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Similar to Habitat hedges 2012 (20)
Habitat hedges 2012
- 1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND – 2012 (our 8th year)
© Project SOUND
- 2. Hedges & Habitat
Water-wise Hedges & Screens
That Provide Habitat
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSU Dominguez Hills & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
August 4 & 7, 2011
© Project SOUND
- 3. What is a mixed hedge or hedgerow?
A row of trees/shrubs & other
plants that separate
agricultural fields
A narrow planting strip that
grows along field borders,
fence lines, property
boundaries and waterways
http://blog.histouries.co.uk/2011/03/28/hedges-and-hedgerows-in-england/
A living fence
A small ecosystem that has all
the key ingredients that an
animal needs to survive: food,
shelter, nesting and denning
sites.
© Project SOUND
- 4. Mixed hedges/hedgerows are not a new
concept
Hedgerows have long played
an important role in
agriculture.
Since Bronze Age people first
used them to divide fields,
mark property boundaries and
control livestock in Europe
more than 5,000 years ago,
farmers around the world
http://www.ehow.com/info_12000999_traditional-hedge-laying.html
have appreciated the benefits
hedgerows provide
© Project SOUND
- 5. What are the benefits of hedgerows?
Security – keeping people/ animals
in or out
Provide privacy screens and reduce
noise
Act as a windbreak
Reduce soil erosion
http://www.ofnc.ca/trailguide/tour3_e.php
Attract beneficial insects and
reduce pests
Provide foods and medicinal plants
Provide materials for crafts
Provide a backdrop for other plants
Increase plant diversity
Provide habitat
© Project SOUND
http://www.citrona.com/nativeplanthedgerow.htm
- 6. What does a classical hedgerow look like?
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Habitat/WildAcres/wahedgerows.asp Looks like a whole garden in a narrow space
Traditional hedgerows contain a complex mix of evergreen and
deciduous plants, including:
Trees/Large shrubs
Smaller shrubs & sub-shrubs/ Vines and climbers
Perennial wildflowers
Grasses
Ferns/ Annual wildflowers © Project SOUND
- 7. But what do hedgerows have to do with urban/
suburban Los Angeles county?
http://www.barrsam.com/ww/index%20012.htm
© Project SOUND
- 8. Can we really create hedgerows in
urban/suburban S. California?
Yes, if we understand that:
We need to consider the
appropriate scale of plants
We understand that our
hedgerows will be small
We plant the right types of
plants to provide the habitat
values that are an essential
http://www.dietrick.org/projects/bbb.html component of true hedgerows
In short, we need to learn how to design S. California Garden Hedgerows
© Project SOUND
- 9. In fact, our small gardens make hedgerows
even more important
Make the most of small
spaces by multi-tasking
Screening
Beauty
Functional assets (food, etc)
Habitat
Make good use of limited
space by:
Growing plants close together
S. California Garden Hedgerows Combining a number of
are essentially wide, carefully different kinds of plants
planned and densely planted Making optimal use of
garden beds vertical space
© Project SOUND
- 10. Any habitat is better
than no habitat
For maximum habitat benefit, a
California Backyard Hedgerow
should be:
http://www.wildwillowdesign.com/residential-landscape-design/featured-projects/napa-1/
At least 20 feet long – the longer
the better
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mechanoid_dolly/4922239063/
At least 8 feet wide – 10-12 ft or
more is even better (consider it a
large mixed bed)
Contain a mix of large shrubs,
smaller shrubs/vines, flowering
perennials and grasses
Feature plants native to the local
area – or with similar flora/fauna
© Project SOUND
- 11. The hedge continuum
http://www.nzplantpics.com/cat_hedges.htm
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,1589974,00.html
formal
© Project SOUND
- 12. To cut or not to cut?
Many native hedge plants
can be pruned or not – the
choice is yours
You can even cut one side
http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/print/hedge-cutting.jpg
and leave the other uncut
Once you choose to cut,
you’re committed to cutting
Choosing to cut has
consequences
http://www.pcorbett.co.uk/hedge-cutting-contractor.htm © Project SOUND
- 13. The formal hedge
Often composed of a single
type of shrub
Pruned to formal – often
geometric - shapes
http://www.hotgardens.net/hedges.htm
Maintained by regular pruning
– often several times a year
Requires plants with certain
characteristics:
Moderate growth rate
Densely branched
Fine-textured foliage; small
leaves
Can take regular shearing
http://blogs.move.com/do-it-green/2007/06/06/hedges-a-green-alternative-to-
fences/
© Project SOUND
- 14. The informal hedge
May contain one or several
different species of plants
Plants can differ in size,
even shape.
http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/Services/Greenways+Countryside+Project/Photos/The+Fonnereau+Way.htm Are lower-maintenance
Initial shaping may be
required
Yearly pruning to maintain
general size, promote plant
health
May be too large and unruly
for home gardens
© Project SOUND
- 15. The semi-formal
hedge
Rely on pruning to maintain
natural shape.
