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California Native Plants

Image of Learning by Leading Sustainable Horticulture interns in a student-planted wildflower meadow.

California Native Wildflower Seeds

The Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is piloting the sale of native wildflower seeds at its upcoming Fall 2019 plant sales. The wildflower seeds selected for sale to the public were chosen based on research done by the UC Davis Pollination Ecology lab led by  Dr. Neal Williams which found that these species attract local pollinators that will continually revisit! 
Image of a student researcher preparing to release a hummingbird after conducting a brief health exam. The Arboretum Teaching Nursery is a research station for a large hummingbird health research project sponsored by UC Davis Hummingbird Health and Conservation Program.

UC Davis Arboretum: Research Resource and Pollinator Paradise

Posted by Katie Hetrick on Thu, March 28, 2019
UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden landscapes attract a wide variety of pollinators and thus have become popular location for groundbreaking research on these vitally important species.
Environmental Education
Images related to the Gottleib Native Garden.

The Gottlieb Native Garden: A California Love Story

Susan Gottlieb, the dedicated environmentalist who created the garden believes we could save the world if we all understood the power of native plants. This is her story, as well as a larger one: the story of how to restore natural habitat and protect biodiversity with simple, individual actions.
Image of hummingbird grazing in a patch of California fuchsia in the UC Davis Hummingbird GATEway Garden.

Gardening for Pollinators

Why garden for pollinators?
  • Nearly all ecosystems on earth depend on the pollination of flowering plants for survival. 
  • Human population growth threatens wild creatures and a variety of plant species by shrinking their habitat. As native plants disappear, so do the pollinators.
  • Plants and pollinators have evolved together and depend on one another for survival. Placing native plants and other pollinator-supporting plants in the landscape helps support native pollinators.
  • Pollination is vital to our food supply.
Image of native bee on flowers in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.

Support California native bees with these 10 plants

Wed, April 04, 2018
The plants included here were selected based on information available through this work and that of others both in the Bay Area and the Sacramento Valley.  These plants were chosen for spring, summer and fall bloom, low to medium-low watering need, low maintenance requirements and the variety of bee species they attract.
Environmental Education
Volunteers and staff

Taking care of our native bees’ needs

Wed, April 04, 2018
California is home to 1600+ native bee species that range in size from less than a quarter inch long to more than an inch and a half. What may come as a surprise to many is that none of them make honey or live in hives like the ubiquitous European honey bee. However, they are all critical to the future of our state’s environmental health, the pollination of our food as well as the reproduction of plants in California’s natural areas. Here's how you can support native bees in your own garden.
Environmental Education
monkey flower, a California native

Tried and True and Lots That's New

Wed, September 20, 2017
Taylor Lewis, nursery manager for the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, shares the plants he loves that will also be available at their Fall 2017 plant sales. His picks include plants for dry shade and sun, Australian natives, California natives and mangaves.
Environmental Education
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