r/CaliforniaNativePlant

Like many, I enjoy looking for geological substrate islands to notice plant affinities. For years I've been visiting lava flows locally to me, and knew there was this onion from the dried seed heads but finally this year got to witness these lovely bulbs.
The aroma coming from these bulbs was noticed before seen. It smelled like a soup kitchen. Once within sight, in roughly a 600 sq' area the area was packed with bulbs some areas do dense easily 30 flowering heads in a square foot, with flurry of Fritillary butterflies.

Hi, all. A family member has two cute dogs who make bad decisions. Any suggestions for shrubs or ground covers that won’t attract crunchy, delicious honeybees? Also nothing toxic in case the dogs sample some leaves.

Pic of backyard, new design will probably involve a bench and overhang.

Northern CA, Contra Costa County.

California Buckwheat, Mountain Sage, Monkey flower, and Elderberry.

The bark near the root crown of 2 of my 18” manzanita saplings has peeled back. Can anyone diagnose and let me know if this is complete plant death, or if this is normal manzanita bark peeling? I’m afraid the cambium layer has peeled back. For pictures 3+4, clay soil was sitting around the peeling point for roughly 4 days before I replanted higher and cleaned the area.

Jacaranda season is peaking in SoCal. Question for the native-plant crowd: would you accept Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) as a like-for-like substitute, or is the canopy density/scale too different to satisfy the people who plant jacarandas for "spring purple"?

Asking honestly — I live in Claremont, where jacarandas are basically civic identity, but the ecological argument against them is strong. Curious whether native alternatives can compete on the cultural use case (street trees, photo blocks, neighborhood vibes), not just on ecosystem function.

Obviously, a Redbud won't hit the massive height of an old-growth Jacaranda, so I'm curious what other purple/pink natives you'd advocate for to preserve that iconic urban canopy character.

I put together a photo spotlight of our local canopy's current peak bloom over on my neighborhood project site if you want a look at the spectacular display we are discussing:https://iloveclaremontca.com/jacaranda-guide.html

If you live in SoCal, drop a photo below of the blooms peaking in your neighborhood right now, or hit me with your best native shade-tree alternatives! 📸💜

Are these two different types of California poppy? Or one type of plant and just some variation in orange/yellowness?

Any thoughts why these poppies come out with such silvery foliage? Thanks flower friends

Hello all!

It is time of year again for my annual native plant give away, and I thought what better way to share than with this community that has given so generously to me. Location will be 12th & Riverside as marked.

The varieties I'm giving away are (1 per person, so bring friends):

1. Bee Plant

2. California Phacelia

3. Narrow Leaf Milkweed

4. Hummingbird Sage

5. Coyote Mint

6. Sticky Monkey flower

7. California Fuscia (unknown native variety)

8. Basil - Italian

9. CA Pink Honeysuckle

I will also have a variety of seeds to swap with people (natives and fruit/veg). If you would like to bring your own plants and seeds for trade or donation please do! PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN BAGS, I WILL HAVE LIMITED SUPPLY.

If you would like to contribute to this cause please bring small-medium plants pots (4" preferred) to help with next years planting. See y'all Sunday!

This view from my home office window gives me such joy! I removed sod and crabgrass, and seeded with native festuca rubra, baby blue eyes, tidy tips and red chief poppies. Clarkia and Chinese houses yet to flower! (Some micro clover mixed in with the fescue, for resilience against doggie pee) (Hayward Hills)

I would appreciate an ID if possible. Found in Kern County CA Mojave Desert May 5.

Last night a deer came up onto my front porch and ate my CA fuchsia. I’m very surprised because he/she ignored an entire field of sunflower seedlings to get to it. The variety is Hollywood Flame. It was a new addition and had been doing great in its pot after transplanting last month. It had really grown a ton. I loved that thing. There isn’t much left but I’m wondering if it will recover. I’ve moved it onto my back patio for now.

In 2002 I planted a Fremontodendron in this exact location, it was a cultivar I can't remember, most likely'Pacific Sunset'.

It grew without a problem and established its first rain season, grew fast, strong, 16' x 16'. If anyone remembers we had a very large multiple season drought between 2012-2017. So it's not rare for this genus to be short lived in landscaping settings. Between that consideration, and the extended 5 year drought during a wind storm it was wind thrown, and close to 70% of its rootball exposed, resulting in fatality.
Being selectively lazy and understanding its ecology I cut all the canopy roughly 18" from the crown, and stacked all that canopy on that crown and lit it into a bonfire of only itself, no additional material added.
This was done as soon as burn permits were allowed again, after first good rains.

The drought was done and great rains returned. Close to 6 weeks after the burn and those rains I saw perhaps a square yard of germinated seedlings, and the highest density where it burnt the hottest.
I noticed that some deer where eating the sprouts, so I cage some and, selectively thinned out seedlings.
After seeing wich seedling had the most vigor the deer cage was left on for it to mature a season or two till it could actually provide for the dear after a tender seedling stage. So 7 or so years later she's roughly 12' tall, and 20' wide.

I imagine considering her origin story one or some might already guess she was given the name "Phoenix" as she truly came from Fire and ash.

My baby paintbrush is finally starting to bloom!!! It really does look like a neon rocket in the shadows :3 also peep all my other wildflower blooms :D

I grew this from SeedHunt seed back last fall in a baby sagebrush pot and then repotted both of them into a larger planter!!! Also have a Festuca ‘Siskiyou Blue’ alongside (and a bunch of Eriogonum nudum ‘Robust Form’ and Eriogonum grande var. rubescens) just in case the paintbrush wanted different hosts😆

Local wildflowers in my grandparents’ front yard