Douglas Aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
A sun-lover that blooms Aug through Oct, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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- By state
- California
- Full sun
California · Zones 5–10
Native Plants for Full Sun in California
Sun-loving native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs for the hot, bright, open parts of the yard that bake all afternoon. For California, the right natives are shaped by Coast Ranges, Central Valley & Sierra Nevada and a Mediterranean, summer-dry climate. Every species below, from Douglas Aster and Desert Willow to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to California and hardy through zones 5–10. A spot with six or more hours of direct sun is prime real estate for the prairie and meadow natives that evolved in the open — most want exactly that much light to bloom hard and stand up straight. Give them lean, well-drained soil rather than rich and pampered, skip the fertilizer, and they will reward the tough love with more flowers and sturdier stems.
The plants
27 native species for California
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–10 · see this collection in other states.
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
A sun-lover that blooms May through Sep, standing 15–25 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Made for open ground — flowers in Apr and May, 6–16 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Give it full sun and it blooms Mar through Oct, 12–18 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Give it full sun and it blooms Mar through May, 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Jul, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Oct, 1–2 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Made for open ground — blooms Jul through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 5–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
Made for open ground — blooms Apr through Oct, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Give it full sun and it blooms Mar through Jun, 8–18 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Jun
Flame Acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Oct, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Oct
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Made for open ground — blooms Jun through Aug, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A sun-lover that blooms May through Aug, standing 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Sep, 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
A sun-lover that blooms Mar through May, standing 6–20 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Give it full sun and it blooms Apr through Sep, 3–6 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Made for open ground — blooms May through Sep, 1–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 3–6 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Aug, standing 8–20 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Made for open ground — flowers in Jun and Jul, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Made for open ground — blooms Mar through May, 3–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Give it full sun and it flowers in Apr and May, 4–8 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
A sun-lover that flowers in Jun and Jul, standing 8–15 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
3 more also qualify: Red-Twig Dogwood, Showy Milkweed, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in California
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.