EPA Level III Ecoregion
Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains
1035 native plants for the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion (San Jose area).
The Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains wrap around the Bay Area and the Central Coast, covering San Jose, Oakland, Santa Rosa, and most of the East Bay suburbs. Oak woodland and chaparral define the look here: dry golden hills in summer, green in winter. Natives like ceanothus, toyon, and California sagebrush match that pattern and stay presentable on winter rain alone once established.
Conditions: Clay loam to rocky hillside soils, mild wet winters, dry summers moderated by coastal fog in some areas.
Cities and areas: San Jose, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Walnut Creek.
1035 Native Plants for the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains
HOA-friendly picks listed first. Pet-safety status varies by species; each plant page shows its sourced ASPCA status. Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Soft rush
Juncus effusus
American Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Red-osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Aromatic Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Prairie Junegrass
Koeleria macrantha
Bear-grape
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Golden Currant
Ribes aureum
Wild Woodland Strawberries
Fragaria vesca
Solomon's-plume
Maianthemum racemosum
Tufted Hairgrass
Deschampsia cespitosa
Narrowleaf Milkweed
Asclepias fascicularis
Deer Grass
Muhlenbergia rigens
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
California Fuchsia
Epilobium canum
Coyote-mint
Monardella villosa
Sulfur-buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum
Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
California-poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Bunchleaf Penstemon
Penstemon heterophyllus
California Wild Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Mexican Feathergrass
Nassella tenuissima
Pacific Serviceberry
Amelanchier alnifolia
Hummingbird Sage
Salvia spathacea
Coastal Tidytips
Layia platyglossa
Marin Iris
Iris douglasiana
Foothill Lupine
Lupinus albifrons
Crevice alumroot
Heuchera micrantha
Arroyo Lupine
Lupinus succulentus
Star False Solomon's-seal
Maianthemum stellatum
Checker-mallow
Sidalcea malviflora
Scarlet Bugler
Penstemon centranthifolius
Fiddleneck
Phacelia tanacetifolia
Western Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium bellum
Clarkia
Clarkia unguiculata
Black Sage
Salvia mellifera
California Buckeye
Aesculus californica
Purple Sage
Salvia leucophylla
Western Redbud
Cercis occidentalis
White Sage
Salvia apiana
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Birchleaf Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus betuloides
Broadleaf Stonecrop
Sedum spathulifolium
Woolly Bluecurls
Trichostema lanatum
Blueblossom
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Blue Thimble-flower
Gilia capitata
Great Valley Gumweed
Grindelia camporum
California Sycamore
Platanus racemosa
Showing 48 of 1035. Enter your ZIP for the natives matched to your yard.
Fall care in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains
What to do right now for plants commonly grown here. Each links to the full regional care guide for that species, with sources.
- Blue wild rye
Fall is a good time to start new blue wildrye from seed.
- Spreading rush
In fall, it stays evergreen and needs little attention.
- Coyote mint
In fall, keep things simple and keep the soil well drained.
- African daisy
Fall is the time to finish cutting the plant back.
- African marigold
Bloom continues into early fall. As an annual it finishes with the first hard frost.
- Rock purslane
Fall is a good time to cut back and plant.
- Fountain grass
Fall is the last chance to stop seed from spreading.
- Longleaf mat rush
Fall planting lets roots grow before winter rains.
- Dwarf mat rush
Fall is a fine planting window as the rains return.
- Sweet pea shrub
Fall keeps the blooms going and is a good time to plant before winter rain.
Build a plan for the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains
Pollinator Patch turns plants like these into a front-yard plan tuned for the soil, climate, and HOA expectations of the San Jose area.