CA Native Plants for Western L.A. County – Sandy Soils List Flower/ Water Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes I season Zone+ Trees and Tree-like Large Shrubs * Acer negundo var. To 40 ft tall Any incl. Boxelder White/Sp FS/PS 2 to 3 1, 8, 13, 14, 24 Fast-growing californicum & wide clay 7-10 ft tall & Well- 1, 3, 8, 12-14 Blue-green * Arctostaphylos glauca Big-berry Manzanita White/ Sp FS/PS 1-2 foliage; ‘Canyon wide drained 20, 24 Blush’ is 4 ft. tall ** Arctostaphylos To 15 ft t Well- Evergreen; good ‘Dr. Hurd’ Manzanita Pink/W-Sp FS 1 to 1-2 13 manzanita ‘Dr Hurd’ 10 ft wide drained in gardens Pink-white/ X Baccharis salicifolia Mule Fat To 10 ft FS/PS Any 1-2 to 2-3 1, 2 all year <20 ft. t Any well- X Ceanothus arboreus Catalina Ceanothus Blue/Sp FS/PS 1 1, 3, 7, 9, 14, 19 8-10 ft w drained Spreading; ** Ceanothus ‘Ray ‘Ray Hartman’ To 20 ft t Lt. blue/Sp FS Any 1-2 to 2-3 1, 6, 9, 13 evergreen; good 10-15 w Hartman’ Ceanothus for garden Cercocarpus montanus var. Birchleaf Mountain 6-12 ft tall Yellow- Well- Hedge; evergreen; X blancheae/ C. alnifolius/ C. FS 1-2 1, 7, 13 Mahogany 4 ft. wide white/Sp drained upright form betuloides var. blancheae Comarostaphylis Any well- X Summer Holly < 18 ft tall White/Sp FS/PS 1 to 1-2 10, 14, 16 diversifolia ssp. planifolia drained Hedge (to 12 ft); 20-30 ft tall Any well- * Cupressus forbesii Tecate Cypress Insig FS 1 to 1-2 6, 8, 14, 24 fast growth; neat- 6-8 ft wide drained looking * Fremontodendron Well- Hairs cause 5-15+ ft tall 1 in Su; 1, 5, 7, 10, 13, californicum ssp. CA Flannelbush Yellow/Sp-Su FS/PS drained dermatitis; ‘El & wide 2 in Spr 14, 16 californicum essential Dorado’, ‘Pine Hill’ Well- Fremontodendron Southern (Mexican) 5-15 ft tall & 1 in Su; 1, 3, 9, 10, 13, X Yellow/Sp-Su FS/PS drained ‘Dara’s Gold’ wide 2 in Spr 14 mexicanum Flannelbush essential ** Fremontodendron Well- ‘Pacific Sunset’ 5-15+ ft tall 1 in Su; Long used in californicum X F. Yellow/Sp-Su FS/PS drained 1, 6, 13 Flannelbush & wide 2 in Spr gardens mexicanum ‘Pacific Sunset’ essential Canyon Silk Tassel 6-15 ft tall X * Garrya veatchii 6-8 ft wide Cream/ W-Sp FS/PS Any 1-2 to 2 1, 13 Evergreen; silvery Bush 6-10 ft + Any well- 1, 3, 5, 7-10, 13, Berries toxic in lg. X Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon White/Su FS/PS/FSH 1-2 4-6 ft w drained 14, 16, 18 amounts X Lyonothamnus floribundus Catalina Ironwood To 50 ft t White-yellow/ FS/PS Any well- 1-2 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 14 Evergreen 1 Flower/ Water Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes I season Zone+ ssp. aspleniifolius & 15-30 ft w Sp-Su drained floribundus 40-60+ ft t Insignif/ Well- X * Pinus torreyana Torrey Pine FS/PS 1 to 1-2 1, 3, 13, 14, 20 Pine scent 30-50 ft w Sp drained Holly-leaf and Prunus ilicifolia ssp. 1, 7, 9, 12, 13, X