Please note that the following list contains just a few varieties of each species to illustrate the variety of colors, growing conditions, and growth forms that exist within species. Species such as Rose, Lonicera (honeysuckle) and Ribes, for example, have many varieties that provide wonderful wildlife habitat value. Many species of grasses are listed because birds love to eat grass seed and grasses make a wonderful accent plant, or alternative to water-loving lawns. Muchas Grasses nursery in Occidental, Mostly Natives nursery in Point Reyes Station, and other Bay Area nurseries offer a wide variety of grasses.
Happy planting!
Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple (Tree)
Achillea Yarrow (2’-3 — insects, seed)
Achillea borealis Island Pink Achillea millifolium White, Achillea Moonshine YellowAchillea Salmon Beauty Pink, Achillea Walter Funcke Red
Acorus gramineus pusillus Dwarf Grassy Sweet Flag
Aesculus californica California Buckeye (Tree)
Alnus rubra Red Alder (Tree)
Amelanchier alnifolia Service Berry (Shrub)
Arbutus menziesii Madrone (Tree)
Arbutus x Marina Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree
Arctostaphylos Emerald Carpet Manzanita
Arctostaphylos glandulosa Cushing Manzanita
Arctostaphylos Pacific Mist
Arctostaphylos u. Point Reyes Bearberry
Arctostaphylos Woods Compact Bearberry
Artemesia californica California Sagebrush (insects, nectar)
Artemesia douglasiana Mugwort
Asclepia milkweed (butterflies + insects for birds)
Atriplex Quail bush (insects, nesting)
Baccharis p. ‘Pigeon Point and Twin PeaksProstrate Coyote Bush
Baccharis pilularis Upright Coyote Bush
Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’ Dwarf Red-Leaf Japanese Barberry (thorny cover and nesting value, plus berries)
Borago Borage (needs room to grow. Insects for birds, pollen, edible herb)
Buddleja davidii Butterfly Bush
Calamagrostis foliosa Leafy Reed Grass
Calamagrostis n. The King Pacific Reed Grass
Calycanthus occidentalis Spice Bush
Carex conica Snowline Silver variegated Japanese Sedge
Carex morrowii Evergold
Carex nudata California Black Flowering Sedge
Carex testacea Orange Colored Sedge
Carex tumulicola Berkeley Sedge
Ceanothus gloriosus Point Reyes Ceanothus
Ceanothus gloriosus exaltatus ‘Emily Brown’
Ceanothus griseus horizontalis ( 2’ ground cover)
Ceanothus Ray Hartman Wild Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Wild Lilac
Cistus salviifolius Sage Leaf Rock Rose (dense cover, to 2’)
Clematis armandii Evergreen clematis (vine)
Clematis ligusticifolia Virgin’s Bower
Cornus Yellow Twig Dogwood, Red Twig Dogwood, Creek Dogwood
Correa Carmine Bells, Ivory bells Australian Fuchsia (hummingbirds)
Corylus cornuta californica Western Hazelnut
Crataegus douglasii California Hawthorn (Lg. shrub to Tree thorms and berries)
Cupressus macrocarpa Monterey Cypress (bird nesting tree+ insects)
Deschampsia c. h. ‘Marin’ Tufted Hair Grass
Deschampsia c. h. Shell Beach Tufted Hair Grass
Eriogonum fasciculatum California Buckwheat (2-4’shrub, great bird plant — seeds, nectar, insects)
Eriogonum giganteum Saint Catherine’s Lace
Eriogonum latifolium Coastal Buckwheat
Eriogonum latifolium rubescens Red Buckwheat
Festuca californica California Fescue (grass/seed)
Festuca i. Tomales Bay Idaho Fescue
Fragaria chiloensis Tomales Bay Beach Strawberry (groundcover)
Fragaria vesca (californica) Woodland Strawberry
Fuchsia procumbens Creeping Fuchsia (hummingbird shrub)
Galvezia s. Firecracker Island Bush Snapdragon (hummingbird shrub)
Garrya elliptica Evie Silk Tassel (large shrub, small tree, seed tassel)
Heracleum lanatum Cow Parsnip (3’ plant, insects)
Heteromeles a. Davis Gold Golden Toyon (lg. shrub, small tree. Berries)
Heteromeles arbutifolia Christmas berry Toyon
Heuchera micrantha ‘Martha Roderick’ (hummingbirds)
Heuchera Stormy Seas Alumroot
Hierochloe occidentalis California Sweet Grass
Hierochloe odorata California Vanilla Grass
Juncus effusus Soft Rush
Juncus effusus Spiralis Corkscrew Rush
Juncus patens California Gray Rush
Laurus nobilis Sweet Bay (Tree, insects, fruit)
Lonicera hispidula Honeysuckle
Lonicera involucrata Twinberry
Lonicera nitida Baggesen’s Gold
Lotus formosissimus Coast Lotus
Lupinus albifrons Silver Lupine
Lupinus albifrons v. collinus Prostrate Silver Lupine
Lupinus arboreus Yellow Bush Lupine
Lupinus propinquus Blue Bush Lupine
Mahonia aquifolium Oregon Grape (Ground Cover or shrub v. berries)
Mimulus aurantiacus Sticky Monkey Flower (shrub nectar insects)
Mimulus cardinalis Scarlet Monkeyflower (sm. shrub, hummingbirds)
Mimulus puniceus Mission Red Monkeyflower
Miscanthus s. Morning Light Japanese Silver Grass
Miscanthus sinensis gracillimus Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis Hinjo Dwarf Zebra Grass
Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Evergreen Maidenhair Grass
Monarda Blue Stocking Violet Bee Balm (insects)
Monardella villosa Coyote Mint
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri Lindheimer Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia richardsonis Mat Muhly
Muhlenbergia rigens Deer Grass
Myrica californica Pacific Wax Myrtle
Nassella lepida Foothill Needle Grass Nassella pulchra (Stipa) Purple Needle Grass
Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ Giant Cat Mint Nepeta x Blue Wonder Catmint
Nepeta x faassenii Catmint
Penstemon varieties (to 2’hummingbirds)
Prunus lyonii Catalina Cherry (lg shrub, small tree, wonderful fruit + nesting)
Quercus agrifolia Coast Live Oak (tree, acorns)
Rhamnus californica Coffeeberry (shrub, berries)
Rhamnus c. Mound San Bruno, v. Tomales Bay
Rhus integrifolia Lemonade Berry (shrub, berries)
Rhus ovata Sugar Bush
Ribes aureum gracillimum Golden Currant (shrub, berries)
Ribes Menziesii Goosebery
Ribes sanguineum glutinosumPink Flowering Currant
Rosa banksiae Lutea Yellow Lady Banks’ Rose
Rosa californica Shrub 6 ft
Rosa Cecile Brunner Sweetheart Rose, Climber 30 ft (nesting, fruit)
Rosa gymnocarpa Wood Rose, Shrub 3-6 ft
Rosa woodsii v. ultramontana Sierra Rose, Shrub 5-9 ft
Rubus leucodermis Western Raspberry
Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry
Rubus spectabilis Salmonberry
Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’ Scarlet Curls Willow
Salix purpurea nana Elegans Dwarf Purple Osier
Salvia apiana White Sage (insects, nectar)
Salvia clevelandii Cleveland Sage
Salvia x leucophylla Bee’s Bliss
Sambucus mexicana Blue Elderberry Sambucus racemosa Red Elderberry
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry
Vaccinium ovatum Huckleberry
Vitis californica California Wild Grape (vine, fruit,nesting)