A short way into studying California Native plants I realized that many of them are closely related to our favorite, exotic plants that we’ve always admired and planted time and again. We have our own Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Roses, multitudes of Salvias, Iris, ferns, Columbine, Penstemon and many more. When I realized these plants grow in our hills, valleys, stream beds, along roads, coastal hills, and under our Oaks and Redwoods, without needing irrigation systems, fertilizers or pruning shears, I knew they would become the new standard for planting in our gardens. (Especially during times of drought…eh hem!…)
Of course, unless it’s your desire to have strictly California native plants in your garden-the local wildlife will love you for that!-space can be made for favorite, exotic plants along with the natives. I have no qualms about using a Phormium cookianum (New Zealand Flax) with a Ceanothus Thyrsiflorus (California Wild Lilac). Heck, even plant a 99.9% exotic plant garden and use one native plant. (Or all exotics, too, I’m not going to stop you : ) I just want to show that great local plants can be grown with the greatest ease in our gardens. It’s in their DNA.
By the way, many books are available with photos and information on California’s native plants. Look for EBMUD’s book Plants and Landscapes for Summer Dry Climates, California Native Plants for the Garden by Bornstein, Fross and O’Brien, and Designing with California Natives by Glen Keator and Arie Middlebrook, among others.