what plants to prune in winter in southern california

With extended droughts, wildfires, and extreme estrus, choosing mural plants in California can be a claiming. When you utilise native California plants, you can be sure they'll survive your local climate and fifty-fifty assistance you salve water. Native plants besides benefit local wildlife such as bees, butterflies, and birds.

If you lot're just getting started on your native garden, here are 32 of the all-time native plants for California landscapes, split up up into two sections:

Native California Flowers / Succulents
Native California Shrubs / Trees

These, along with California's hundreds of other native plants, can make your landscaping await bully while helping to preserve the local ecosystem.

Native California Flowers / Succulents

Beardtongue (Penstemon)

California has many native species of beardtongue flowers, which bloom in early spring with spectacular flowers that vary in color depending on the species. I of the most popular amongst native gardeners is the accurately named showy penstemon (Penstemon spectabilis) (pictured).

Hardiness zones: 3a-9b depending on species
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-draining sandy or rocky soils
Duration: Perennial
Meridian: 6 inches to iv anxiety depending on species
Maintenance: H2o 1 inch per week in summer, cut dorsum stems later on flowering flavour

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

Blue-eyed grass gets its common name from its grassy leaves and minor bluish or purple flowers that blossom from late winter through leap. This burn-resistant, piece of cake-to-grow flower is a perfect colorful addition to California flower gardens.

Hardiness zones: 4a-9b
Dominicus: Full sunday, partial shade
Soil: Moist loam soils
Duration: Perennial
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Maintenance: H2o occasionally during summer droughts

California cholla (Cylindropuntia californica)

California cholla, aka ophidian cholla, aka cane cholla, grows in long snakelike cylinders that can both become very tall and sprawl to embrace a lot of ground. The California cholla is a cactus, of course, and so it has spines that aren't friendly for high-traffic areas, but it as well has pretty yellow or green flowers with purplish cherry accents that could wait slap-up in your landscaping.

Hardiness zones: 8a-10b
Dominicus: Total lord's day
Soil: Any dry out, fast-draining soil
Duration: Perennial
Height: Up to 10 feet
Maintenance: Brand sure roots don't get too damp, otherwise they'll rot.

California fuchsia (Epilobium canum)

The California fuchsia is a species of willowherb with bright cerise, sparse flowers that somewhat resemble the flowers of a true fuchsia plant (thus the common name). Information technology's sometimes chosen the hummingbird bloom because its flowers, which bloom in summertime and fall, are extremely attractive to hummingbirds.

Hardiness zones: 8a-10b
Lord's day: Full sun
Soil: Any well-draining soil
Duration: Perennial
Height: 3 to 18 inches
Maintenance: Cut back to the footing after flowering season to promote healthy new growth, water in one case a month during summer in dry out inland areas

California milkweed (Asclepias californica)

The California milkweed is only one of the land'due south native milkweed species, most of which host monarchs and other butterflies. California milkweeds accept thick, white, hairy stems that can add an interesting chemical element to any blossom garden, and they bloom in spring and summer with round clusters of tiny flowers that range in colour from white to bright pink or lavender.

Hardiness zones: 7a-10b
Sun: Total sunday
Soil: Sandy or clay soils
Duration: Perennial
Height: Upwards to 3 feet
Maintenance: Avoid using pesticides on or nigh milkweeds because they're important wildlife plants.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

The vibrant orange California poppy, California'due south state blossom, is drought-tolerant, easy to grow, and often reseeds itself. Poppies blossom in leap, and in cooler parts of the state, the flowers can last all the fashion through the summer.

Hardiness zones: 5a-10b
Sunday: Full sun
Soil: Well-draining sandy soils
Duration: Perennial in mild-winter regions, annual in areas with cold winters Height: 4 to 12 inches

Maintenance: H2o occasionally during exceptionally dry growing seasons, cut back to keep them independent every bit they spread readily

Coastal prickly pear (Opuntia littoralis)

The coastal prickly pear is a species of cactus that varies in advent only generally grows in tall, spreading clumps of apartment oval-shaped branches, with bright red or yellow flowers and purplish fruits. Because the littoral prickly pear is a succulent, it doesn't demand a lot of water and is perfect for h2o-wise gardens — merely exist careful of the precipitous spines.

Hardiness zones: 9b-11b
Sun: Total sun
Soil: Sandy soils
Duration: Perennial
Height: ane to 2 feet
Maintenance: Make sure roots don't become likewise clammy, otherwise they'll rot.

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow has many mutual names, including nosebleed plant, sometime man's pepper, devil's nettle, and one thousand-leaf. Because of its fragrant clusters of tiny white flowers that blossom in spring and summer, it's a common chemical element in butterfly gardens.

