Plants Checklist

Coastal sand dunes are dynamic and fragile habitats. Soils are sandy with little organic matter. Conditions are harsh with salt spray and stiff afternoon breezes that dry out plants. Winds can shift dunes with the seasons, moving them southward during winter storms and northward during summer storms.

Coastal sage scrub (CSS) is an assemblage of plants found on dry, south-facing slopes, usually near the coast up to an elevation of 3000 feet. CSS habitats occur between the coastal strand and chaparral zones, although many plants of the coastal sage scrub community can be found interspersed with chaparral.

Freshwater marshes in Southern California often dry up during the long dry season, or become quite restricted, so plants growing there must be tolerant of dry soils at least part of the year. Rushes, bulrushes (tulles), and sedges are common, and cattails are often found in the shallower water near the margins.

Non-native plants are plants that were introduced by humans to Bolsa Chica after the Spanish first arrived in 1542. Many of these plants are considered invasive. An invasive species is a plant or animal that has been introduced from another region of the world, and displaces native species.