More Related Content Similar to Parking strip gardening 2009 (8) Parking strip gardening 20091. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND - 2009
© Project SOUND
2. Beyond the Lawn
Parking Strip
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSU Dominguez Hills & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
January 3 & 6, 2009
© Project SOUND
3. The parking strip can be one of the
greatest gardening challenges
It’s the first thing you see
when someone visits
People walk all over it; dogs
poop & pee on it
It may be very shady – with
lots of tree roots; or a hot,
dry desert – bordered by
sidewalk and street
And you may not even own it!
The time-honored solution
was to plant a grass lawn
© Project SOUND
5. Despite the challenges, the parking strip
can be an important asset
Opportunity to increase your
growing space - particularly
important for small S. CA lots
Serves as a design transition
from the street to your home
May be the sunniest place in
your garden
An opportunity to increase
the livability of your
neighborhood – change to
interact with your neighbors
© Project SOUND
6. The parking strip garden requires a careful
design plan
Soil is often poor:
Construction ‘dregs’ often put here
Compacted by foot traffic & road construction
Tree roots from street trees
Dog pee
Water is often difficult to control
May be difficult to get water to strip
May be drainage issues (drainage from
sidewalk, street)
Water Zones for existing street trees
Light can often be a challenge
Full sun – hot & dry
Quite shady – if have street trees
Underground utilities, fire hydrants
Aboveground utilities; city has access rights
Often an unusual – challenging – size/shape
© Project SOUND
7. Parking strips are public places….
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Rheuark/Rheuark-Pages/index.html © Project SOUND
8. Some rules for a ‘reasonable’ parking
strip gardening plan
Safety
Provides good visibility for vehicles &
pedestrians
Does not impede foot traffic on sidewalks
Does not impede passing/parking of
vehicles
Allows safe exiting from vehicles and
access to the sidewalk (if adjacent
parking is permitted)
Is not dangerous: poisonous; sharp; trip
hazards
Water conservation
Promotes infiltration, not run-off
Aesthetics
Conforms to ‘weed abatement’ regulations
Looks ‘appropriate’ for neighborhood
Fits with rest of your front yard
© Project SOUND
9. Steps for designing your ‘New CA Parking Strip’
Get to know your local regulations
Assess your site:
Pedestrian traffic patterns
Location of above/underground utilities, water & sewer
lines, fire hydrants, etc.
Existing vegetation (that will remain; e.g. existing trees)
Sun & shade patterns; soil conditions (texture; pH)
Design and locate the ‘pathways’
Choose an appropriate planting design
© Project SOUND
10. First things first – what are you allowed to
do with your parking strip?
Check your city’s current
regulations - lots of
variability between cities:
Who owns the parking strip?
What are your
responsibilities for upkeep?
What are you allowed to do
with your parking strip; what
permits are required?
Most cities have this information
available on the city’s website
© Project SOUND
11. Parking strip regulations vary by city –
and are changing…
Hardscape (walkways; steps;
rocks; planters; etc)
Size of plants: often are height
restrictions (18”; may be 3 ft for
plants other than trees)
Types of plants:
Street tree: almost always a
‘street tree list’ or specific
regulations; city may own the
street trees
Other plants : in some cities you
are still only allowed to plant
grass; other cities may require
permits for non-grass
alternatives
© Project SOUND
12. Torrance municipal code
SECTION 75.1.6. PLANTING VEGETATION AROUND TREES.
No person shall plant or grow or cause to be planted or grown any
ivy, geranium or other vegetation to a height of more than eighteen
(18) inches above the top of any curb, sidewalk or ground on,
against or around any tree upon any parkway in the City. For the
purpose of this Section, the term parkway shall include that area
of any public street between the curb or other edge of the
pavement and the private property line.
ARTICLE 2 - VISIBILITY AT INTERSECTIONS (Added by O-
1288)
SECTION 75.2.1. OBSTRUCTING VISIBILITY PROHIBITED.
No person owning or in possession of real property shall install or
maintain, or permit the installation or maintenance or existence of
any tree, shrub or plant within that triangular area between the
property lines parallel to intersecting streets and a diagonal line
joining points on said property lines twenty-five (25) feet from the
intersection of said property lines or within twenty (20) feet of
said property lines, which growth prevents or interferes with a
driver of a vehicle approaching the intersection on one street
seeing a vehicle approaching the intersection on another street.
