Many environmental factors dictate the distribution of vegetation and plant communities at the Presidio. These include temperature, exposure to sun and wind, soil type, and available moisture. Although the modern landscape is drastically altered by the introduction of non-native grasses, vines, and trees, as well as by the cutting on the few native trees once here, some remnant and restored areas still preserve native plant communities. These include vestiges of the coastal prairie, sand dune, oak woodland, riparian forest, and wetland communities that once blanketed the Presidio.

Click here to see a map of the distribution of the Presidio's native plant communities.

Foredune
Coastal Dune Scrub
Coastal Bluff Scrub
Coastal Serpentine Scrub
Coastal Prairie - Serpentine Grassland
Freshwater Seep
Freshwater Marsh
Live Oak Riparian Forest
Arroyo Willow Riparian Forest
Saltwater Marsh