Creeping Mountain Lilac

Ceanothus L.T. Blue, White Bark Mountain Lilac

Ceanothus arboreus, Tree Lilac

Ceanothus cuneatus, Buckbrush

Ceanothus cyaneus, San Diego Mtn. Lilac.


Ceanothus cyaneus x Sierra Blue Ceanothus
Ceanothus L.T. Blue, Mountain Lilac is a very drought tolerant Mountain Lilac. - grid24_12
San Diego Mtn. Lilac, Ceanothus cyaneus grows well in coastal California in places like Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. - grid24_12
Why settle for ugly walls and such?

Cercocarpus betuloides, Mountain Mahogany.

Cupressus forbesii, Tecate Cypress

Diplacus longiflorus, Southern Monkey Flower

Diplacus longiflorus, Agoura Spunky Monkey

Diplacus longiflorus Conejo monkey flower


Diplacus puniceus, Red Monkey Flower

Diplacus rutilus, Santa Susana Monkey Flower.
Diplacus rutilus, Santa Susana Monkey Flower is native in North Los Angeles and Pasadena, grows will in most of Coastal California.  - grid24_12
Cupressus forbesii, Tecate Cypress as a  hedge row. No water and the little trees look decent. Reports of 15 ft. in 3 years. - grid24_12
Long Flowered monkey flower in full flower. Imagine a flower like this that you do not have to water. Drought tolerant in places like Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. - grid24_12

Elymus triticoides, Alkali Rye

Encelia californica, Coast Sunflower

Eriogonum arborescens, Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat

Eriogonum cinereum, Ashy leaf buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum, California Buckwheat

Eriogonum giganteum, St. Catherine's Lace

Eriogonum grande rubescens,  Red Buckwheat
Eriogonum arborescens, Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat makes a nice 2-3 ft. bush. In Santa Barbara or Los Angeles it is very drought tolerant and should be fine with no irrigation after first season. - grid24_12
Encelia californica, Coast Sunflower, California brittlebush and Bush Sunflower grows along the coast. In Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Pasadena, etc. it is an colorful, drought tolerant plant.  - grid24_12
California Buckwheat planted as a groundcover. - grid24_12

Eriophyllum confertiflorum, Golden Yarrow

Erysimum capitatum, Western Wallflower

Eschscholzia californica, California Poppy

Fremontodendron Pacific Sunset, Flannel Bush

Gnaphalium californicum, California Pearly Everlasting

Grindelia stricta venulosa, Coastal Groundcover Gum Plant
Salvia Celestial Blue with California poppy. California flowers go well together.  - grid24_12
Fremontodendron Pacific Sunset seems to be the most stable of the hybrids but grows rather big. - grid24_12

Haplopappus linearifolius, Narrowleaf Goldenbush

Hazardia squarrosus, Yellow Squirrel Cover


Helianthemum scoparium, Sun Rose

Helianthus gracilentus, Slender Sunflower and Dwarf Sunflower

Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon and Christmas Berry
Christmas berry or Toyon with berries is what Hollywood was named after. Toyon will grow in most of Los Angeles with no water after first year. - grid24_12
Haplopappus linearifolius (Ericameria linearifolia, Stenotopsis linearifolia), Narrowleaf Golden Bush - grid24_12

Horkelia cuneata, Wedgeleaf Horkelia

Isomeris arborea, Bladderpod


Iva hayesiana, Hayes iva

Juglans californica, Southern California Walnut

Koeleria macrantha, June Grass
A hummingbird takes a break from the Isomeris flowers - grid24_12
Iva hayesiana, Hayes iva is native along the coast from Ventura, through Los Angeles, Orange and Into San Diego.. And then it skips and grows in seasonally moist alkaline places along the desert from Lucerne south. Grows as a green ground cover in the San Joaquin Valley with minimal water and tolerates drip. - grid24_12

Lavatera assurgentiflora, Malva Rosa

Lonicera subspicata denudata, San Diego Honeysuckle

Lotus scoparius, Deerweed


Lupinus albifrons, Silver Bush Lupine

Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius, Catalinia Ironwood

Malacothamnus fasciculatus, Bush mallow
Silver Bush Lupine has a mix of pastels and is a stunner in a Southern California Garden. This lupine does not like water and is very drought tolerant. - grid24_12
Malacothamnus fasciculatus,  Bush Mallow, here shown in full flower in the summer time in our Santa Margarita, garden.  - grid24_12


Malosma laurina, Laurel Sumac


Melica imperfecta, California Melic

Mirabilis californica, Wishbone Bush


Muhlenbergia rigens, Deer Grass

Penstemon centranthifolius, Scarlet Bugler

Penstemon heterophyllus , Foothill Penstemon

Penstemon spectabilis, Showy Penstemon
Penstemon centranthifolius, Scarlet Bugler flowers grows along the Coastal Counties of Southern California. - grid24_12
Penstemon spectablis, Showy Monkey flower with an Anna Hummingbird. Hard to beleive this used to be common in the Santa Monica Mtns, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Eagle Rock  and most of Southern California. - grid24_12

