Native Plants Maintenance Guide
| Scientefic name | Common name | Soil Description | Propagation | Maintenance |
| Archillea millefolium | Common Yarrow | Nearly any type except very wet. Because of its deep roots it has been used to control erosion.. Soil PH: 4 - 8 | Spreads by rhizomes. Plant seed in warm soil, max 1/4 inch under so sun can get to it. Can become invasive.. For propagating by seed: No treatment. | Benefits from division every other year |
| Artemisa californica | California Sagebrush | Usually found on very dry slopes or sandy soil with low nutrient content, although it is also said to tolerate clay. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | seed can be sown directly in individual containers. They can also be propagated by semi-hard new-wood cuttings in the spring. Cuttings are treated with rooting hormone and maintained in flats with bottom heat and mist until rooted (personal communication, California Flora Nursery, 5 November 2009). |
They should be pruned or pinched back each year to maintain their form. |
| Artemisa douglasiana | Mugwort | Tolerant of a variety of soils as long as adequate moisture is available. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | Usually from rhizome cuttings | May be cut back to ground during dormancy |
| Baccharis Pilularis | Coyote Bush | Tolerant of a variety of soils including sand, clay and alkaline. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | Nursery plants are usually male clones to avoid the fluffy plumes which some people may be allergic to. If you have both male and female plants in close proximity, you will get seedlings. For propagating by seed: No treatment. | The upright form can be pruned to be tree-like if desired. The ground cover forms should be pruned annually if a neat appearance is desired. Some may even be mowed. |
| Braccharis salicifolia | Mulefat | Heavier riparian soils, sandy washes. Soil PH: 6 - 9 | No treatment by seed. Increase by sowing seed or taking cuttings in summer. Germinating seeds under mist or a plastic tent is recommended in some sources. Others suggest sowing seeds in sandy seed beds in fall or early spring. | This plant can be pruned as desired. If can be cut down to just a few inches above the ground if it's looking dead and weedy, and will grow back nicely. |
| Croton setiger | Doveweed | |||
| Elymus triticoides | Alkali rye (Wild Rye) | Tolerates most soils. Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 9.0 | For propagating by seed: No treatment. Germination may be poor. | |
| Encelia californica | Califronia Bush Sunflower | Tolerates a wide variety of soils. Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 6 - 8 | By seeds (this plant self-seeds readily), softwood cuttings | No pest problems.. After it goes semi-deciduous in the summer, this plant can be cut to the ground and will come back nicely. Because of its tendency to sprawl or become floppy, it can also be pruned after flowering to encourage more flowers and more compact growth |
| Erigonum cinereum | Coastal/Ashyleaf buckwheat | Adaptable. Soil PH: 6-8 | No treatment | Remove dead seed heads in late fall and dead branches during the growing season. Older untidy plants can be pruned back to 8 inches in the fall to reestablish shape. |
| Eriogonum Fasciculatum | Common Buckwheat | Prefers loamy soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.5 | No treatment | Can handle hard pruning, taller varieties even into edged/hedged plantings. |
| Heteromeles artbutifolia | Toyon | Tolerant of a variety of soils. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | Fresh seeds need no treatment; stored seed 3 mos. stratification. | Susceptible to fireblight |
| Iva hayesiana | San Diego Marsh Elder | adaptable | Spreads by layering - branches rooting when covered by soil | Hedge clip down to 1-2 feet to keep as a lower ground cover. |
| Lupinus albifrons | Bush Lupine | Prefers well drained soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0 |
By seeds | Prune to shape in late summer or early fall |
| Peritoma arborea | Bladderpod | Prefers well drained soils such as sand or decomposed granite. Tolerates Saline Soil. Soil PH: 7.0 - 9.0 | By seeds | If harlequin beetles become a problem they can be removed by hand or sprayed off with a garden hose. It is usually not possible to eliminate them entirely. |
| Platanus racemosa | California Sycamore | Tolerates sand and clay. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | Stratified seed. For propagating by seed: 2-3 mos. stratification. | Susceptible to anthracnose fungus (leaf blight) which typically does not kill the tree but causes disfiguration of the leaves in mild cases and leaf loss in severe cases. |
