Plants for Coastal Areas

Blue type indicates California native plants. 

Type Botanical Name Common Name
Tree Acacia - most includes groundcovers
Perennial Acanthus mollis Bear's Breech
Perennial Achillea - any Yarrow
Perennial Agapanthus - all Lily of the Nile
Succulent Agave americana Century Plant
Succulent Agave - most  
Tree Agonis flexuosa Peppermint Tree
Succulent Aloe - most Tree Aloe
Shrub Alyogyne huegelii Blue Hibiscus
Bulb Amaryllis belladonna Naked Lady Lily
Perennial Anigozanthos - any Kangaroo Paws
Shrub Anisodontea 'Tara's Pink' Pink Cape Mallow
Succulent Aptenia 'Red Apple' Red Apple Aptenia
Tree Arbutus - most Strawberry Tree
Shrub Arctostaphlos - any Manzanita
Groundcover Arctotheca calendula Cape Weed
Perennial Arctotis - all Cape Daisy​
Perennial Armeria alliacea, maritima Sea Pinks
Perennial Artemesia - most Wormwood
Perennial Aspidistra elatoir Cast Iron Plant
Shrub Baccharis - all Coyote Bush
Shrub Berberis darwinii Chilean Barberry
Shrub Berberis thunbergia Japanese Barberry
Perennial Bidens - any Yellow Daisy
Vine Bougainvillea  
Shrub Buddleja - any Butterfly Bush
Succulent Bulbine frutescens  
Shrub Callistemon - any Bottle Brush
Vine Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper
Perennial Cann  
Grass

Carex divulsa

(C. tumulicola Hort.)

 Foothill Sedge
Grass Carex pansa Sand Dune Sedge
Grass Carex testacea Orange Sedge
Shrub Carissa macrocarpa Natal Plum
Shrub Ceanothus - any California Lilac
Tree Cedrus atlantica Atlas Cedar
Annual Centaurea cyanus Cornflower
Perennial Centranthus ruber Jupiter's Beard
Groundcover Cerastium tomentosum Snow-in-Summer
Perennial Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Dwarf Blue Plumbago
Grass Chasmanthium latifolium Northern Sea Oats
Perennial Chrysanthemum frutescens Marguerite Daisy
Shrub Cistus - any Rockrose
Vine Clytostoma callistegioides

Lavender Trumpet Vine
Shrub Coleonema - all Breath of Heaven
Perennial Convolvulus sabatius Ground Morning Glory
Shrub Coprosma -all Mirror Plant
Shrub Cordyline - any Dracaena Palm
Perennial Coreopsis - most Tickseed
Shrub Correa - any Australian Fuchsia
Annual Cosmos - several  
Shrub Cotoneaster - any  
Bulb Crocosmia - several Montbretia
Perennial Cuphea - several False Heather & others
Tree Cupressus arizonica 'Glauca' Blue Cypress
Fern Cyathea cooperi Australian Tree Fern
Perennial Dianthus Pinks
Perennial Dieties iridoides Fortnight Lily
Vine Distictusbuccinatoria Blood Red Trumpet Vine
Shrub Dodonea viscosa Hop Seed Bush
Succulent Dudleya - several Cliff Lettuce
Groundcover Dymondia margaretae Dymondia
Succulent Echeveria - most

Includes Hens & Chickens
Shrub Echium fastuosum Pride of Madeira
Shrub Elaeagnus - many Russian Olive
Grass Elymus glaucus Blue Lyme Grass
Perennial Erigeron karvinskianus Santa Barbara Daisy
Shrub Eriogonum - several Wild Buckwheat
Shrub Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve' Bowles' Mauve Wallflower
Shrub Escallonia - any  
Annual Eschscholzia californica California Poppy
Shrub Euonymus f. radicans Winter Creeper
Perennial Euphorbia - any Spurge
Shrub Euryops - any Golden Winter Daisy
Shrub Feijoa sellowiana Pinapple Guava
Perennial Felicia amelloides Blue Marguerite
Grass Festuca - any  
Vine Ficus pumila Creeping Fig
Shrub Forsythis - several  
Groundcover Fragaria chiloensis Beach Strawberry
Perennial Fragaria vesca Woodland Strawberry
Bulb Freesia - any  
Perennial Gallardia - any Blanket Flower
Shrub Garrya elliptica Coast Silktassel
Perennial Gazania - any Carpet Daisy
Perennial Geranium - many True Geranium
Shrub Grevillea - any Hummingbird Nest
Vine Hardenbergia violacea Lilac Vine
Shrub Hebe - most  
Perennial Helianthemum - any Sunrose
Perennial Helichrysum petiolare Licorice Plant
Perennial Hemerocallis - any Daylily
Groundcover Herniaria - any Green Carpet
Shrub Heteromeles arbutilolia Toyon
Vine Hibbertia scandens Guinea Gold Vine
Shrub Hydrangea - any  
Vine Jasminum polyantum Pink Jasmine
Perennial Iberis sempervirens Candytuft
Succulent Iceplant - any  
Perennial Iris PCH & Hybrids Native Iris
Groundcover Isotoma fluviatilis Blue Star Creeper
Grass Juncus patens California Gray Rush
Shrub Juniperus - most Trees as well
Perennial Kniphofia - any Red-Hot Poker
Tree Koelreureria bipinnata Chinese Flame Tree
Perennial Lantana - any  
Tree Laurus nobilus Greek Bay Laurel
Perennial Lavendula - any Lavender
Shrub Lavatera bicolor Purple Tree Mallow
Perennial Leonotis leonorus Lion's Tail
Shrub Leptospermum - any Tea Tree
Grass

Leymus arenarius (syn. 

