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Native Flowering Plants for Your SoCal Garden

Posted on by Green Thumb
Collage of native Southern California flowering plants with text "Native Flowering Plants for Your SoCal Garden" at the top.

Written by Kelsey W.

The best native flowering plants for a Southern California garden include California poppy, Cleveland and white sage, California fuchsia, monkeyflower, showy penstemon, Matilija poppy, blueblossom ceanothus, toyon, manzanita, and California buckwheat. California natives are built for our climate: once established they need very little summer water, and they feed local bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in a way that imported ornamentals simply cannot.

Quick answer: For an easy, water-wise native garden in SoCal, start with California poppy (orange), Cleveland sage (purple), California fuchsia (scarlet, a hummingbird magnet), showy penstemon (violet), and blueblossom ceanothus (blue flowering shrub). Native plants typically use far less water than conventional landscaping and support hundreds of native pollinator species. Give them full sun and good drainage, and taper off the water once they are established.

Best Native Flowering Plants for SoCal at a Glance

Plant Bloom Wildlife draw
California poppy Orange, spring Native bees, butterflies
Cleveland sage Purple, spring to summer Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
White sage White, spring to summer Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
California fuchsia Scarlet, summer to fall Top hummingbird plant
Bush monkeyflower Orange, spring to summer Hummingbirds, bees
Showy penstemon Violet, spring to summer Hummingbirds, bees
Matilija poppy White, spring to summer Bees, butterflies
Blueblossom ceanothus Blue, late winter to spring Major caterpillar host, bees
Toyon White, then red berries Birds, butterflies
Howard McMinn manzanita Pink/white, winter to spring Early hummingbird food
California buckwheat Pink-white, spring to fall Exceptional pollinator plant

Native Poppies and Sages

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), our state flower, opens cheerful orange blooms from late winter through summer in full sun and asks for almost no water; it supports dozens of native bee and butterfly species and self-sows happily for more poppies next year.[1] Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) is a fragrant, mounding shrub with whorls of purple-blue flowers in spring and summer that bees and hummingbirds adore, and it wants only occasional summer water once established.[2] White sage (Salvia apiana) offers silvery foliage and tall white flower spikes loved by native bees; because wild stands are threatened by poaching, always buy nursery-grown plants rather than wild-harvested material.[3]

Hummingbird Favorites

If you want hummingbirds, plant California fuchsia (Epilobium canum). Its scarlet, tubular flowers appear in late summer and fall when little else is blooming, and Calscape calls it one of the very best California natives for attracting hummingbirds.[4] Bush monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus) brings warm orange blooms in spring and summer and draws Anna’s hummingbirds and native bees on a tidy, drought-tolerant shrub.[5] Showy penstemon (Penstemon spectabilis) sends up spires of violet-blue flowers that attract several hummingbird species and a remarkable number of native bees; it is short-lived but reseeds.[6]

Native Flowering Shrubs

For a blue-flowering shrub that reads like a wall of color in early spring, blueblossom ceanothus (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), a true California lilac, is hard to beat and is a standout caterpillar host plant; give it full sun and good drainage and stop watering after a couple of years.[7] Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), also called Christmas berry, carries clusters of white flowers that feed butterflies, followed by bright red berries that feed birds through winter (the raw berries are not for people).[8] For winter bloom, Howard McMinn manzanita (a garden-reliable native cultivar of Arctostaphylos densiflora) offers pink-and-white urn-shaped bells that are some of the earliest pollinator food of the year; it needs excellent drainage and little summer water.[9]

Showstoppers and Pollinator Powerhouses

The Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) produces huge white “fried egg” flowers with golden centers on a tall plant, a true showstopper, but it can be slow to establish and then spreads aggressively by rhizomes, so give it room in a large garden.[10] And if your goal is to feed pollinators, few plants anywhere rival California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum): its pink-to-white flower clusters (which dry to a handsome rust color) support an exceptional range of native bees and butterflies from spring into fall.[11]

Why Plant California Natives?

Beyond their beauty, natives are the practical choice for Southern California. The California Native Plant Society notes that native plants generally require far less water than conventional landscaping, an important point when about half of residential water use goes to irrigation, because they evolved to thrive in our dry-summer climate.[12] They also support local wildlife far better than imported plants: California has roughly 1,600 native bee species plus butterflies and birds that depend on native plants, and yards planted largely with natives help sustain those populations.[13] For a lower-water garden, pair these with our guide to drought-tolerant plants, and to bring in more wildlife, our lists of plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds and ways to help monarchs and other pollinators.

Ready to plant a California garden? Visit any Green Thumb Nursery location and our team can help you choose native flowering plants suited to your sun, soil, and space. For more color ideas, see our guide to colorful flowers for your garden.

Native Flowering Plants FAQ

What flowers are native to Southern California?

Standout Southern California native flowering plants include California poppy, Cleveland and white sage, California fuchsia, bush monkeyflower, showy penstemon, Matilija poppy, blueblossom ceanothus, toyon, manzanita, and California buckwheat.[1]

What is the best California native flowering plant?

It depends on your goal: California poppy for easy orange color, Cleveland sage for fragrance and bees, California fuchsia for hummingbirds, and blueblossom ceanothus for a blue flowering shrub. California buckwheat is one of the best for supporting pollinators.[11]

Are native plants drought tolerant?

Yes. California natives evolved for our dry-summer climate and generally need far less water than conventional landscaping once established, which is why they are a top water-wise choice.[12]

What native plants attract hummingbirds?

California fuchsia is a top hummingbird plant, along with bush monkeyflower, showy penstemon, and Cleveland sage, all of which offer nectar-rich flowers.[4]

When do California natives bloom?

You can have color much of the year: manzanita and ceanothus bloom in late winter and spring, poppies, sages, penstemon, and monkeyflower in spring and summer, buckwheat and toyon into fall, and California fuchsia from summer into fall and winter.[9]

Sources

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