Plants For Riparian (rivers & creeks)

Calliandra eriophylla, Fairy Duster pink flowers. - grid24_12
Calliandra eriophylla Fairy Duster

Fairy Duster is a 1 to 3 ft. shrub to sub-shrub that is native from San Diego County through New Mexico and south to Mexico. The 1-2 inch flowers are like a red cross between acacia and bottlebrush. ... Learn more.

A closeup of the flower of Calycanthus occidentalis, Spice Bush, with the leaves below it.  - grid24_12
Calycanthus occidentalis Spice Bush

Spicebush has fragrant, burgundy flowers, (April-Aug.), that smells kind of like a delicate red wine (if there is such a thing). Native to the mountains of central and northern California. Common a... Learn more.

Carex fracta. Fragile Sheath Sedge - grid24_12
Carex fracta Fragile Sheathed Sedge

A beautiful green perennial that lives in mountain meadows, road cuts, rocky slopes, and seeps. The soil can be fairly dry, but as it dries out the foliage will fade. This sedge looks kinda like som... Learn more.

Carex praegracilis (clustered field sedge) - grid24_12
Carex praegracilis Clustered Field Sedge

Common in meadows, open, wet areas, marshes, seeps, seasonally wet edges of ponds, frequently alkaline soil, wide distribution , valleys up to middle elevations in CA, grows in western NA, to central ... Learn more.

Carex senta. Swamp Carex, Swamp Sedge - grid24_12
Carex senta Rough Sedge

A green perennial grass-like plant that grows along creek channels. Plant in cobble for a creek effect, plant with other Carex species, Mimulus species, (that is where the old separation between moi... Learn more.

San Diego Sedge, Carex spissa seeds - grid24_12
Carex spissa San Diego sedge

A gray, perennial, grass-like sedge that grows along creek channels. Very dramatic specimen plant for a conventional garden or wet native garden. Plant in cobble for a creek effect, plant with other... Learn more.

Carex subfusca Rusty Sedge - grid24_12
Carex subfusca Rusty Sedge

A plant that looks like bunch grass that grows in seeps or along seasonal creeks. In our county it occurs in coastal seasonal seeps. Syn. Carex harfordii, Carex sub-bracteata, Carex gracilor, Carex m... Learn more.

Bush Anemone,  Carpenteria californica is a nice clean bush that explodes into flower. Try this plant in a container or large pot if you have a deck or patio. - grid24_12
Carpenteria californica Bush Anemone

Bush Anemone, Carpenteria californica is an evergreen shrub, 6' by 3' in the garden, 8 ft. X 12 ft. with a 6-12 inch trunk in the wild. Carpenteria is native to the foothills of Fresno County, wher... Learn more.

A section of stem with leaves, of Celtis reticulata, Hackberry, not very common in California. - grid24_12
Celtis reticulata Hackberry

Celtis reticulata, or Hackberry, is a small, deciduous tree to 30'which grows best in full sun (a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight), and with regular water but can become very drought tolerant... Learn more.

Buttonwillow with a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly - grid24_12
Cephalanthus occidentalis var. californica Buttonwillow

Buttonwillow can occur as a 3 foot bush to 20 foot tree (Kern Canyon). It's deciduous, likes sun, water, and tolerates alkaline soil. The leaves are 3-6", and smooth, dark- green. The 1-2" creamy whi... Learn more.

Chenopodium californicum Indian lettuce - grid24_12
Chenopodium californicum Indian lettuce

Perennial to 3.5 ft. in height, with a caudex (thickened, woody stem base), flowers are insignificant, best in a wild garden as it shrivels to the ground in the dry season, survives with the aid of i... Learn more.

Will Desert Willow do ok in a coastal climate? Here's on at House of Bread in San Luis Obispo. Check out the bread when you check out the plant. Walnut Raisin makes a great peanut butter sandwich. - grid24_12
Chilopsis linearis Desert Willow

Desert willow, Chilopsis linearis is a large deciduous shrub or small tree. There is one in McFarland 30 feet+tall, but usually they are a 15 foot or so small tree. Its willow- like, long, narrow l... Learn more.