Catalina Island < 50 ft White/Su PS any 1-2 ilicifolia & lyonii 14, 19 Cherries 10-70 f tall Coarse- X Quercus agrifolia Coastal Live Oak Yellow/W-Sp FS/PS 1 1, 2, 18 Long-lived 40-70 w. med. Sambucus nigra ssp. Blue (Mexican) Well- 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, X 8-25+ ft White/Sp-Su FS/PS 1-2 Edible berries cerulea Elderberry drained 12-14, 16, 19 Large Shrubs (> 6 ft tall; including those for screens and hedges) Well- Good for birds, ** Arctostaphylos ‘Sentinel’ (Vine Hill) 5-8 ft tall X Pink/W-Sp FS/PS drained 1-2 6, 8, 13, butterflies; open densiflora 'Sentinel' 3-7 ft wide Manzanita incl sand growth ** Arctostaphylos 5-8 ft tall ‘Baby Bear’ & ‘Mama Well- Showy flowers, densiflora x bakeri 'Baby 3-8 ft wide Pink/W-Sp FS 1-2 to 2 6 Bear’ Manzanitas drained foliage Bear' & 'Mama Bear' Well- Relatively fast- ** Arctostaphylos 'Austin ‘Austin Griffith’ 6-10 ft tall Pink/W-Sp FS/PS drained; 1-2 to 2 6, 13, growing; open 4-8 ft wide Griffith' Manzanita sandy habit; hedges 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, X Baccharis pilularis Coyote Bush To 8 ft Cream/F FS/PS any 1-2 13, 14, 16, 18 6-8 ft tall White-Yellow/ Well- 1, 3, 7, 13, 14, Showy, fragrant X * Carpenteria californica Bush aneneme PS/FSH 1-2 to 2-3 6-12 ft W Spr drained 19 flowers 6-8 ft tall & Sandy 1, 3, 8, 10, 13, Good for erosion * Ceanothus cuneatus Buckbrush White/sp FS/PS 1 to 1-2 wide best 16, 21, 24 control 8-12 ft t Lt. blue- Sandy/ 1, 3, 8, 10, 13, Very showy; open X * Ceanothus leucodermis Chaparral Whitethorn FS 1 to 1-2 10 ft wide white/Sp rocky 14, 20 growth ** Ceanothus ‘Concha’ 4-6 ft. tall & 3, 6, 8, 9, 14, Alkali & garden Ceanothus papillosus var. ‘Concha’ Ceanothus Dark Blue/ Sp FS/PS Most 1-2 to 2 wide 24, tolerant roweanus X C. impressus Upright; * Ceanothus tomentosus 6-12 ft t Sandy or Wooly-leaf Ceanothus Blues/Sp FS 1-2 1, 13, 14 evergreen; heavy 4-8 ft w rocky var. olivaceus bloomer Well- ** Ceanothus arboreus x ‘Frosty Blue’ 6-10 ft t Med blue/ Dense; evergreen; FS/PS drained, 2 1, 3, 6, 13 8 ft wide W-Sp prune or hedge thrysiflorus ‘Frosty Blue’ Ceanothus sandy ** Ceanothus ‘Blue ‘Blue Window’ 10-15 ft t Sandy Med Blue/ FS 1-2 1, 13 Dense; evergreen Window’ Ceanothus 8-10 ft w best 2 Flower/ Water Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes I season Zone+ ** Ceanothus ‘Celestial ‘Celestial Blue 5-6 ft tall Med Blue/ Well- FS 1-2 1, 6, 13, 24 Blue’ Ceanothus 6-8 ft wide Sp-F drained ** Ceanothus ‘Tassajara To 8 ft t Well- ‘Tassajara’ Ceanothus Lt. blue/ Sp FS/PS 1-2 to 2 1, 13 Can be hedged Blue’ 5-8 ft w drained Cleome isomeris (Isomeris Yellow/ Well- 1, 3, 7, 10, 12, Unusual scent; X Bladderpod 2-6+ ft FS 1 arborea) Sp + drained 13, 16 attractive branch ** Fremontodendron Well- ‘Ken Taylor’ 6-18 ft tall Yellow/ californican X mexicanum ‘CA Flannelbush FS drained 