California Friendly Plants
Plant California Native. Be California Friendly®.
What are California Friendly Plants?
Watch the video below to explore more about plants that flourish in the warm California climate. Explore the full list of native plants that work best for your region on BeWaterWise.com.
Let Your Landscape Bloom
The most active months for plant growth in Southern California are during the months of March, April and May. Revive your garden or landscape by clearing out debris from old plants or areas that may have been impacted by dramatic heat or cool weather.
Start building your sustainable garden and look for some of the plants below at your local nursery to start your joruney to build a garden with California native plants. Add color to your landscape when you create a sustainable landscape with drought-tolerant plants, shrubs and trees.
Medium Plants: Baja Fairy Duster, Bush Germander, California Lilac, Cleveland Sage, Lion's Tail, Mexican Bush Sage, Rosemary, and White Sage.

Large Plants: Arabian Lilac, Conebush, Grevillea, Manzanita, and Toyon.


Vines: Lilac Vine, Roger's Red Grapes, and Bougainvillea.
Ground Cover: Creeping Rosemary, Kurapia, Silver Carpet, Seaside Daisy, South African Daisy, Trailing Latana, and Yarrow.
Succulents: Aloe, Aeonium, Hens-and-Chicks, Live Forever, Red Yucca, and Rose Purslane
Don't Forget the Mulch
Installing mulch around plants, trees, and flowers can save hundreds of gallons annually by reducing evaporation and decreasing weed growth. The best application for trees is to place mulch in a donut shape several inches away from the trunk to avoid excess watering.
Did you know bats and beetles are pollinators? Support the ecosystem and help pollinators when you plant native plants. Explore the many varieties of native plants, pollinators and more available in San Diego County on the Be Water Wise website.