Up and down our coast, valleys, and mountains, lupines, California lilacs, penstemons, Indian paintbrush, and thousands of other wildflowers perfume the air and delight the eye with waves of color through the year. Besides providing beauty and joy for humans, native plants provide essential habitat for wildlife. Butterflies, bluebirds, hummingbirds, hawks, salmon, deer, and all native animals are specifically adapted to native plants and depend on them for food, shelter, and survival. Healthy Economies California s native ecosystems are also economic powerhouses. Visitors come from all over the world to marvel at California s astounding variety of native plants and animals, supporting thousands of jobs and bringing billions of dollars into the state each year.
Native plants are sources of foods, commodities and medicines.
The life-saving cancer drug taxol comes from the Pacific yew tree, a native of the dark moist stream canyons of our ancient forests. Most of our food and industrial crops are pollinated by insects and birds that live in native plant communities. Healthy native plant communities also clean our air, provide flood control, protect soil from erosion, and clean the water our children drink. Our Native Plants are Disappearing Unfortunately, these irreplaceable native species and ecosystems are increasingly at risk. Threats from unrestrained and poorly planned development, excessive logging, mining, and other activities are at unprecedented levels.