California’s varied topography, climate and soils have given rise to a remarkable diversity of habitats, with a corresponding diversity of both plant and animal species. The ENC showcases representative plants from 15 of California’s plant communities, although it does not come close to representing all of California’s amazing biodiversity!
Download the ENC Plant Community Guide to learn about California’s flora or click on the links below to learn about each plant community. Here is a MAP of the grounds and trails.
Topography
Geological and climatic forces have created California’s topography and soils. Glaciation, sedimentary and volcanic deposits, movement along fault zones, the uplift of subterranean rock and sediment layers, and gradual erosion have created unique topographical features and an assortment of disparate bedrock and soil types.
Habitats
California’s extensive range of latitude, along with the varied landscape features, climatic conditions, and geological substrates and soils that exist here has yielded a tremendous diversity of habitats, including alpine meadows, desert scrub, coastal wetlands, sandy beaches, dunes and bluffs, oak woodlands, diverse grasslands, moist redwood forests, spring-fed lakes, and freshwater streams, rivers, and marshes.
The factors that determine where and how a particular plant species grows are:
Weather, including precipitation, temperature and wind
Climate, including elevation, humidity, sunlight, heating effects and evaporation rates
Substrate, including rock and shallow, sandy, loamy or muddy soil
Local Effects, including fire, soil creep, frozen winter soil and disturbances from burrowing animals and human activities
Plants adapt to combinations of these factors by growing specialized leaves, bark, stem tissues and roots. With its exceptional range of these factors, California has more species than any other state in the US, as well as the greatest number of endemic (existing nowhere else) species. As a result, California is one of the top “hotspots” for biodiversity in the world.
Take a visual tour through the ENC’s Plant Communities
Coastal Sage Scrub
The Coastal Sage Scrub is a plant community typical of Southern California coastal bluffs and canyons. Coastal Sage Scrub is considered by many to be the most endangered plant community in the United States. It has extremely high levels of species diversity and endemism, and it contains a number of endangered species, including the California Gnatcatcher. Coastal Sage Scrub is located on highly valued, coastal real estate and is threatened by development. This ecosystem represents the struggle between preservation and development. The Coastal Sage Scrub habitat extends from the South Coast Ranges to Baja California, mostly below 3000 feet and below the Chaparral Plant Community. It is characterized by drought adapted shrubs. About 10″ – 20″ of rain falls annually, and that drains quickly through the dry, rocky or gravelly soil. The growing season is 8 – 12 months annually.
Black Sage
Black Sage
open-branched shrub 3 to 6 feet tall leaves are 1" - 2" long and about 1/2 as wide small, closely-spaced whorls of large blue flowers April - July excellent source of nectar for honey-making bees seeds dark brown and oblong seeds were used by Native Americans for food and tea leaves were used for food flavoring
Black Sage
Black Sage
open-branched shrub 3 to 6 feet tall leaves are 1" - 2" long and about 1/2 as wide small, closely-spaced whorls of large blue flowers April - July excellent source of nectar for honey-making bees seeds dark brown and oblong seeds were used by Native Americans for food and tea leaves were used for food flavoring
Black Sage
Black Sage
open-branched shrub 3 to 6 feet tall leaves are 1" - 2" long and about 1/2 as wide small, closely-spaced whorls of large blue flowers April - July excellent source of nectar for honey-making bees seeds dark brown and oblong seeds were used by Native Americans for food and tea leaves were used for food flavoring
California Sagebrush
California Sagebrush
perennial low, rounded shrub, densely covered with very narrow grey leaves 3/4" - 3" long small yellow flowers bloom August - December Native Americans used this plant's oil as an insect repellent, incense, and for sore throats women drank a concoction of this plant to alleviate the effects of menopause host plant for the American Lady butterfly
Channel Islands Flora
The Channel Islands include 8 islands. Located off the coast of Orange and Los Angeles counties are, south to north, San Clemente, Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara and San Nicholas Islands. Located off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are, south to north, Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel. The flora of each island is individual and often quite different than the species found on the mainland. This plant community grows under similar conditions as Coastal Sage Scrub (high humidity) with 15″ – 20″ of rainfall annually.
