Native Gardening How-To Sheets to Download or Print

Native plants are adapted to our summer-dry climate, and they make a particularly good choice when water is in short supply.

Care of new plants purchased and planted in the spring, when the rainy season is winding down

Care of new plants purchased and planted in the fall, ahead of rainy season

Instructions for planting wildflower seed mix over a large area

A listing of the native plants attractive to native bees and which species will visit your flowers. From the Urban Bee Lab, Berkeley

What to plant to attract specific species of butterflies to your garden

How to provide nectar resources for adult butterflies

How to differentiate the most common bees, flies and bugs that are likely to pollinate your garden

Notes on which plants are least tempting to deer and some tips on protecting your plants until they are established

Chaparral plants thrive on open slopes with full sun, low water and fast-draining, gravelly soil

Grasslands mix perennial bunchgrasses with bulbs and annual wildflowers that die back as the dry season occurs

Oaks should not be watered in summer and these plants will thrive under those conditions as well

Riparian plants grow in damp, streamside conditions, and usually will tolerate some degree of shade and water immersion

Landscaping a north facing or shady slope can be problematic for a number of reasons.

Many of California’s native plants are ideal for sunny slopes.

Plants that will tolerate saltwater or brackish water

Tips on germinating milkweed plants from seed

Tips for imitating the fire-adapted strategies that assist germination of salvias from seed

Tips for fall planting of native bulbs

Notes on handling and care of native bulbs through summer dormancy for fall planting

Invasive, non-native plants that should not be in your garden and suggested ideas for replacing them if they are