Growing California Native Plants (California Natural History Guides)

This is the first comprehensive book to aid the gardener in making a start with native plants. It takes the gardener through the beginning steps of identifying native plants, evaluating them in relation to conventional garden materials, and learning detailed techniques of propagation and culture. Annuals, perennials (including ferns), bulbs, shrubs and trees are included—with about 350 species treated in detail, and many others included in charts and listings for quick reference.

A few California native plants have been in cultivation for a hundred years or so, but widespread consciousness of natives is relatively recent. It has arisen partly because of the recent drought, which natives survived more readily than exotics, and partly because of growing awareness that many natives have become rare or endangered, and may be preserved and perpetuated by cultivation for their ornamental qualities. The book is in full accord with the new trend in landscaping in which the environment, climate, and restricted water supplies are taken into account—not only for gardens but also for parks, roadside plantings, and other large-scale landscaping.

Because propagation and cultural methods for many native plants have never been recorded, the author spent years gathering information through correspondence. She has also had personal experience in growing natives for more than 30 years. The result is the first complete, practical, convenient guide for growing native plants. It will be essential for the experienced gardener and the beginner alike.