California Native Plant Garden Photos

Garden Galleries

See what's possible with native plant gardening. California native plants and cultivars include a wide range of options, giving you plenty of choices for your unique goals and site conditions. Peruse the collection of native garden albums below to find ideas and inspiration for your projects.

Coastal scrub gardens

Coastal scrub is dominated by showy, garden-worthy plants, such as sages, sagebrushes, and buckwheats -- all of which make for beautiful, resilient gardens.

Chaparral Gardens

Chaparral gardens are a great choice when you need plants that thrive in steep, hot, dry areas and enjoy shallow, well-drained, rocky soil.

Gardening under oaks

Oak trees are an iconic and distinctive part of California's beautiful landscape, but people often wonder what to grow under them. Here are a few of our favorite native plants that thrive under magnificent oaks!

Goodbye lawn, hello garden!

Transform any lawn into a native habitat garden with plenty of color and year-round interest. These gardens now require significantly less water, maintenance, and inputs, while bringing habitat and beauty all year long!

Stroll through 5 inspiring California native plant gardens

Have you always wanted to start a native plant garden, but don’t know where to start? It can seem daunting to figure out which plant is suited for the right place, how to space your plants, how to make smart use of available water, or how best to reflect the beauty of natural landscapes. These gardens offer inspiration to help you find the right plants and design that fits your style and area.

Rain gardens

Rain gardens are designed to capture and filter rainwater runoff, reducing erosion, promoting groundwater recharge, and providing habitat for wildlife. Native plants help retain rainwater and filter runoff, making these gardens even more resilient and beneficial to the environment. These photos are courtesy of The Surfrider Foundation's Ocean Friendly Garden Program.

Do you have a beautiful California native garden? Help us create more inspiring photo galleries by sending us pictures of your garden. >