Prunus ilicifolia, Holly-Leafed Cherry


Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak

Quercus berberidifolia, Scrub Oak

Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry

Rhus integrifolia, Lemonade Berry

Rhus ovata, Sugar Bush


Romneya coulteri, Matilija Poppy
Fruit of Prunus lyonii, Catalina cherry with cherries - grid24_12
Romneya coulteri flowers. - grid24_12

Salvia Bee's Bliss, Creeping Sage

Salvia Celestial Blue, Purple Sage

Salvia Pozo Blue, Grey Musk Sage

Salvia apiana, White Sage

Salvia apianaXclevelandii Vicki Romo

Salvia brandegei, Brandegees Sage
Salvia Bee's Bliss and Penstemon spectablis - grid24_12
Salvia Pozo Blue with a Swallowtail butterfly in the garden at Santa Margarita. Native plant gardens attract  native butterflies. - grid24_12

Salvia clevelandii, Alpine Cleveland sage

Salvia clevelandii, Winnifred Gilman Cleveland Sage

Salvia leucophylla, Purple Sage

Salvia leucophylla, Point Sal, Low Purple sage

Salvia mellifera, Black Sage
A Bumblebee Moth or Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris sp.  working a Salvia clevelandii Alpine flower. When he flies between flowers the tongue is rolled. These moths used to be out at night all over Southern California. Imagine going out in the evening in Santa Barbara or Los Angeles and finding a Bumblebee moth working the flowers. - grid24_12
Purple Sage in Flower. Purple Sage is the biggest of the California sages. - grid24_12

Sambucus mexicana, Mexican Elderberry

Sisyrinchium bellum, Blue-Eyed Grass

Solanum xanti, Purple Nightshade


Stipa cernua, Nodding needlegrass

Stipa coronata, Giant Stipa

Stipa pulchra, Purple Stipa


Trichostema lanatum, Woolly Blue Curls
Sisyrinchium bellum, Blue Eyed Grass is a frequent resident of open areas from the coast inland to where the housing starts getting reasonable. In some places Blue Eyed grass is native, with no extra water, on hillsides as far 50 miles inland. In moist spots this iris can be found in much of California, even bordering the desert. It used to be all over the parking lot at the  Topanga  RCD, Los Angeles. - grid24_12
Trichostema lanatum, Woolly Blue Curls used to grow native through the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, up through Thousand Oaks, Los Angeles, Riverside,  up to Monterey and south to San Diego.  - grid24_12

Verbena lasiostachys, Western Vervain


Xylococcus bicolor, Mission Manzanita


Yucca whipplei, Quixote Plant


Zauschneria californica, Bert's Bluff

Zauschneria californica, Catalina


Zauschneria californica mexicana, Common California Fuchsia


Zauschneria cana, Narrowleaf California Fuchsia
Narrowleaf California fuchsia, Zauschneria cana 'Hollywood Flame'  in flower. California fuchsia works very well in a container or pot.  This narrow leaf form was around western Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks and Santa Monica - grid24_12
Zauschneria californica Bert's Bluff was native on a coastal bluff but does very well inland and is hardy to about 0F, -15C. A great native plant fro your garden. In a school garden it starts flowers about when school starts. - grid24_12

Tolerates/Prefers Part-shade or Shade

Clematis lasiantha, Pipestem Clematis

Dudleya pulverulenta, Chalk Liveforever

Heuchera maxima, Island Alum Root

Keckiella cordifolia, Heart Leaved Penstemon


Lepechinia calycina, California Pitcher Plant

Lepechinia fragrans, Wallaces Pitcher Plant

Lonicera hispidula, California Honeysuckle
These Clematis were growing along the trail on top of Cuesta Ridge.climbing over Cercocarpus betuloides. - grid24_12
Heuchera maxima, Island Alum Root - grid24_12

Monardella hypoleuca ssp. hypoleuca

Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, Bigcone Spruce

Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry

Ribes aureum gracillimum, Golden Currant

Ribes speciosum, Fuchsia-Flowering Gooseberry


Salvia spathacea, Hummingbird Sage
Ribes aureum var. gracillimum, Golden Currant, flowers, being visited by a Rufous Hummingbird.  - grid24_12
Ribes specosum, Fuchsia flowered Gooseberry, in flower with Anna Hummingbird. - grid24_12

Satureja douglasii, Yerba Buena

Scrophularia atrata, Black Figwort

Solanum xanti hoffmannii, Hoffmann's Nightshade

Symphoricarpos mollis, Southern California Snowberry

Thalictrum polycarpum, Meadow Rue

Umbellularia californica, Bay Laurel
Scrophularia atrata, Bumble Bee Plant with it's funny flowers - grid24_12
Solanum xanti hoffmannii grows from about Santa Barbara south into San Diego County.  - grid24_12
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Santa Barbara could use more native plants.

Other pages about Drought tolerant plants.

Drought tolerant and resistant California native plants.

Drought Tolerant Plants for a California garden.

California Native Plants, design a beautiful drought tolerant native landscaping

Drought tolerant California Native Plants need little or no water.

Drought tolerant hedges, wind breaks, and screens with California native plants.

California Plant Ecology

Replacing a front lawn with native plants.

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Edited on Jan 04, 2014. Authors: Bert Wilson
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