1 1, 3, 9, 13, smaller; can 4-12 wide Sp-Su Glory’, ‘Ken Taylor’ essential espalier 4-12 ft tall Well- ‘Silver Lining’; X * Hyptis emoryi Desert Lavender Violet/W-Sp FS 1-2 to 2 1, 8, 10, 13, 14 4-6 ft wide drained fragrant 4-12 ft tall Wht-purple/ Sandy/ X Lycium californicum California Boxthorn FS/PS 1 to 1-2 1, 6, 13, 14 Good on sea-bluffs 4-10 ft w Sp-Su rocky best 3-8+ ft tall Well- Edible berries; X Mahonia (Berberis) nevinii Nevin’s Barberry Yellow/Sp FS/PS 1-2 1, 7, 13, 14 6-12 ft w drained good bird habitat To 12 ft t Malacothamnus Pink/ 1, 3, 5, 10, 13, ‘Casitas’ good for X Chaparral Mallow 4-6 ft wide FS/PS any 1 to 1-2 Sp-Su 19 gardens fasciculatus Quercus berberidifolia (Q. 10-20 ft tall Yellow/ Well- Evergreen; small Scrub Oak FS/PS 1 to 1-2 7, 13, 14, 19 dumosa) & wide W-Sp drained leaves Quercus dumosa var. Coastal Sage Scrub 3-10 ft tall Sandy Yellow/Sp FS/PS 1 to 1-2 7, 14 Evergreen elegantula Oak to 15 ft w best 6-12 ft t & 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 'Eve Case', X * Rhamnus californica California Coffeeberry wide; short Buff/Sp FS/PS Any 1-2 to 2-3 'Mound San 13, 14, 16, 18 cultivars Bruno' smaller 3-6 ft tall 1, 3, 8, 10, 12, X * Rhamnus crocea Redberry Buckthorn Yellow/Sp FS/PS/ FSH Any 1 to 1-2 Pretty fruits; birds 6 ft wide 13, 14, 20 2-10 ft 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, X Rhus integrifolia Lemonadeberry Pink/Sp FS/PS any 1-2 Edible fruits 3-20 ft w. 12, 14, 16, 18 8-12 ft 1, 3, 9, 10, 12- Rhus ovata Sugar Bush Pink/Sp FS/PS any 1-2 Edible fruits 6-15 ft w. 14, 16, 19 Ribes aureum var. Yellow/ Any well-drained; X Golden Currant To 10 ft FS/PS/ FSH Any 1-2 to 2-3 7, 12, 14 gracillimum W-Sp Birds eat berries 5-12 ft tall & Well- Fruit for birds; grey- X * Simmondsia chinensis Jojoba Yellow/Sp FS 1-2 1, 8, 14, 16, 20 wide drained green; evergreen Smaller Shrubs ( < 6 ft. tall) ; includes woody sub-shrubs 2-6 ft tall & Yellow to Well- X * Abutilon palmeri Indian Mallow FS 1-2 1, 8, 13, 14 wide Or/Sp-Su drained * Acalypha californica California Copperleaf 2-3 ft tall & Red/Sp FS/PS Sandy/ 1 to 1-2 1, 8, 13 Red foliage 3 Flower/ Water Scientific Name Common Name Size Light** Soil Availability Notes I season Zone+ wide rocky 3-10 ft tall 1, 7, 10, 13, 14, Adenostoma fasciculatum Chamise White/Sp-Su FS any 1-2 3-6 ft wide 16, 18 3-6 ft tall Well- 1, 7-10, 12, 13, 'Canyon Gray' X Artemisia californica Coastal Sagebrush Gold/Su FS 1 drained 14, 16, 18 < 4 ft tall X Brickellia californica California Bricklebush Buff/Su-F FS/PS any 1-2 to 2 1, 3, 10, 12, 16 Fragrant flowers to 4 ft w 2-6 ft tall & Well- Showy; good X Calliandra californica Baja Fairyduster Red/Su-F FS/PS 1-2 to 2 1, 3, 13, wide drained habitat plant Camissonia cheiranthifolia Beach Primrose < 3 ft tall Sandy X Yellow/W-F FS/PS 1-2 to 2 1, 10, 13, 14, 16 Best near beach spp.