Consider adding one of these California Native plants to your yard- as they are adapted to the weather in the Sacramento region, they naturally make the perfect choice for ‘water-wise’ and drought tolerant landscapes! Not only that, they provide much needed food and shelter for animals such as birds and insects. For tips on getting started designing your yard, check out our other article.
White-Leaved Manzanita
Arctostaphylos viscida
Plant Type: Shrub/ Small Tree
Plant Height: 3-15 feet
Plant Width: 10 ft wide
Sun: Full sun or partial shade
Water Needs: Once per month during the summer
Soil: Tolerates many soils, including alluvial or clay
Plant Description: White leaf manzanita is common in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The branches have a reddish brown bark. The shrub has pale pink or white flowers, and white berries that turn red in the fall. When in an area that may receive much rain during winter, they may do best planted on a small hill so that the water can drain away well.
Toyon or Christmas Berry
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Plant Type: Shrub/ small tree; evergreen
Plant Height: 6-10 feet
Plant Width: 4-6 feet wide
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water Needs: Max 2 times/month once established.
Soil: Well draining soil
Plant Description: Toyon is an evergreen shrub, which can make for a great privacy/screening plant. The leaves have fine teeth along the edges. In the summer, white flowers appear, and red berries appear by Christmas.
Bush Monkey-Flower
Mimulus aurantiacus
Plant Type: Shrub
Plant Height: 2-4 feet
Plant Width: 5 feet wide
Sun: Part shade, full sun
Water Needs: Max 2x/month once established
Soil: Tolerant of different soils if good drainage
Plant Description: Blooms from April to September. Likes dry places
Bush Anemone
Arctostaphylos viscida
Plant Type: Shrub/ Small Tree
Plant Height: 3-15 feet
Plant Width: 10 ft wide
Sun: Full sun, part shade
Water Needs: Max 3x per month while established
Soil: Prefers fast draining soils
Plant Description: This evergreen shrub is related to the Mock Orange. Its flowers are white or yellow and bloom in late spring, early summer.
For more information on these plants, as well as a list of other California Native plants, please check out Calscape.org which is an amazing resource. Many California native plants are drought tolerant and the perfect addition to a water-wise yard.