Chaparral Clematis in the California chaparral - grid24_12
Clematis lasiantha Pipestem Clematis

Pipestem Clematis is a deciduous, dioecious vine, that grows to 8-20' and has showy, creamy white flowers from March-August. Chaparral clematis is native in the coast ranges and Sierra Nevada mounta... Learn more.

Western White Clematis, Clematis ligusticifolia looks like a vine with white fireworks. - grid24_12
Clematis ligusticifolia Western White Clematis

Clematis ligusticifolia is very similar to Clematis lasiantha. This Clematis grows in our area with Populus fremontii, Rosa californica, and Platanus racemosa, etc. This species is found in the rip... Learn more.

Cornus californica, California dogwood in the spring.  - grid24_12
Cornus californica California Dogwood

A little redstem dogwood that gives great fall color in most of California, Bigger leaves on a smaller plant. Part shade and regular water. If you want to get a headache, seek out McMinn's Illustr... Learn more.

California Sister Butterfly, Adelpha bredowii californica on Cornus glabrata - grid24_12
Cornus glabrata Brown Twig Dogwood

A deciduous shrub that grows to 4' in bad conditions and 10' in moist shade. It has brown stems, green/brown/red leaves, creamy white flower clusters. It is always next to or in a stream. It grows dow... Learn more.

Cornus occidentalis Western Dogwood

Cornus occidentalis is an elegant open shrub with white flower clusters in spring and red stems. Cornus occidentalis is nearly identical to C. stolonifera, they vary only in small taxonomic ways. It ... Learn more.

Cornus stolonifera, Red Stem Dogwood fall color with it's red stems makes the California stems turn red in fall. - grid24_12
Cornus stolonifera Red Stem Dogwood

The American Dogwood or Red Stem Dogwood, Cornus stolonifera, is an elegant open shrub with creamy white flower clusters in spring and red stems.  It can be found in moist areas, in sun or shade. It i... Learn more.

Cyperus eragrostis Nutsedge, Umbrella Sedge - grid24_12
Cyperus eragrostis Nutsedge, Umbrella Sedge

Grows in seasonal creeks, wet areas commonly with with Salix lasiolepis, Ambrosia sp., Quercus agrifolia and Populus. Prefers wet soil, clay or gravel. Thrives in a disturbed plant community, rhizomat... Learn more.

Deschampsia elongata Slender hairgrass - grid24_12
Deschampsia elongata Slender hairgrass

This clumping perennial grass is so soft, and pretty, with really thin soft stems and leaves. Slender Hair Grass disappears in summer (drops to a faint brown patch); is a light grass that blows in the... Learn more.

Dicentra formosa, Pacific  Bleeding Heart, grows in the forests of the  mountains of California.  - grid24_12
Dicentra formosa Pacific Bleeding Heart

Pacific Bleeding Heart (sometimes called Dutchman's Britches) is a 12-18 inch perennial with clusters of delicate, pink flowers in summer. A rock garden plant that grows in damp, places. This Dice... Learn more.

Dodecatheon hendersonii buds - grid24_12
Dodecatheon hendersonii Broad leafed shooting star

Broad-leafed shooting star is a nifty little early-spring perennial of the cool shady woods of central California and up into British Columbia, only growing in the mountains of southern California. I... Learn more.

Leymus condensatus, Giant wildrye and syn. Elymus condensatus is more like a small bush - grid24_12
Elymus condensatus Giant Wild Rye

A large clumping green grass. Native in the interface zone between plant communities or in openings. Commonly in areas that have seeps in winter. Drought resistant in most areas. In the desert areas, ... Learn more.

Leymus triticoides - creeping wild rye, Valley Wild rye, alkali rye flowers.  I'm not sure how many times they've flipped from Elymus to Leymus and back. - grid24_12
Elymus triticoides Alkali Rye

Elymus triticoides - Creeping Wild-Rye, Valley Wild-Rye, or Alkali Rye, is native in moist bottom lands throughout much of the west. Looks like a cross between Bermuda grass and Salt grass. Use as you... Learn more.

Epilobium angustifolium, Fireweed, emerges thickly after forest fires, at higher elevations in California. - grid24_12
Epilobium angustifolium Fireweed

Fireweed is a 2-3' perennial covered with 1" pink flowers. The name Fireweed originated as it's a pioneer plant, one that is one of the first plants emerging after a fire Excellent to enhance a woodl... Learn more.

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