Catalina Ironwood
Catalina Ironwood
evergreen tree bark is thin, grayish and scaly and peeling in narrow strips (beneath the peeling bark, the color is reddish brown) leaves are pinnately compound, with 7 - 15 leaflets purple pea-shaped flowers appear from April - May; followed by a brown pod (fruit) seeds taste like peanuts, and can be ground into flour Native Americans used this extremely hard wood to make tools
Catalina Ironwood
Catalina Ironwood
evergreen tree bark is thin, grayish and scaly and peeling in narrow strips (beneath the peeling bark, the color is reddish brown) leaves are pinnately compound, with 7 - 15 leaflets purple pea-shaped flowers appear from April - May; followed by a brown pod (fruit) seeds taste like peanuts, and can be ground into flour Native Americans used this extremely hard wood to make tools
Catalina Island Cherry
Catalina Island Cherry
evergreen shrub or small tree (up to 45 feet in height) with a broad crown of spreading branches thick, dark green leaves, 2" - 5" long, oval shaped, mostly without teeth small white flowers bloom May - June, followed in autumn by a 1/2" - to 1" dark purple cherry after careful preparation including grinding and soaking, the Tongva (Gabrielino) Native Americans ate the thin layer of meat of this cherry host plant for the Western Tiger Swallowtail, Pale Swallowtail, California Hairstreak, Variable Checkerspot, and Lorquin's Admiral
Island Tree Mallow
Island Tree Mallow
evergreen, erect, bushy shrub, can grow to 15 feet leaves are alternate, and shaped similarly to maple leaves; grayish-green on top, with a silvery (but not shiny) green color underneath flowers primarily April to August, but at the ENC, flowers can be seen year round native to the Santa Barbara & Santa Catalina Islands fruits are good in salads; young leaves are eaten raw or boiled and seasoned
Island Tree Mallow
Island Tree Mallow
evergreen, erect, bushy shrub, can grow to 15 feet leaves are alternate, and shaped similarly to maple leaves; grayish-green on top, with a silvery (but not shiny) green color underneath flowers primarily April to August, but at the ENC, flowers can be seen year round native to the Santa Barbara & Santa Catalina Islands fruits are good in salads; young leaves are eaten raw or boiled and seasoned
Torrey Pine
Torrey Pine
sprawling tree with irregularly fissured bark stiff, dark green leaves in bundles of 5 are 7" - 11" long ovoid cones 4" - 6" long native only to Santa Rosa Island and Del Mar, which are separated by 175 miles of ocean resin was chewed for sore throats and made into a tea to treat colds young needles used in tea
Torrey Pine
Torrey Pine
sprawling tree with irregularly fissured bark stiff, dark green leaves in bundles of 5 are 7" - 11" long ovoid cones 4" - 6" long native only to Santa Rosa Island and Del Mar, which are separated by 175 miles of ocean resin was chewed for sore throats and made into a tea to treat colds young needles used in tea
Catalina Ironwood
Catalina Ironwood
evergreen tree bark is thin, grayish and scaly and peeling in narrow strips (beneath the peeling bark, the color is reddish brown) leaves are pinnately compound, with 7 - 15 leaflets purple pea-shaped flowers appear from April - May; followed by a brown pod (fruit) seeds taste like peanuts, and can be ground into flour Native Americans used this extremely hard wood to make tools
Chaparral
Chaparral is a Spanish word meaning “where the scrub oak grow.” This plant community is found in semi-arid areas such as the dry slopes and ridges of the Coastal Ranges from Shasta County south, and below the Yellow Pine Forest on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This habitat is found in the Southern California mountains, as well. Soil here is rocky and gravelly or fairly heavy. Average rainfall is 14″ – 25″ each year. The annual growing season is 8 to 12 months. Brush fires race through this habitat frequently.
Prickly Pear
Prickly Pear
grows either erect or spreading woody, with large, fleshy, spiny pads; fruits red and barrel-shaped flowers are normally yellow, bloom mostly May - June Native Americans ate the fruits dried, raw, or made into a syrup seeds were ground into flour used as a poultice for wounds and inflammations needles used as tools
Prickly Pear
Prickly Pear
grows either erect or spreading woody, with large, fleshy, spiny pads; fruits red and barrel-shaped flowers are normally yellow, bloom mostly May - June Native Americans ate the fruits dried, raw, or made into a syrup seeds were ground into flour used as a poultice for wounds and inflammations needles used as tools
Chamise
Chamise
one of the most abundant shrubs in Southern California adapted to fires, which are natural and beneficial here (unless they are too frequent) can "crown sprout," or re-sprout quickly from the root crown can reproduce prolifically from seed leaves are needle-like, clustered on shoots along the main branches small white flowers appear at the ends of the branches in spring the Koso people used this tough plant for arrow points Luiseño people used it for the arrow foreshaft
Photo Credits for Plant Communities of California at the ENC: ENC Staff
Bibliography for Plant Communities of California at the ENC:
A Natural History of California (California Natural History Guides) by Allan A. Schoenherr
Natural History of the Islands of California by Allan A. Schoenherr, C. Robert Feldmeth, and Michael J. Emerson