NativeSeed Group Inventory

Cool season, drought tolerant perennial bunchgrass with a coarse, dense fibrous root system. Most commonly found on thin, heavy soils but also occurs on deeper, coarser sites, often in association with Ponderosa pine communities. Provides good palatability to livestock and wildlife. Useful for controlling soil erosion and improving rangelands.

• Growing Region:  Southwest, Intermountain West
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Erosion Control, Agriculture, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-2 ft

Columnar-shaped succulent cactus 2-10 ft. tall and 18-33 in. in diameter with showy orange, yellow or red flowers in a ring upon its top, blooming July to September. Occurs on deep sandy desert soils, often of igneous and limestone origin, on gravelly slopes, wash margins and alluvial fans in desert grassland, desert shrub habitats, oak woodlands and grasslands; up to 6,000 ft. elevation. Frost sensitive; fire resistant. Appearance varies through its broad geographical and elevational range. Extensively used as a xeriscape ornamental in landscaping. Cattle and other animals consume the flesh when the spines are removed by disturbances such as wildfire. Javelina, mule deer, numerous birds and small mammals browse the large yellow sour fruits. Caterpillar host of moth Cactobrosis fernaldialis. 

• Growing Region:  Southwest
• Blooms:  Summer
• Life Form: 

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  4+ ft

Formerly Agropyron inerme. Cool season, long-lived, drought tolerant, perennial bunchgrass adapted to a wide variety of sites but intolerant of poor drainage, high water tables and spring flooding. An awnless-type Bluebunch wheatgrass (see below: Bluebunch wheatgrass, P. spicata ssp. spicata) which starts growth in early spring, has a relatively short life cycle but renews growth in early fall. Good palatability to livestock and wildlife.

• Growing Region:  Southwest
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-2 ft

Formerly Cleome isomeris and Isomeris arborea. Rounded evergreen shrub to subshrub 4-6 ft. tall with attractive yellow flowers, blooming primarily January to June. Odd-smelling sulfurous leaves. Tolerant of alkalinity, occurring on dry, well-drained desert soils in disturbed areas, hillsides, grasslands, washes, roadsides, sand dunes and coastal bluffs; up to 4,500 ft. elevation. Very drought tolerant and adapted to temperatures from below freezing to hot desert summers. Provides food and cover for wildlife and birds, especially quail. Abundant nectar source for pollinators, including both native and introduced bees. Caterpillar host of Becker's white butterfly. 

• Growing Region:  Intermountain West, California
• Blooms:  Spring, Summer
• Life Form:  Shrub

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  4+ ft

Formerly Xanthocephalum sarothrae. Mounded woody evergreen subshrub up to 3 ft. tall with clusters of small golden yellow flowers, blooming June to November. Adapted to a wide range of soils within deserts, grasslands, shrublands and wooded areas; up to 10,000 ft. elevation. Native but aggressive, especially on overgrazed and disturbed sites. Toxic to sheep and cattle, particularly during pregnancy. Preferred browse of pronghorn antelope in spring and summer. Major summer and winter food source for black-tailed jackrabbits. Seeds are eaten by a wide variety of small birds and mammals. Pollinated by various insects and is the caterpillar host of Yellow spragueia moth. 

• Growing Region:  Southwest, Intermountain West, Midwest
• Blooms:  Fall
• Life Form:  Shrub

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Pollinator Habitat, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-4 ft

Formerly Haplopappus tenuisectus. Compact rounded herbaceous subshrub 1-3 ft. tall with dense clusters of small yellow flowers, blooming August to November. Found on arid desert plains, washes, mesas and roadsides; 1,500 to 6,500 ft. elevation. Useful for reclamation in desert regions. Intolerant of fire. Native but aggressive, especially on overgrazed and disturbed sites. Toxic to livestock, especially horses. Attracts insects and butterfly pollinators. 

• Growing Region:  Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, Midwest
• Blooms:  Fall
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Pollinator Habitat, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-4 ft

Rounded drought-deciduous shrub up to 3 ft. tall with bright yellowish-orange flowers, blooming January to September with adequate monsoon rainfall. Adapted to slow-draining sand and gravel soils with high water tables and in drainage channels; up to 5,000 ft. elevation. Primarily occurs in the Mohave Desert but also found at higher elevations in the Sonoran Desert and beyond. Often in Shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and Joshua tree communities. Aggressive offsite colonizer of wildfire disturbed areas via wind dispersed seeds. Seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. Important succulent forage for desert tortoise in periods of drought.  

• Growing Region:  Southwest
• Blooms:  Spring, Summer
• Life Form:  Shrub

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Pollinator Habitat, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-4 ft

This is a perennial bunchgrass that can grow up to 4 feet tall. It is used in landscaping and restoration for its drought tolerance and ability to stabilize soil. This grass prefers full sun and is commonly found in dry, open habitats such as chaparral and coastal sage scrub.

• Growing Region:  Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, California
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Commercial Beautification, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-3 ft

Small rounded native perennial forb to subshrub bearing numerous white to cream flowers, blooming March to November. Drought tolerant, common in arid desert mesas, rocky slopes and caliche or alkaline sites with high pH soils; 2,000 to 6,500 ft. elevation. Hardy, use in desert restoration and habitat improvement. Attracts pollinating insects, especially butterflies. 

• Growing Region:  Southwest
• Blooms:  Spring
• Life Form:  Forb, Shrub

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Pollinator Habitat, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-3 ft

Cool season, native perennial grasslike with aggressive black rhizomes. Occurs in seasonally moist wetland areas and prairies, from low elevations up to 10,000 ft. Adapted to fine, medium and coarse alkaline and serpentine soils. Highly palatable to livestock and wildlife and tolerant of grazing and trampling. Useful for riparian and wetland reclamation. Occasionally used as a low maintenance lawn, requiring little mowing and irrigation and able to withstand foot traffic. 

• Growing Region:  Intermountain West, Southwest, California
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grasslike

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Commercial Beautification, Turf, Agriculture, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-2 ft

This is a thorny shrub that can grow up to 12 feet tall. It is used for erosion control and as wildlife habitat. This shrub prefers full sun and grows in dry, open habitats such as deserts and scrublands.

• Growing Region:  Southwest, California
• Blooms:  Spring
• Life Form:  Shrub

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-4 ft

Drought-tolerant native annual with large bright yellow flowers and a red base, blooming May to June. Endemic to central California, from coastal scrub to foothill woodland habitats, up to 3,000 ft. elevation. Performs well in poor soils, especially on rocky or sandy open slopes of hillsides and road cuts. Used in restoration and as an ornamental. 

• Growing Region:  California, Southwest
• Blooms:  Spring, Summer
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Pollinator Habitat, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-3 ft

Formerly Castilleja exilis. Native annual root-parasite with long red bract flowers, blooming April to October. Occurs in heavy soils of sunny wetlands, saline or alkaline meadows, wet shores and seasonally moist sites with high water tables; up to 8,500 ft. elevation. 

• Growing Region:  Intermountain West, Southwest, California
• Blooms:  Summer
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Pollinator Habitat, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-2 ft

Native, Cool season, annual found in open grassland and prairie habitats, sometimes as a dominant species. Prefers thin, low-nutrient, serpentine, sandy soils; occasionally clays. Fast-growing and opportunistic, commonly increases after fire and other disturbances. Recommended for reclamation and emergency short-term erosion control while perennial plants establish. 

• Growing Region:  California, Southwest
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Erosion Control, Habitat Restoration
• Height:  1-3 ft