This document provides information on 18 native plant species found in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. It includes the Latin name, plant family, key characteristics, habitat, and uses for each plant, with an accompanying picture. Some of the plants featured are Single Leaf Pinyon Pine, Canyon Live Oak, Manzanita, Arroyo Willow, and California Juniper.

1. Native Plants of the Santa
Rosa & San Jacinto
Mountains
By: Sam Buttles
Native Plants (NR 41A)
Professor Katie Barrows
College of the Desert

2. QuickTime™ and a
Single Leaf Pinyon Pine decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Pinus monophylla
 Plant Family - Pinaceae
 Characteristics
 Small to medium size tree reaching roughly 30 to 70 feet tall and with a trunk
rarely more than 30 inches in diameter
 Short, grey-green needles occurring singly rather than in bunches like most
pines
 Acute-globose cones broad and usually 2 to 3 inches long growing over a 26
month cycle
 Habitat
 Native to western United States and Northwestern Mexico ranging from
southern Idaho to northern Baja California and as far east as western Utah
 Occurs at moderate altitudes from 3900 to 7500 feet
 Uses
 Edible seeds known as pine nuts eaten by local wildlife and Native Americans
 Used as an ornamental tree in drought-tolerant and natural landscapes

3. Canyon Live Oak
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Quercus chrysolepis
 Plant family - Fagaceae
 Characteristics
 Shrub-like evergreen tree ranging from 6 to 30 meters in height with horizontal
spreading branches
 Elliptical to oblong leaves ranging from 2.5 to 8 centimeters in length with a
width usually half that and with sharp spines and a leathery texture
 Grows acorns that occur either singly or in pairs and ranging from 2 to 5
centimeters
 Habitat
 Occurs in the southwestern United States mostly in California, but also in
southern Oregon, western Nevada, Arizona, and northern Baja California
 Found anywhere from 500 to 1500 meters in most areas, but as high as 2700
meters in parts of southern California
 Uses
 Acorns eaten by local wildlife and prehistoric humans
 Provides a habitat for many forms of wildlife, especially birds and small
mammals

4. QuickTime™ and a
Manzanita decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Arctostaphylos manzanita
 Plant Family - Ericaceae
 Charzcteristics
 Shrub-like plant with wedge-shaped, pointy, shiny green leaves
 Small white flowers and white berries that turn red-brown during summer
 Distinctive and attractive dark-red bark make it easily identifiable
 Habitat
 Occurs at a variety of elevations in California, but is mostly found on chaparral slopes and
low-elevation coniferous forests
 Uses
 Berries are edible and often brewed into a cider
 The hardness and attractiveness of the wood makes it good for tools, ornaments, and
firewood

5. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
Arroyo Willow are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - salix lasiolepis
 Plant Family - salicaceae
 Characteristics
 Deciduous large shrub and small tree growing up to 33 feet tall
 Long, narrow leaves ranging from 3.5 to 12.5 cm long and green on the top while bottom is
covered in white hairs
 Yellow catkins flowers are 1.5 to 7 cm long and are produced in the spring
 Habitat
 Grows in canyons and along pond shores and swamps
 Found as far north as Washington and as far south as northern Mexico and as far East as
New Mexico and even further east in parts of mexico
 Uses
 Salicylic acid is derived from the willow as an ingredient in aspirin

6. Basin Sagebrush QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Artemisia tridentata
 Plant Family - asteraceae
 Characteristics
 Aromatic shrub with pale grey-green leaves covered in silvery hairs and yellow flowers
 Rarely more than 3 meters tall
 Long-lived plant sometimes reaching 100 years of age
 Habitat
 Grows in arid to semi-arid conditions in cold desert, steppe, and mountain habitats in
western North America
 Uses
 Provides food for much of the local wildlife
 Used as an herbal medicine by Native Americans for a variety of conditions

7. QuickTime™ and a
Incense Cedar decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Calocedrus decurrens
 Plant Family - cupressaceae
 Characteristics
 Large tree reaching 40 to 60 meters tall
 Has overlapping scale-like leaves occurring in whorls of four
 Has cones with 2 to 3 pairs of thin, erect scales
 Habitat
 Native to western North America and found at a variety of elevations from central western
Oregon to parts of northern Baja California and as far east as western Nevada
 Uses
 The soft and decay-resistant qualities of the wood of the incense cedar make it ideal for
the manufacturing of wooden products like pencils that need to be soft and splinter-proof

8. Jeffrey Pine QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Pinus Jeffreyi
 Plant Family - Pinaceae
 Characteristics
 Large coniferous evergreen tree reaching from 80 to 130 feet tall
 5 to 9 inch long grey-green needles occurring in groups of 3
 5 to 9 inch long cones that turn from dark purple to a dull brown as they mature
 Habitat
 Found as far north as southwestern Oregon and as south as northern Baja California, but
grows mostly in California
 Found in elevations of 4900 to 6900 feet in its northern regions and from 5900 to 9500 feet
in its more southern regions
 Uses
 Wood is often used for construction and other purposes
 N-heptane is distilled from the resin found in Jeffrey pines

