COMMON NATIVE PLANTS OF BALLONA:

PUBLISHED BY THE BALLONA ECOSYSTEM EDUCATION PROJECT

Note: There are 150+ native plants at Ballona.

To see the complete list and more photos, go to www.saveallofballona.org, and click on “native plants”

BALLONA UPLAND PLANTS

California Buckwheat, (eriogonum fasciculatum); blooms most of the year but primarily May to November. It is an important butterfly plant, loved by the endangered California gnatcatcher, and flowers, leaves and seeds are all used by smaller animals. Found on bluff slopes east of Lincoln and sand dune at west end of parcel B.

Sea-cliff or Dune Buckwheat, (eriogonum parvifolium); mostly summer blooming. Also an important butterfly plant, especially for the endangered El Segundo Blue, and the Mormon metalmark butterfly. Flowers, leaves and seeds are all used by smaller animals. Found on sand dune at west end of Parcel B and bluffs east of Lincoln.

California Wild Rose, (rosa californica); blooms May to August, fragrant rose hips can be used for tea. Important wildlife plant as thorns and thickets provide cover. Found on bluff slopes east and west of Lincoln Blvd.

Jimson Weed, (datura tolguacha); blooms April to October, found on roadsides and bluff slopes

Coyote Bush, (baccharis pilularis); blooms August to September. Found throughout Ballona.

Mugwort, (artemisia douglasiana); fragrant, possible first aid for treatment of poison oak

Slender Tarweed, (hemizonia fasciculata); (annual), blooms May to September. Found in parcels A, C & westbluffs

Coastal Sagebrush, (artemisia californica); blooms August to September, found in parcels A, B and C and bluff slopes. Very important plant for the endangered California gnatcatcher.

Very fragrant.

Telegraph Weed, (heterotheca grandiflora); attractive to butterflies, blooms year-round with a camphor-like scent

Bush Lupine, (lupinus longifolius); blooms April to June. Found on bluff slope west of Lincoln Blvd and parcels B and C. Attracts the coastal arrowhead blue butterfly.

Deerweed, (lotus scoparius); blooms March to August, a pioneer species that helps reestablish plant communities by adding nitrogen to the soil with the help of symbiotic bacteria. Attracts many types of butterflies. Found on sandy soil throughout site, bluff faces and former train tracks along Culver Blvd..

Sun-cup, (camissonia bistorta); blooms March to June. Found on bluff face west of Lincoln Blvd.

Flower is similar to the rare Lewis’s primrose, also found in the Ballona uplands

Pine Goldenbush, (haplopappus pinifolius) in parcel A

BALLONA FRESHWATER WETLAND PLANTS

Broad-leaved Cattail, (typha latifolia); very important plant for the endangered light-footed clapper rail.

Mulefat (baccharis salicifolia); blooms most of the year, but principally from April to October. Important plant for butterflies and the endangered southwest willow flycatcher. Found in parcels A and B and Route 90 median

Very similar to Arroyo Willow, (salix lasiolepis) which blooms February to April. The willow is a pioneer species on wet sites, essential for butterfly and wildlife habitat within its range, as well as the southwest willow flycatcher. Found in parcel B at base of bluffs and Route 90 median.

BALLONA SALT-MARSH PLANTS

Pickleweed, (salicornia virginica or subterminalis); blooms August to November. Found in parcels A, B, C. Nesting site and food source for the endangered Belding’s savannah sparrow, and loved by the western pygmy blue butterfly

Salt Bush (atriplex lentiformis); blooms July to October. Used by birds and butterflies (pygmy blue and Macneill’s sooty wing). Common in Parcel A and C remnant of Ballona Creek, and Route 90 median

Salt Grass (distichlis spicata); blooms April to July. Larval food for several species of butterflies (wandering skippers). Found in parcel B.

All Photos by Rex Frankel

Copyright 2006

Available Ballona Plants:

WHITE FLOWERS:

Achillea millefolium, yarrow

Adenostoma fasciculatum, chamise

Ambrosia chammisonis, dune ragweed

Anemopsis californica, yerba mansa

Artemisia californica, California or coastal Sage

Artemisia palmeri, San Diego sagewort

Asclepias eriocarpa, Indian milkweed

Asclepias fascicularis, narrow-leaf milkweed

Baccharis emoryi, emory baccharis

Baccharis pilularis, coyote brush

Baccharis salicifolia, mulefat

Calystegia macrostegia, morning glory

Clematis ligusticifolia, clematis

Datura wrightii, jimson weed

Eriogonum californica, calif. buckwheat

Eriogonum cinereum, ashy leaf buckwheat

Eriogonum parvifolium, sea-cliff buckwheat

Gnaphalium microcephalum, white everlasting

Heteromeles arbutifolia, toyon

Lonicera subspicata, Santa Barbara honeysuckle

Malosma laurina, laurel sumac

Marah macrocarpa, wild cucumber

Prunus illicofolia, holly leaf cherry

Rhamnus Californica, coffeeberry

Rhomneya coulteri, matilija poppy

Salvia apiana, white sage

Sambucus mexicanus, elderberry

Yucca whipplei, our lord’s candle

BLUE/PURPLE FLOWERS:

Dichelostemma capitatum, blue dicks

Lessingia filaginifolia, cudweed aster

Lupinus albifrons, silver lupine

Lupinus bicolor, dove lupine

Lupinus longiflorus, longleaf bush lupine

Lupinus succulentus, arroyo lupine

Malacothamnus fasciculatus, bush mallow

Penstemon spectabilis, showy penstemon

Phacelia campanularia desert bells

Phacelia parryi, Parry’s phacelia

Salvia leucophylla, purple sage

Salvia mellifera, black sage

Sisyrinchium bellum, blue-eyed grass

Solanum xantii, purple nightshade

Trichostema lanatum, wooly blue curls

YELLOW FLOWERS:

Coreopsis maritime, sea dahlia

Dendromicon rigida, bush poppy

Encelia californica, bush sunflower

Helianthus annus, sunflower

Isocoma menziesii, coast goldenbush

Isomeris arborea, bladderpod

Oenothera elata hookeri, hooker’s evening primrose

Opuntia littoralis, prickly-pear cactus

Solidago californica, California goldenrod

Cammisonia bistorta, suncup

Cammisonia cheiranthifolia, beach evening primrose

Chaenactis glabriuscula, yellow pincushion

Cucurbita foetidissima, coyote melon

Lotus scoparius, deerweed

RED OR PINK FLOWERS:

Atriplex lentiformis breweri, big saltbush

Dudleya pulverulenta, chalk live-forever

Rhus integrifolia, lemonade berry

Rhus ovata, sugar bush

Ribes malavaceum, chaparral currant

Rosa californica, california. rose

ORANGE FLOWERS:

Eschscholtzia California, Calif. poppy

Mimulus aurantiacus, monkeyflower

GREEN FLOWERS:

Artemisia douglasiana, mugwort

Rumex salicifolia, willow leaved dock

TREES:

Alnus rhombifolia, alder

Fraxinus velutina, Arizona ash

Juglans calif., California walnut

Platanus racemosa, California sycamore

Populus fremontii, cottonwood

Salix exigua, narrow-leaf willow

Salix goodingi, goodings willow

Salix laevigata, red willow

Salix lasiolepis, arroyo willow

Umbellularia calif, Calif. Bay laurel

Quercus agrifolia, coast live oak

GRASSES & MARSH PLANTS:

Carex praegracilus, clustered field sedge

Distichlis spicata, saltgrass

Eleocharis macrostachya, pale spike rush

Eleocharis montevidensis, slender creeping spike rush

Juncus acutus leopoldi, spike rush

Juncus mexicanus, Mexican rush

Melica imperfecta, melic grass

Nasella pulchra, purple needlegrass

Typha latifolia, cattails

WEBSITES WITH MORE NATIVE PLANT INFO

www.Ballonaplants.blogspot.com

www.Calnativeplants.blogspot.com

www.Laspilitas.com

www.Nativegarden.org

www.Natural-landscapes.com