Are a little bit more formal –
so appropriate for urban
gardens.
Work well with many of our
native species.
Need enough space in the
garden to show their form.
Are more forgiving; pruning
is less crucial.
© Project SOUND
- 16. The S. California Garden Hedgerow
Is designed to be in scale
with local gardens:
At least 20 ft long
At least 8-10 ft wide
Uses CA native plants (at
least primarily)
Usually ranges in size
from large shrubs (6-10
ft tall) to groundcovers
Provides a screen
Reflects the owner’s
desires in design, plant
choices, formality
http://www.wildwillowdesign.com/residential-landscape-design/featured-projects/napa-1/ © Project SOUND
- 18. Steps in designing a S. California Garden
Hedgerow
Draw a scale map of the area
Do site assessment: light, etc.
Decide on a plant palette:
N. Calif. Coast – Water Zone 2 to 2-3
Western L.A. Co. – Zone 2
Sonoran Desert – Water Zone 1-2 to 2
Choose a ‘Backbone Shrub’ species;
determine number of plants needed
Choose complementary ‘Filler Shrubs’
Complete design with smaller shrubs,
sub-shrubs, perennials, grasses &
groundcovers
© Project SOUND
- 19. ‘Backbone Shrub’ – the key to a good
hedgerow Will constitute 40 to 70% percent
of the mixed hedgerow
Should be selected first.
Should be a plant with:
Evergreen foliage
A good growth rate;
Nice, but neutral-looking, foliage
Pest/disease resistance
Appropriate for your site
Added value: flowers/fruit/seeds
Comparison shop before you
choose
Compare 3-4 potential Backbone
Shrubs before making final
selection
Choose the species with the most
‘value’
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Myrica_californica.jpg
© Project SOUND
- 20. Zone 2 to 2-3 – Northern Coast
‘Backbone Shrub’ : Coffeeberry (Frangula/Rhamnus californica)
© Project SOUND
- 21. How dense to plant the large shrubs?
Principles:
Need some overlap – no gaps
Need to insure that the death of
one shrub doesn’t leave a gap
Want it to fill in as quickly as
possible
4-6 ft on center Don’t want to over-crowd species
1-2 ft that normally have room to
stretch
Rules of thumb:
1-2 foot overlap between adjacent
mature large shrubs
Example: 8 ft wide shrubs are
4 ft radius/8 ft diameter
planted 4 to 6 feet apart
© Project SOUND
- 22. Zone 2 to 2-3 – Northern Coast
8-9 large shrubs
© Project SOUND
- 23. But what if we want our hedgerow to be
more drought tolerant – and local?
http://earthfriendlylandscapes.blogspot.com/2010/07/planting-with-hedges-in-california.html
No problem – we’ve got a wealth of
large evergreen shrubs native to
http://nativeson.com/annotated_catalog/qcatalog.htm
western L.A. County
Lemonadeberry - Rhus integrifolia
© Project SOUND
- 24. Steps in designing a California Backyard
Hedgerow
Draw a scale map of the area
Do site assessment: light, etc.
Decide on a plant palette:
N. Calif. Coast – Water Zone 2 to 2-3
Western L.A. Co. – Water Zone 2
Sonoran Desert – Water Zone 1-2 to 2
Choose a ‘Backbone Shrub’ species;
determine number of plants needed
Choose complementary ‘Filler Shrubs’
Complete design with smaller shrubs,
sub-shrubs, perennials, grasses &
groundcovers
© Project SOUND
- 25. Western L.A. Co. Palette: Water Zone 2
Large shrubs: backbone candidates
Ceanothus crassifolius: white/gray
Ceanothus cuneatus: white/green
Ceanothus megacarpus : white/green
Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber:
ins/green
Heteromeles arbutifolia: white/green
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia: white/green
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii: white/green
© Project SOUND
- 26. Zone 1-2 to 2: local native backbone plants
http://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com/wildflowers/rham http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/sp
naceae/ceanothus/ceanothus-cuneatus/ ecies/Ceanothus_megacarpus_megacarpus.ht
m
Ceanothus crassifolius Ceanothus cuneatus Ceanothus megacarpus
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mechanoid_dolly/sets/72157624828039022/
Heteromeles arbutifolia
© Project SOUND
- 27. Zone 1-2 to 2: local native backbone plants
Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber Prunus ilicifolia
© Project SOUND
- 28. Planning a hedgerow – Appropriate for site/compatible
with other plants
take time in planning Size
Light
Soils
Water needs
Aesthetic considerations
Foliage characteristics: color,
texture, etc.
Flowers: color, season, etc.
Fruits/seeds: color, season, etc.
Other benefits
Scent; edible; medicinal; etc.
