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The Santa Monica Mountains, one of the Transverse Ranges located in Southern California, are in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of the California Floristic Province. This ecoregion has two predominant ecosystems, with three primary plant communities:

• the California coastal sage and chaparral, with coastal sage scrub along the coast,
• the California montane chaparral and woodlands, with chaparral and California oak woodlands as the mountains rise and recede from the coast and descend into the interior valleys.

Introduction

The Santa Monica Mountains are covered by hundreds of local plant species: some are endemic or very rare, some are beautiful California native plants in situ, and some also are familiar as horticultural ornamental and native garden plants. Each season has different plants predominating the visual experience.

A partial list of Plants seen in the Santa Monica Mountains:

Native and non-native flora

Monocotyledons

Dicotyledons

• Trees

Acer macrophyllum - (Bigleaf Maple)

Alnus rhombifolia - (White Alder)

Juglans californica - (California Black Walnut)

Quercus agrifolia - (Coast Live Oak)

Quercus chrysolepis - (Canyon Live Oak)

Pinus sabiniana - (Digger Pine, Gray Pine)

Platanus racemosa - (California Sycamore)

Umbellularia Californica - (California Bay)

See also

• Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains

• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

• California chaparral and woodlands

• California coastal sage and chaparral sub-ecoregion
• Coastal sage scrub plant community
• California montane chaparral and woodlands sub-ecoregion

• California Native Plant Society

Notes

1. Jepson Manual plant database
2. Additional References: see the following links and books.

References

• Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains - Alphabetical Checklist; UCLA Botanical Garden website lists.
• Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains - by Family: page 1
• Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains - by Family: page 2
• Regional Flora of Santa Monica Mountains
• Santa Monica Mountains Flora: A Check List
• Flora of Malibu Creek State Park
• Flora of Topanga State Park
• Flora of Point Mugu State Park
• Flora of Charmlee Regional Park
• Flora of Mishe Mokwa Trail Area
• "Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains, California"; publication: Southern California Botanists; Peter H Raven.

Further reading

• "Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains, California", Southern California Botanists; Peter H Raven.
• "Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains", by Milt McAuley.
• "Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains, Coastal and Chaparral Regions of Southern California", by Nancy Dale.
• "Roadside Plants of Southern California", by Thomas J. Belzer.
• "California Native Plants for the Garden", by Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O'Brien; Cachuma Press, Los Olivos CA, 2005; ISBN 0-9628505-8-6 & ISBN 0-9628505-9-4.
• "The Jepson Manual," James C Hickman, UC Press, ISBN 0-520-08255-9.
  • Jepson Manual Online: Jepson Interchange plant database

External links

• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: Online Flower Finder website
• Jepson Manual: online flora-plants list of the Western Transverse Ranges — includes the Santa Monica Mountains.

• Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Lists of flora of California
• Flora of California
• Los Angeles-related lists
• California chaparral and woodlands
• Simi Hills
• Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
• Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
• Natural history of Los Angeles County, California
• Natural history of Ventura County, California