© Project SOUND
13. The ‘visibility triangle’ is used by many cities to
determine height requirements for intersections
Anything within a
specified distance of
the apex of the street
angle must conform to
height/planting
regulations
Often varies by speed
limit: 25-45 ft is
common for residential
streets
Varies by city: know
your regulations
© Project SOUND
14. Street trees Don’t plant anything without city
approval; city will usually direct the
planting & placement of street trees
Learn your city’s regulations: species,
characteristics & placement
If you want to plant a native tree: see
if it can be added to the approved list
Qualities of good street trees (in
addition to being attractive):
Single trunk
Can be pruned up: 7 ft above sidewalk;
14 ft above street is common)
Not hazardous: weak wood; sharp
seeds, etc.
Non-invasive roots; roots that don’t
damage sidewalks, roadways
Water-wise (now figures in most
cities)
Non-littering when possible
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11525626@N00/32409044/
© Project SOUND
15. Access features are the first items to locate
on your design plan
They determine where & what you will plant
They require careful placement
Public safety
Location of utilities; street trees
They are often the first thing you install
They have an impact on the ‘looks’ of the
parking strip garden
© Project SOUND
http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/getgrowing/2007/05/25/parking_strips_what_s_a_homeowner_to_do
16. Pedestrian access: safety & design
Safety first - parking strips are
public areas
Should allow for easy access to parked
vehicles
Should be placed to provide reasonable
access to the sidewalk: some suggest 1
per car-length
Should be adequately wide (2-2 ½ ft);
or 1 ½ ft. in addition to curbing)
Should stay reasonably dry in rainy
season
Should provide a firm footing for
walking
Ideally should be pervious to water;
allow water to percolate
© Project SOUND
17. Pedestrian access: safety & design
Design - many hardscape
options to complement
the rest of the garden
Concrete pavers (with or
without vegetation; crushed
rock)
Natural stone (flag stone;
PV stone)
Brick (set in sand)
Crushed rock/ decomposed
granite
Shredded bark; woodchip
mulch (even just between
widely-spaced plants)
© Project SOUND
18. Pedestrian access: living walkways
Native sod-forming ‘grasses’
Non-native ‘walkable’
groundcover plants:
Corsican mint - Mentha requienii
Baby tears - Solierolia soleirolii
Corsican sandwort - Arenaria
http://www.smgrowers.com/imagedb/Carex_praegracilis.jpg balerica
Creeping thymes:
Mother of thyme (Thymus
serpyllum)
Woolly thyme (Thymus
pseudolanuginosus )
Elfin thyme (Thymus praecox)
Silver Carpet (Dymondia
margaretae)
Chamaemelum nobile 'Treneague'
(non-flowering)
© Project SOUND
20. Parking strips are usually narrow; often,
fewer species is better….
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/la-hm-sidewalk2006may18,0,3338874.story
No matter the location, low maintenance
and proper scale are crucial.
© Project SOUND
22. New CA Garden ‘Parking Strip Combo
Palettes’
Based on sun, drainage & Water Zones
Include a limited plant palette:
Heavy on evergreen species
All are low-growing
All are hardy on parking strips
You can mix & match within a palette, depending on your needs
Palettes can be used to create either a formal or informal design
© Project SOUND
23. Each palette includes three types of plants:
Group 1: Backbone plants
Spreading evergreen species
(mostly); many < 2 ft tall
Take up 60-80% of parking strip
area
Choose 1-3 from list
Group 2: Contrast plants
Add interest and fill space
between backbone plants
Take up 10-30% of area
Group 3: Color plants
Mostly plants with good flower
color
Take up 10-20% of area
Particularly important during
first several years
© Project SOUND
24. A common parking strip challenge…
Existing street trees –
moderate shade
May be pine needles –
slightly more acid soil
Soil compacted; roots
Need a low groundcover
that looks fairly tidy
Where would you put walkways?
What material would you use?
