Why Use California Natives?

The benefits of using California native plants in landscaping are economic, aesthetic, and ethical. First, planting California natives will lower your water bill, eliminate the need for fertilizing, and reduce the time and energy spent maintaining the landscape (less mowing, hedging, and trimming). Second, California native plants will enliven the landscape, whether through colorful blooms, aromatic foliage, or the hummingbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife this vegetation attracts. Finally, too much of our world is becoming homogenized, and the landscaping in one part of the country (or the world) is largely the same as in another. Let's keep California's unique identity by using our state's natural abundance.

This site will have its primary focus on plants that will grow in Bakersfield and surrounding environs.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

A List of Native Bakersfield Plants

Here is a list of plant species approved for the Kern River Parkway; these are the only plants "permitted for projects within the Kern River Parkway area [including] streetscape and parking lots."  The City of Bakersfield used to have this list posted online as an official document (the document is dated 2005), but they have since removed it. Depending on the size and type of your home or business landscaping, these species would be excellent choices for a native planting.  I have organized the list by type, but some species --like the redbud -- can be a shrub or a tree, depending on how it is trimmed and shaped.

KERN RIVER PARKWAY PLANT LIST


Scientific Name, Common Name,  Type

Trees

  • Acer macrophyllum, Bigleaf maple
  • Acer negundo ssp, californicum, California box elder
  • Aesculus californica, California buckeye
  • Alnus rhombifolia, White alder
  • Amelanchier pallida, Western service berry
  • Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonwillow
  • Cerciduim floridum, Blue palo verde
  • Chilopsis linearis, Desert willow
  • Fraxinus dipetela, Foothill ash
  • Fraxinus latifolia, Oregon ash
  • Fraxinus velutina, Arizona ash
  • Fraxinus velutina "coriacea," Leather leaf ash
  • Pinus sabiniana, Gray pine (digger)
  • Platanus racemosa, California sycamore
  • Populus fremontii, Fremont cottonwood
  • Populus trichocarpa, Black cottonwood
  • Prosopis juliflora, Mesquite
  • Quercus douglassii, Blue oak
  • Quercus dumosa, Scrub oak
  • Quercus engelmannii, Englemann oak
  • Quercus kellogii, California black oak
  • Quercus lobata, Valley oak
  • Quercus wislizenii, Interior live oak
  • Salix exigua, Narrowleaf willow
  • Salix goodingii, Tree willow
  • Salix hindsiana, Sandbar willow
  • Salix laevigota, Red willow
  • Salix lasiolepedis, Arroyo willow
  • Sambucus caerulea, Blue elderberry
  • Sambucus mexicana, Elderberry
  • Umbellaria californica, California bay

Large Shrubs (usually grow to be around six feet tall in Bakersfield)

  • Artemisia californica, Coastal sage
  • Arctostaphylos glauca, Bigberry Manzanita
  • Arctostaphylos manzanita, Manzanita
  • Atriplex lentiformis, Quailbush
  • Baccharis glutinosa, Mulefat 
  • Calycanthus occidentalis, Western spice bush
  • Carpenteria californica, Tree anemone
  • Castanopsis spp., Chiquapin
  • Ceanothus cunneatus, Buckbrush
  • Ceanothus griseus, Carmel Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus integerrimus, Deer Brush
  • Ceanothus leucodermis, Whitebark Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus purpureus, Hollyleaf Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus thrysiflorus, Blue blossom
  • Cercis occidentallis, Western redbud
  • Cercocarpus betuloides, Mountain-mahogany (birchleaf)
  • Cercocarpus ledifolius, Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany
  • Fremontia californica, Flannel bush
  • Fremontondendron, Flannel bush
  • Garrya elliptica, James roof silktassel
  • Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon
  • Prunus ilicifolia, Holly-leaf cherry
  • Prunus lyonii, Island cherry
  • Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry
  • Rhus integrifolia, Lemonadeberry
  • Rhus ovata, Sugar bush
  • Romneya coulteri, Matillja poppy

Medium-sized Shrubs (usually grow up to four feet tall in Bakersfield)

  • Arctostaphylos parryi, Snow Lodge Manzanita
  • Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanquinea, Coyote bush
  • Cowania mexicana stansburirna, Cliff rose
  • Dendromecon rigida, Bush poppy
  • Diplacus species, Monkey flowers
  • Encelia californica, California bush sunflower
  • Encelia farinosa, Desert encelia
  • Encelia virginensis, Mountain bush sunflower (brittlebush)
  • Eriogonum arborescens, Santa Cruz island buckwheat
  • Fallugia paradoxa, Apache plume
  • Isomeris arborea, Bladder pod
  • Lupinus albifrons, Lupine
  • Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon grape
  • Mahonia nervosa, Lingleaf
  • Mahonia nevinii, Nevin's barberry
  • Mahonia pinnata, California grape holly
  • Rosa woodsii ultramontana, Desert rose
  • Salvia apiana, White sage
  • Salvia clevelandii, San Diego sage
  • Salvia leucophylla, Purple sage
  • Salvia mellifera, Black sage
  • Simmondsia chinensis, Jojoba Shrub

Low Shrubs / Groundcovers / Perennials (usually grow up to two feet tall in Bakersfield)

  • Arctostaphylos densiflora, Harmony Manzanita
  • Baccharis pilularis, "Twin Peaks" Dwarf coyote bush
  • Ceanothus gloriosus, Heart's Desire Mountain Lilac
  • Eriogonum crocatum, Conejo buckwheat, Saffron buckwheat
  • Heuchera maxima, Island alum root
  • Iris douglasiana, Coast iris
  • Mimulus aurantiacus, Shrubby monkey flower
  • Penstemon azureus, Azure Penstemon
  • Penstemon centranthifolius, Scarlet Bugler
  • Penstemon eatonii, Firecracker Penstemon
  • Penstemon heterophyllus, Foothill Penstemon
  • Penstemon palmeri, Palmer's Penstemon
  • Penstemon pseudospectabilis, Desert Penstemons
  • Penstemon spectabilis, Showy Penstemon
  • Solanum xantii, Purple nightshade
  • Stanleya pinnata, Princes plume
  • Trichostema lanatum, Wooly blue curls
  • Zauschneria californica, California fuchsia
  • Zauschneria cana, California fuchsia
Vines (will grow as tall as their support)

  • Vitis californica, California Wild grape
  • Vitis girdiana, Desert Wild grape
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 8, 2020 at 11:27 PM

    I love what you are doing.Keep native plants local!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownAugust 9, 2020 at 1:04 PM

      doyou have a seed collection times spreadsheet by any chance so I can propagate my own material?

      Delete
  2. UnknownJune 20, 2021 at 2:48 PM

    driving over hyway 58 west of Tehachapi, we were detoured onto a frontage road for quite a few miles. Along that road was a shrub with what appeared to be white pods covering it. they were quite common almost all the wa
    y down to Edison where we were back on to 58. I couldn't stop as there was a long line of vehicles. Does anyone have an idea what this shrub may be? It was actually quite attractive.

    ReplyDelete

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