California Native Plants:The Most “California Friendly”

Plants on Earth

California is Unique(especially SoCal)

• The San Andreas Transform System has made a great diversity of rocks, soils. . .

…and plants!

• California has over 6,000 species of native plants.

• Over one-third not found anywhere outside California.

~ 120 years ago. . .

• Theodore Payne came to California (1893).

• In his lifetime, he introduced over

400 species of California native plants to the horticultural trade.

The Theodore Payne Foundation:Gardening to Save California’s

Water & Wildlife

• Use, on average, one-seventh the water of most non-natives• Know how to deal with drought • Do not need fertilizers, soil amendments or pesticides

California native plants:

• In California, 37 of the last 40 centuries were dry. • The 20th century was one of 3 wet centuries in the last 4,000 years. • California’s growth was predicated on the expectation of an uncharacteristic amount of water.

(Introduction to WATER in California, David Carle. U.C. Press; California Natural History Guides, 76, p. 28)

DROUGHT IS NORMAL.

Water Facts:

Sublime Co-evolution

• As the California landscape evolved, its plants and animals evolved with it.

• Evolution has made 90% of insect species able to eat only native plants.

Native Insects Need Native Plants

• 90% of plant-eating insect species are specialists -- able to eat just a few types of related native plants.

• Most caterpillars can eat only native plants.

Animals Need Insects

• Most non-domesticated land animals depend upon insects in some way for their survival.

• Caterpillars are the main food of baby birds.

Love Insects!

• Insects convert leaf matter to protein -- they are the protein.

• Insects become food for other animals.• It’s a food web, and native plants are the

foundation!

Compared to alien species, native plants. . . • support over 3 times more

plant-eating insect species.

• produce over 4 times the amount of plant-eating insects.

• produce 6 times the amount of plant-eating insects that are generalists.

• support 35 times more caterpillars. . . .

WOW!

WAIT?!!!Won’t those insects…• devastate my plants?• bite or sting me?

DON’T WORRY!• Native insects eat or damage only 1 in 10

leaves.• 99% of all insects are beneficial to people

and their households.

What about pollinators?• On average, 1 in every 3 bites of food for

people is the result of pollination by bees.

• 40-60% of European honey bee colonies lost to the varroa mite.

Compared to European honey bees, native solitary bees:

• provide faster, more efficient pollination

• are active earlier in spring

PLUS, native solitary bees:

• are unaffected by varroa mites and Africanized bees

• are egalitarian -- the males also pollinate the crop!

• And, last but not least, solitary bees have shorter stingers and are non- aggressive.

Native solitary bees facts:

• 3500 known species in North America

• 1600 known species in California

• Bumble, digger and sweat bees most common

• Ground-nesting or wood-nesting

Native Bumblebees

• Work harder, faster, and at cooler temperatures than European honey bees

• Highly social, annual colonies of 1-500 bees

• Prefer to nest underground in undisturbed areas

Native Digger Bees

• Ground-nesting• Hide nest entrances

beneath leaf litter • Drab, solitary and

rarely noticed• Perhaps most

abundant of solitary bees

Native Sweat Bees

• Black, brownish, or metallic green

• Common• Range of nesting

habits

Pollination ratio of native bees to European honey bees:

• Native leafcutter bees: 20 times more effective(150 leafcutters do the work of 3000 honey bees; legume blossoms; wood-nesting with evening primrose leaves added)

• Native mason bees: 240 times more effective(750 mason bees do the work of 120,000 honey bees; fruit crops; wood-nesting with mud and small pebbles added)

Hollyleaf Cherry(Prunus ilicifolia)

• 25’ H x 10’+ W• Evergreen• Sun• Flowers & fruit

Hollyleaf Cherry Minifauna

Scrub Jay

Mexican Elderberry(Sambucus mexicana)

• 25’H x 25’ W• Semi-deciduous• Sun to part sun• Flowers & fruit

Mexican Elderberry Minifauna

Elderberry Longhorn Oriole

Beetle

Oak species(Quercus species)

• Evergreen or deciduous

• Sun• Acorns

Oak Minifauna

California Sister Band-tailedbutterfly pigeon

Buckwheat species(Eriogonum species)

• Shrub or groundcover• Evergreen• Sun or part sun• Flowers and Seeds

Buckwheat Minifauna

El Segundo blue butterflyGambel’s quail in

Eriogonum grande rubescens

California Lilac(Ceanothus species)

• Groundcover, shrub or small tree

• Evergreen• Sun or partial shade• Flowers and berries

California Lilac Minifauna

Bee with pollen Ceanothus silk moth

Coyote Brush(Baccharis pilularis)

• Shrub or groundcover

• Evergreen• Sun• Flowers and seeds

Coyote Brush Minifauna

Sawfly larvae -- along with caterpillars, a main food of baby birds.

Manzanita species(Arctostaphylos species)

• Groundcover, shrub or small tree

• Evergreen - great foundation plants

• Full or part sun• Flowers and berries

Manzanita Minifauna

Hummingbird and Manzanita flower

Sage Species(Salvia species)

• Shrubs or groundcovers

• Semi-deciduous• Sun to partial sun• Fragrant and

medicinal leaves• Flowers and seeds

Sage Minifauna

Swallowtail Hummingbird

Toyon(Heteromeles arbutifolia)

• Shrub or small

multi-trunked tree• Evergreen• Sun• Clusters of white

flowers, then red berries

Toyon Minifauna

Tussock moth Cedar waxwing

How to Help:

• Fill your yard with native plants!• Permit patches of weeds.• Allow areas of bare ground without mulch.• Leave old stumps and piles of branches.• Mulch with the fallen leaves of your plants.• Co-exist with spiders and their webs.• Don’t use pesticides.• Plant for successive flowers & berries/seeds.

Established 1960. Fifty Years Strong.