Elymjus arenarius)

 Blue Lyme Grass
Perennial Limonium p0erezii Statice, Sea Lavender
Palm Livistona decipiens Australian Ribbon Palm
Annual Lobularia maritima Sweet Alyssum
Vine Lonicera hildebrandiana Giant Burmese Honeysuckle
Perennial Lychnis coronaria Rose Campion
Shrub Mahonia pinnata California Holly Grape
Tree Melaleuca - all Paperbark Myrtle
Tree Metrosideros excelsus New Zealand Christmas Tree
Perennial Mirabilis jalapa Four O'Clock
Grass Muehlenbergia rigens Deer Grass
Shrub Myrica Californica Pacific Wax Myrtle
Tree Myoporum - any includes ground covers
Perennial Myosotis - any Forget-Me-Not
Shrub Myrsine africana African Boxwood
Shrub Myrtus cummunis True Myrtle
Shrub Nandina Heavenly Bamboo
Grass Nassella tenuissima Mexican Hair Grass
Perennial Nepeta faassenii Catnip
Shrub Nerium oleander Oleander
Perennial Origanum dictamnus Dittany of Crete
Groundcover Osteospermum - any African Daisy
Vine Pandorea jasminoides Bower Vine
Vine Parthenocissus tricuspidata Boston Ivy
Vine Passiflora - most Passion Vine
Perennial Pelargonium peltatum Ivy Geranium
Perennial Pelargonium - any  
Grass Pennisetum orientale Green Fountain Grass
Grass

Pennisetum setaceum

'Rubrum'

 Purple Fountain Grass
Perennial Penstemon - several Beard Tongue
Shrub Perovskia atripliciifolia Russian Sage
Perennial Phlomis - several Jerusalem Sage
Groundcover Phyla nodiflora Lippia
Perennial Phormium - any New Zealand Flax
Tree Pinus - most Pine
Shrub Pittosporum - any  
Perennial Plechostachys serpyllifolia Dwarf Licorice Plant
Shrub Plumbago auriculata (P. capensis) Cape Plumbago
Tree Podocarpus macrophylla Yew Pine
Shrub Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly' Dwarf Sweet Pea Shrub
Shrub Polygala xDalmisiana Sweet Pea Shrub
Groundcover Polygonum capitatum Pink Knotweed
Annual Portulaca grandiflora Rose Moss
Shrub Prunus illicifolia lyonii Holly-leaf Cherry
Shrub Punica Pomegranate
Tree Quercus ilex Holly Oak
Shrub Rhamnus - several Buckthorn, Coffeeberry
Shrub Rhaphiolepis - several Indian Hawthorn
Shrub Rhus integrifolia Lemonade Berry
Perennial Rosemarinus - all Rosemary
Groundcover Sagina subulata Irish/Scotch Moss
Perennial Salvia - most Flowering Sage
Perennial Santolina - all Lavender Cotton
Groundcover Scaevola - most Pincushion Flower
Tree Schinus molle California Pepper
Groundcover Scleranthus biflorus Australian Astroturf
Succulent Sedum - most  
Perennial Senecio cineraria Dusty Miller
Succulent Senecio mandraliscae Blue Chalksticks
Grass Sisyrinchium - most  Yellow-eyed Grass
Perennial Solanum - most Potato Bush/Vine
Shrub Sollya heterophulla Australian Bluebell Creeper
Groundcover Stachys byzantina Lamb's Ears
Grass Stenotaphrum secundatum Saint Augustine Grass
Grass Stipa tenuissima Mexican Feather Grass
Perennial Succulents - most  
Shrub Syzygium paniculatum (Eugenia) Australian Brush Cherry
Perennial Tagetes lemmonii Bush Marigold
Perennial Teucrium chamaedrys Germander
Shrub Teucrium fruticans Bush Germander
Vine Thunbergia - most Black-eyed Susan Vine
Tree Tristania laurina  
Annual Tropaeolum majus Nasturtium
Grass Tulbaghia violacea Society Garlic
Groundcover Verbena - many  
Perennial Verbena bonariensis  
Groundcover Vinca major & minor Periwinkle
Perennial Viola odorata Sweet Violet
Shrub Westringia fruticosa Coast Rosemary
Succulent Yucca - most  
Perennial Zantedeschia aethiopica Calla Lily
Perennial Zauschneria californica California Fuchsia