SANTA CLARITA NATIVE PLANTS
Walking around the trails and open spaces you’ll begin to see the same vegetation over and over. For those who are curious, below is some fun information on the more common and interesting native plants that you’ll encounter.
FYI - this page is a work in progress / under construction, I apologize for any messiness!
California Sagebrush
Artemesia Californica
Known as “Cowboy Cologne” this common SCV plant smells phenomenal.
California Buckwheat
A keystone species within our chaparral habitat, supporting 50+ butterfly/moth species, and great for making honey.
WHITE SAGE
The same sage that people burn as incense. This threatened sage has beautiful pale leaves and shoots up huge blooms in early summer.
MULEFAT
Find this along any stream or water source around SCV. It blooms almost year-round, and popular with pollinators.
CEANOTHUS
California Lilac, a nitrogen-fixing shrub (with 60+ species) in the buckthorn family and important wildlife plant.
Coyote Brush
A secondary pioneer plant in chaparral habitat, this common plant is widely used in native, drought-tolerant gardens.
Sugarbush
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Scrub Oak
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Whitestem Hedgenettle
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Poison oak
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
California Goldenrod
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Coffeeberry
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
BLACK SAGE
keystone sage species with aromatic leaves, this plant is an important food source for butterflies, hummingbirds, quail, and more.
DEERWEED
Another bee-magnet plant with beautiful yellow blooms, common across our hills.
GOLDEN YARROW
Look for clusters of golden flowers a foot or two off the ground. This plant is actually in the daisy family and not related to true yarrow.
Bush Monkeyflower
A long-blooming, orange flowered shrub that can be seen along many of the hikes, and alongside cliff-faces while driving through local canyons.
Heartleaf Keckiella
Beautiful shiny heart-shaped leaves, and a hummingbird favorite when the red trumpet-like flowers appear. This plant can be found on hillsides, often growing over other plants.
Vinegarweed
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Sunflower
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Scarlet Monkeyflower
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Telegraphweed
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Rubber rabbitbrush
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
False Goldenaster
A highly variable plant, in the SCV it has a tendency to be a low growing shrub that thrives in open grassland - it smells like an autumn candle.
Thick-Leaved Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon crassifolium
Great for making tea and treating respiratory illnesses.
PURPLE SAGE
The most colorful local sage, the bright purple blooms are unmatched, and a bee magnet.
COAST LIVE OAK
The most widespread local oak that make up most of our local oak forests.
BLUE ELDER
One of the most important food sources for birds in California.
Golden currant
This ribes species has no thorns, beautiful golden flowers that smell like cloves, berries that are a bird favorite (and can be made into jam)
Sawtooth Goldenbush
A local plant that blooms in the fall, a savior for pollinators when most other plants are no longer in bloom.
Bladderpod
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Turkey Mullein
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
leafy fleabane
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
California Fuschia
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Coyote Gourd
Also known as a sugar sumac, this is a fast-growing, evergreen chaparral plant that has beautiful leaves and berries.
Longstemmed Buckwheat
This patch of whimsical wand-like stalks, lined with pink tufts of flowers are a unique fall bloomer.
Parish’s Lupine
Lupinus latifolius var. parishii
This rare, moisture loving native lupine has an extremely restricted range in Southern California.
Narrowleaf Goldenbush
Ericameria linearifolia
A spring-blooming butterfly magnet of a plant that’s native to the drier regions of Southern CA
Rod Wirelettuce
Stephanomeria virgata
Who needs leaves in the intense Southern California heat? This summer annual is all flowers-and-stems.