Landscape Plants for Sonoma County

We offer a number of plant lists to help you find the right plants for each place in your garden, or the right place for that plant you couldn't resist. The selection of plants on these lists is not intended to be exhaustive. There are many more plants that can be — and are — grown successfully in Sonoma County, but the selected plants are likely to be the most successful. They can survive our wet winters and dry summers with minimal care. Some are California natives while others are native to other Mediterranean climates. Many require little supplemental irrigation, attract few harmful insects, are relatively disease free, and flourish here in Sonoma County.

All vegetation, including native plants and ornamental plants, is flammable. Firewise landscape design considers plant placement and spacing and includes non-flammable hardscape, such as granite paths and stone walls, to separate planted areas. See our Wildfire Preparedness in the Home Landscape page for more information.

You need to take your location into account when using these lists, as Sonoma County has many climate zones. Your own microclimate and precise planting location will affect the way your plants grow. Plants in coastal microclimates can withstand more sun and can get by with less watering than those in hot, inland areas. Plants should be grouped in the garden by their water needs. For best results, follow the advice given on our Sustainable Gardening page.

In partnership with Santa Rosa Water, we developed a list of “Climate Forward Trees”, a recommended palette of trees species that are likely to thrive with the forecasted changes in climate in Santa Rosa over the next 30-50 years.

On these lists, single-letter descriptors are used to describe the characteristics of each plant. You can find the plants having the characteristic you are looking for by scanning the column for that characteristic. Click here to see the definitions of these indicators.

Sonoma Superstars (best plants for Sonoma County)

Native Plants

Plants Usually Avoided by Deer

Plants to Conserve Water

Plants for Beneficial Insects

Plants for Dry Shade

Plants for Erosion Control

Plants for Small Gardens

Plants to Use for Ground Covers

More information from other sources

Plant Right
Calscape: plants native to your zip code

Not all plant characteristics are desirable. Be aware of these when choosing plants to add to your garden.
These links will help you: