Douglas Aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay and loam ground and violet-blue flowers; it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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- By state
- California
- Low-maintenance
California · Zones 5–10
Easy Native Plants in California
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. For California, the right natives are shaped by Coast Ranges, Central Valley & Sierra Nevada and a Mediterranean, summer-dry climate. Every species below, from Douglas Aster and Rocky Mountain Penstemon to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to California and hardy through zones 5–10. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
9 native species for California
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–10 · see this collection in other states.
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Thrives on neglect once placed right: deep blue-purple flowers and reaching 1.5–2.5 ft, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
A beginner's native — hardy in zones 6–10 and for sand, rocky, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Mar through Jun.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Plant it and forget it: 1.5–3 ft tall and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground, no fuss; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Plant it and forget it: cold-hardy to zone 3 and spreading 8–16 in, no fuss; it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Thrives on neglect once placed right: hardy in zones 4–9 and 12–18 in wide — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Plant it and forget it: 6–9 ft tall and happy in clay and loam soil, no fuss — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 2–4 ft tall and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
A beginner's native — for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and 2–4 ft tall, content with whatever you give it.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in California
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.