Want to fill your backyard with vibrant native plants and flowers? Plant your own SoCal garden! Start with these gorgeous southern California plants.

Are you looking to do some gardening in your Southern California backyard?

Gardening can help burn calories, lower blood pressure, and relieve stress, so this is a great hobby to pick up.

However, before you rush off to the nursery all excited, it’s important that you pick the right plants for your backyard. As we all know, the climate in Southern California is warm and sunny nearly all year-round-very agreeable to us humans.

However, this weather is not agreeable to all plant life.

So, what plants should you use for your backyard?

Check out this guide to learn about the best Southern California plants for your backyard.

1. Matilija Poppy

The Matilija poppy, often commonly referred to as the “fried egg plant” due to its white petals and yellow center, is a perennial poppy that’s great for any Southern California garden.
Matilija Poppy
This plant grows in full sun with well-draining soil. You’ll want to keep root disturbance at an absolute minimum, as this plant can be very fussy at transplant. Also, be sure to plant the poppy on a slope, as it needs plenty of room to run with.
This poppy does best when it’s planted in the fall, and it can grow as high as 5 feet tall.

2. Lily of the Nile

The lily of the Nile is a plant that lives up to its beautiful, alluring name.

This plant is characterized by its clumping white foliage at the base and trumpet-shaped spikes of flowers at the top.

The lily of the Nile is an extremely low-maintenance plant that thrives when planted in a container. With full sun and well-drained soil, it can grow up to three feet tall.

3. Lemonade Berry

If you’re looking for a shrub to plant in your California backyard, the lemonade berry is your answer.
Lemonade Berry
This plant is characterized by deep green leaves and rose-pink flowers. This plant can help to stabilize slopes, and once it’s established, it’s dry-growing. It does best in partial shade or full sun and well-drained soil.

With the right care, this shrub can grow up to ten feet.

4. Chalk Liveforever

If you’ve recently done some backyard remodeling and are looking for the right plants to tuck against your new rocks, the chalk liveforever is the plant for you.

This is a blue-white succulent with long flower spikes. In the spring and late summer, this succulent even features red and silver flowers.

This plant can handle a little shade but generally does best in full sun and well-drained soil.

5. Desert Mallow

If you’re looking to add some bright colors to your backyard, the desert mallow is the perfect plant.
Desert Mallow
This plant is characterized by its brilliant orange flowers that blossom in the early spring.

The desert mallow is dry-growing once it’s established, and it does best in full sun and well-drained soil. To keep the plant fro growing too leggy, you’ll want to cut back on watering by 30 percent after it blooms.

Southern California Plants: Which One Will You Add to Your Yard?

As you can see, there are many wonderful Southern California plants to add to your yard.

Now all you have to do is head to the nursery and then start planting.
And, be sure to check back in with our blog for more landscaping tips and tricks.