These are the local native plants we saw growing wild at the junction of I-215 and University Parkway, which have potential for use along roadsides for landscaping and mitigation sites. There are thirty species of native Lotus in California , each with a great potential for landscaping. The perennial native Croton californica , makes a beautiful gray border above the Lotus, and this area was also weed-free without any mowing or spraying. There are 64 different kinds of this beautiful, low-growing species in California. Plants flower from summer until frost, and they are able to colonize disturbed soil faster than the exotic weeds in the drier Coast Ranges of California.
Plants grow principally at old Native American village sites in California.
The showy perennial Datura wrightii, which also has the ability to keep weeds away, as the plants release natural herbicide-like chemicals. Our largest wildflower about 8 inches long and four inches across, white and light lavender, blooms all summer without water. And finally, the two most forgotten and overlooked native plants along our California roadsides. Plants are shown at their maximum height. These grasses stay green at the base all summer without irrigation, and are usually under eight inches tall.