Native Groundcover Plants in California

Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. For California, the right natives are shaped by Coast Ranges, Central Valley & Sierra Nevada and a Mediterranean, summer-dry climate. Every species below, from Prairie Smoke and Gregg's Mistflower to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to California and hardy through zones 5–10. A living native groundcover does everything mulch does and then keeps doing it for free — covering soil, blocking weeds, and feeding wildlife as it goes. Match the spreader to the site (sun or shade, wet or dry), plant on tight centers so they close ranks in a season or two, and weed faithfully that first year while they fill in.

5 native species for California

Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–10 · see this collection in other states.