Water conservation is an essential consideration when designing and managing Sonoma and Marin County landscapes. Our area enjoys a Mediterranean climate characterized by wet winters and long, dry summers with little rainfall. Plants that are suited or adapted to local conditions not only use less water but generally grow more successfully and robustly, with fewer insect and disease problems. They ultimately create a healthier, more beautiful and more sustainable landscape.
Below is a hand selected plant list for Sonoma and Marin counties that displays mostly native species that will thrive in our climate. You can search, filter and save specific plants to your plant list and also print plant cards.
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Sweet Bay
Laurus nobilis -
Lavender
Lavandula spp -
Bush Mallow
Lavatera maritima -
Lemon Verbana
Aloysia citriodora -
Lion's Tail
Leonotis leonurus -
California Native
California Aster, Silver Carpet
Lessingia filaginifolia -
Sea Lavender, Statice
Limonium perezii -
Mat Rush
Lomandra longifolia -
California Native
Honeysuckle
Lonicera spp -
Fringe Flower
Loropetalum chinese -
California Native
Lupine
Lupinus spp -
California Native
Catalina Ironwood
Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp aspleniifolius


Sweet Bay
Laurus nobilis
Tree
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Most Soils
Look:
Medium
size
Green - Dark
leaves
Yellow
flowers
Sweet Bay
Laurus nobilis
Tree
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Most Soils
Look:
Medium
size
Green - Dark
leaves
Yellow
flowers
Slow-growing, Mediterranean evergreen shrub or tree with aromatic leaves used in cooking. Naturally multi-trunked so may tend to send out suckers. Often trained as a topiary in containers to provide a formal appearance. ‘Saratoga’ has broader leaves and an upright growth habit.


Lavender
Lavandula spp
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Small
size
Gray Green
leaves
Blue
flowers
Lilac
flowers
Lavender
Lavandula spp
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Small
size
Gray Green
leaves
Blue
flowers
Lilac
flowers
Classic, aromatic, small, Mediterranean evergreen shrub that works well in a mass or mixed planting in a sunny location with good drainage. Blue-to-purple flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies, and seeds provide food to birds. Shear plants by one-third to one-half after flowering to maintain a neat appearance. Vulnerable to root rot in damp locations or if organic mulch is too close to plant crown.
Examples: English lavender (L. angustifolia, 1-2’ x 2-3’) and many cultivars, French Lavender (L. dentata, 3-4’ x 4-6’), hedge lavender (L. x intermedia, 1-2’ x 2-3’), Spanish lavender (L. stoechas, 2-3’ x 2-3’) featuring large and showy bracts on top of flower spikes.


Bush Mallow
Lavatera maritima
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Most Soils
Look:
Large
size
Gray Green
leaves
Lavender
flowers
Bush Mallow
Lavatera maritima
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Most Soils
Look:
Large
size
Gray Green
leaves
Lavender
flowers
Large, fast-growing, Mediterranean evergreen shrub with large, pinkish lavender and purple hibiscus-like flowers from spring into fall. Excellent accent plant for a sunny location or part shade in hotter areas with good drainage.


Lemon Verbana
Aloysia citriodora
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Green
leaves
Purple
flowers
Yellow
flowers
Lemon Verbana
Aloysia citriodora
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Green
leaves
Purple
flowers
Yellow
flowers
Aloysia citriodora is a fast growing, evergreen shrub. They can reach to 6 feet or more once completely grown. These have a unique lemon scent, it brings a bright zesty smell and taste rather than other lemony herbs. The plant brings beauty to a landscape with its refreshing scent as well as the white and purple colors to compliment the scenery.


Lion's Tail
Leonotis leonurus
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Medium
size
Green
leaves
Green - Dark
leaves
Orange
flowers
Lion's Tail
Leonotis leonurus
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Medium
size
Green
leaves
Green - Dark
leaves
Orange
flowers
Evergreen shrub from South Africa with deep green leaves and showy whorls of orange flowers in summer and fall that are attractive to bees and butterflies. Cut back in late winter for renewed growth and to promote flowering.


California Aster, Silver Carpet
Lessingia filaginifolia
CA Native, Ground Cover
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Gray Green
leaves
Green
leaves
Silver
leaves
Lavender
flowers
Pink
flowers
California Aster, Silver Carpet
Lessingia filaginifolia
CA Native, Ground Cover
Care:
Full Sun
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Gray Green
leaves
Green
leaves
Silver
leaves
Lavender
flowers
Pink
flowers
California native, perennial groundcover with a variable form from 1-3’ high. Lavender, yellow-centered, daisy-like flowers bloom in late summer and fall. The most commonly available cultivar is L. f. ‘Silver Carpet’, which forms a mat of silvery foliage 6-12” high and 4-8’ wide. Provides both a nectar and larval food source for butterflies. Light pruning after flowering keeps this plant tidy.


Sea Lavender, Statice
Limonium perezii
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Most Soils
Look:
Green - Dark
leaves
Blue
flowers
Purple
flowers
Sea Lavender, Statice
Limonium perezii
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Most Soils
Look:
Green - Dark
leaves
Blue
flowers
Purple
flowers
Small, clumping, Mediterranean perennial with large leaves and papery, purple and white flowers from spring into the summer months. Frost tender below 25°F.


Mat Rush
Lomandra longifolia
Grass
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Green
leaves
Mat Rush
Lomandra longifolia
Grass
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Green
leaves
Clumping, grass-like Australian evergreen perennial that grows 4-5’ tall and wide. Adapted to various soil and sun exposure conditions. Flowers in spring and into summer with fragrant clusters of smaller yellow flowers. L. l. ‘Breeze’ is a smaller cultivar that grows 2-3’.


Honeysuckle
Lonicera spp
CA Native, Shrub, Vine
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Green
leaves
Pink
flowers
White
flowers
Yellow
flowers
Honeysuckle
Lonicera spp
CA Native, Shrub, Vine
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Green
leaves
Pink
flowers
White
flowers
Yellow
flowers
Honeysuckle is a varied group of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and vines with fragrant, tubular flowers. Several species are native to California and are well suited to gardens in Sonoma and Marin counties. Flowers are attractive to bees and hummingbirds and berries provide food for birds.
Examples: California honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula) is a deciduous, vining shrub often seen growing in woodland environments. Cream and pink flower clusters in spring are followed by red berries in late summer. Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata, 6-10’ x 6-10’) is a deciduous shrub that typically grows along streams and other moist places. Tubular, red and yellow flowers grow in pairs, followed by dark pairs of berries. Provide light shade in warmer locations.


Fringe Flower
Loropetalum chinese
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Loam
Look:
Large
size
Medium
size
Green
leaves
Green
flowers
White
flowers
Fringe Flower
Loropetalum chinese
Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Loam
Look:
Large
size
Medium
size
Green
leaves
Green
flowers
White
flowers
Attractive, Chinese evergreen shrub with gently drooping branches and unusual flowers with thread-like petals in the spring. Commonly available either with green leaves and white flowers, or purple leaves and pink flowers. Well suited to understory locations with partial shade in hotter locations. Grows naturally as a shrub but may be available as a standard or espalier.


Lupine
Lupinus spp
CA Native, Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Very Low
Well Drained
Look:
Medium
size
Small
size
Green
leaves
Silver
leaves
Blue
flowers
Violet
flowers
Yellow
flowers
Lupine
Lupinus spp
CA Native, Shrub
Care:
Full Sun
Very Low
Well Drained
Look:
Medium
size
Small
size
Green
leaves
Silver
leaves
Blue
flowers
Violet
flowers
Yellow
flowers
Popular group of annuals, perennials, and shrubs with distinctive divided leaves that are common throughout the western United States, including California. Pea-like flowers are displayed on spikes and are attractive to bees and other pollinators. Most native lupines are purple-flowered, while some are yellow. Provide full sun and good drainage and watch out for slugs and snails.
Examples: Silver bush lupine (L. albifrons, 3-4’ x 3-4’), prostate lupine (L. albifrons var. collinus, 12-18” x 12-18”), coastal bush lupine (L. arboreus) available with either blue or yellow flowers but can be invasive in some north coastal dunes, and blue-and-white lupine (L. bicolor) a low-growing, annual wildflower.


Catalina Ironwood
Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp aspleniifolius
CA Native, Tree
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Large
size
Medium
size
Green
leaves
White
flowers
Catalina Ironwood
Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp aspleniifolius
CA Native, Tree
Care:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Low
Well Drained
Look:
Large
size
Medium
size
Green
leaves
White
flowers
This medium-to-large, evergreen Channel Island native tree offers fern-like leaves, peeling bark, and large, flat-topped, creamy white flower clusters in spring or summer. Flowers are attractive to pollinating insects and birds and gradually turn brown. Leaf fall from the tree provides a layer of mulch to the drip line.