Tag: native plants
-
Surprising Native Plants Thriving in 2026
In this article, guest author Dan Songster compiles insights from California native plant experts on which plants thrived this year. Contributors share their surprises, including impressive blooms from the Desert Willow, golden yarrow, and Chaparral mallows. The piece captures the joy of gardening and highlights the recovery of rare species like the San Clemente Island…
-
Protect Newport Beach’s Civic Center Park from Police Station Plans
Laura Curran from OCCNPS urges residents to preserve Newport Beach’s Civic Center Park, a habitat filled with native Coastal Sage Scrub plants, amid plans for a new police station. The City Council will discuss the project’s impact, and community members are encouraged to voice their concerns before the April 28 meeting.
-
Meet Karen Graham: Advocate for Native Plants in Education
Karen Graham has joined the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, bringing extensive educational experience and a passion for native plants. As Program Director at Earthroots Field School, she promotes eco-literacy and advocates for biodiversity. Inspired by her childhood and community involvement, Graham emphasizes accessible native plant education and collaboration with Indigenous…
-
Desert Willow: A Versatile Garden Gem
Dan Songster highlights the Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) as July’s Plant of the Month. This fast-growing, deciduous shrub thrives in full sun and various soils, featuring showy, fragrant blooms from pink to lavender. Ideal for gardens, it attracts wildlife and requires minimal care, making it a versatile landscape choice.
-
Pamela Heiss: Championing Native Plants in Orange County
Pamela Heiss, a member of the OCCNPS board, actively promotes native plants within the Orange County community through her work with the Garden Tour and Outreach teams. Since joining CNPS in 2018, she emphasizes the importance of conservation and community education. Pamela aims to inspire awareness of native plants’ benefits for local ecosystems and biodiversity.
-
Island Bush Poppy: A Gardener’s Guide
The Island Bush Poppy, or Dendromecon harfordii, is an evergreen shrub thriving in full sun to partial shade, native to Southern California’s Channel Islands. With beautiful yellow flowers and bluish-green leaves, it’s drought tolerant and adaptable. Ideal for gardens, it requires careful planting and minimal pruning for optimal health.
-
Toyon: The Evergreen Christmas Berry
The article by Dan Songster highlights Heteromeles arbutifolia, or Toyon, an evergreen shrub native to California, appreciated for its adaptability, low water needs, and creamy blooms. It attracts cedar waxwings and is historically valued by Native Americans. The ‘Davis Gold’ cultivar is noted for its distinctive golden berries.
-
Systems Analyst Weaves Together Nature and Friends
Brad Jenkins, volunteer, webmaster, and part of the treasurer team of the California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter (OCCNPS), is featured this month, and answers the question: What draws us to our relationships with nature and native plants? “Innate influences, happenstance encounters, analytical purposefulness, and social associations.“ Brad writes: “My first wedding was in…
-
April’s Plant of the Month: Saffron Buckwheat
What: Eriogonum crocatum – Saffron Buckwheat Dan Songster shares his native plant expertise with this article featuring a California Native Plant of the Month. April’s featured plant is Saffron Buckwheat (Eriogonum crocatum). Saffron buckwheat is lovely whether in flower or not. A colorful, compact mounding shrub to 1 1/2 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide…
-
California in My Garden Tour Coming to Orange County
The California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter (OCCNPS) is hosting a two-day garden tour featuring 22 gardens that are at least 50 percent California native plants. This is your chance to view public and private gardens that feature California native plants in landscapes in North and South Orange County. When you take the tour,…
-
Exploring Native Plant Conservation with Sunny Saroa
Sunny Saroa, a dedicated member of the California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter, shares his journey in conservation, his current involvement in various projects like vegetation surveys and grant selection, and his aspirations for broader community engagement and multilingual resources. His advice emphasizes the importance of sourcing locally for native plants, encouraging curiosity, and…
-
Plant of the Month: the California Poppy
Guest author Dan Songster of the California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter (OCCNPS), shares his horticultural expertise with a monthly article featuring an excellent native plant for your garden. This month’s featured plant is the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). The California Poppy is a perennial wildflower that is often treated as an annual. It…