© Project SOUND
25. New CA Garden ‘Parking Strip Combo
Palettes’
Based on sun, drainage & Water Zones
Include a limited plant palette:
Heavy on evergreen species
All are low-growing
All are hardy on parking strips
You can mix & match within a palette, depending on your needs
Palettes can be used to create either a formal or informal design
© Project SOUND
27. Creeping Barberry – Mahonia repens
Western U.S. to S. Canada
In CA:
Foothills of the coastal
ranges, Sierras
Locally: mountains in San
Diego
Often on dry slopes or
canyons in grasslands,
shrublands, open forest
In many plant communities:
riparian, sagebrush,
chaparral, pinyon-juniper,
mountain brush, oak, aspen,
pine, and conifer
communities
© Project SOUND
28. In the wild – a groundcover plant
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/mahonia%20repens.htm
© Project SOUND
29. Characteristics of Creeping Mahonia
Size:
1-2 ft tall
spreading – 2-4 ft wide
Growth form:
Sprawling woody shrub; spreads via
stems (stolons or rhizomes)
Evergreen
Rather stiff appearance
Foliage:
Leaves holly-like
Dark green; old leaves may turn
purple/red in winter
Roots: deep rooted; can resprout
from root crowns
© 1984, H. Tim Gladwin
© Project SOUND
30. Roots of Mahonia species
are special
Widely used as medicinal
as an antiseptic and healing
wash or poultice on wounds,
http://www.localharvest.org/oregon-grape-root-tincture-
mahonia-repens-C2926
tincture of root
scorpion bites
As a tea or tincture:
Coughs, fevers
Enteric infections, especially
bacterial dysentery
Kidney problems
Roots & bark produce a yellow
natural dye
http://flickr.com/photos/92071270@N00/497458613
© Project SOUND
http://flickr.com/photos/22731657@N03/2743052389/
31. Flowers are showy against
the dark leaves
Blooms:
In spring - usually Apr-May in
lower elevations of our area
Depends in part on temperature
Flowers:
Bright, intense yellow
Small (1/3 inch or so); but in
dense, showy clusters
Sweet scented – to attract the
native pollinators (bees, others)
Fruits:
Waxy blue when ripe
Tart – but make wonderful
jellies, sauces
Birds love them!! (robins,
finches and towhees)
© Project SOUND
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
32. Soils:
Plant Requirements Texture: any, including heavy
clays
pH: any local; does fine with
acidic soils – OK under pines
Light:
Part-shade to full shade
Will flower and fruit best in part-
shade (like under trees)
Water:
Winter: good winter water
Summer: Zone 2 once
established; Zone 2-3 or 3 for
first 1-2 years
Fertilizer: use an organic mulch
(pine needles are ideal)
Other: tolerates heat; easy to grow
© Project SOUND
33. Creeping Barberry
Most often used as a low
natural groundcover
Evergreen; low-growing
Easy to grow
Fills in to cover an area
Interesting, attractive foliage
Bright spring flowers; winter
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MARE11
foliage color
Great under trees; other shady
areas
In a woodsy garden; or creeping
over a low stone wall
To attract fruit-eating birds
Fine in pots/planters
Anywhere you might consider
(shudder) planting ivy
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/mahrep.htm
© Project SOUND
34. Growing native
woody groundcovers
Choose a species with a
moderate growth rate (will live
longer than quick-growers)
Space plants appropriately:
http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/wcl/gcovers/mahoniar/wmaredes.html
Distance should be ~ ¾ of the
plant’s mature diameter – allows
a little overlap
Can plant as close as ½ mature
diameter for quicker cover
Mulch, mulch, mulch
Weed regularly
Start selective pruning early
Consider using filler plants:
Short-lived grasses; Yarrow
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Annual wildflowers
© Project SOUND
35. Native woody parking strips: one species
or several
Single species:
More formal, tidy looking
Entire area has same cultural
requirements
? Easier to maintain
Looks more like a conventional ‘single
species’ parking strip
Several (2-3) species:
More interesting: foliage, flowers
Better habitat value
May be smarter choice – even if one
species doesn’t make it
Allows you to include a few (expensive;
rare) species
May be more like ‘Mother Nature’s
Garden’
© Project SOUND
36. Grasses, sedges and other
groundcovers can provide
an interesting mix…..
© Project SOUND
http://groups.ucanr.org/slosson/documents/2005-200610656.pdf
37. In the mountains of CO, Creeping Mahonia
often grows with Kinnickinnick
© Project SOUND
39. Kinnikinnick – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Also commonly called Bear Berry
Found throughout the Northern
Hemisphere:
N. Asia/Russia
N. Europe
In North America - from the northern
half of California north to Alaska and
across Canada and the northern United
States to New England and
Newfoundland.
In CA – mostly along the N. CA coast
Rocky outcrops, slopes, sandy soils,
coastal dunes, chaparral, coniferous
forest
http://www.swsbm.com/maps/Arctostaphylos_uva-ursi.gif © Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3454,3542
40. Occurs in widely variable conditions
© Project SOUND
http://blackfootnativeplants.com/inventory.html
41. Does well in sandy soils along the CA coast
© Clayton J. Antieau
© Project SOUND
42. Kinnikinnick is another low-growing woody shrub
Size:
< 1 ft tall
spreading: 3-15 ft wide
Growth form:
Evergreen woody shrub
Very low, dense growth – mat-
like
© 2007 Matt Below Spreads by rooting stems
Foliage:
Like other Manzanitas
Leathery leaves; green but may
become red-tinged in winter
Neat appearing – garden-like
Good antibacterial qualities:
used for urinary, skin infections
© 2005 Steve Matson http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/aruv2.htm
Roots: fibrous; to 6+ feet depth
© Project SOUND
Deer will browse
43. Flowers & fruits are pure
Manzanita
Blooms: in spring; usually Mar-
May in our area
Flowers:
Small; but in clusters
Pink/white
Typical urn-shaped
© 2007 Matt Below
Sweetly fragrant; attracts
butterflies & hummingbirds
Fruits:
Little red ‘apples’ in late
summer/fall; very showy
Yum! : birds eat them & you can
make jellies, sauces from them
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND
44. Kinnikinnick - well suited Soils:
Texture: best in sandy soils, but
to garden conditions… fine in most well-drained soils
pH: any, including quite acidic –
fine under pines
Light:
Best in part shade; tolerates full
shade (but less flowering)
Full sun only near immediate coast
Water:
Young plants: Zone 2-3
Winter: needs good water – deep
roots
Summer: Zone 2-3 (best); Zone 2
ok once established
Fertilizer: none
Other: delicate roots; don’t move or
compact soils
© Project SOUND
45. Mainly used as a low
groundcover
Excellent groundcover under
trees
Fine on parking strips in
virtually all local cities – very
low-growing & looks way better
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/arcuva/arcuva3.html
than ivy!
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/arcuva/arcuva3.html
Looks nice cascading over a low
retaining wall
Combine with rocks
Nice in a large pot or planter –
even on shady patios
Great on slopes – even steep
ones!
Fine near the ocean
http://courses.washington.edu/ehuf331/Plant_Pages_subfolders/ERICACEAE.shtml
© Project SOUND
47. Management is easy…
Plant when plants are
young – don’t move them
Mulch & weed until
established
Pinch/tip-prune when
young to encourage
Photo by Richard Old, www.xidservices.com
fullness – early spring
Prune out dead/old
branches after flowering
in spring
Easy to grow – few pest if
appropriately watered
© Project SOUND
48. Tricks to keeping parking strip plants under the
height limit
Choose naturally low-growing
species/cultivars
Best: see the plant actually
growing under conditions
similar to yours
Talk to knowledgeable nursery
staff
Start training the plants from
the beginning – selective
pruning & pinching
Remember Mother Nature’s
lessons:
Don’t over-water or over-
fertilize
‘Little Sur’ Manzanita Be sure plant gets adequate
sunlight
© Project SOUND
49. A ‘Shady Woodland’ mix works well for many
shady parking strips that need some summer water
© Project SOUND
50. There also are mixes more suited to dry
shady situations
Perfect under street
trees that need little
water (native oaks;
Eucalyptus)
Combine low shrubby
native groundcovers with:
Grasses/grass-like species
A few low shrubs
Even some native bulbs and
flowering species
Look great in yards that
use other CA native plants
© Project SOUND
51. What to do with ‘mixed light’ parking strips
Try a ‘Dappled Shadeland’
