What is a California native plant?

From the mighty coastal redwoods to desert wildflowers and coastal succulents, California’s native plants are cherished worldwide. These are the plants that grow here naturally and have evolved over thousands of years, long before European settlers. They are uniquely adapted to California’s Mediterranean climate and form the foundation of our ecosystems.

California native plants are a great landscaping choice for your home garden. Not only are they beautiful, they offer important benefits. Native gardens support the food webs, watersheds, and ecosystems upon which we all depend. The simple act of integrating California native plants to your garden is a powerful way to make a difference.

What Native Plants Can Do

•  Reduce water consumption. Once established in a garden, California native plants use, on average, one-seventh the water of most non-natives.

•  Reduce pesticide use. Because they have co-evolved with native wildlife, native plants typically have fewer pest problems than non-natives.
•  Reduce your carbon footprint. Native plants like lean nutrient-poor soils and do not require soil amendments or fertilizers. 

•  Reduce maintenance. A well-designed native garden – planted for the mature size of the plants – can require very low maintenance, once established.

•  Add beauty. Native plants are beautiful for their many colors, forms, textures and aromas. With good design, your garden can have flowers year round.

•  Attract wildlife. Native plants provide birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and pollinators with food and shelter.

•  Support essential ecosystem services. Think about this: only 10% of herbivorous insect species can eat non-native plants, and insects comprise over 90% of the diet of baby birds, making native plants (and insects) an essential part of any bird habitat. Insects also provide other important services, such as decomposition, pollination and predation (on other insects).

One more reason to contact a landscaping company with knowledge in Southern California Native Plants. Our Green Spaces Landscaping LLC experienced crew has study native plants and has been Certified by the Theodore Payne Foundation.