9. QuickTime™ and a
Wax Currant decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Ribes cereum
 Plant Family - grossulariaceae
 Characteristics
 Spreading or erect shrub growing up to 2 meters tall
 Aromatic spicy scent
 Fuzzy, glandular stems with rounded leaves that are teethed at the edges
 White to pink flowers grow in clusters
 Grows small, tasteless red berries
 Habitat
 Native to western North America from southern California to southern British Columbia
 Grows in a variety of habitats, but mostly mountain forests in alpine climates
 Uses
 Berries provide food for wildlife and Native Americans
 Used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans
 Grown as an ornamental plant

10. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
Sugar Pine are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Pinus lambertiana
 Plant Family - Pinaceae
 Characteristics
 Largest of the pines growing from 130 to 200 feet and taller and with a trunk diameter of 5
to 8 feet
 Needles are 2 to 4 inches long with a deciduous sheath and occur in bundles of 5
 Cones are the longest of the pines at 10 to 20 inches long
 Habitat
 Grows in the mountains of Oregon, California, and Baja California
 Uses
 Pine nuts are edible and utilized by wildlife and Native Americans
 Wood can be used as lumber

11. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
California Fuchsia are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Epilobium canum
 Plant Family - Onagraceae
 Characteristics
 Perennial subshrub rarely growing taller than 60 centimeters
 Exhibits extreme variation:
• leaves can be opposite or alternate, oval-like or long and slender, and range in color
from white to green
• Flowers can be tubular or funnel-shaped and can range in color from fuchsia to pink
to red-orange
 Spreads via rhizomes, or roots
 Habitat
 Native to dry slopes and the chaparral of western North America especially in California
 Uses
 Can be grown as an ornamental plant in many gardens and landscapes

12. Cupleaf Ceanothus QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Ceanothus greggii
 Plant Family - Rhamnaceae
 Characteristics
 Erect shrub growing up to 7 feet in height
 Gray and somewhat hairy woody parts
 Evergreen leaves vary in shape and may or may not be toothed at edges
 Grows clusters of white flowers
 The fruit is a horned capsule only a few millimeters wide and bursts open to expel the 3
seeds it contains. These seeds require wildfires to be germinated.
 Habitat
 Grows in dry habitats such as desert scrub and chaparral in the southwestern United
States and northern Mexico
 Uses
 Grazed by wildlife such as big horn sheep and mule deer

13. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
Bush Chinquapin are needed to see this picture.
 Characteristics
 Shrub growing 3 to 7 feet tall
 Blunt-pointed leaves growing 1 to 3 inches long
 Thin, smooth bark
 Fruit occurs as a densely spiny cupule usually containing 3 edible nuts
 Habitat
 Occurs in the Klamath mountains of Oregon and the Sierra Nevada, San
Gabriel, San Bernardino, and San Jacinto mountains of California from 3300 to
9800 feet in elevation
 Uses
 Edible sweet nuts contained in fruit provide food for wildlife and Native
Americans

14. California Black Oak QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Quercus Kelloggii
 Plant Family - Fagaceae
 Characteristics
 Deciduous tree which can sometimes be shrub-like growing from 30 to 80 feet in height
and with a trunk diameter of 1 to 5 feet
 Young trees have a slender crown that spreads out to become quite broad and rounded as
the tree ages. The first 20 to 40 feet of the trunk is usually free of branches.
 Leaves are larger than most oaks at 4 to 8 inches long and are deeply lobed
 Acorns are also relatively large at 1 inch long and only slightly less wide
 Lifespan is 100 to 200 years with some living up to 500 years
 Habitat
 Native to the western United States from western central Oregon to northern Baja
California
 Grows in mixed evergreen forests, oak woodlands, and coniferous forests
 Uses
 Acorns provide food for wildlife and Native Americans
 Often used as hardwood timber

15. California Buckwheat QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Eriogonum fasciculatum
 Plant Family - polygonaceae
 Characteristics
 Evergreen bush roughly 12 to 39 inches in height and 28 to 51 inches wide
 Leather leaves with a wooly underside grow in clusters along the branches
 Pink and white flowers occur in dense clusters at the ends of branches
 Habitat
 Native to southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico and grows in dry climates
in locations like chaparral and dry washes
 Uses
 Used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes
 Attractive to honey bees
 Good source of nectar

16. QuickTime™ and a
Ribbonwood decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Adenostema sparsifolium
 Plant Family - Rosaceae
 Characteristics
 Multi-trunked tree or shrub 1 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
 Shaggy bark constantly frays and falls
 Habitat
 Grows on dry slopes in the chaparral of Southern California and Northern Baja Mexico
 Uses
 Used medicinally for a variety of purposes such as the treatment of arthritis and
toothaches

