Common name:Flannel Bush, Fremontia cv.
Botanical name:Fremontodendron 'California Glory'

This plant is a open and spreading evergreen shrub 10-20 ft. in height with many yellow flowers blooming in spring. It needs good drainage and little summer water. It is a native plant to California as the name suggests and it is drought tolerant.

Common name:Needle Grass
Botanical name:Nassella pulchra

The needle grass is a cool season bunchgrass that grows 1-2 ft. tall with graceful, shiny flower stalks that reach 30 in. long in the spring. This grass is fire retardant, tolerates drought, and is good in mass plantings and restoration uses. The needle grass is California's State Grass and is a beneficial insect plant. -Cornflower Farms

Common name:California Lilac
Botanical name:Ceanothus 'Dark Star'

Dark Star Ceanothus grows to 6' tall and 8' wide, producing small, rounded clusters of dark blue flowers from light burgundy buds that appear in spring. Its habit is compact, with small, dark green, dimpled leaves growing to only 1/2" long. This shrub does best in full sun in coastal areas with well draining soil. It needs very little water once it's established.

Common name:California Poppy, Golden Poppy
Botanical name:Eschscholzia californica

This small annual (sometimes acts as a perennial) plant will grow to less than 1' tall and has light, small blue/green leaves with gold and orange flowers that bloom in spring and summer.

Common name:Foothill Penstemon
Botanical name:Penstemon heterophyllus

This perennial will grow 1.5'-2' tall and 2-3' wide. It has glossy, blue/green foliage with flowers that vary in color and bloom from spring through early summer.

Common name:California Fan Palm
Botanical name:Washingtonia filifera

California Fan Palm is the only palm native to California. It populates the areas along the San Andreas Fault where desert water has seeped to the surface and formed springs. It grows to 60' tall and 20' wide. It has light green fronds 3-6' long. One of the most common uses of the palms fronds by Native Californians was in forming housing and hatched Ramadas. Fronds and frond fiber were also used to make sandals, cordage, nets and mats.

Common name:Blue Elderberry
Botanical name:Sambucus mexicana

The blue elderberry is a deciduous shrub that grows 4-10 ft. tall or tree that reaches up to 40 ft. high. The leaves of this plant have 5-9 leaflets with white spring flower clusters developing into blue berries. The blue elderberry is a native to California, is drought tolerant and is a beneficial insect plant. -Cornflower Farms

Permeable Surfaces

If you have impermeable paving that you would like to make permeable, there are two main methods for doing so:
1. Break up hard paved surfaces to create spaces for water to seep through.
2. Remove and replace the surfaces with permeable paving.

Click in the green box for more information