California Natives
California Natives
California native landscapes are adapted to our climate, and provide habitat to many California native bees, birds, and mammals. Using native plants in a landscape can make a garden more resilient and drought tolerant.
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What you can learn.
About This Course
A course on incorporating California native plants into your landscape design, this series of classes combines classroom presentation with field trips to explore the range of possibilities for creating successful and resilient California native landscapes. Participants study the elements of a successful native landscape including native plant communities; healthy soil, use and/or non-use of supplemental irrigation; maintenance requirements; plant sourcing; installation; and use of rainwater. The course will enable students to develop California native plant palettes for common urban micro-climates. Students take self-guided weekend field trips (itineraries discussed at the first class) to urban landscapes, campuses, gardens, arboreta and nurseries.
Spring 2026 Schedule
Elective course in the Horticulture certificate and Landscape Architecture certificate.
Visitors not permitted. Internet Access Required. Materials Required.
This course applies toward the following programs
Horticulture
Take your love of plants and turn it into a career. The Horticulture Certificate provides students with the foundational science behind maintaining plants and their environment. This program may be completed 100% online.
Landscape Architecture
Whether you want to design a national park, or a modest, water-efficient backyard, landscape architecture can give you the skills and abilities to change the places you live, work, and play for the better. The profession of landscape architecture is a multidisciplinary field that weaves together design, environmental systems, sustainability, construction knowledge—as well as land and water conservation—to influence place making, and to create designed outdoor living spaces.
Plants for the Landscape
Plant identification and knowledge is essential for both working and aspiring landscape and design professionals. The Plants for the Landscape Specialization equips students with an extensive plant palette necessary to succeed in the fields of landscape maintenance and design.