- Southern California wild plants adapt to the changing geography.David Zanzinger/Pixland/Getty Images
Wild plants of southern California encompass those that grow naturally in the wide variety of ecosystems. Southern California boasts thousands of plants that thrive in the harsh conditions of the Mojave Desert, the elevations of the San Bernadino Mountains, the Santa Ana winds of the Los Angeles Basin and sea salt from the Pacific Ocean. These plants are a diverse bunch well-adapted to their specific area. - Growing only in coastal counties on dunes, red sand verbena (Abronia maritima S. Watson) is on the California Native Plant Society list of rare and endangered native plants. The perennial herb is endemic to California and Baja California. Red sand verbena produces a spring pod of dark pink flowers from plump leaves.
- Documented only in San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, yellow blooming Pitkin Marsh Indian paintbrush (Castilleja uliginosa Eastw.) was listed as endangered by the state of California in 1978. A perennial herb (hemiparasitic) dicot the plant is native to California. Some plant databases list the plant as "considered extinct," however it was yet to be officially classified as such in 2010.
- On the inventory of rare plants, Jepson's woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum jepsonii E. Greene) is endemic to California. Documented in Los Angeles, Monterey and Kern counties, this dicot prefers coastal scrub and foothill woodlands. Foliage of the bushy plant is gray-green producing small clusters of trumpet shaped yellow spring flowers.
- Dwarf Indian mallow (Abutilon parvulum A. Gray) is a native plant found in San Bernadino County. The diminutive, perennial, trailing subshrub grows in areas of dry scrub and produces golden yellow flowers from wrinkled ovate leaves. The plant is rare in California, but common in other parts of the Southwest.
- Monocot native and annual herb sixweeks threeawn (Aristida adscensionis L.) is found in creosote bush scrub as well as coastal sage scrub communities. Sixweeks threeawn grows in the eastern and western most counties of southern California. When growing, it serves as food for grazing hoof-stock.
- Pacific foxtail (Alopecurus saccatus Vasey) is a native annual monocot herb found in southwestern southern California counties. The 2-foot-tall, grasslike plant grows in coastal sage, mixed forest communities and in chaparrals on or near wetlands. Dry foxtail foliage hitches rides on local wildlife and pets often causing harm if not removed.
- A perennial herb, Santa Barbara sedge (Carex barbarae Dewey) is found in much of southern California from mountains to coast. The green-brown plant has a three sided stem that produces closed clustered spires of spikelets and chambered oval flowers. Once more readily available, Native Americans used this plant's reeds to make baskets.
- Native bearberry also known as red baneberry (Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd) prefers drier conditions but has been documented in the coastal counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The 2-foot-tall bushy perennial produces white spring flowers that yield to bright red berries. Toxic to humans, the berries are well tolerated by birds.
- Aleutian maidenhair (Adiantum aleuticum (Rupr.) C.A. Paris) is a native perennial green fern documented in southern California wetlands and arid areas. It resides in forested areas and chaparrals. Growing from a scaly rhizome, the plant is palmately branched. Mature size varies with location.
- Native desert agave, (Agave deserti Engelm) grows in southern most counties of California and rarely beyond. The succulent shrub produces a 2-by-6-foot base of sharp blue-green leaves from a basal clump. Plants bloom at 8 to 20 years of age by sending forth an erect 6- to 9-foot stalk of flowers. Plants die once fruit has set.
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