Native Plant Communities
Topics
annual eventBees and Other PollinatorsBirdsButterfliesChildren activitiesClassescoyote mintdeer resistant plantseco friendly garden tourEventfoxfoxesFruits and Berriesgarden restorationgarden tourGardening with WildlifeGrowing Plants from SeedHabitat GardeningHardy california nativesHarmony with NatureHome Landscapingindian valley novatoMonarchs and Milkweednative gardensNative Plant Communitiesnative plantsPlant Nurseryplant salepollinatorsPropagating Plantspropgationseaside daisySeed CollectingSummer CampsunflowersTending Your GardenUseful Nonnative PlantsWater conservationWatershed Approach to LandscapingWildflowerswildlife
Plant of the Month July 2025: Coyote Mint
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. This beautiful little California native “sub-shrub” is a wonderful pollinator plant that comes into its full glory early in summer. A member of the mint family, Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa) supports local ecosystems: its profuse lilac...
Plant of the Month June 2025: Seaside Daisy
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. A Coastal Beauty for Every Garden If you’re looking for a native plant that combines beauty, resilience, and ecological value, Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) is a wonderful choice. This charming perennial brings soft color and coastal...
Plant of the Month April 2025: Salvias
The Diverse World of Salvias in California California is home to a number of different Salvia species; many of them are large flowering shrubs, some are small creeping perennial plants, and a few are annuals. Salvias belong to the Mint family (Laminaceae) and share...
Spring 2025 Plant Sale!
Spring is almost here. Celebrate in the garden with us at our first Plant Sale of the year. Saturday, April 12th, 2025, 10:00am – 2:00pm. Join us to purchase organically grown habitats plants, hear expert presentations, and learn more from our guest presenters...
Plant of the Month March 2025: California’s Native Currants
Early Bloomers Support Pollinators The really early blooming season of the manzanitas is coming to a close just as the currants are starting to bloom. Tiny, first-generation bumblebees (Bombus melanopgus) are still gathering nectar and pollen from the manzanita blooms...
Now Open Wednesday Afternoons
We are excited to announce that Home Ground Habitats is now open to the public on Wednesdays. In addition to our Plant Sales and Events, we are now open for you to visit us Wednesdays from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. We are located at: 1875 Indian Valley Rd., Novato, CA...
June 17th, 2023 Plant Sale
There is still time to plant for blooms this year! Our May plant sale was such a success that we have planned another one! Our next PLANT SALE will be: Saturday, June 17th, 2023, from 10:00am – 1:00 pm. Many of the plants and seedlings that weren’t quite ready in May,...
Poison Oak and Its Relatives
A native plant that we all know (or certainly should!) is Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobium) because it is so widespread in the Bay Area. Many people get a very uncomfortable rash if they touch any part of the plant, so knowing how to identify it and avoid...
Some Other Common Brushfoots (Nymphalidae)
The Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is fairly common in Marin, and adults can be seen flying almost any time during the year. This species is also found in Europe; on the British Isles it is known as the Camberwell Beauty, and considered the rarest of British...
The Swallowtails
Within the family Papilionidae are some of the largest and most spectacular butterflies in the world. Four species are commonly seen in Marin; each one associated with a particular type of habitat. Three are yellow with black markings; the Western Tiger Swallowtail,...
The “Whites”
One of the most common butterflies we see around Marin is the Cabbage White; and it has the distinction of being the only naturalized exotic butterfly in our area. This species has successfully established itself over the entire continent since its apparent...
The Other “Ladies”
There are three closely related ‘Ladies’ that are easy to provide for in a habitat garden; the Painted Lady, the American Lady, and the West Coast Lady; however, they are not always easy to tell apart. Personally, I’m happy to see any and all of the...