Our Top 5 CA Native Plants for SF Gardens

At Rhizome Urban Gardens, we believe that gardening is about so much more than just aesthetics. Yes—beautiful flowers, lush leaves, and spectacular trees will always inspire our design process. However, our main design goal is to color the landscapes of San Francisco with plants that are native to California. Native gardening is important for our ecosystems and is a way to directly combat climate change. Many native plants require less water, which means that they are a great choice for areas that experience drought. Native plants can protect soil from damaging erosion. The flowers and fruits that these plants produce provide food for pollinators and wildlife. These are just some of the reasons why we love California native plants so much.

Here is a list of five of our favorite plants to use in San Francisco landscapes!

1. Arctostaphylos 'Austin Griffiths'

We love this manzanita for so many reasons! The crooked branches have a red, peeling bark. Tiny urn shaped flowers bloom in winter through spring and provide benefits to many bird species. The tree also produces an edible fruit. Delicious!

2. Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Diamond Heights'

   
   

   

These variegated, glossy leaves add an interesting ground cover to any landscape. This ceanothus does great on hillisdes and blooms pale blue in spring.

3. Dudleya pulverulenta

This pale, chalky succulent is native to California. In the spring, hummingbirds are attracted to its tall red flower stalks.

4. Mimulus cardinalis

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

Also known as the scarlet monkeyflower, this plant blooms in spring through fall. The bright red flowers attract all kinds of pollinators, including hummingbirds.

5. Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina'

   

These fragrant, purple clusters bloom from spring into fall. They attract butterflies and other pollinators, and are just too cute!

Take a look through our projects and gallery pages to see if you can spot any of these species in our photos!