The Santa Monica Mountains, one of the Transverse Ranges located in Southern California, are in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of the California Floristic Province. This ecoregion has two predominant ecosystems, with three primary plant communities: the California coastal sage and chaparral, with coastal sage scrub along the coast, the California montane chaparral and woodlands, with chaparral and California oak woodlands as the mountains rise and recede from the coast and descend into the interior valleys.
Introduction The Santa Monica Mountains are covered by hundreds of local plant species: some are endemic or very rare, some are beautiful California native plants in situ, and some also are familiar as horticultural ornamental and native garden plants. Each season has different plants predominating the visual experience.
A partial list of Plants seen in the Santa Monica Mountains: Jepson Manual plant databaseAdditional References: see the following links and books.
Native and non-native flora Monocotyledons
Asparagaceae Hesperoyucca whipplei (syn. Yucca whipplei) (chaparral yucca, our lord's candle, Spanish bayonet) Amaryllidaceae Allium peninsulare Bloomeria crocea Dipterostemon capitatus (blue dicks) Cyperaceae Carex senta Carex spp. Iridaceae Sisyrinchium bellum (blue-eyed grass) Juncaceae Juncus patens (gray spike rush) Juncus spp.
Liliaceae Calochortus splendens (calochortus) Calochortus venustus Calochortus spp. Chlorogalum pomeridianum (soap plant) Fritillaria biflora Lilium humboldtii (Humboldt's lily) Orchidaceae Epipactis gigantea (stream orchid) Poaceae (alt. Gramineae) Festuca californica (California fescue) Leymus condensatus (syn. Eleymus condensatus) (giant wild rye grass) Leymus triticoides (creeping wild rye) Melica californica (California melic grass) Melica imperfecta (little california melic grass) Nassella pulchra (syn. Stipa pulchra) (purple needlegrass)
Dicotyledons
Aizoaceae (Ice Plant) Carpobrotus edulis Mesembryanthemum crystallinum Anacardiaceae (Sumac) Malosma laurina (Laurel Sumac) Rhus integrifolia (Lemonadeberry) Rhus ovata (Sugar Bush) Rhus trilobata (Squaw Bush) Toxicodendron diversilobum (Poison Oak) (skin irritation) Apiaceae (Umbel flowers, Carrots) Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock) (poisonous) Foeniculum vulgare (Sweet Fennel) Asteraceae (Yarrow) Artemisia californica (California sagebrush) Baccharis glutinosa (Mule fat) Baccharis pilularis (Coyote Brush) Centaurea melitensis (Yellow Star Thistle) (significant invasive exotic) Cirsium occidentale Encelia californica Eriophyllum confertiflorum Gnaphalium californicum Malacothrix saxatilis (Cliff Aster) Silybum marianum Misc (sunfowers) Boraginaceae Brassicaceae Brassica nigra (Black Mustard) (invasive exotic) Stanleya pinnata Cactaceae Opuntia littoralis Capparaceae Isomeris arborea Sambucus mexicana (Mexican Elderberry) Caryophyllaceae Silene laciniata Chenopodiaceae Salsola iberica (Tumbleweed) Cistaceae Cistus villosus Helianthemum scoparium Convolvulaceae Calystegia macrostegia (Morning glory) Cuscuta californica (Dodder, Orangebeard, Witches Hair) Crassulaceae Dudleya lanceolata Dudleya pulverulenta (Chalk Dudleya) Cucurbitaceae Cucurbita foetidissima Marah macrocarpus Ericaceae (Heath family) Arctostaphylos glandulosa Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia albomarginata Ricinus communis Fabaceae (Leguminosae, Pea family) Lotus scoparius (Broom) Lupinus spp. Lupinus hirsutissimus Medicago sativa Pickeringia montana Spartium junceum Gentianaceae Centaurium venustum Geraniaceae Erodium cicutarium Hydrophyllaceae Eriodictyon crassifolium (Yerba Santa) Phacelia cicutaria (Caterpillar phacelia) Phacelia grandiflora Phacelia parryi Lamiaceae (Mint) Marrubium vulgare (Horehound) Salvia apiana (White Sage) Salvia clevelandii - (Cleveland sage) Salvia columbariae (Chia) Salvia leucophylla (Purple sage) Salvia mellifera (Black sage) Malvaceae Malacothamnus fasciculatus Malva parviflora (Cheeseweed)