Habitat value
What species: insects, birds, etc
Remember, your hedgerow What they provide: food, shelter,
will be around for a long time nest sites, perches
© Project SOUND
- 29. How do the local backbone shrubs stack up?
Ceanothus species Toyon – Heteromeles arbutifolia
Flowers: abundant, white, spring Flowers: abundant, cream, summer
Fruits: insignificant looking Fruits: showy, red in winter
Other: soap; dye Other: dye; medicinal
Aesthetic: pretty; neat, Aesthetic: neat; nice green color;
evergreen; well-known can prune to tree shape; well-known
Hedge characteristics: good; Hedge characteristics: good; dense
dense & take semi-formal hedging & take formal/informal hedging
Habitat: bees: good; birds: cover Habitat: insects – good; birds –
& fruits/seeds cover, nest, fruits
© Project SOUND
- 30. How do the local backbone shrubs stack up?
Mountain Mahogany - Cercocarpus Native Cherries - Prunus ilicifolia
Flowers: seeds showy Flowers: masses of white, spr/su
Fruits: no Fruits: edible cherries, fall
Other: medicinal; dye Other: fruit; medicinal; dye
Aesthetic: pleasant; neutral Aesthetic: shiny leaves, good color,
background; white bark; can be pretty flowers, fruits
tree-like
Hedge characteristics: excellent,
Hedge characteristics: informal formal/informal, narrow screens
or formal; easy to maintain
Habitat: bees – excellent; Pale
Habitat: bees – excellent; birds –
Swallowtail host plant; Project SOUND
© birds –
perch, nest, cover, seeds
- 32. Replacing the old (short) hedge
http://www.jeunitedrealty.com/listing/2009-robinson-street-%7Cb-redondo-beach-s12013328
© Project SOUND
- 33. How many 8-10 ft backbone shrubs?
22 ft
http://www.jeunitedrealty.com/listing/2009-robinson-street-%7Cb-redondo-beach-s12013328
© Project SOUND
- 34. How many 8-10 ft backbone shrubs?
Place one shrub at
each end – each 5 ft
in from edge
12 feet remain
6 ft You have room for a
total of 3 plants –
6 ft planted 6 feet on
22 ft
center
You might want to:
Use just a backbone
http://www.jeunitedrealty.com/listing/2009-robinson-street-%7Cb-redondo-beach-s12013328 species for lg. shrub
Choose a filler shrub
that looks similar to
the backbone
© Project SOUND
- 35. Replacing the old (short) hedge
5 ft 6 ft 6 ft
Toyon Toyon or Mountain Toyon
Mahogany
© Project SOUND
- 36. What do we still need?
Aesthetics/Human Uses Habitat
Have Have
Summer flowers
Summer nectar
Winter red berries
Winter fruits
Dye/medicinal plant
Good cover/nest sites
Need Need
Winter/spring color -flowers Seeds
Colored flowers ? Fruits:
? Different foliage Grass: nests; seeds; Skipper
habitat
© Project SOUND
- 37. Need 3 more local large shrubs
Large shrubs
Filler
Backbone Arctostaphylos glauca
Ceanothus spinosus
Ceanothus crassifolius: white/gray Comarostaphylis
Ceanothus cuneatus: white/green diversifolia
Ceanothus megacarpus : white/green Cornus glabrata
Crossosoma californicum
Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber: Garrya veatchii
ins/green Mahonia nevinii
Laurel Sumac (Malosma
Heteromeles arbutifolia: white/green laurina) ??
Rhamnus crocea
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia: Rhus integrifolia
white/green Quercus berberidifolia
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii: white/green ? Xylococcus bicolor
© Project SOUND
- 38. Possible local filler shrubs
Local Ceanothus
Nevin’s Barberry – Mahonia nevinii
Summer Holly Spiny Reberry
Comarostaphylis diversifolia Rhamnus crocea © Project SOUND
- 39. Western L.A. County Palette: Water Zone 2
• Toyon - Heteromeles arbutifolia
• Wedgeleaf Ceanothus - Ceanothus cuneatus
• Summer Holly - Comarostaphylis diversifolia
© Project SOUND
- 41. What do we still need?
Aesthetics/Human Uses Habitat
Have
Have
Summer flowers
Winter red berries
Summer nectar
Dye/medicinal plant
Winter fruits
Winter/spring color –
Good cover/nest sites
flowers Fruits: more variety
Need Need
Colored flowers Seeds
? Different foliage Grass: nests; seeds;
Mid- and low-growing Skipper habitat
species
© Project SOUND
- 42. Western L.A. Co. Palette: smaller species
Other
Achillea millefolium
Smaller shrubs
Artemisia californica
Amorpha californica var.
californica
Boykinia rotundifolia
Brickellia californica Grindelia stricta var.
platyphylla
Lycium californicum
Salvia spathacea
Ribes aureum
Solanum wallacei
Ribes indecorum
Solidago californica
Salvia leucophylla
Tauschia arguta
Salvia mellifera
Venegasia carpesioides
Native grasses
© Project SOUND
- 43. Zone 2 (local) backbone shrub: Toyon
• Purple Sage - Salvia leucophylla
• Western Yarrow - Achillea millefolia
• Foothill Needlegrass - Nassella lepida
© Project SOUND
- 44. Zone 2 (local) backbone shrub: Toyon
• Golden Currant - Ribes aureum
• Purple Sage - Salvia leucophylla
• Western Yarrow - Achillea millefolia
• Foothill Needlegrass - Nassella lepida
© Project SOUND
- 45. We’ve transformed the old (short) hedge
• Golden Currant: colored flowers/edible berries/contrasting foliage
• Purple Sage : scented foliage (herb) /colored flowers/nectar/seeds/
gray foliage
• Western Yarrow: flowers/beneficial insects/seeds/medicinal
© Project SOUND
- 46. Placing smaller shrubs/other small plants
Plants nearest to the large
shrubs should overlap the
large shrubs – 1 ft overlap –
you will prune these as if
they are an extension of the
large shrubs
Plants further from the large
shrubs can be spaced further
apart or overlapped –
depends on the plants and
your personal taste
© Project SOUND
- 48. Sonoran Desert Palette: Water Zone 1-2 to 2
http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/JoshuaTree/JoshuaTree4.html © Project SOUND
- 49. A little less water (Sonoran Desert Palette)
Large shrubs Smaller shrubs
Abutilon palmeri
Backbone
Acalypha californica
Arctostaphylos pungens
Encelia farinosa
Forestiera pubescens var.
Justicia californica
pubescens
Sphaeralcea ambigua
Lycium brevipes
Simmondsia chinensis
Other
Filler Ericameria nauseosa
Calliandra eriophylla Geraea canescens
Fallugia paradoxa Mirabilis multiflora vars
glandulosa and pubescens
Hyptis emoryi
Nolina bigelovii
Lycium andersonii
Penstemon eatonii
Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia
Penstemon palmeri
Prunus andersonii
Viguiera parishii
© Project SOUND
- 50. Zone 1-2: Sonoran Desert backbone shrubs
http://www.delange.org/ManzanitaPointleaf/ManzanitaPointleaf.htm
Point-leaf Manzanita Jojoba - Simmondsia chinensis
Arctostaphylos pungens Lycium brevipes
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result. http://seedsofsuccess.smugmug.com/keyword/pubescens/1/11
php?id_image=1004 53460478_2UbVe#!i=279467734&k=Y7pqc
Desert Olive - Forestiera pubescens
© Project SOUND
- 52. Characteristics of Jojoba depend a bit on
the site Size:
3-12 ft tall (usually 6-10 ft)
6-10 ft wide
Growth form:
Large woody shrub or small tree
(larger forms in wetter sites)
Many branches; dense –
provides good cover
Foliage:
Thick, leathery gray-green leaves
Evergreen except in severe
drought; deer & rabbits eat it
Leaves move through day to
minimize sun exposure
Roots: deep taproots; don’t disturb
© 2005 Michelle Cloud-Hughes
© Project SOUND
- 53. Jojobas is really Soils:
drought tolerant Texture: well-drained; sandy or
rocky best
pH: any local (6.0-8.0)
Light:
Full sun to part-shade
Takes hot exposures
Water:
Winter: no flooding, but needs
good soil replenishment
Summer: best with occasional
water (Zone 1-2 to 2) but can be
treated as Zone 1
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: use an inorganic mulch
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=3245 (crushed rock; coarse sand)
© Project SOUND
- 54. Jojoba is gaining popularity as a
water-wise shrub
Really hardy – great for
places that get little
Remind you a maintenance (street
bit of olive trees! medians; roadsides)
Can be used as a small tree
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/speci
Makes wonderful water-wise
hedges, screens, windbreaks
es/sich.htm
Informal – little or no
pruning
Formal – clipped or hedged
(after seed production)
Hedgerow foundation plant
© Project SOUND
- 55. * Desert Olive – Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
- 56. Desert Olive: large
shrub or small tree?
Size:
10-15+ ft tall; mod. long-lived
12-15 ft wide
Growth form:
Woody shrub/tree; lovely gray
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database bark ; moderate growth rate
Somewhat mounded shape –
reminds me of Laurel Sumac –
but may be almost vine-like
Densely branched, some thorny;
hard wood (used for tools)
Foliage:
Winter deciduous
Bright green/gray-green leaves
– yellow color in fall
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=FOPUP
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=739
Roots: naturally clump-forming
© Project SOUND
- 57. Desert Olive is very
undemanding
Soils:
Texture: any, but well-drained best
pH: any local (6.0-8.0)
Light: full sun to part-shade;
Water:
Winter: needs enough for ground-
water replenishment
Summer: regular water first year;
then Zone 1-2 to 2
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: tolerates heat, high winds,
moderate soil salinity
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo © Project SOUND
%20Pages/forestiera%20pubescens.htm
- 58. Flowers are reminiscent of Forsythia
Blooms:
Spring: usually Feb/Mar. in
western L.A. County – depends on
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Trees/Shrubs/mexpriv.htm night temperatures
Often flowers before plants leaf
out – like Forsythia
Flowers:
Tiny and rudimentary, but lots of
them
Clustered along branches – quite
showy & sweet-scented (like all
olives)
Important nectar source for
nectar insects (mostly native bees
& butterflies)
© Project SOUND
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/forestiera%20pubescens.htm
- 59. Desert Olive is a true olive
Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)
trees or shrubs comprising about 30 genera
and 600 species
Many members of the family are
economically significant.
Includes: Forestiera &
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo
%20Pages/forestiera%20pubescens.htm
The olive (Olea europaea) - important for
fruit and oil
The ashes (Fraxinus) - tough wood
Forsythia, lilacs (Syringa), jasmines
(Jasmonium), privets (Ligustrum), are valued
as ornamental plants
Important habitat plants: food, shelter
& nesting sites (pollinator insects; larval
food for Hairstreaks, Sphinx Moth;
many birds & animals eat fruit and
utilize shelter)
http://tree-species.blogspot.com/2007/11/olive-tree.html The ‘olives’ of Forestiera may sometime be
an important source of olive oil.
European Olive - Olea Europaea
© Project SOUND
- 60. Can be pruned and
shaped, even hedged
Can be sheared to a
reasonable hedge
Mix with other species in
mixed hedge or hedgerow
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Trees/Shrubs/mexpriv.htm
Very adaptable and
useful – could probably
even be espaliered
Limit water to provide
better shape
© Project SOUND
http://flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2640329338/in/set-72157605994561368/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2973733432/
- 62. * Baja Desert-thorn – Lycium brevipes
s Channel Islands, western Sonoran
Desert
CA and NW Mexico
Coastal bluffs, canyons, below 2000’
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7636,7639
© 2010 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
- 63. Baja Desert-thorn: typical Lycium
Size:
8-12 ft tall
8-12 ft wide
Growth form:
Large, woody shrub
Mounded, densely branching
(good for hedges)
© 2010 Aaron Schusteff
Stout thorns
Gray-brown bark
Foliage:
Small, rounded leaves
Succulent, pale green
Evergreen or drought
deciduous
© Project SOUND
- 64. Sweet little flowers
Blooms: in spring; usually Mar-
May in our area
Flowers:
Masses of small, white to
© 2010 Neal Kramer purplish flowers
Sweet and old-fashioned
May be almost hidden by
leaves
Attract bees, butterflies
and hummingbirds
Fruits:
Like tiny tomatoes
Abundant and showy
© Project SOUND
- 65. Uses for fruits
Decorative – plant is very
pretty when fruiting
Birds love the fruits – you’ll
know when they’re ripe
Human uses:
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Lycium_brevipes.html
Dried
Fresh, as a snack
Cooked for tomato-like
sauces
© Project SOUND
http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/family/solanaceae/lycium_brevipes.htm
- 66. Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun
Fine with reflected heat
Water:
Winter: be sure it gets good
winter moisture
Summer: best with occasional
water – Zone 1-2 to 2 will
keep it green
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: inorganic mulch (gravel;
DG; crushed rock; etc.)
© Project SOUND
- 67. Lyciums: good in
water-wise gardens
For tall hedges, hedgerows and
screens: semi-formal to informal
(can be pruned to shape; even
hedge-trimmed)
Pruned up as a small tree
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Lycium_brevipes.html Good shrub for attracting wide
range of wildlife:
Nectar
Fruits
Dense cover, nesting sites
© Project SOUND
http://www.desertmuseumdigitallibrary.org/public/detail.php?id=ASDM08603
- 68. How do our backbone shrubs stack up?
Pointleaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos pungens
Desert Olive - Forestiera pubescens
Flowers: yellow; spring; sweet
Flowers: white; early spring
Fruits: edible olives (need M/F)
Fruits: edible berries; pretty
Other:
Other: medicinal; dye
Aesthetic: attractive shape,
Aesthetic: attractive form,
bark; pretty big
foliage; ?? Mixed with others
Hedge characteristics: informal
Hedge characteristics: informal,
to semi-formal
semi-formal
Habitat: very important habitat
Habitat: bird – hummingbirds,
for wide range of insect and
fruit, cover, nest sites
bird species © Project SOUND
- 69. How do our backbone shrubs stack up?