Hardiness zones: 3a-9b
Lord's day: Full dominicus, partial shade, full shade
Soil: Tolerates near soil types
Duration: Perennial
Height: 1 to iii feet
Maintenance: Cut off dead flowers to encourage more blooms, treat common problems like aphids, mildew, and stem rot as needed.

Coulter's Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri)

Coulter's Matilija poppy is native to dry chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities in Southern California, and it can sometimes abound in recently burned areas. The big, showy white flowers with bright xanthous centers blossom in bound and summertime, and the found tin can spread aggressively if left unchecked.

Hardiness zones: 7a-11b
Sun: Total sun
Soil: Fast-draining sandy or gravelly soils
Elapsing: Perennial
Superlative: 6 to 10 anxiety
Maintenance: Cut down in tardily summer or fall to encourage new growth, pull shoots to prevent unwanted spreading.

Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana)

This wildflower has many cultivars in coastal Northern and Fundamental California, with spring blooms in blue, regal, pink, white, or yellow. Some varieties grow in clumps and piece of work well as a colorful groundcover in landscapes.

Hardiness zones: 7a-9b
Sun: Full lord's day, fractional shade, total shade
Soil: Rich, moist soils
Duration: Perennial
Summit: Up to ii.6 feet
Maintenance: H2o every two to four weeks during summer in dry out areas.

Island alum root (Heuchera maxima)

Island alum root, aka Jill-of-the-rocks, is native only to the Channel Islands off California's declension, only it thrives in many gardens on the mainland, where it does best in coastal areas simply can abound inland as well. Its tiny, round, brilliant pink flowers bloom in upright clusters that hummingbirds love to snack on.

Hardiness zones: 8b-11b
Lord's day: Total sun, partial shade, full shade
Soil: Well-draining sandy or rocky soils
Elapsing: Perennial
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Maintenance: May need to water regularly depending on location.

Alive-forever (Dudleya)

California is dwelling to forty+ native species of Dudleya succulents, many of which are referred to every bit "live-forevers" because they last for up to 100 years in the wild. There are branching and not-branching varieties, virtually of which accept green or silvery-white leaves and sprout flowers in tardily winter or early jump.

Hardiness zones: 6a-11b
Lord's day: Full sun on the coast, afternoon shade in inland areas
Soil: Fast-draining soils
Duration: Perennial
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Maintenance: Treat for pests attracted to this establish, including aphids, mealybugs, gnats, slugs, and snails.

Mountain violet (Viola purpurea)

The mount violet, aka goosefoot violet, has a deceitful scientific name, since its flowers are neither violet nor purple but bright yellow. Many subspecies and cultivars of this wildflower are available throughout California, and they're great for adding a golden touch on to your landscape or flower garden in bound.

Hardiness zones: 6b-9b
Sun: Total sun, fractional shade
Soil: Silt or sandy soils
Duration: Perennial
Elevation: Half inch to 4 inches
Maintenance: Remove dead flowers to encourage more than blooms.

Sage (Salvia)

California has 18 native sage species that thrive in different parts of the country, some of which are white sage (pictured), musk sage, and desert sage. Sage'south flowers, which flower in summer, come in many unlike colors depending on the species, and hummingbirds honey them so much that i native is really called hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea).

Hardiness zones: 3a-11b depending on species
Sunday: Full sun, fractional shade
Soil: Any well-draining soil
Duration: Perennial or annual depending on species and location
Elevation: 1 foot to over iv feet, depending on species
Maintenance: Prune lightly in spring, remove dead flowers to encourage more blooms.

Native California Shrubs / Trees

Buckwheat (Eriogonum)

More than 125 species of buckwheat are native to California, including the common California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) (pictured). Buckwheat blooms in tardily spring with rounded clusters of tiny flowers that expect similar a puff ball from far away, then keeps the flowers until fall, when they fade from white or pink to orange or dark-brown.

Hardiness zones: 7a-11b
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Dry or more often than not dry out well-draining soils
Elapsing: Evergreen
Pinnacle: ane to 6 anxiety
Maintenance: Cutting back every few years to encourage healthy new growth and control shape.

Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica)

The bush anemone is a rare constitute endemic to Fresno and Madera counties (pregnant that'due south the only place information technology's native to). In summer, it produces petty white anemone-shaped flowers with bright yellow centers that concenter pollinators such as butterflies and bees.

Hardiness zones: 8a-9b
Sun: Full sun, partial shade
Soil: Tolerates most soil types
Elapsing: Evergreen
Height: half dozen to x feet
Maintenance: Clip to forestall floppy branches, look out for aphids.

