Plant identification - California Native
maiwyck1
3 years ago
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maiwyck1
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Overwhelm with California Native Plant Selections
Comments (9)Very exciting that you've decided to undertake a CA native, low water garden! Do you know what exposure your new plants will get? (N, S, E, W?) That's important in helping you decide which ones to plant. Many CA natives will appreciate full sun. I'm assuming you have well-draining soil? They say to dig a hole 1' x 1' and fill it with water from the hose. Watch how long it takes to drain to determine if your soil drains well or if it's thick like clay. You'll want to know this information, too, when you go to Las Pilitas to select your plants. You'll want to think about what you have in mind and what your goals are. Color? Hummingbirds and butterflies? Scent? Do you prefer succulents? Try to go on a garden tour to pick up some inspiration. The books recommended above are great. It simply takes time to learn the names of the plants you like. Just keep reading and looking at photos online. And remember to give each plant plenty of space when you put them in the ground. Respect the space requirements! (I learned that lesson the hard way!) Salvias= sages Ceanothus = California lilacs Arctostaphylos = manzanita Those are pretty popular broad categories for some interesting CA natives if you like flowering plants. A good place to start, in my opinion :)...See MoreNative Plant Hedge - Northern California
Comments (11)I have a beautiful ceanothus hedge in my yard. Right now it's in full beautiful lilac blue bloom. It shapes into a hedge very nicely. Dendromecon is a rangy bush and doesn't form a hedge. I have a flannel bush as well and it's pruned into a nice box hedge. But it grows very quickly and has to be pruned back every summer. It's also in full bloom and is covered in waxy yellow flowers. Maybe even Toyon can be hard pruned to a hedge. Or even a california laurel. I never tried though I have both plants. Both have to be pruned because they are very fast growers in Southern Cal. Manzanita makes a good bush, but I've never made it into a hedge. You really want to see those striking red trunks and limbs. Maybe even try California bush poppy: Carpinteria. It has lovely white poppy-like blooms each spring. It is a very compact grower. At least for me....See MoreCalifornia Native Plant Help
Comments (11)Looking at Brenda's list, redbud (cercis occidentalis) is a really striking small tree, tremendously drought tolerant, with four-season interest (cherry-like pink flower display in spring, lush blue-green, heart-shaped leaves in summer, some fall color, red-brown seed pods in winter). Over here in the Bay Area I frequently see ceanothus "Ray Hartman" used on median strips. It's super fast growing, evergreen, no water after establishment, intense blue-purple flower display in spring. It can easily be grown as a small tree. If other ceanothus are native to your county it will probably do fine. Both of those are spectacular in groups. You could underplant either of these with snowberry (symphoricarpus albus, get the cultivar "Tilden Park") or coffeeberry (rhamnus californica, try the cultivar "Eve Case"). Both are very elegant shrubs that can compete with the roots of the redbud or Ray Hartman and take some of their shade as well. If you water all these plants through their first summer and look in on them during the second, they will probably be just fine after that....See MoreCalifornia native flower identification
Comments (3)Nonmember is correct. In fact your image includes a shot of its host plant, Adenostoma fasciculata Here is a link that might be useful: Orobanche bulbosa...See Moremaiwyck1
3 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years agomaiwyck1
3 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
3 years agoEmbothrium
3 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
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2 years agoJoJo (Nevada 9A)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agomustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
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Sara Malone Zone 9b