Long before San Francisco was paved over with streets and sidewalks, apartments and office buildings, native plants blanketed the peninsula. Scrubby box elder, yellow fiddleneck and clumps of red fescue sprouted wildly.

But over time, exotic and invasive imports overtook the city’s natural plants, and they became difficult to find outdoors and in big box stores. They are now making a resurgence, thanks in part to a new city website called SF Plant Finder (www.sfplantfinder.org).

The database was developed as part of Green Connections, a two-year project funded by the state Strategic Growth Council. Different parts of the project sought to make San Francisco healthier, more sustainable and livable by greening public parks, managing storm water and beautifying public spaces. Various city departments and local experts on ecology and horticulture developed the list of plants featured on the website.

The tool allows green and veteran gardeners alike to type in an address and receive a list of vegetation appropriate for the location’s weather patterns, elevation, sun level and soil type. The Plant Finder also lists names and locations of natural plant nurseries where different species can be bought.

Where to plant what

Wildflowers and dense scrub flourish in the Sunset’s sandy soil — dunes once covered the neighborhood — whereas coastal scrub thrives in the fog belt. Indigenous plants require little watering or maintenance and have become especially popular during the drought. But it can be confusing to pair native plants with the right micro-climate, of which the city has many.

Sustainable landscapes are easy to plant with the right resources, said Peter Brastow, senior environmental specialist for the San Francisco Department of the Environment, and the website helps educate landscapers on what will grow and thrive in their backyard, garden or public space.

“We have tried to create a tool to try and consolidate everything we know about where to find local native plants and how to create more sustainable landscapes,” Brastow said. “Instead of planting the same old miscellaneous ornamentals, if you plant the right species of native plants in the right places, those are much more likely to sustain themselves over time. Plus, you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck if you aren’t constantly having to replant because your nonnative plants died.”

Fostering a natural environment also helps support the local ecology. Honey bees, songbirds and insects flourish among native plants. It helps bring life and vitality back into the city, said Amber Hasselbring, executive director of Nature in the City, a land stewardship nonprofit.

“The focus is to not just plant natives, but to create a habitat,” she said. “Not all green is created equal. The native plants are a lot more suited to the soils here, so you don’t have to amend how you garden for 150 different plant varieties. It’s more sustainable, and it creates a place for hummingbirds and songbirds to move through.”

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Natives in nurseries

Native plants are also becoming more available in area nurseries, making them easier and less expensive to plant, said Patrick Rump, executive director of Literacy for Environmental Justice, an environmental nonprofit in the southeast part of the city. Rump also runs Native Plants Nursery at Candlestick Point.

Years ago, if a landscaper wanted native plants, they would have had to research where to find them, he said. It’s easier now, he said, because native plant nurseries have sprung up around the city.

“It used to be a wild goose chase to find this stuff,” he said. “You might be able to buy them at an annual event that happened once a year. What Plant Finder does is make them more accessible, and it allows people to grow the special plants and build their capacity.”

Carla Short, an urban forester for the city, said the tool has been useful for large city landscaping projects. She uses the website to help plan public spaces, like center medians and parks.

‘Improves the ecology’

“It instantly improves the ecology of the neighborhood and allows us to create gardens that don’t suck water,” Short said. “It’s a big deal for a green thumb nerd like me. It’s a beautiful thing to remind people what used to be here and create a habitat out of it. Native habitats are also important for all the little creatures, like the insects, that are essential for a healthy planet.”

But the best part of native plants, Brastow said, is reconnecting with San Francisco’s roots and heritage. The Plant Finder helps make that mission easier, he said.

“People are starting to build environments, backyards, parks, streetscapes and rooftops using plants from San Francisco,” he said. “When you start to learn what’s native to an area, you identify with a place in a more intimate way. And you get a deeper understanding of the natural environment that we are all part of. It’s a different way of looking at plants and nature.”

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn