California Native Flowering Shrubs for Your Garden

Have you ever had the pleasure of taking a stroll down a Californian woodland? The beautiful towering trees, the fragrant roses, and the delicate wildflowers are sure to make you feel at peace. Check out these native flowering shrubs for your California garden to bring that feeling into your yard. This list should be helpful to individuals who are interested in adding California native plant species to their gardens and landscaping. All the plants listed above can be used in residential landscapes.

Western redbud(Cercis occidentalis)

The western redbud is the quintessential spring-blooming California native shrub. The fragrant pink blooms attract a variety of wildlife and are sure to add beauty to your garden. Western Redbuds are ideal for most soil types and adapt well to most landscapes, from full sun to partial shade.

Silver lupine (Lupinus albifrons)

The silver lupine is an early-blooming wildflower, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking for early spring color. The delicate purple blossoms light up the shade under the tall pine trees and are visited by various pollinator insects.

California wild-cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)

The California wild-cherry may not be the showiest of California native flowering shrubs, but its dark green foliage and small white flowers are sure to bring peace to any garden. These shrubs require little maintenance and can tolerate dry soil conditions.

Alder buckthorn (Rhamnus californica)

The alder buckthorn is a California native shrub in high elevations from the Sierra Nevada to the Conejo Valley to the Channel Islands. Its small white flowers don’t attract much attention until they are in full bloom, but then they are truly spectacular. This shrub occurs naturally in moist mountainous areas and requires little maintenance. It thrives in full sun and grows to about 15 feet tall.

Flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum)

The flannel bush is a flowering shrub that thrives in California’s coastal chaparral. Its large, yellow flowers are quite showy but only bloom for a short time in the spring. These shrubs can grow over 10 feet tall and prefer full sun with moist soil, although they will tolerate partial shade.

California buckeye (Aesculus californica)

The California buckeye is another spring-blooming native shrub you’ll find along the Californian coast. It produces small clusters of white flowers that grow to about two inches long and bloom between March and May. These shrubs prefer full sun to partial shade. They grow to be about 20 feet tall.

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

The Virginia creeper is a beautiful flowering shrub that blooms in early spring and can be found along coastal areas in California. Its cream-colored flowers look like tiny bells, and the native bees love them. The vines creep up trees and support the plants, making them ideal for hanging baskets. Depending on the climate, these flowering shrubs are almost evergreen, with one or two growth cycles per year. They grow to about 10 feet tall when they mature.

California lilac (Ceanothus)

The California lilac is a native shrub that blooms in late spring. It produces clusters of small, lavender-blue flowers, which tend to bloom in groups. The flowers are attractive to bees and hummingbirds and are perfect for adding a touch of color to your California garden. It grows well in both sun and shade, attaining heights of about 70 inches.

California fuchsia (Fuchsia)

The California fuchsia is a beautiful low-growing shrub perfect for areas with more than moderate rainfall. These flowering shrubs will usually produce one or two blooms in the spring that can look like delicate purple puffs of smoke floating out from the bush. It grows well in full sun and partial shade, but it does require occasional pruning to keep it from getting too leggy or congested.

California gooseberry (Ribes californicum)

The California gooseberry is a fantastic native shrub that produces clusters of small white flowers every spring. Hummingbirds visit the flowers, and songbirds love the fruit in the fall but do not attract bees. It grows to about 15 feet tall and prefers full sun to partial shade and moist soil.

Bush monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus)

The widespread bush monkeyflower is a hardy, deciduous flowering shrub found along the coast of California. The attractive yellow flowers grow to about 3 inches long and look like little monkeys’ faces. They grow best in full sun and require little maintenance.

Island alum root (Heuchera maxima)

The Island alum root is a native flowering shrub found in California’s coastal areas in partial or complete shade and moist soil. It takes its name from the fact that it is often found growing on rocks near the coast. The attractive pink flowers grow to be about five inches long, and hummingbirds visit them. The flowers grow directly from the ground, appearing in late summer or early autumn.

Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)

The golden yarrow’s tiny yellow flowers bloom across the top of this silvery-green shrub during springtime, and it attracts hummingbirds with its beautiful nectar spurs. The plant grows well in part to the full sun and thrives in moist soil. It reaches a height of about six feet and prefers rather sandy, well-drained soil.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

The California poppy is a native flowering shrub grown along the California coast for its bright yellow blossoms, which are visited by hummingbirds that frequent the nectar. The plants prefer partial sun and become leggy if grown in the shade. It thrives in sandy soils near the coast or dry foothills. It grows to a height of about three feet.

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The common yarrow is a flowering shrub that blooms between April and July, attracting hummingbirds with its bright yellow blossoms. It grows best in full sun to partial shade but requires regular watering to thrive. It can grow to be about three feet tall.

Live-forever (Dudleya)

The live-forever is a Californian native flowering shrub with small clusters of white flowers, which are attractive to hummingbirds and moths. The flowers bloom from late spring to summer. It grows best in full sun, and it thrives in dry soil. It reaches a height of about two feet.

Mountain violet (Viola purpurea)

The mountain violet’s large, purple flowers are quite showy. They grow best in partial shade and can be grown in arid conditions or shady areas, but they do not require much water. The native bees love them, and the plant can be hard to grow if left to its own devices.

Beardtongue (Penstemon)

The beardtongue is a flowering shrub that has clusters of tiny pink flowers. The plant grows best in partial shade and thrives in moist soil. It grows to about three feet and can be pretty hardy. It prefers well-drained soil.

Beach lily (Lilium humboldtii)

The beach lily is a native California flowering shrub that grows best in full sun and tolerates partial shade. It produces beautiful pink flowers, which hummingbirds visit, and it usually blooms from June until October, depending on the weather. It grows to about three feet tall and thrives in sandy soils.

California milkweed (Asclepias californica)

The California milkweed is a flowering shrub that blooms between late spring and the fall, producing attractive clusters of white flowers. The native bees love the nectar, and the hummingbird often lands nearby to drink and rest. The plant prefers moist soil but can be grown in dry or sandy soils.

California cholla (Cylindropuntia californica)

The cholla is a flowering shrub that produces impressive, striking yellow flowers. The species grows best in partial shade, and it prefers well-drained soil. It reaches a height of about three to four feet.

California bamboo (Phyllostachys californica)

The California bamboo is a native floral shrub that produces clusters of white flowers and grows best in moist soils. It’s hardy, and hummingbirds visit the flowers, but it requires very little water once it gets established. The plant reaches about six feet tall and thrives in full sun.

Coastal prickly pear (Opuntia littoralis)

The coastal prickly pear is a flowering shrub that grows along California’s beaches. It produces striking clusters of bright yellow flowers, which hummingbirds and moths visit. The plant prefers moist soil but can be hardy and is not picky about its surroundings.

California foamflower (Sidalcea calycina)

The foamflower is a flowering shrub that produces bright, showy blooms in late spring or early summer. The plant prefers moist soil and partial shade but does well in full sun and low shade. It does not require much water since the flowers should be watered immediately before blooming.

Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

The toyon is a flowering shrub that grows in coastal areas of California. It has bright white flowers and is visited by hummingbirds. The plant needs moist but well-drained soil and can tolerate full sun to partial shade. It reaches about five feet tall.

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos)

The manzanita is a flowering shrub that grows in California. It produces beautiful clusters of pink flowers, and the plant thrives in dry soils, though it can tolerate part shade. It grows to be about nine feet tall and tolerates dry conditions very well.

California honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)

The California honeysuckle is a flowering shrub that is found along the California coast. It produces attractive, small clusters of yellow flowers visited by hummingbirds, though they prefer the sweeter star-shaped flowers of the native honeysuckle. The plant prefers moist soil but can tolerate dry areas to an extent.

