This page lists plants that local gardeners are growing in the Yuba-Sutter area. You can browse it to find plants that will do well in your garden, or add your own garden plants to the list. Please note after each plant name the areas in which you have grown the plant or seen it growing. Our average annual precipitation varies from 15.9 inches (all rainfall) in Nicolaus to 82.1 inches (mostly snowfall) in Strawberry Valley. Most plants that grow well in one of those places will not grow well in the other. Also, feel free to add any other advice about how each plant should be grown, such as whether it should be in sun or shade, whether and how much it's watered, any problems you've had with it, and so on.
Trees and Shrubs (Woody Plants)
Sweet Gum Family
Red Gum Tree—Marysville
Dogbane Family
Porcelain flower—'Krinkle 8' growing in South Yuba City
Oleander—this is an invasive weed, but unfortunately widely planted anyway
Star jasmine—full sun and part sun with regular watering in Yuba City
Barberry Family
Creeping Oregon grape—full sun and part sun in Camptonville and Pennington
Birch Family
European white birch—full sun with regular watering in Live Oak
Cypress Family
Eastern arborvitae—widely planted in the 1950s and 1960s throughout the entire Sacramento Valley; commonly seen in front of houses built in that era that have not had their landscaping updated since; no watering necessary once established
Heath Family
Turkish madrone tree—full sun in South Yuba City
Pacific madrone tree—a few can be seen growing wild at Daugherty Hill State Wildlife Area, although they're more common at higher elevations; these are almost impossible to grow outside their native areas, but well worth growing if you live in the right place
Strawberry tree—full sun and no watering in Yuba City
Pea Family
Snowy River wattle tree—full sun in South Yuba City
Western redbud tree—native to central oak woodland; planted in Marysville gardens; can be seen growing wild along Highway 70 near Oroville; blooms best in full sun
African Violet Family
Goldfish plant—'Black Magic' growing in Wheatland
Gooseberry Family
A young golden currant in full bloom lights up the corner of this Marysville garden. Photo by queerbychoice. Golden currant—Marysville; delicious berries!
Walnut Family
Walnut—many orchards throughout the Sacramento Valley; best with native walnut rootstock; walnut trees chemically alter the nearby soil to make it inhospitable to many other plant species, so research juglone tolerant plants to learn which plants you'll be able to grow near your walnut trees; see Farming
Loosestrife Family
Crape myrtle—Live Oak
Mallow Family
Blue hibiscus—'Swan River' growing in Olivehurst
Melastome Family
Princess flower—'Athens Blue' growing in Loma Rica
Myrtle Family
Pineapple guava—full sun in South Yuba City
New Zealand tea tree—'Ruby Glow' growing in South Yuba City
Olive Family
Chinese fringe tree—full sun in South Yuba City
Forsythia—full sun and moderate watering in Yuba City
Chinese jasmine—Loma Rica
Glossy privet—Loma Rica
hybrid tea olive—full sun in South Yuba City
Lopseed Family
Bush monkeyflower—native to Yuba County foothills; full shade in Marysville
Pine Family
Gray pine—native to central oak woodland and yellow pine forest; volunteered in a gravel area under an outdoor faucet in Marysville
Rose Family
Island mountain mahogany—full sun and no watering in South Yuba City
Washington hawthorn tree—full sun in South Yuba City
Toyon—native throughout the Yuba-Sutter area; planted in Yuba City gardens
Almond—planted throughout the entire Sacramento Valley; see Farming
Peach—planted throughout the Sacramento Valley; see Farming
Plum—planted throughout the Sacramento Valley; see Farming
Potentilla—full sun and no watering in Camptonville
Mountain ash tree—native in Challenge
Japanese meadowsweet—'Little Princess' growing in Wheatland
Rose 'New Dawn' - (climbing) in Olivehurst
Rose 'Red Blaze' (climbing, new improved) in Olivehurst
Rose 'Yellow Blaze' (climbing, new improved) in Olivehurst)
Nightshade Family
Tree angel's trumpet—Wheatland
Shrub angel's trumpet—'Inca Princess' growing in Wheatland
Jerusalem cherry—South Yuba City
Tea Family
Japanese camellia—'Ave Maria' growing on Beale Air Force Base
Herbaceous Plants (Soft-Stemmed Plants)
Aster Family
Prairie coneflowers in a Marysville garden. Photo by queerbychoice. Yarrow—native throughout the Yuba-Sutter area; planted in full sun in Marysville and Yuba City
Max chrysanthemum—planted in full sun in Marysville
Prairie coneflower—planted in full sun in Marysville
Boxwood Family
Japanese spurge—full shade with regular watering in Yuba City
Bellflower Family
Grecian bellflower—Brownsville
Gourd Family
This Marysville garden features pumpkins and golden currants for food and white yarrow, rosillas, hairy gumplants, and narrowleaf milkweed for beauty and wildlife habitat. The garden attracts birds, frogs, snakes, and beneficial insects of many kinds. Photo by queerbychoice. Pumpkin—planted throughout the Sacramento Valley; see Farming
Watermelon—planted throughout the Sacramento Valley; see Farming
Iris Family
Western blue-eyed grass—grown from seed in Marysville
Bearded Iris 'Total Recall' reblooming in Olivehurst
Mint Family
Catmint is closely related to catnip and can affect cats in the same way. Photo by queerbychoice. Carpet bugle—full sun and part shade with regular watering in Yuba City
lemon thyme—full sun in Marysville and Yuba City
elfin thyme—full sun in Marysville and Yuba City
Catmint—'Walker's Low' growing in full sun in Marysville and Yuba City
Hummingbird sage—part shade in Marysville
Lily Family
Lily of the Nile—full sun on Beale Air Force Base
Soap lily—full sun in Marysville
Daylily—'Black Eyed Bully,' 'Lemonade Springs,' 'Sierra Maiden,' and 'Raspberry Banana Cheesecake' all growing in Olivehurst; 'Oriental Ruby' growing in South Yuba City
Tiger lily—Brownsville
New Zealand flax—full sun and part shade with no watering in Live Oak
Flax Family
Scarlet flax—South Yuba City
Blue flax—native to central oak woodland and yellow pine forest; planted in Marysville gardens
Poppy Family
California poppy—native to the entire Yuba-Sutter area, and widely planted throughout
Grass Family
Hedge bamboo—full sun and part shade with regular watering in Live Oak
California fescue—Challenge, Live Oak, and Meridian
Blue oat grass—full sun with regular watering in Live Oak
Giant wild rye—Robbins
Texas muhly grass—'Regal Mist' growing in Brownsville
Deergrass—native throughout the Yuba-Sutter area; planted in Marysville gardens
Sweet corn—full sun in Marysville
Rose Family
Mock strawberry—Marysville and South Yuba City
Strawberry—planted throughout the Yuba-Sutter area
Saxifrage Family
Coral bells—Marysville
Nightshade Family
Devil's trumpet—native to the Robbins/Kirkville area in Sutter County; planted in Wheatland gardens
Tomato—planted throughout the Sacramento Valley; see Farming
Cup flower—'Mont Blanc' growing in Brownsville