Baja Desert-thorn - Lycium brevipes Jojoba - Simmondsia chinensis
Flowers: small, purple - spring Flowers: insig./ insects
Fruits: edible, tomato-like (small) Fruits: not really showy; edible
Other: edible berries Other: medicinal
Aesthetic: striking berries; a bit Aesthetic: nice color and shape –
informal looking like an shrubby olive tree
Hedge characteristics: best left Hedge characteristics: excellent
semi-formal for berries – formal to informal
Habitat: excellent for insects, Habitat: excellent for insects,
fruit/insect-eating birds birds, small animals
© Project SOUND
- 70. Zone 1-2 (Sonoran) backbone shrub: Jojoba
• Jojoba – Simmondsia chinensis
• Baja Desert-thorn - Lycium brevipes
© Project SOUND
- 71. What do we still need?
Aesthetics/Human Uses Habitat
Have Have
Summer berries – red Cover/nesting sites
Edible fruits Summer fruits/fall nuts
Need Spring nectar plants
Spring/summer flower color
Need
Scented flowers/foliage
Seeds
More edibles
More larval food sources
More foliage variability (butterflies & moths)
Mid- to low height range More nectar/pollen sources
© Project SOUND
- 72. Zone 1-2: Sonoran Desert native filler shrubs
http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/nemo/lid/plantlist/plantdetails.asp?
ID=38 http://wolf.mind.net/swsbm/Images/New10-2003.html
Prunus andersonii Lycium andersonii
© 1998 Larry Blakely
http://www.andydownunder.com/nature_profiles?id=129
Hyptis emoryi
© Project SOUND
- 73. Zone 1-2: Sonoran Desert filler shrubs
Pink Fairyduster – Calliandra eriophylla Apache Plume - Fallugia paradoxa
© Project SOUND
- 75. Desert Lavender is
a woody shrub
Size:
3-8+ ft tall
3-8+ ft wide
Growth form:
In nature (with little water) a
compact, branching upright
shrub
Drought-deciduous to evergreen
Gray bark
Slow growth (with little water
Foliage:
White-green to gray green; hairy
Simple leaves; lavender scent
when crushed or after rain
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/violets/violet10.html © Project SOUND
- 76. Desert Lavender is a
Soils:
typical desert shrub Texture: must be well-
drained; sandy or rocky
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun needed for dense
foliage
Tolerates reflected heat –
good for very hot place in
garden
Water:
Once established, give
occasional water (Zone 1-2)
Withhold water in late
summer/fall
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
http://caornamentalnativeplants.org/desert_lavender.jpg © Project SOUND
- 77. Flowers are dainty
Blooms: off and on throughout
the year, but most heavily in
spring
Flowers:
Tiny; in clusters
Lavender to purple; typical
shape for Mint family
Scented of lavender
A bee, butterfly &
hummingbird magnet!!
Seeds: small; plant in spring –
no treatment
© 2004 James M. Andre
http://www.delange.org/Lavender/Lavender.htm © Project SOUND
- 78. Desert Lavender is popular with desert gardeners
As an attractive accent shrub
near patios and walks
In a habitat garden; try it as an
informal or sheared hedge
As a delightful addition to the
‘Evening Garden’ – color & scent
make it attractive day & night
http://www.delange.org/Lavender/Lavender.htm
© Project SOUND
http://www.mswn.com/Plant%20Info%20Sheets/Hyptis%20emoryi.pdf
- 79. Desert Lavender is important for desert
peoples – to this day
Dried foliage used to make a calming tea,
season foods
Infusions of flowers and leaves used for
inflammatory and infectious conditions
A poultice of crushed leaves makes an
antibacterial dressing for wounds
‘Fragrant natural cleansing bar, with the
healing qualities of Desert Lavender (Hyptis
emoryi) and organic jojoba oil extracted
from the seeds of Simmondsia—both native
to the desert Southwest--partner here
with the best French lavender essence to
achieve moisturizing aromatherapy as you
http://www.flordemayoarts.com/pages/soapinfolavender.html bathe.’
Dried foliage has been used instead of
mothballs - fragrance is said to repel moths
© Project SOUND
- 80. Zone 1-2 (Sonoran) backbone shrub: Jojoba
• Jojoba – Simmondsia chinensis
• Baja Desert-thorn – Lycium brevipes
• Desert Lavender – Hyptis emoryi
© Project SOUND
- 82. * Apache Plume – Fallugia paradoxa
Desert uplands from 3,500 to 7,500
feet
Throughout all four south-western
deserts -- Mojave, Chihuahuan,
Great Basin, and Sonoran
In CA, Joshua Tree Woodland,
Pinyon-Juniper Woodland
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6721,6722
Fallugia is a monotypic genus of
shrub containing the single species
Fallugia paradoxa
Introduced into cultivation in
California by Theodore Payne; Avail
even through Monrovia Nursery
© 2009 Lee Dittmann © Project SOUND
- 83. Apache Plume: medium-large desert shrub
Size:
4-8+ ft tall
5-10+ ft wide
Growth form:
Semi-evergreen to evergreen
– depends on water
Mounded form; many shrubby
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database slender branches – good cover
for birds, etc.