Giant wildrye (Leymus condensatus)

Giant wildrye is a flowering shrub that produces bright yellow flowers that hummingbirds and moths visit. It grows best in dry soil and reaches a height of about two feet.

Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)

The deergrass is a flowering grass that grows in California. It’s usually found at the edges of the beach, producing attractive clusters of small yellow flowers that hummingbirds visit. It grows best in moist soil but can tolerate dry conditions.

Coffeeberry (Frangula californica)

The coffeeberry is a flowering shrub that produces clusters of red flowers. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees visit them, growing best in dry soil. The plant can reach a height of about nine feet.

California fuchsia (Epilobium canum-intratum)

The California fuchsia is a native California flowering shrub that grows best in moist soil but can tolerate dry conditions. The pink flowers are beautiful to hummingbirds and bloom between June and August. The plant reaches a height of about five feet tall.

Chaparral mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus)

The chaparral mallow is a flowering shrub that grows in dry coastal areas of California. It produces clusters of small yellow flowers, which hummingbirds visit, though they prefer the sweeter, star-shaped flowers of the native chaparral mallow.

Bursage (Brickellia californica)

The bursage is a flowering shrub that grows in the Sierra Nevada foothills and produces attractive clusters of pink flowers. These are visited by hummingbirds and moths, growing best in moist soil with some shade. They thrive best in half-shade or full shade as well.

Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica)

The bush anemone is a flowering shrub that grows in the coastal areas of California. It produces striking clusters of white flowers, which are visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. The bush anemone grows best in moist soil with a bit of shade, but it can also tolerate dry soil. It reaches a height of about two feet.

California aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

The California aster is a flowering shrub that produces clusters of white flowers visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. They grow best in moist soil, but they can tolerate dry conditions to some extent. It reaches about six feet tall but can sometimes reach up to or exceed two feet.

Sage (Salvia)

Sage is a flowering shrub that thrives in temperate and warm climates and grows in California’s coastal areas. It produces striking clusters of purple flowers, which are visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. Sage grows best in well-drained soil with some shade.

Catalina currant (Ribes viburnifolium)

The Catalina currant is a flowering shrub that grows best in dry soil. It produces attractive clusters of red flowers, which are visited by hummingbirds and other pollinators like native bees. The plants thrive best in full sun to low shade but can also tolerate some dry conditions.

Gray pine (Pinus sabiniana)

The gray pine is a flowering tree that grows along the coast of California. It produces attractive clusters of white flowers in late spring and early summer, which are visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. The plant prefers moist soil, but it can tolerate dry conditions.

Coulter’s Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri)

The Coulter’s Matilija poppy is a flowering shrub that grows in coastal areas of California. It produces clusters of bright red flowers, which hummingbirds visit. The plant prefers well-drained soil but can tolerate dry conditions to some extent. The plant reaches a height of about two to three feet tall.

Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus spp.)

The rabbitbrush is a flowering shrub that grows in the Sierras and foothills of California. The bright green leaves attract wildlife and produce attractive red flowers, which butterflies and native bees visit. The plant grows best in moist soil with some shade.

Live-forever (Dudleya)

The live-forever is a succulent plant that grows in California’s coastal areas. It produces lovely clusters of yellow flowers, which hummingbirds and bees visit. The plants thrive best in well-drained soil but can tolerate dry conditions. The plant reaches a height of about two feet.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a flowering shrub that grows in coastal areas of California. It produces clusters of small pinkish flowers, which hummingbirds and native bees visit. They grow best in well-drained soil but can tolerate dry conditions.

Quailbush (Atriplex portulacoides)

The Quailbush is a flowering shrub that grows in coastal areas of California. Its leaves turn red during the winter, producing clusters of pink flowers visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. The plant thrives best in full sun to part shade, and it can also tolerate dry conditions.

Bush sunflower (Encelia californica)

The Encelia is a flowering shrub that grows in coastal areas of California. It produces attractive clusters of yellow flowers, which hummingbirds and butterflies visit. It thrives best in well-drained soil, but it can also tolerate dry conditions.