California low-water plant guide

Bee's Bliss sage

Salvia 'Bee's Bliss'

• Low water
• Full sun
• 6×1.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms mid to late spring

California fuchsia

Epilobium canum

• Very low water
• Full sun
• 3.5×1.5 ft

Blooms late summer to fall

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2×1.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring to summer

Creeping germander

Teucrium cossonii majoricum

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2.5×0.67 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring to summer

Creeping myoporum

Myoporum parvifolium

• Low water
• Full sun
• 8×0.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring to summer

Emerald Carpet manzanita

Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet'

• Moderate water
• Full–part sun
• 6×1 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms winter to early spring

Ground morning glory

Convolvulus sabatius

• Low water
• Full sun
• 3×1 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring through fall

Santa Barbara daisy

Erigeron karvinskianus

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 3×1 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring through fall (nearly year-round in mild spells)

Silver carpet

Dymondia margaretae

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2×0.15 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer (grown mainly for foliage)

Trailing lantana

Lantana montevidensis

• Low water
• Full sun
• 6×1.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring through fall (year-round in mild winters)

Autumn Sage

Salvia greggii

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2.5×2.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring through fall

De La Mina Verbena

Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina'

• Low water
• Full sun
• 4×2.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms nearly year-round, peak spring

Foothill Penstemon 'Margarita BOP'

Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP'

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2×1.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring to early summer

Hummingbird Sage

Salvia spathacea

• Low water
• Part sun
• 3×2 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring (mar-may)

Lindheimer's Beeblossom (Gaura)

Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2.5×3 ft

Blooms late spring to fall

Red-flowered Buckwheat

Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

• Low water
• Full sun
• 2.5×1.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer to fall

Walker's Low Catmint

Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low'

• Low water
• Full sun
• 3×2 ft

Blooms late spring to summer (rebloom if sheared)

Wayne Roderick Seaside Daisy

Erigeron 'Wayne Roderick' (E. glaucus hybrid)

• Moderate water
• Full–part sun
• 2×1 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring through fall

Autumn moor grass

Sesleria autumnalis

• Moderate water
• Full–part sun
• 1.5×1.5 ft
• Evergreen

Blue fescue 'Elijah Blue'

Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 1.25×1 ft
• Evergreen

Blue grama

Bouteloua gracilis

• Low water
• Full sun
• 1.5×1.5 ft

California fescue

Festuca californica

• Low water
• Part sun
• 2.5×3.5 ft
• Evergreen

California gray rush

Juncus patens

• Moderate water
• Full–part sun
• 2×2 ft
• Evergreen

Canyon Prince giant wild rye

Leymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince'

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 6×3 ft
• Evergreen

Clustered field sedge

Carex praegracilis

• Moderate water
• Full–part sun
• 2×1 ft
• Evergreen

Deer grass

Muhlenbergia rigens

• Low water
• Full sun
• 4×3.5 ft
• Evergreen

Pink muhly grass

Muhlenbergia capillaris

• Low water
• Full sun
• 3×3 ft

Purple needlegrass

Stipa pulchra

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 2×3 ft

Bush Germander

Teucrium fruticans

• Low water
• Full sun
• 6×5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring–summer (pale blue)

Coast Rosemary

Westringia fruticosa

• Low water
• Full sun
• 5×5 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms nearly year-round (peak spring), white

Coffeeberry 'Eve Case'

Frangula californica 'Eve Case'

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 7×6 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring (inconspicuous); berries summer–fall

Concha Wild Lilac

Ceanothus 'Concha'

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 8×7 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring (deep blue)

Ebbing's Silverberry

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 8×10 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms fall (small, intensely fragrant)

Howard McMinn Manzanita

Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn'

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 6×6 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms winter–early spring (pale pink)

Indian Hawthorn

Rhaphiolepis indica

• Moderate water
• Full–part sun
• 4×4 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late winter–spring (pink/white)

Pineapple Guava

Acca sellowiana

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 8×10 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring–early summer; edible fruit fall

Texas Ranger / Silverleaf

Leucophyllum frutescens

• Low water
• Full sun
• 6×6 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer–fall (magenta/purple flushes)

Toyon

Heteromeles arbutifolia

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 8×10 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms early summer (white); red berries fall–winter

Artichoke Agave

Agave parryi var. truncata

• Low water
• Full sun
• 3.5×2 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer (once, at maturity)

Beaked Yucca

Yucca rostrata

• Very low water
• Full sun
• 4.5×8 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring to early summer (cream, on trunked plants)

Blue Chalksticks

Senecio mandraliscae (syn. Curio mandraliscae)

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 2.5×1 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer (small white, insignificant)

Century Plant

Agave americana

• Low water
• Full sun
• 8×6 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer (once, at end of life)

Chaparral Yucca (Our Lord's Candle)

Hesperoyucca whipplei (syn. Yucca whipplei)

• Very low water
• Full sun
• 4×3 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring to early summer (10-15ft cream spike, once)

Coral Aloe

Aloe striata

• Low water
• Full–part sun
• 2×2 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late winter to early spring (coral-orange)

Desert Spoon (Sotol)

Dasylirion wheeleri

• Low water
• Full sun
• 5×4 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer (tall spike on mature plants)

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parviflora

• Low water
• Full sun
• 4×3 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms late spring through fall (coral)

Santa Rita Prickly Pear

Opuntia santa-rita (syn. Opuntia gosseliniana var. santa-rita)

• Very low water
• Full sun
• 5×4 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms spring (yellow)

Whale's Tongue Agave

Agave ovatifolia

• Low water
• Full sun
• 5×4 ft
• Evergreen

Blooms summer (once, at maturity)