| Populus fremontii | Fremont Cottonwood | Accepts either sandy or clay soil as long as there is sufficient water. Tolerates Saline Soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0 | For propagating by seed: No treatment. Use fresh seeds, usually viable only a few days. Seeds should not be covered or pressed into medium; seedbed should be kept saturated for first mo. Easily propagated from stem cuttings. | Subject to truck and branch canker if drought stressed |
| Quercus agrifolia | Coastal Live Oak | Tolerates a variety of soils but prefers a deep, well draining loam which it usually develops over time from leaf drop. Soil PH: 4.0 - 8.0 | Propagation by acorns is relatively simple. Best acorns sink in water, have a more or less even mix of green, yellow and brown color, and pop out of their caps easily. Plant acorns on their sides, at depth of 1.5x its diameter. Keep moist until germinated and at least 3-4 weeks after the seedling pushes out of the ground. For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds sow in fall outdoors or stratify to hold for spring sowing. (USDA Forest Service 1974). | Oaks are susceptible to several pests and diseases including Gold Spotted Oak Borer and Sudden Oak Death. The best prevention for these maladies is to avoid moving firewood outside the area where it was grown and sterilizing pruning instruments after each use.. Best to prune during July or August, when the trees are not normally growing, and when the dry weather is less likely to support pathogens that may attack the wounds. As much as possible, avoid pruning large limbs as this exposes the tree to possible infection and can take many years to recover. Avoid over-thinning interior branches or "lion tailing." |
| Frangula californica | California Coffee Berry | Tolerates a variety of soils, but some subspecies have specific soil affinities. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | Seeds or cuttings. For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds need no treatment; stored seeds 3 mos. stratification. | Takes pruning well. Upright forms may be pruned to form a hedge. |
| Rhus intrgrigolia | Lemonade Berry | Many soil types. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | For propagating by seed: Hot water. For maximum germination, soak in concentrated H2S04 for 4-6 hrs., depending on seed batch and age. | Takes pruning very well; may be pruned or sheared as desired at any time of year. May be pruned as a hedge or tree form |
| Rubus ursinus | California Blackberry | Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | From stem cuttings (canes) | Use caution - very prickly. Prune during winter dormancy to shape and control spread. |
| Salix goodingii | Willow | Tolerates a variety of soils as long as adequate moisture is present. Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0 | For propagating by seed: No treatment. Use fresh seeds (usually only viable a few days). Seeds should not be covered or pressed into a medium. Seedbed should be kept saturated for the first month. Easily propogated from cuttings. | |
| Salvia apiana | White Sage | Adaptable to a variety of soil types. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0 | For propagating by seed: No treatment; sow outdoors in early fall. Germination may be poor if diurnal fluctuation is insuff icient; also see alternative treatments for S. mellifera. | Flower stalks may be removed when finished in late Summer. Sprawling branches may be removed if desired at any time |
| Salvia mellifera | Black Sage | Tolerates a variety of soils although it is happier with good drainage. Tolerates Gabro Soil,Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 4.0 - 8.0 | For propagating by seed: No treatment; sow outdoors in early fall. Germination may be poor. The following alternative treatments may improve germination: stratify 3 mos. or soak in 400 ppm GA3 1 hr., then dry and sow (Betty Atwater, personal communication 1981). | |
| Sambucus nigra | Elderberry | Tolerates a variety of soils but prefers well-drained soils with moisture. Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.0 | Accepts pruning readily | |
| Opuntia spp. | Prickly Pear | |||
| Isocoma menziesii | Coastal Goldenbush | Typically sandy. Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.5 | ||
| Grindelia hirsutula | Gumplant |
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