• California natives like the cardinal flower offer low-maintenance alternatives to imported species.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  Presented against a backdrop of greenery, red flowers make a bold statement in your garden. When choosing a red flowering plant for California, natives to the state offer several advantages. Aside from beautifying your garden, they feed and shelter local wildlife and often require less effort from you to keep them looking their best, since they've evolved side by side with local pests and diseases and often have better resistance as a result. Many red flowers call California a native home.
  
  

Red Bush Monkeyflower

• Named for the flower's resemblance to a monkey's face, the red bush monkeyflower (Diplacus puniceus) grows natively only in Southern California. Dozens of the scarlet blossoms cover this small, dark green shrub, blooming throughout the summer except near the coast, where the red bush monkeyflower brightens gardens year-round. The shrub grows best in part-shade and in a well-drained soil. Its trumpet-shaped blossoms attract hummingbirds to your garden.
  
  

Scarlet Gilia

• The star-shaped flowers of the scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregate) blossom late summer into autumn. The flower grows natively in the western U.S. and occurs throughout California, where it grows on the dry, sandy soil found on hillsides. Its faint skunky scent detracts from its appeal, but its brilliantly colored flowers and tendency to attract hummingbirds make it a welcome addition to some landscapes. The scarlet gilia grows best in part-shade and tolerates drought conditions.
  
  

Humboldt Lily

• The Humboldt lily (Lilium humboldtii) grows primarily in the foothills of the Sierras, although it also ranges southward to grow in coastal canyons. Its dark orange flowers bear red spots and brilliant red stamens and can grow up to 8 feet tall, unfolding in multitudes in June and July. The Humboldt lily prefers partially shaded sites and grows best in heavy, dry soils typical of its natural habitat. Other scarlet lilies native to California include the coast lily (Lilium maritimum), Bolander's lily (Lilium bolanderi) and the leopard lily (Lilium pardalinum).
  
  

Cardinal Flower

• Beginning in May and progressing through October, the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) brightens roadsides, ditches and pastureland throughout California with its showy spikes of bright red petals. Its long, tube-like flowers prove difficult for many insects to navigate, so the cardinal flower depends on hummingbirds for pollination, although it also attracts some butterfly species. The cardinal flower thrives on the edges of streams, so when you plant it in your garden, you will need to provide it with plenty of moisture and avoid letting the roots dry out. Aside from its rather finicky water preferences, the cardinal flower grows on nearly any site, from full sun to shade and in clay to sandy soils.