Natural History Wanderings

from Marin CNPS

Whether you’re thinking about your own garden or a larger project, California’s native plants can help with bank stabilization and erosion control. We recommend that you check out Calscape’s bank stabilization feature, which you can customize to your address. The CNPS Horticulture Team has put together the following list of native plants for erosion control. (Their suitability will depend on your location.)

Groundcover: 

• Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Twin Peaks or Pigeon Point Dwarf Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis)
• Yankee Point Carmel Ceanothus (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus‘Yankee Point’)

Small shrubs: 

• California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica)
• Tasselflower brickellbush (Brickellia grandiflora)
• Bush sunflower (Encelia californica)

Large shrubs:

• Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.)
• California lilacs (Ceanothus spp.)
• California buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)