Two excellent books for photos and information about Southern California native plants:
James Lightner "San Diego County Native Plants"
Nancy Dale "Flowering Plants"
photo by Friends of Famosa Slough
Native Plants of Famosa Slough
Listed are some of the many plants native to wetlands areas, all of which can now be found at Famosa Slough. Areas restored with native plants become a food source for birds and insects and return the slough to a more natural condition.
The plants are grouped according to the location they naturally prefer. Within and along the edges of the water live salt marsh plants that tolerate high salinity and being submerged by salt water. There are almost no non-native plants that live in this region of the Slough.
At a higher level or upland area live the typical coastal sage scrub plants-sage and buckwheat predominating. To accommodate the low water of our climate, uplands plants are adapted to be dormant in summer and often look as if they were not living. However, the first rains in fall bring them back into leaf. Within the runoff ponds plants that can tolerant having roots constantly under brackish water live such as reed, sedges, and willows. Many of these plants attract insects and have seeds seaten by birds.
Trees that afford nesting areas for perching birds include the native willows as well as the cottonwoods and sycamores around the south parking lot.
Fifteen years ago, the upland areas of the slough and channel contained almost no native plants. The plants along the west side of the slough and around the treatment ponds have been selected for planting because they are native to the area and probably lived there before the development of Point Loma. Over 80% of the plants along the paths are now natives.
Click on any of the highlighted plants to view photo.