garden
Choose 1-2 backbone species
with wide light tolerances:
Yarrow
Fragaria
Mix with sun- or shade-
requiring species as
Contrast & Accent species
Dichondra
Argentina
flowering perennials &
annual wildflowers (at least
until the other species fill
in)
© Project SOUND
52. For well-drained sandy soils, choose native soil-
binders as Backbone Plants
Yarrow (Achillea)
Strawberries
(Fragaria)
Silverweed
Checkerbloom
(Sidalcea
species)
Native dichondra
© Project SOUND
53. Formal or informal:
the choice is yours
Many plants in the ‘Parking
Strip Combos’ palettes look
equally good either way
Formal designs using CA
native plants can be
strikingly beautiful;
refreshing
Remember that formal
designs require more upkeep
Separate species with
barriers
Be ruthless in keeping
species in their proper
places
Edging between your parking
strip and the lawn next door
© Project SOUND
54. Pacific Silverweed – Argentina egedii ssp. egedii
(Potentilla anserina vars. grandis, pacifica)
© 2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
http://flickr.com/photos/27830975@N05/3061843001/in/photostream/ © Project SOUND
55. Pacific Silverweed – Argentina egedii ssp. egedii
(Potentilla anserina vars. grandis, pacifica)
Immediate west coast from
AK to Baja; also coasts in Asia
Name nightmares:
Formerly classified in the
genus Potentilla but has
recently been reclassified
into the new genus Argentina.
Very closely related to
Silverweed (A. anserina or
Potentilla anserina), the only
other species in the genus),
and is treated as a
subspecies of it by Jepson,
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6824,6825,6827 plant growers.
© Project SOUND
56. Silverweed in nature
Wet to seasonally wet
areas:
Coastal dunes & sandy
bluffs
Freshwater and
brackish marsh edges
Estuaries & mudflats
Wetland meadows
Along streams
Soils: sandy to clay;
may also be rocky
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
57. Characteristics of Pacific Silverweed
Size:
1 to 1 ½ ft tall
Spreading to 4-5 ft wide;
old plants die – replaced by
new
Growth form:
Herbaceous perennial
Spreads by stolons
(runners) producing new
plantlets
Foliage:
Almost fern-like; showy
Green above; silvery below
Roots: soil-binding
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
58. Cinquefoils (including
Silverweed) & Strawberries
Close relatives – both in
Rose family:
Somewhat similar leaves
Spread via runners –
sometimes invasively so
© 2004, Ben Legler
(ah ha – perfect for the
parking strip!)
Individual plants live only
2-3 year
Flowers quite similar
except in color
http://hanamist.sakura.ne.jp/flower/riben/bara/img/ezoturu.jpg
© Project SOUND
59. Bright, sunny flowers
Blooms:
Spring/summer - usually in
May-Aug in our area
Fairly long bloom period –
several months
Flowers:
Like strawberry – only yellow
and a bit bigger.
On stalks above foliage
Close on cloudy days
Seeds:
Dry – attached to a core
Fairly easy to start from seed
in winter/spring – no
© 2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
treatment
© 2004, Ben Legler © Project SOUND
60. Silverweed is easy Soils:
to please…. Texture: any well-drained sandy
or clay soil
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun to light shade
Great in dappled sun under
trees
Water:
Winter: needs good rains/water
Summer: very adaptable; Zone 2
to 3; will die back in drought
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: tolerates winter flooding,
seaside conditions, salty soils
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/silverweed.html
© Project SOUND
61. Garden uses for
Silverweed
Great groundcover, parking
strip plant
Contained areas like planters
As an attractive pot plant
Under Zone 3 trees
© 2002 Dean Wm. Taylor
In wet spots in garden – near
sprinklers, low spots, drainage
areas (rain gardens)
In vegetable garden
Taproots baked or steamed
and eaten – native delicacy
Roots also used as an
astringent compress or tea
http://roseconnors.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
(for diarrhea, sore throat)
© Project SOUND
62. Tips for designing an ‘informal’ parking strip
Choose plants from the appropriate
‘combo’ palette
Planting several Backbone Species
and let them fight it out for real
estate.
