CA native plants for Bonsai ?

Has anyone had experience with native plants in container culture. Bonsai style?</p>

I had an eight year old Douglas oak as a bonsai. It was doing great until an unexpected Santa Ana toasted it when I was out of town. There are a lot of potential species these also double as great outdoor railroad plants such as: scrub oak, redberry, low-growing manzanita, Gowen`s cypress, Rhamnus 'Mound San Bruno', Juniperus communis, to name a few. I`d love to use Sisyrinchium elmeri as an understory plant if I could just find some!</p>

I am growing Oaks and sycamore among other plants for bonsai.At the end of Oct in Fresno the State Bonsai convention will take place.One of the topics is a Cal native plants for bonsai.</p>