Herbs and Wildflowers

Yarrow is a delicate, gray-green perennial herb that grows up to 3 feet tall. The silver, feathery leaves are evenly distributed along the

Western Columbine is a common, open-branched perennial with distinct crimson flowers. The slender, branching stems

Nutall’s Milkvetch is a clumpy, low-lying perennial herb, which grows up to a meter in length. The hairy to

Hillside False Bindweed is a perennial herb with woody vine-like stems that extend from the leafy center for up to 20 centimeters. The plant’s leaves

Ruby Chalice Clarkia is an upright annual wildflower with gorgeous, poppy-like blooms. The green to red stems

San Francisco collinsia is a delicate annual herb with slender, lacy stems that grow 30 to 60

Blue dicks are a plant that is hardly noticeable except in early to late spring when the blue-purple flowers are on

Golden Yarrow grows in large clusters of numerous erect stems, often exceeding a half meter in height when fully grown.

The yellow monkeyflower is highly variable in appearance, though typically quite leafy. The plant ranges from small

The Checker Lily is a delicate, long-stemmed herb grown from a small lumpy, brown bulb, which looks like

Rosilla ranges greatly in size and shape: it can have a few low lying branches or a tall, spindly stem nearing 1.5 meters

The Douglas Iris is a gorgeous wildflower which grows in a slow spreading leafy clump, spanning nearly a meter wide. The tufts of sword-

The miniature lupine is a small annual lupine, growing up to 16 inches in height. The many short, gray stems sprout

Arroyo Lupine is an annual herb, which grows up to a meter in height. The plant’s characteristic lupine leaves

Like other manroot species, the California Manroot has a stout, woolly stem with snaking tendrils. Long

The wind poppy is a delicate, bright orange flower, 6-18 inches in height. The flowers, borne on long, leafless

Heal-all is a sturdy, creeping perennial herb. Sprouting from the short stalks, the leaves grow in opposite

Bee Plant is an inconspicuous flowering perennial with triangular green leaves. The large toothed leaves grow

California Hedgenettle is a delicate, nettle-looking plant, with rough, hairy leaves. The downy, light green leaves

Giant Wakerobin is a waxy, dark green clumping herb. Each plant has a single whorl of 3 leaves directly attached to the thin

Western Heart's Ease is a spreading, ground-level herb. The dark-green heart-shaped leaves are borne on short

The Mexicali Onion is a native species of onion with brilliant magenta flowers. A long, leafless stem, known as a scape, emerges from the 8-15 mm

Silverweed is a low-lying herbaceous perennial with slender stalks stretching up to 30 cm long

The White Globe Lily is an upright, herbaceous plant with a long, draping stem stretching up to 30 inches in height. Growing from an

Indian paintbrush is a showy perennial wildflower growing from an erect stem, up to 60 cm

Miner’s lettuce is a spreading annual herb with trailing leaves of bright green. The plant’s first leaves,

Western Houndstongue is a mid-sized perennial herb with distinct ovate and long flowering stems

California Fuschia is a brilliant flowering perennial, notable for its profusion of bright scarlet flowers.

Seaside Woolly Sunflower is a coastal perennial herb with a very similar appearance to golden yarrow. The silvery

The California Poppy is famous for its bright orange flowers, which brighten open spaces across the state. The silky

Cleavers have long, creeping stems ringed by circles of narrow, bright-green leaves. The angular stems can reach

Cow parsnip is a large, perennial herb, reaching over 2 meters in height. The thick, grooved stems

The Pacific Pea is a perennial pea vine, whose appearance varies across subspecies. The silver green leaves of this plant

Broadleaf lupine is a large herbaceous perennial plant growing 30 centimeters to over two meters in height.

Starflower is a low-lying, creeping perennial reaching 5-30 cm in height. The flat whorl of bright green leaves, 4-7

Common Evening Primrose is a thick, stalky plant with beautiful, bright yellow flowers. The four large heart-shaped

Warrior’s Plume is a brilliant perennial herb, featuring gorgeous spiky red flower stalks. The short flower

The California Buttercup brightens its surroundings with glossy, bright yellow flowers. Sprouting from the

Blue Eyed Grass is a grassy-looking perennial herb. The long, narrow bladed leaves are tufted. From among

Meadow Rue is a tall perennial herb with a wide, stretching canopy of leaves. The leaves emerge from thick, smooth

Ithuriel’s spear is a tall-stemmed wildflower that grows from an underground geophyte. The erect, leafless

Narrow Leaf Mule Ears is a perennial herb growing from a tough taproot. The hairy stem, which stretches 30-90 cm

Coast Angelica is a large perennial herb, most notable for its tall, thick stem and crown of white, bulbous flowers. The celery-like stem stretches

California mugwort is an extraordinarily common plant, hiding in ditches and roadsides across California. The plant’s

Pacific False Bindweed is a spreading perennial herb formed of dark, climbing vines spotted with light flowers. The slender, dark

Like all soap plants, Chlorogalum pomeridianum is a perennial herb that grows from an underground bulb.

Yerba Buena is a creeping perennial herb with crawling, woody stems reaching nearly 2 meters

California larkspur is a protruding perennial herb with tall stems typically exceeding a meter

Coastal Buckwheat is a perennial herb variable in size and flower color depending on its location

The scarlet monkeyflower is a spreading perennial herb most noticeable when in bloom. The fiery red-orange flowers

The beach strawberry is a low-lying herbaceous evergreen growing only 15 to 30 centimeters in height. The beach

Climbing bedstraw is a spreading, woody perennial with long, tangled vines growing up to 5 ft. The lower

The telegraph weed is by all appearances, a scraggly roadside weed — which it is. This bristly plant extends

Coastal tidy tips are stout annual wildflowers growing up to 28 inches high. The branched stalk is covered in sticky,

Chick Lupine is an annual species of lupine growing up to 80 centimeters tall. Like all lupines, this plant’s

Spring Madia is an herbaceous wildflower growing on tall, aromatic stalks. The hairy, green stems are

Redwood sorrel is an inconspicuous ground-level perennial herb, which at first glance looks like the spreading

Almost entirely unnoticeable but for its magenta flowers, Henderson's shooting star is a small perennial herb.

The Pacific Sanicle is a thick, leafy perennial herb which emerges from a taproot. Near the base, the bright green

Greenspot nightshade is a perennial herb, or subshrub, approximately two meters in height. The slender, branching

Fremont’s Deathcamas is a beautiful flowering geophyte. Like other deathcamases, Fremont’s Deathcamas grows

Stinging nettle is an extraordinarily common plant — chances are you’ve seen its hairy, toothed leaves before

Gray Mule’s Ears have a very similar appearance to Narrow Leaf Mule Ears (Wyethia angustifolia)