Aim for swirls and riffs of color, like
a living Persian carpet; always plant at
least 3 plants of a single species
together.
Add flagstones or stepping stones in
spots, so you aren't fighting human
nature when it comes to taking
shortcuts to the street.
Commit to some serious hand-weeding
until the ground covers become
established
© Project SOUND
63. Filler and Accent plants add interest
Filler plants
May be either spreaders or
smaller shrubs/ perennials
that can be massed
Usually are evergreen – at
least with a little summer
Carex species water
Used to provide contrasts to
backbone plants:
Size/shape
Foliage color, type
Accent plants
Used to provide seasonal color
Foliage may be insignificant
May die back in summer/fall
Silene species or in winter
© Project SOUND
64. Color plants play a key role in the first years
of many native parking strips
Remember the old
adage... first year
they sleep, then they
creep, then they leap.
http://bammorgan.blogspot.com/2008/04/payne-foundation-garden-tour.html
Use mulch between plants
Use signage to let people know what’s in progress
Talk to neighbors before, during and after installation
© Project SOUND
66. California Primrose – Oenothera californica
Coastal, Sierra, Transverse
and desert mountain ranges
of CA to Baja – locally in San
Gabriels
In foothills (mostly)
Sandy or gravelly areas,
dunes, desert scrub to
pinyon/juniper or ponderosa-
pine woodlands
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Oenothera+californica
Same genus as Hooker’s
Evening Primrose
© Project SOUND
67. Characteristics of CA Primrose
Size:
Usually < 1 ft tall
Usually 2-4 ft wide; more in
favorable locations (with more
water)
Growth form:
http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/O/oenothera_californica.htm
Sprawling sub-shrub or
herbaceous perennial
Foliage initially in basal rosette
– then becomes almost vine-like
Foliage:
Lance-shaped; may be incised
Drought & cold deciduous
Roots: 2-4 ft
© Project SOUND
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/desert/primcal2.htm
68. Flowers are the reason to
plant native primroses
Blooms:
In spring - usually Apr-May in
our area
Flowers open over long period –
individual flowers short-lived
© 2003 Lynn Watson
Flowers:
White, becoming more pink
Fairly large (2 inch) and
definitely showy
Sweet, slightly musky fragrance
Seeds: many tiny seeds in a capsule
Vegetative reproduction:
sprouting from roots
http://botany.si.edu/onagraceae/taxalist.cfm?genus=Oenothera
© Project SOUND
69. Care and management: plant & ignore
Soils:
Texture: sandy/rocky best
pH: any local to 8.5 (alkali)
Light:
Full sun – coastal
Part-shade/morning sun inland
Water:
Winter: good winter rains
Summer: drought tolerant but
takes anything from 2 to 3; best
to let dry out in late summer/fall
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
http://botany.si.edu/onagraceae/taxalist.cfm?genus=Oenothera Other: cut back as needed in fall.
© Project SOUND
70. Native primroses
in the garden
Best planted with native
grasses, perennials, annual
wildflowers
Excellent choice for
water-wise parking strip
Lovely in pots on a sunny
deck
Attract a wild assortment
of insects
http://botany.si.edu/onagraceae/taxalist.cfm?genus=Oenothera
© Project SOUND
71. Filler plants may also
provide flower color
Epilobium canum
http://flickr.com/photos/spidra/2430035989/
Penstemon heterophyllus
© Project SOUND
72. Pacific Aster – Symphyotrichum chilense var. chilense
(Aster chilensis)
© 2007 Neal Kramer
© Project SOUND
73. Pacific Aster – Symphyotrichum chilense var. chilense
(Aster chilensis)
Northwestern U.S., Canada,
coastal CA to Santa Barbara Co.
Locally: mountains of San Diego
Co; San Bernardino Mountains
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php/Symphyotrichum_chilense_var._chilense
Despite its Latin name, it does not
occur in Chile – another mistake
handed down to posterity!