Shreddy gray-brown bark
Foliage:
Small, deeply-lobed leaves
‘fine textured’ appearance –
looks good with other shrubs
Roots: spreads by root suckering
Patrick J. Alexander @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database with abundant waterProject SOUND
©
© 2007 Jason E. Willand
- 84. Flowers and seeds are
very showy
Blooms: in spring – April-June in
our area
Flowers:
Give a good clue that this plant
is in the Rose family
2 inch pure white flowers like a
wild rose – ooh la la
Like a rose, attracts many
insects (butterflies, bees, etc.)
Seeds:
© 2010 James M. Andre Have fluffy tails – very showy
on the plant
Fade from pink to gold as they
mature
© Project SOUND
- 85. Soils:
Another desert wash plant Texture: likes a well-drained
soil, but pretty adaptable
pH: any local
Light: full sun to part-shade –
perfect for hedgerow
Water:
Winter: supplement if needed
Summer: likes occasional
© 2009 Lee Dittmann
summer water, but very
drought tolerant when
established – Water Zone 1-2
to 2 (about once a month)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: inorganic mulch or very
thin organic
© 2006 Heath McAllister
© Project SOUND
- 86. Managing Apache
Plume
Prune in late fall/winter
Prune to shape & promote
blooms (blooms on new growth)
http://desertedge.blogspot.com/2011/06/plant-trinity-abq-to-el-paso.html
Selective deep pruning of old
branches (3 years or older)
Shortening of younger ones
(up to ½ of length)
Hedge pruning/tip pruning in
summer – makes it neater, too
Prune to rejuvenate
Cut oldest woody stems to the
ground to rejuvenate
© Project SOUND
- 87. Gardeners are discovering
Apache Plume
As an accent plant in desert-
themed gardens for beauty &
habitat value
As a foundation shrub
In informal hedges/hedgerows
© 2002 Gary A. Monroe
In very hot, dry situations (parking
lots; roadways)
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/fallugia-paradoxa
© 2003 Charles E. Jones http://www.nazflora.org/Fallugia_paradoxa.htm © Project SOUND
- 88. * Pink Fairy Duster – Calliandra eriophylla
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER
© Project SOUND
- 89. * Pink Fairy Duster – Calliandra eriophylla
Sonoran Desert from CA & Baja to
W. Texas
Dry, gravelly slopes & mesas ; often
in beds of intermittent streams,
bajadas, washes, etc. - rocky, sandy
In Spanish, Cabeza de angel refers
to an angel's head or angel's hair
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Calliandra_eriophylla
http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/flowers/fairy_duster/fairy_duster.html
© Project SOUND
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER
- 90. Pink Fairyduster is a nice sized accent shrub
Size:
3-5+ ft tall (depends on water)
4-6+ ft wide
Growth form:
Woody shrub
Mounded/upright to sprawling;
can grow around existing
http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/calliandraeriophylla.html
shrubs
Light-colored bark
Foliage:
Bright to medium green
Binnately pinnate – small pinna
(like Acacia)
Roots: nitrogen-fixing bacteria;
rhizomatous – will slowly spread
© 2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
http://www.fourdir.com/p_fairy_duster.htm © Project SOUND
- 91. A plant of desert washes Soils:
Texture: loves sandy/rocky soils
but fine in any well-drained
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun for best flowering
Will take light shade
Water:
Winter: needs adequate
Summer:
Best looking with occasional
water (Zone 1-2 or 2) but
very drought tolerant
Some water in Aug.
