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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County
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Resources for Finding the Right Plants for Your Landscape

UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars
Database searchable by plant characteristics, downloadable brochure, planting and care instructions, garden planting plans.
https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/arboretum-all-stars

Water-wise Landscaping: Water Efficient Plants for the Sierra Foothills, Zone 7 
A booklet produced by UCCE Placer and Nevada Counties in cooperation with PCWA and the US Bureau of Reclamation. Contains plant lists by type (groundcover, shrub, vines, etc.) and information on irrigating responsibly.
WWise Booklet11-05.pub

California Native Plant Society CalScape 
The definitive source for information about California’s native flora including a searchable database of over 7000 plants with photos, detailed information, and gardening tips. Type in an address to find out what plants are native to that area. Create an online account to create and save customized plant lists.
https://calscape.org/

Common Questions Plant Lists 
A page on Regional Water Authority’s Water-wise Gardening in the Gold Country Region website with links to plants by specific form and function. Categories include lawn substitutes, plants for clay soil, ornamental grasses, deer resistant plants, low maintenance shrubs, plants by seasonal interest and much more.
http://www.rwa.watersavingplants.com/plants.php

SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide 
An interactive program designed to help you make appropriate choices by matching trees to particular sites based on compatible characteristics.
https://selectree.calpoly.edu/ 

Roseville Urban Forest Foundation: About Trees 
This webpage provides links to everything you need to know to identify, choose, plant and care for trees.
https://rosevilletree.org/

A Selection & Planting Guide to Small Trees 
Published by PG&E, this guide lists the small trees suited to northern California and provides information to help select, site, plant and care for them.
Guide to Choosing Small Trees to Plant Near Powerlines Northern California

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 
An international nonprofit dedicated to “Help(ing) protect the little things that run the world.” This link takes you to lists of recommended pollinator plants for California, broken into regions.
https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/california

Pollinator Posse 
Lists of plants (including bloom time and color), that support pollinators in general: http://pollinatorposse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/pollinator-posse-native-plant-list-sw-5-29-15-sheet1.pdf and native bees specifically: 
https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/blog/support-california-native-bees-these-10-plants?fbclid=IwAR0IlIjj3j9dvedaI6SdBMC4slWP9PW5ZtLNIsoIVjVjoRF9OFMUmk30J4Q

Water Smart Plants for the Sacramento Region 
Downloadable lists by plant type (groundcover, shrub, vines, etc.). Each list contains WUCOLS ratings, mature size info, benefits, bloom season and more.
Sustainable Urban Gardens (sacgardens.org)

Cal-IPC Don’t Plant a Pest 
Webpages of local invasives, with alternatives: 
Sierra Foothills version: https://www.cal-ipc.org/solutions/prevention/landscaping/dpp/?region=foothills
Central Valley version: https://www.cal-ipc.org/solutions/prevention/landscaping/dpp/?region=centvalley

Plant Right 
Another source for information about invasive plants and their alternatives.
https://plantright.org/about-invasive-plants/plant-list/