Bush monkey blossom (Mimulus aurantiacus)

Bush monkey blossom has dark green sticky leaves and blooms in winter, bound, and summer with flowers that are usually light orangish but can range from white to ruby. California is dwelling to several cultivars of this shrub of different sizes and colors.

Hardiness zones: 7a-11b
Lord's day: Total lord's day, partial shade
Soil: Well-draining clay, loam, or sandy soils
Duration: Evergreen
Height: three to v feet
Maintenance: Remove dead flowers to encourage more blooms, pinch back new growth in spring if you want the shrub to stay meaty.

Bush-league sunflower (Encelia californica)

Bush-league sunflower, aka California brittlebush, is a shrub in the daisy family that produces small xanthous daisy-like flowers in late winter and jump. This shrub is easy to abound, then it's a skillful improver to the garden, but beware: It grows so apace that it can become weedy and choke out other plants in your garden if left unchecked.

Hardiness zones: 10a-11b
Sun: Full sun, partial shade
Soil: Tolerates almost soil types
Duration: Deciduous
Summit: 18 inches to v feet
Maintenance: Prune later on flowering to encourage healthy and meaty new growth.

California gooseberry (Ribes californicum)

California gooseberry, aka hillside gooseberry, is just 1 of the country'southward many native gooseberry/currant plants. This species grows forth the coast from Northern to Southern California and produces small pink, imperial, or yellowish flowers and fruits that make it valuable for local wild animals such as birds, bees, and butterflies.

Hardiness zones: 6a-9b
Lord's day: Partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-draining soils
Duration: Deciduous
Peak: iii to 8 feet
Maintenance: Water regularly during growing season, cut off dead limbs.

California lilac (Ceanothus)

The Ceanothus genus, commonly known as California lilac, wild lilac, mountain lilac, or buck brush, includes more than 60 shrubs in the buckthorn family. These plants take glossy ovate leaves and bloom in spring with clusters of small blueish, white, or pink flowers that are fragrant and attractive to butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

Hardiness zones: 8a-10b
Lord's day: Total sun, some afternoon shade in hotter areas
Soil: Fast-draining soils
Duration: Evergreen
Height: 1 to 6 feet
Maintenance: Lightly clip and remove dead limbs as needed.

California sagebrush (Artemisia californica)

California sagebrush (only one of the state's native Artemisia species) has small, hairy leaves in lite light-green or gray and thin blossom clusters ranging in color from white to yellow. Drought-tolerant and fast-growing, sagebrush makes a groovy groundcover, just beware — the plant's quick spreading tin can become undesirable and weedy.

Hardiness zones: 7a-9b
Sunday: Total sun
Soil: Dry sandy or dirt soils
Duration: Deciduous
Height: ane to eight feet
Maintenance: Water a maximum of once per month during dry out summers.

Catalina currant (Ribes viburnifolium)

The Catalina currant, aka isle gooseberry, aka evergreen currant, is another of California'south native currant plants. It has shiny dark green leaves that produce a pleasantly citrus-scented sap, and it grows small red fruits in late leap that attract birds, including hummingbirds.

Hardiness zones: 6a-10b
Sun: Fractional shade
Soil: Tolerates most soils
Duration: Evergreen
Top: 2 to 3 feet
Maintenance: Water once a month maximum during summer.

Chaparral mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus)

This exemplary species among California'southward many native bush mallows produces light pink flowers in elongated clusters during summer. Many cultivars of the chaparral mallow, growing mostly near the coast in Key and Southern California, vary in size and appearance.

Hardiness zones: 8a-11b
Sun: Full dominicus
Soil: Any well-draining soil
Duration: Evergreen
Height: 3 to 16 anxiety
Maintenance: Prune in late summer or autumn for compact growth.

Coffeeberry (Frangula californica)

Formerly known past the scientific name Rhamnus californica, this mutual California shrub has dark greenish leaves and small foam, white, or greenish flowers that sprout in spring and summer. The establish is burn down-resistant, and birds love its fruit, so coffeeberry makes a not bad improver to any landscape.

Hardiness zones: 7a-9b
Sun: Total lord's day, partial shade
Soil: Tolerates most soil types
Duration: Evergreen
Acme: 6 to 15 feet
Maintenance: Prune every bit needed to maintain desired shape and height

Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)

Not technically a shrub, deergrass is a shrub-sized bunchgrass with bright greenish, silverish, or even purple blades. Deergrass is one of the easiest bunchgrasses to grow in California and tin reach its mature height of around 5 anxiety in only one or 2 years.