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
inorganic mulch
Glenn and Martha Vargas © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND
- 92. Showy accent plant
As a foundation plant
A water-wise accent shrub
As an informal hedge – or for
erosion control on slopes
Even in large containers
Consider for Asian or Desert-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36517976@N06/4307505066/ themed gardens
© Project SOUND
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Calliandra_eriophylla.html
- 93. Shaping Fairydusters
Have a good natural shape – can
leave as is
Tip-prune during growing season
to produce fuller shrub
Lightly prune to shape in late
spring
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36517976@N06/4307505066/
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/caleri.htm SOUND
© Project
http://www.avondale.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=1346&return=b_aC
- 94. Placing Sonoran Desert Palette plants:
observe desert wash patterns
Notable patterns:
Masses of plants contrast other
plant masses
Color
http://www.biology.ed.ac.uk/archive/jdeacon/desbiome/sonoran.htm
Evergreen vs. deciduous
Simplicity
Spacing to conserve water
© Project SOUND
http://localism.com/az/phoenix/sonoran_foothills
- 95. Zone 1-2 (Sonoran) backbone shrub: Jojoba
• Jojoba – Simmondsia chinensis
• Baja Desert-thorn – Lycium brevipes
• Desert Lavender – Hyptis emoryi
• Apache Plume – Fallugia paradoxa
• Pink Fairyduster – Calliandra eriophylla
© Project SOUND
- 96. Zone 1-2 (Sonoran) backbone shrub: Jojoba
• Jojoba – Simmondsia chinensis
• Baja Desert-thorn – Lycium brevipes
• Desert Lavender – Hyptis emoryi
• Apache Plume – Fallugia paradoxa
• Pink Fairyduster – Calliandra eriophylla
© Project SOUND
- 97. But maybe pink isn’t your thing…
• Jojoba – Simmondsia chinensis
• Baja Desert-thorn – Lycium brevipes
• Desert Lavender – Hyptis emoryi
© Project SOUND
- 98. Zone 1-2: Sonoran Desert filler plants: lots of
choices
Smaller shrubs
Indian Mallow - Abutilon palmeri
California Copperleaf -Acalypha californica
Desert Encelia - Encelia farinosa
Rabbitbush - Ericameria nauseosa
Chuparosa - Justicia californica
Desert Mallow - Sphaeralcea ambigua
Other
Coues’/Desert Senna – Cassia covesii
Geraea canescens
Mirabilis multiflora vars glandulosa and
pubescens
Nolina bigelovii
Penstemon eatonii
Penstemon palmeri © Project SOUND
- 99. * Chuparosa – Justicia californica
© 2010 Neal Kramer
© Project SOUND
- 100. * Chuparosa – Justicia californica
Sonoran/ Western Colorado Desert plant:
CA, AZ & N. Mexico
Dry, sandy or rocky soils, washes from
1000-4000 ft elevation
Introduced into cultivation in California by
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?JUCA8 Theodore Payne.
AKA: Beloperone; Hummingbird Bush
http://agentmary.wordpress.com/category/california-sights/
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND
- 101. Chuparosa: takes some time to establish
Size:
3-6 ft tall
4-8+ ft wide
Growth form:
Mounded sub-shrub from a
woody base
http://www.solano.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=2065&return=l8_p2 Stems green, becoming
gray/hairy
Takes 4-5 years to ‘fill out’
Foliage:
Bright green succulent leaves in
spring
Cold & drought deciduous –
usually leafless most of the year
in nature
© 2002 Charles E. Jones
© Project SOUND
- 102. Blooms:
Flowers are superb Main bloom in spring : usually
Mar-May in western L.A. county
Blooms off and on through fall
with rains/irrigation
Flowers: hummingbird flowers
Tubular, red (may be orange or
even yellow)
Lots of them along the stems
Attract hummingbirds like
magnets – let the battles begin!
Sparrows bite off the flowers
and eat the nectar-filled bases
Flowers edible: raw or cooked –
taste ‘cucumber-like’
Seeds:
No pre-treatment needed to
© 2010 Neal Kramer
grow from seed
© Project SOUND
- 103. Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: well-drained/sandy
soils best, but tolerant
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun; if using in a hedgerow,
plant on the south of west-
facing side
Water:
Winter: supplement if needed;
don’t over-water clays
Summer: likes occasional water –
Zone 1-2 to 2 (will become very
large with more water)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: inorganic mulch best
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND
- 104. Chuparosa in the garden
Often used as a showy specimen plant
in desert-themed gardens
A must for hummingbird gardens
As a filler plant in a low-water
hedgerow
In large pots/containers
© Project SOUND
- 105. Justicia californica 'Tecate Gold'
Color variants exist in nature
The ‘gold’ variants are basically
like the standard red-flowered
species, but with yellow flowers
Look for more variants in the
future
© Project SOUND
http://www.huntingtonbotanical.org/WhatsInBloom/april07/Page4.html
- 106. A timeline for S. CA Garden Hedgerows
Year 1
Plant large shrubs (backbone & filler
shrubs)
Plant cover species: grasses, annuals,
herbaceous groundcovers
Weed, weed, weed
Selective pruning: health; fullness in
fast-growing species
Year 2-4
Replace large shrubs if needed
Add smaller species as hedgerow
size/shape is revealed
Weed, weed
Prune for fullness during growth
season © Project SOUND
- 109. *Coues’ Cassia (Desert Senna) – Senna covesii
Sonoran Desert (San Diego, Imperial, Riverside,
San Bernardino Co.), NV, AZ, N. Mexico
Dry, sandy desert washes, slopes from 1,000 to
3,500 feet elevation
Named after Dr. Elliott Coues 1842-1899, noted
ornithologist who was stationed by the U.S.
government at Fort Whipple in 1864, author of
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?
3691,4205,4207
Birds of the Colorado Valley
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences http://www.nazflora.org/Senna_covesii.htm
© Project SOUND