East Bay Native Plant Species Alameda and Contra Costa counties are home to many native plant species. We have assembled an incomplete (but growing!) collection of photographs and information about many of these. Search for: Show all species Big tarweed (Blepharizonia plumosa). Photo by Scott Yarger (CC BY-NC 4.0).Our native oaks, like this blue oak (Quercus douglasii) in Corral Hollow, are adapted to summer drought. Photo ©Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds.Shell Ridge can be seen against the sky through the branches of this large, old valley oak. Photo by Bill Hunt.Bigberry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca). Photo ©Pete Veilleux.