Yellow star-thistle is an annual invasive plant that has spread across more than 15 million acres of land in California, and costs millions of dollars each year, especially in water loss. With the help of interns and dedicated volunteers, we’re managing this thorny invader and bringing back biodiversity.

In late spring, the Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale) graces stream-side habitats throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains with beautiful white blooms and a fragrant aroma. This showcase shrub will thrive in wetter areas of your garden, providing seasonal interest and food for local pollinators.

The silver bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons) is a striking shrub that offers year-long beauty to sunny, drought-tolerant gardens. With unique silver-green palmate leaves and stunning elongated purple flower clusters, this could be your new favorite native pollinator plant!

Sedges may look like grasses, but they are in fact their own unique group of plants. Often found in wetlands or along streambanks, they can quickly stabilize soil by spreading through underground stems called rhizomes. This also makes them great for creating lush meadows or lawn replacements.

Pink-flowering currant is a versatile native shrub that brings vibrant color and seasonal interest to gardens, offering stunning pink blooms in winter and edible berries in summer. Ideal for woodland settings, it thrives in a variety of soils and is easy to care for.

You’re walking around a shady redwood grove and notice a bed of shiny green clover-like plants covering the ground. This native plant is an important understory plant in redwood and Douglas fir forests that supports caterpillars, butterflies, and moths.

Given the right conditions, non-native plants can outcompete and displace many of the California native plants that local insects and other animals depend on. Stinkwort is one of those weeds we’ve been successful in removing, thanks to Grassroots Ecology volunteers.

One way to support California native habitat is to remove weeds that overcrowd our open spaces. Teasel is one of those weeds we've been successful in managing, thanks to Grassroots Ecology volunteers.

Have you noticed the delicate, pink blooms of the wood rose within our local forest understories? This locally native rose is great for adding beauty and pollinator value to a shady garden or balcony.

Its sunflower-like blossoms face the sky like golden platters of pollen and nectar, which are constantly swarmed by minute sweat bees, fluttering skippers, and other insects.

The monkeyflowers are a diverse assemblage of plants, with flower colors ranging from golden yellow and pinkish purple to pale orange and bright red. Their ecological roles are equally varied, with each species having unique habitat preferences and pollinator interactions.

California buckeyes are beginning to leaf out, starting yet another cycle of growth, blooming, fruiting, and dormancy for these beautiful native trees.

The California Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia) is an under appreciated, compact oak species that provides huge habitat value while also fitting into smaller yards. California is home to over 20 species of oak. This includes the towering valley oak, which can grow up to 100 feet tall, as well as our ubiquitous and majestic coast live oak. But did you know we have a variety of small, shrub-like oaks as well? 

Brittleleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos crustacea) is a stunning local shrub with smooth, red bark and upside-down urn-shaped flowers that attract pollinators in winter. This fire-adapted species is unique to chaparral ecosystems of the central California coast and makes a beautiful focal plant in the garden.

Coast silktassel (Garrya elliptica) is a shrub to small tree adorned with enchanting catkins of gray flowers in the winter. These attractive, drought-tolerant plants are popular with gardeners who want to add an element of whimsy to their landscapes.

Coffeeberry (Frangula californica) is the native plant gardener’s best friend, and a constant companion to our local oaks! Though its understated appearance might not grab your attention right away, the coffeeberry’s subtle elegance, forgiving nature, and high value to pollinators will be sure to win you over.

Bushmallows are a diverse and underappreciated group of shrubs with stunning, pink blooms and soft, fuzzy leaves. Our local arcuate bushmallow (Malacothamnus arcuatus var. arcuatus) is only found in the Santa Cruz mountains and is a great option for sunny spots in the garden.

California bunchgrasses provide beauty and habitat long after invasive annual grasses have died off, and their deep roots make them drought-tolerant and great for increasing soil health and carbon storage. Now there’s some grassroots power!

Yerba buena (Clinopodium douglasii) is a dainty, bright green native mint commonly found crawling along the forest floors of the Bay Area. In the garden it forms a lush groundcover, and it can be used to make tea or to season food. Yerba buena is available at our Native Plant Nursery. Learn more about this deliciously fragrant plant and how to grow it:

Did you know that we have a native species of raspberry right here in the Bay Area? Blackcap raspberry (Rubus leucodermis) is found in the Santa Cruz Mountains and produces delicious black raspberries in the summer. Blackcap raspberries are available at our Native Plant Nursery. Learn more about raspberries and how to grow them.