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Aster+chilensis © Project SOUND
74. A plant of many
habitats
Grasslands
Salt marshes
Coastal dunes and bluffs
Coastal grasslands and
scrub,
Even open disturbed
habitats in evergreen and
Pacific coast coniferous
forest
© 2004, Ben Legler
Not surprisingly, there are phenotypic variants
© Project SOUND
75. Pacific Aster – not grown for it’s foliage
Size:
1-2 ft tall
Spreading to 5+ ft wide
Growth form:
Herbaceous perennial
Upright, then carpet-like
Drought deciduous – dies
back to ground in late
summer
Foliage:
Thin/sparse; medium green
Roots: rhizomes – by which it
spreads, often vigorously
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
76. Flowers are dainty
Blooms:
Summer: usually Jul-Aug in
Western L.A. Co.
Flowers:
Typical sunflower head – but
dainty; ~ 1 inch head
White to purple (even pink) ray
flowers; yellow disc flowers
Many flowers blooming at one
time; very showy
Excellent nectar source for
native moths and butterflies
Seeds:
With fluffy tail to aid wind
distribution; birds love them!
© 2007 Neal Kramer
Can reseed on bare ground
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
77. Pacific Aster can thrive Soils:
on your parking strip Texture: any – sand to clay
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun to light shade;
Probably best color in light
shade
Water:
Winter: adequate
Summer: wide range (Zone 1-2
to 3); probably best as Zone 2 –
too aggressive with more water.
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: can be heavily pruned, even
mowed, occasionally. Cut back in
fall after flowering.
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
78. Pacific Aster: not for
everywhere…
Best contained, as it is an
aggressive competitor:
Pots & planters
Areas bounded by walks, or
other boundries
Parking strips – if managed
Usually used in combination with
native grasses, bulbs, sub-shrubs
(Epilobium canum; Goldenrods) in
native meadows; can be mowed
back in fall
© 2005 Andrea Jesse Appropriate for Cottage Gardens
Good for stabilizing slopes
Excellent choice for butterfly gardens
© Project SOUND
79. ‘Point St. George’ cultivar
is more robust
Native cultivar from N. CA
Generally more robust:
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_a/astchipoistg.html
Larger, more robust leaves
Larger flowers
Looks more like a
cultivated plant
‘Purple Haze’ cultivar:
Dark purple flowers
Otherwise similar to parent
species
© 2003 Charles E. Jones
‘Point St. George’ © Project SOUND
81. Sunny Coastal Prairie or Shrubland plants
may be appropriate
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Rheuark/Rheuark-Pages/index.html © Project SOUND
82. Bringing Back the Natives – One Pot at a Time
Your commitment:
Materials
Pot: 12-16 inches in diameter; 12-
16 inches deep
Potting soil: Lowe’s ‘Gardeners’ or
Super Soil (cheapest) potting soil
Time
Plant seeds; care for plants
After seeds are ripe/dry:
Scatter in your garden
Collect and share with others
Photos & feedback
Provide us photos and (brief)
written feedback about your
successes and failures
© Project SOUND
83. Bringing Back the Natives – One Pot at a Time
We will provide:
Seeds – enough for 1 pot
Baby Blue-eyes
Chinese Houses
Globe and Bird’s Eye Gilias
Goldfields
Meadowfoam
Purple & Elegant Clarkias
Tidy Tips
Dot-seed Plantain
Several others
Advice and encouragement
Garden Information Sheets
Advice and encouragement via
e-mail, phone, blog © Project SOUND
84. Penstemons do well in a dry, sunny parking strip
http://kristamaxwell.com/garden/photos2.html
http://www.pbase.com/yakteachr/image/30742457
Penstemon heterophyllus Penstemon newberryi
http://flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/2098924913/ http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/images/Rots/ © Project SOUND
85. Penstemons: most of the foliage is low
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/reds/red12.html
Penstemon laetus Penstemon eatonii
http://www.thequercusgroup.com/XZ-Essentials-Elements.html
© Project SOUND
86. White Fairy-lantern – Calochortus albus
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAAL2
© Project SOUND
87. White Fairy-lantern – Calochortus albus
California endemic (limited
to CA)
North/central Sierra Nevada
Foothills
Central & S. coastal mountain
ranges, Transverse ranges,
Channel Islands
Locally: Catalina & Santa
Monica Mtns.
