Ground Covers for Sunny Slopes in Southern California

Creeping Sage

• Creeping sage (Salvia sonomensis) is a small, woody native perennial that loves heat and sun and doesn't mind having little water. The plant is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 11 and blooms lavender-blue flowers from spring into fall. “Dara’s Choice,” “Mrs. Bread” and “Bee’s Bliss” grow in most soil conditions, where their deep roots provide a natural defense against soil erosion. The silver-gray plant offers an herbal fragrance that, along with its nectar-providing blooms, will entice bees and butterflies to your slopes. Pruning is recommended once per year to improve the visual appeal of the plant and fire resistance.

Dwarf Coyote Brush

• The “Pigeon Point” and “Twin Peaks” baccharis (Baccharis pilularis) are dwarf forms of the coyote brush, growing at heights between 8 to 24 inches and with a spread up to 12 feet, making it suited for stabilizing the sunny slopes of California. The silvery-green evergreen plants are deer-resistant and fast-growing, and the flowers are a prime nectar source for native butterflies. Both baccharis varieties are hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10 and have the ability to adapt to all types of soil conditions, from sandy to clay, while tolerating salty seaside conditions. Although the plants are drought-resistant, they do prefer a bath every couple of weeks to remove dust from their leaves.

California Buckwheat

• The California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) is a common native evergreen plant in California that provides flowers and seeds important to butterflies, bees and small birds. Hardy in USDA zones 5 through 10, the plant starts blooming white flowers in late spring that slowly change to pink in the summer before taking on a rust color in the fall. Thriving in sand and clay, the plant can reach heights of 4 feet and widths of 8 feet. “Dana Point,” “Theodore Payne” and “Bruce Dickinson” are excellent cultivars of the California buckwheat that spread their roots deep into the soil, making them valuable for erosion control and require little to no water when established.

Arctostaphylos Edmundsii Manzanita

• The low-growing manzanita species Arctostaphylos edmundsii belongs to a large family of manzanita, native to California, that are hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11. The Arctostaphylos edmundsii manzanita is a dense, 3- to 36-inch-tall evergreen plant that works well as a ground cover because of its cascading habit. It is drought-tolerant when established and features cinnamon-colored bark and fruits, as well as white or pink flowers loved by hummingbirds and butterflies. Like all California native shrubs, the plant requires an occasional sprinkling of water to remove dust from its leaves. Adaptable to most soils, varieties of the Arctostaphylos edmundsii manzanita such as “Big Sur,” “Danville” and “Carmel Sur” work well on slopes for both erosion and fire control.