Milkweed will attract Monarch butterflies and grows well in all soils and lights with pretty orange flowers. Once a month I have to remove aphids from them by hand, takes 10 minutes to do 20 plants. It feels great to help preserve them as they are endangered, population in California is down 95% from the 1980s.
For edible plants, insects can be a major problem, so I change things up. Broccoli and chard grow well and fast enough you can consume them before pests become a problem. Melons and squash grow well here, but take up a lot of space for the yield and don’t look too attractive. But if you have a big canyon lot, they would be a good choice.
Cherry tomatoes are great. With full size, 6 worms in a plant might ruin 6/10 tomatoes, but with cherries just 6/200.
Guava trees grow faster than citrus and produce multiple rounds a fruit per year.
Kiwis grow well in NZ which has a California type climate, I am thinking of trying that out.
I’ve always failed at grapes and berries, a lot of effort for a tiny yield.
Tomatillos immediately got insects really badly.
Basil, mint, dill, oregano, thyme, and rosemary are the herbs the grow most easily. Parsley and cilantro get eaten by pests.
