In the Garden in the Fall
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This is the best time of year to plant California native perennials and shrubs. Many of them are just starting to wake up after the hot, dry summer months, showing signs of growth and in some cases, flowering. Find a nursery that specializes in natives for the best selection.
Although some of the local plants are making their way into mainstream nurseries and home centers, they typically do not do well with the standard garden center regimes and therefore the selection is limited.
The choice among natives offers a wide selection of possibilities for sites in the garden. Just as Southern California has a wide variety of terrain conditions, the selection of plants that would grow naturally is widely varied. There are natives that grow in cool damp conditions that would typically be found in the mountains along a stream. There are some that have evolved to prefer the windy salt breeze along the oceanfront. Others can go all summer without any supplemental water and thrive in an arid climate.
Most California native plants require good drainage. They can be challenging to get established in a backyard garden and may take some patience and a little research to integrate them successfully. Most yards do not have much native soil left after the site has been graded for building homes. Typically the native topsoil is removed and discarded leaving somewhat nutrient deficient “dirt” that will not support much of anything without amendments, even native plants.
Some native plants that should be planted now are Mimulus hybridus (monkeyflower bush), Ceanothus (California lilac), Lavatera assurgentiflora (Califonia tree mallow), Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland sage) and Rhus integrifolia (Lemonaide berry).