17. QuickTime™ and a
Chamise decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Adenostenum Fasciculatum
 Plant Family - Rosaceae
 Characteristics
 Evergreen shrub growing up to 4 meters tall
 Small leaves 4 to 10 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide with a pointed apex occur in
clusters along long pointy branches
 White, tubular flowers occur at the ends of the branches
 Habitat
 Native to the chaparral of Southern California and Baja Mexico
 Uses
 Erosion control

18. QuickTime™ and a
Sugar Bush decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Rhus ovata
 Plant Family - Anacardiaceae
 Characteristics
 Rounded shrub or small tree 6 to 30 feet tall
 Thick, leathery dark green leaves folded upward in the midlle
 Thick reddish twigs
 White and pink flowers grow in clusters grow at the ends of some branches
 Habitat
 Grows in the chaparral of Southern California, Arizona, and Baja California below 1300 meters in dry
canyons and south-facing slopes
 Uses
 Provides a habitat for birds
 Fruit and flowers are eaten by wildlife and can be made into a juice
 Drought-tolerant for landscapes

19. California Juniper QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Juniperus californica
 Plant Family - Cupressaceae
 Characteristics
 Shrub or small tree growing from 10 to 26 feet
 Leaves are scale-like and opposite occurring along shoots
 Cones are blue-brown and berry-like
 Habitat
 Native to southwestern North America mainly in California, but also in sparsely in Baja
California, Nevada, and Arizona
 2460 to 5200 feet in elevation
 Uses
 Popular bonsai species
 Drought tolerant

20. QuickTime™ and a
Mountain Snowberry decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Symphoricarpus rotundifolius
 Plant Family - Caprifoliaceae
 Characteristics
 Deciduous shrub
 1.5 to 5 centimeter long leaves, rounded with one or two lobes at the bottom
 Flowers are small and very light green to pink
 Fruits are white berries
 Habitat
 Found in many mountainous woods in much of North and Central America
 Uses
 Fruits provide winter food for some birds but are considered poisonous to humans

21. QuickTime™ and a
Lodgepole Pine decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Pinus Contorta
 Plant family - Pinaceae
 Characteristics
 Has three subspecies and can be shrub-like or a small tree ranging from 1 to 3 meters and
40 to 50 meters
 Needles are dark green, pointed, and 4 to 8 centimeters
 Cones are 3 to 7 centimeters long with prickles on the scales. They often need to be
germinated by a forest fire.
 Habitat
 Found in California and British Columbia in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain
ranges, the mountains of Southern California and even northern Baja Mexico
 Uses
 Timber was used in Native American construction as well as current construction
 Grown in gardens and can be a large bonsai species

22. Curl-leaf Mountain
QuickTime™ and a
Mahogany decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin name - Cercocarpus ledifolius
 Plant Family - Rosaceae
 Characteristics
 Large, densely branching shrub or tree growing up to 10 meters in height
 Leaves are dark green, leathery, sticky, and often curled at the edges
 Flowers consist of a brown cone out of which protrudes a long, plume-like gynocium
covered in tiny tan hairs
 Habitat
 Grows in low mountains and slopes of western North America
 Uses
 Used medicinally for a variety of purposes by Native Americans

23. Rabbitbrush QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Chrysothamnus nauseosus
 Plant Family - Asteraceae
 Characteristics
 Low subshrub rarely more than 20 centimeters in height
 Branches with a dark grey, fibrous, bark grow green and glandular stems with green, hairy,
glandular leaves
 Clusters of cylindrical, yellow flowers occur at the ends of branches
 Habitat
 Native to southwestern North America
 Uses
 Fed on by livestock and wildlife

24. White Fir QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Abies concolor
 Plant Family - Pinaceae
 Characteristics
 Evergreen coniferous tree growing from 80 to 197 feet in height
 Needles appear flattened and ar 2.5 to 6 centimeters long
 Cones are 6 to 12 centimeters long and 4 to 5 centimeters wide
 Habitat
 Grows 3000 to 11000 feet in elevation in the mountains of western North America
 Uses
 Sometimes used in paper making and other cheap construction work
 Often used as Christmas decoration

25. Holly-leaved Redberry QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Latin Name - Rhamnus ilicifolia
 Plant Family - Rhamnaceae
 Characteristics
 Rambling shrub growing up to 4 meters in height
 Leaves are rounded, dark green, and leathery with sharp teethed edges
 Red flowers grow at the end of some stems
 Fruits ripens to a bright red on the end of some stems
 Habitat
 Found in the wooded areas and chaparral of the western United States and Mexico
 Uses
 Fruits are edible