Plants of Eaton Canyon
Eaton Canyon Natural Area Park lies at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, at the mouth of Eaton Canyon, whose upper reaches start near Mt. Wilson. Eaton Canyon creek usually has year-round water, but becomes an intermittent stream near the Mt. Wilson Toll Road bridge. Eaton Canyon wash, which runs through the park, has water only part of the year. You can find an abundance of different plant species, because the area consists of five plant communities: Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, Southern Oak Woodland, Riparian Woodland, and Alluvial Scrub, plus their ecotones at their edges, where the communities blend together.
Below is a partial list of the most common and naturally occurring plants found in the park and the area along the creek north of the park, as far at the Eaton Canyon waterfall.
Plants that have an asterisk (*) after their names are those that are not native to Eaton Canyon. They have been introduced, intentionally or accidently, from other parts of California or beyond. Some are considered to be invasive.
Click any plant for details.
Photos © Gabi McLean
Trees
Big-leaf Maple
Acer macrophyllum
Black Willow
Salix gooddingii
Blue Elderberry
Sambucus mexicana
California Bay
Umbellularia californica
California Black Walnut
Juglans californica
California Buckeye*
Aesculus californica*
Canyon Oak
Quercus chrysolepis
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia
Engelmann Oak
Quercus engelmannii
Mexican Fan Palm*
Washingtonia robusta*
Red Willow
Salix laevigata
Western Sycamore
Platanus racemosa
White Alder
Alnus rhombifolia
Shrubs
Arroyo Willow
Salix lasiolepis
Basket Bush
Rhus aromatica
Black Sage
Salvia mellifera
Bush Sunflower
Encelia californica
California Brickellbush
Brickellia californica
California Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum
California Sagebrush
Artemisia californica
California Wild Rose
Rosa californica
Castor Bean*
Ricinus communis*
Century Plant*
Agave americana*
Chamise
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Chaparral Whitethorn
Ceanothus leucodermis
Chaparral Yucca
Hesperoyucca whipplei
Coffeeberry
Frangula californica
Coyote Bush
Baccharis pilularis
Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry
Ribes speciosum
Golden Currant
Ribes aureum
Hairy Ceanothus
Ceanothus oliganthus
Heart-leaf Penstemon
Keckiella cordifolia
Hillside Gooseberry
Ribes californicum
Hoaryleaf Ceanothus
Ceanothus crassifolius
Hollyleaf Cherry
Prunus ilicifolia
Holly-leaf Redberry
Rhamnus ilicifolia
Laurel Sumac
Malosma laurina
Leather Oak
Quercus durata
Little-leaf Redberry
Rhamnus crocea
Mission Cactus*
Opuntia ficus-indica*
Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus betuloides
Mulefat
Baccharis salicifolia
Nevin's Brickellbush
Brickellia nevinii
Pine Goldenbush
Ericameria pinifolia
Poison Oak
Toxicodendron diversilobum
Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia vaseyi
Purple Nightshade
Solanum xanti
Scale Broom
Lepidospartum squamatum
Spanish Broom*
Spartium junceum*
Sugar Bush
Rhus ovata
Thick-leaved Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon crassifolium
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Tree Spurge*
Euphorbia dendroides*
Tree Tobacco*
Nicotiana glauca*
White Nightshade
Solanum douglasii
White Sage
Salvia apiana
Wildflowers (and other non-woody plants)
Arroyo Lupine
Lupinus succulentus
Arundo*
Arundo donax*
Blue Dicks
Dipterostemon capitatus
Branching Phacelia
Phacelia ramosissima
California Croton
Croton californicus
California Everlasting
Pseudognaphalium californicum
California Fuchsia
Epilobium canum
California Lace Fern
Aspidotis californica
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Canyon Liveforever
Dudleya cymosa
Chia
Salvia columbariae
Chinese Houses
Collinsia heterophylla
Cliff Aster
Malacothrix saxatilis
Coast Morning Glory
Calystegia macrostegia
Cobweb Thistle
Cirsium occidentale
Collar Lupine
Lupinus truncatus
Common Phacelia
Phacelia distans
Coulter's Lupine
Lupinus sparsiflorus
Creek Monkeyflower
Erythranthe guttata
Creek Senecio
Senecio flaccidus
Deer Plant
Acmispon glaber
Dodder
Cuscuta californica
Turkey Mullein
Croton setiger
Elegant Clarkia
Clarkia unguiculata
Eupatory*
Ageratina adenophora*
Felt-leaf Everlasting
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum
Giant Wild Rye
Elymus condensatus
Golden Aster
Heterotheca sessiliflora
Golden Yarrow
Eriophyllum confertiflorum
Hooker's Evening Primrose
Oenothera elata
Horehound*
Marrubium vulgare*
Horseweed
Erigeron canadensis
Indian Pink
Silene laciniata
Lanceleaf Liveforever
Dudleya lanceolata
Large-flowered Phacelia
Phacelia grandiflora
Leafy Fleabane
Erigeron foliosus
Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Maltese Star Thistle*
Centaurea melitensis*
Matilija Poppy
Romneya coulteri
Mediterranean Mustard*
Hirschfeldia incana*
Milk Thistle*
Silybum marianum*
Miner's Lettuce
Claytonia perfoliata
Moth Mullein*
Verbascum blattaria*
Mugwort
Artemisia douglasiana
Oriental Mustard*
Sisymbrium orientale*
Popcorn Flower
Cryptantha muricata
Prickly Phlox
Linanthus californicus
Purple Clarkia
Clarkia purpurea
Red-gland Spurge
Euphorbia melanadenia
Redstem Filaree*
Erodium cicutarium*
Sacred Datura
Datura wrightii
Scarlet Larkspur
Delphinium cardinale
Scarlet Monkeyflower
Erythranthe cardinalis
Showy Penstemon
Penstemon spectabilis
Southern Sun Cup
Camissoniopsis bistorta
Sticky Monkeyflower
Diplacus longiflorus
Stinging Lupine
Lupinus hirsutissimus
Tansy Mustard
Descurainia pinnata
Telegraph Weed
Heterotheca grandiflora
Wand Buckwheat
Eriogonum elongatum
Water Cress
Nasturtium officinale
Wavyleaf Paintbrush
Castilleja applegatei
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Western Wallflower
Erysimum capitatum
Wild Canterbury Bells
Phacelia minor
Wild Cucumber
Marah macrocarpa
Wild Sweet Pea
Lathyrus vestitus
Yellow Pincushion
Chaenactis glabriuscula
Yerba Mansa
Anemopsis californica