Hardiness zones: 7a-10b
Lord's day: Total sun, partial shade
Soil: Sandy or other well-draining soils
Elapsing: Evergreen
Meridian: three to v feet
Maintenance: Cut back in fall to keep it contained.

Flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum)

The flannel bush-league has fuzzy leaves that resemble flannel (that'southward where its mutual name comes from) and large, vivid xanthous flowers that flower in spring. The shrub grows quickly and can grow very alpine under the right atmospheric condition, so it works great as a privacy hedge, merely don't institute it near a high-traffic area, equally the leaves can irritate skin.

Hardiness zones: 8a-10b
Sunday: Total sunday
Soil: Well-draining, sandy soils
Duration: Evergreen
Height: 6 to 20 feet
Maintenance: Avoid summer watering and astringent pruning every bit these can kill the plant.

Giant wildrye (Leymus condensatus)

As its common name suggests, giant wildrye is a tall species of wild rye grass that grows in clumps, which can part the aforementioned as shrubs in a landscape. "Coulee prince" is a popular cultivar for home planting, but it's a plant nursery-bred multifariousness that you lot won't find in the wild.

Hardiness zones: 6a-10b
Sun: Total sun
Soil: Tolerates most soil types
Duration: Evergreen
Height: 3 to 6 anxiety
Maintenance: Prune dorsum to the ground in summer and remove rhizomes to go along it independent as it spreads easily.

Lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia)

Lemonade drupe grows as either a shrub or pocket-size tree, with more than upright and tree-similar growth inland and more low, sprawling growth in coastal areas. Whether y'all employ this constitute in your landscaping as a hedge or specimen tree, information technology volition produce small red fruits that are an of import nutrient source for local wildlife such as birds and small mammals. Lemonade berry is closely related and grows similarly to another California native plant, sugar bush (Rhus ovata).

Hardiness zones: 9a-11b
Dominicus: Full sun, partial shade
Soil: Well-draining sandy or loam soils
Elapsing: Evergreen
Height: three to 30 feet depending on location
Maintenance: Clip as needed to maintain desired shape and top.

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos)

You can find a native manzanita species for your mural no matter where yous live in California, since the many options range from coastal to mountain species. Manzanita shrubs and small trees have interesting red bark on their limbs, bright green leaves, and tiny white or light pinkish flowers, so they're a feast of colors.

Hardiness zones: 8a-10b
Lord's day: Full dominicus, partial shade
Soil: Well-draining clay, loam, or sandy soils
Duration: Evergreen
Superlative: 6 to 25-plus feet depending on species and location
Maintenance: Prune in dry out summer months, water one time a calendar month during summertime.

Silver lupine (Lupinus albifrons)

Silver lupine, aka white-leaf bush lupine, aka evergreen lupine, is a mounding, spreading shrub that grows quickly and sprouts upright clusters of pea-shaped blue or purple flowers in wintertime, spring, and summer that attract pollinators. You lot'll run across these shrubs all over California, from the coast into the mountains.

Hardiness zones: 6a-10b
Dominicus: Total sun
Soil: Dry sandy or rocky soils
Duration: Evergreen
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Maintenance: Water once or twice per month in summer.

Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Also known as Christmas berry or California holly for its bright cherry berries, toyon is native to western parts of California and the Sierra foothills. As a shrub or minor tree, it can grow very tall very rapidly nether proper care, and its white flowers concenter butterflies and bees in summer.

Hardiness zones: 7a-11b
Sun: Full sun, partial shade
Soil: Tolerates well-nigh soil types
Duration: Evergreen
Height: six to 10 feet typically, tin reach up to xxx anxiety
Maintenance: Clip as needed to maintain desired shape and height.

Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis)

Especially in Northern California where they grow best, you can grow a western redbud as a big shrub or small-scale tree depending on how you prune and train information technology. Either style, the institute will take light light-green leaves early in the growing flavour that turn dark green as they age and sprout clusters of bright pink or magenta flowers in the spring.

Hardiness zones: 7a-9b
Sun: Full sun, partial shade
Soil: Tolerates most soil types
Duration: Deciduous
Height: 10 to twenty feet
Maintenance: Prune equally needed to maintain desired shape and top.

For more information about native California plants and why you lot should consider calculation them to your garden, check out the California Native Constitute Gild (CNPS)'southward native found database.

Main Photograph Credit: California's state flower, the California poppy / Alan Schmierer / Flickr

Jordan Ardoin

Jordan Ardoin is a writer and indoor constitute enthusiast hailing from Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys chasing her 2 cats effectually the business firm and trying to keep her houseplants alive.

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Source: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/california/native-plants-california/