Shady to open woodlands,
Rocky outcrops
Chaparral, foothill woodland,
yellow pine forest to 6000'
© Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8461,8462
88. Calochortus: members of the Liliaceae (Lily Family)
Large family - includes hyacinths,
tulips, onions, as well as true lilies.
The flowers have 3 petals and 3
sepals, often very similar
Most CA natives are herbaceous (no
woody stem) and die back, after
flowering or fruiting, to underground
bulbs, corms, or rhizomes.
New plants form from bulb division or
sprout from seeds
Many native members of Liliaceae can
be grown in the garden, keeping in
mind their native situations:
Allium, Brodiaea, Camassia, Lilium
and Calochortus species prefer
open, sunny areas
© Project SOUND
89. 70 species from British Columbia to
Guatemala and east to Nebraska (28
The genus Calochortus species endemic to CA).
The genus Calochortus includes:
C. luteus
Mariposas (or Mariposa lilies) with open
wedge-shaped petals - dry grasslands and
semideserts
Globe lilies and Fairy lanterns with globe-
shaped flowers - closed forests
Cat's ears and Star tulips with erect
pointed petals - wet meadows & montane
woodlands
C. catalinae
Calochortus produce one or more flowers
on a stem that arises from the bulb,
generally in the spring or early summer.
Unlike most other Liliaceae, Calochortus
petals differ in size and color from their
sepals. Flowers can be white, yellow, pink,
purple, bluish, or streaked.
The insides of the petals are often highly
hairy. These hairs, along with the
The word Calochortus is derived nectaries, are often used in distinguishing
from Greek and means "beautiful species from each other.
grass". © Project SOUND
90. Calochortus albus is a dainty Fairy Lily
Size:
1-2 ft tall
<1 ft wide
Growth form:
Herbaceaous perennial from a bulb
Upright form; slender
Dormant in fall dry season; dies
back to bulb
Foliage:
Mostly basal
Grass-like leaves
Roots: bulb
Margaret Williams @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND
91. White Fairy-lantern: enchanting flowers
Blooms:
Later spring: usually Apr-June in
coastal L.A. County
Flowers:
Truly like a little ‘fairy lantern’
White tinged with pink
Flowers hangs from stem; nod in the
breeze
Seeds:
Dark brown seeds in hanging winged
capsule
Fairly easy to grow; plant fall-winter
(with the rains) in pots or in ground
Vegetative reproduction: offsets
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAAL2
from bulbs
© Project SOUND
92. Soils:
Plant Requirements Texture: best in well-drained
clays
pH: any local
Light:
Best in part-shade; under
trees is good
Full sun only on immediate
coast
Water:
Winter/spring: needs good
spring water
Summer: no water after
blooming (mid-summer)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: easier than most
Calochartus; water appropriately
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/online_album/0829.htm © Project SOUND
93. Garden uses for White
Fairylantern
In a pot – alone or with other
bulbs & native wildflowers; allows
you to treat plants as Zone 1
With native dry grasses (Melica
imperfecta; Koeleria macrantha)
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/CalochortusSpeciesOne & annual wildflowers – have same
water & light requirements
Take a tip from Mother Nature –
these look great when massed!
Great bulb for under native oaks;
place where gets part-sun.
Protect the bulbs from rodents,
including squirrels, gophers;
native Californians roasted bulbs
© Project SOUND
http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Calochortus/Calochor
tus_albus/C.albus.html
94. Tips from city
planning pros
“Plant low-growing plants, no more
than 6 to 12 inches high, and the
city won’t make a big deal.”
“Use plants that match the
aesthetics of the yard, but
don’t let it get out of hand. Avoid
thorny things. Keep shrubby plants
below 30 inches – no tall hedges or
solid green walls, especially near
driveways and street corners.”
“The best designs are driven by
common sense.” Oishi (L.A. City)
recommends that the two feet
nearest the curb be planted with
grass or some hardy groundcover
that can withstand some foot
traffic. He also suggests
allowing at least one path from the
street to the sidewalk.
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Rheuark/Rheuark-Pages/index.html © Project SOUND