Nyctaginaceae Abronia umbellata (Verbena) Mirabilis californica (Wishbone Plant) Onagraceae Clarkia deflexa Clarkia unguiculata Zauschneria californica - (California Fuchsia) Oxalidaceae Oxalis pes-caprae Paeoniaceae Paeonia californica Papaveraceae Dendromecon rigida - (Bush Poppy) Dicentra ochroleuca Eschscholzia californica - (California Poppy) Papaver californicum Romneya coulteri - (Matilija Poppy) Polemonacea Leptodactylon californicum Linanthus dianthiflorus Polygonaceae Eriogonum crocatum - (Conejo Buckwheat) (endemic) Eriogonum cinereum - (Coastal Buckwheat) (endemic) Eriogonum elongatum Eriogonum fasciculatum - (California buckwheat) Rumex crispus Portulacaceae Claytonia perfoliata Primulaceae Anagalis arvensis Dodecatheon clevelandii Ranunculaceae Clematis ligusticifolia Delphinium cardinale: Delphinium parryi Ranunculus californicus Rhamnaceae Ceanothus crassifolius Ceanothus cuneatus Ceanothus leucodermis Ceanothus megacarpus - (Bigpod Ceanothus) (endemic) Ceanothus oliganthus Ceanothus spinosus Rhamnus californica - (Coffeeberry) Rosaceae Adenostoma fasciculatum - (Coastal Sage) Cercocarpus betuloides - (Mountain Mahogany) Heteromeles arbutifolia - (Toyon) Prunus ilicifolia - (Evergreen Cherry) Rosa californica Rubus ursinus - (California Blackberry) Salicaceae Salix lasiolepis - (Arroyo Willow) Saxifragaceae Ribes amarum - (Bitter Gooseberry) (endemic) Ribes aureum - (Golden Currant) Ribes divaricatum - (Parish's Gooseberry) Ribes malvaceum - (Chaparral Currant) Ribes speciosum - (Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry) Scrophulariaceae (Figwort family) Anirrhinum coulterianum Antirrhinim kelloggii Castilleja affins Casrilleja foliolosa Castilleja marinii Mimulus brevipes Mimulus aurantiacus Mimulus cardinalis Mimulus guttatus Mimulus longiflorus Mimulus pilosus Orthocarpus purpurascens Pedicularis densiflora Penstemon centranthifolius Penstemon heterophyllus Penstemon spectabilis Solanaceae Datura innoxia (Datura) Nicotiana glauca Nicotiana bigelovii Nicotiana glauca Solanum douglasii Solanum xanti
Trees Acer macrophyllum - (Bigleaf Maple) Alnus rhombifolia - (White Alder) Juglans californica - (California Black Walnut) Quercus agrifolia - (Coast Live Oak) Quercus chrysolepis - (Canyon Live Oak) Pinus sabiniana - (Digger Pine, Gray Pine) Platanus racemosa - (California Sycamore) Umbellularia Californica - (California Bay)
See also
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area California chaparral and woodlands California coastal sage and chaparral sub-ecoregion Coastal sage scrub plant community California montane chaparral and woodlands sub-ecoregion California Native Plant Society
Notes
References Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains - Alphabetical Checklist; UCLA Botanical Garden website lists. Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains - by Family: page 1 Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains - by Family: page 2 Regional Flora of Santa Monica Mountains Santa Monica Mountains Flora: A Check List Flora of Malibu Creek State Park Flora of Topanga State Park Flora of Point Mugu State Park Flora of Charmlee Regional Park Flora of Mishe Mokwa Trail Area "Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains, California"; publication: Southern California Botanists; Peter H Raven.
Further reading "Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains, California", Southern California Botanists; Peter H Raven. "Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains", by Milt McAuley. "Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains, Coastal and Chaparral Regions of Southern California", by Nancy Dale. "Roadside Plants of Southern California", by Thomas J. Belzer. "California Native Plants for the Garden", by Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O'Brien; Cachuma Press, Los Olivos CA, 2005; & . "The Jepson Manual," James C Hickman, UC Press, . Jepson Manual Online: Jepson Interchange plant database
External links
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: Online Flower Finder website — includes the Santa Monica Mountains.