Woodland wonders 2010

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND

Woodland Wonders:
Plants for Dry Shade

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve
August 7 & 10, 2010

© Project SOUND

For some gardeners, restoration of locally
native plant life is of key importance…

‘Very local’ native plants may be the easiest to grow – literally
‘grow themselves’
© Project SOUND

What is my local Plant Community?

 Coastal
strand/bluff
 S. Coastal
Prairie
 Coastal
shrubland
 Coastal Sage
Scrub
 Chaparral –
parts of PV,
mostly at
higher
elevations
http://www.planetizen.com/node/23441

Riparian (wetland/streamside) communities
© Project SOUND

Madrona Marsh Preserve gives a good idea of what many local
neighborhoods might have looked like in the past
© Project SOUND

Gardens are located in the space
between natural and human landscapes

© Project SOUND

Many gardeners want to create a cool, shady oasis
© Project SOUND

http://www.nanscapes.biz/gardens.html

The Riparian Woodland is a source for
local shade plants that like water

© Project SOUND

But what if you want/need both shade and water-wise?

http://philipsgardenblog.com/2008/04/

Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have a mature oak(s) in your garden
© Project SOUND

Or you may just want to make the shady parts of your
garden more water-wise
© Project SOUND

A few guidelines – choosing appropriate
plant species for your garden

 If you live near
natural areas:
 Choose local native
plants (from locally
derived sources) –
best choice
 Choose other native
(and non-native)
plants & cultivars
Consult with your local Land with great care –
Conservancy/Preserve or local native should not invade or
plant experts (CA Native Plant hybridize with local
Society) to make good choices native plants
© Project SOUND

A few guidelines – choosing appropriate
native plant species for your garden

 If you live in an urbanized area
you may also:
 Choose plants from appropriate
areas that are not immediately
local, but still are close by:
 Inland areas of L.A. Co.;
 Local foothills;
 ‘Coastal’ (lowland) plants from
Orange or San Diego Co.

 Choose plants from farther away
that have appropriate
characteristics for your garden:
 Central/N. CA coastal areas
In fact, plants from ‘nearby areas’
 S. CA deserts
may actually have grown in your
 Baja CA
neighborhood at one time © Project SOUND

The Southern Oak Woodland is our most
obvious source for dry shade plants

 Foothills of S.
CA (including
L.A. and other
local counties)
 Inland valleys
of L.A. County
(Woodland
Hills; Thousand
Oaks; Diamond
Bar; Cal Poly
Pomona)

http://www.rivenrock.com/october2007.htm

© Project SOUND

The Southern Oak Woodland of CA
 Precipitation: 15-25” annually
 Elevation: 1500-5000 ft in western S.
California
 Common trees/large shrubs:
 Coast Liveoak (Quercus agrifolia) - also
Canyon Liveoak (Q. chrysolepis), California
Black Oak (Q. kelloggii), Engelmann Oak
(Q. engelmannii ) and Valley Oak (Q.
lobata)
 CA Walnut
 Blue Elderberry
 California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia
californica)

 Toyon
 Lemonadeberry
 Sugarbush
 Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica),
 Sourberry/Tri-lobe Sumac © Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities/southern-oak-woodland

Southern Oak
Woodland
 Most often on North-facing
slopes, shaded canyons and
sheltered inland valleys – on
http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall01%20projects/AcornW.htm well-drained soils
 May be intersected by
intermittent streams
 Oaks may grow in dense
clusters or more openly – a
woodland rather than a forest
 Smaller trees and shrubs
along with herbaceous plants,
ferns and grasses form a
vegetative understory which is
an important part of this
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2289/1594943902_ead554319f.jpg
community.
One of the more common
understory plants is Poison Oak © Project SOUND

Southern Oak
Woodlands have a
distinctive ‘feel’ –
dry shade

http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Sparoows_towhees_and_buntings/Chipping_sparrow/C
hipping_sparrow_in_your_garden.htm

http://grounds.stanford.edu/points/significanttrees/quercusagrifolia.html

© Project SOUND
http://jamesgonzalez.net/images/trips/pinecreek/quercus_agrifolia.JPG

Oaks are adapted to our Mediterranean climate
 Mature CA oaks survive on winter
rains and a summer dry period.

 Oaks set a deep tap root and have
many shallow surface feeder roots.

 Shallow oak roots extend beyond
the tree’s canopy. Feeder roots are
typically 1 to 3 feet below the
soil's surface.

 To keep S. CA oaks healthy you
need to replicate the summer dry
(Zone 1 or 1-2) water pattern; this
means using only plants with the
same summer water requirements
under oaks.

 Regularly watered lawns will kill
http://ic.ucsc.edu/~wxcheng/wewu/quercusagrifolia.htm a native CA oak, usually by
disease (root fungi)© Project SOUND

Watering mature oak (or other Zone 1-2) trees

 Do not water in ‘critical area’ (10 ft from trunk)
 Water only in dry spring and summer conditions (if at all)
 Water no more than once a month; no overhead watering
 Let water soak to depth of 18-24 inches
 Organic mulch (oak leaves) required, even in critical area – but
not touching the trunk © Project SOUND

What do we mean by ‘dry shade’?

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Gardening/diggin-it/2009/0917/dry-shade-in-the-garden-a-checkered-solution

Your definition may
be very different
http://www.hotgardens.net/santa_barbara_garden_tour.htm
from mine

http://ilonasgarden.com/ © Project SOUND

Gardens in Mediterranean climates
(including S. CA) have three Water Zones

 Zone 1 – no supplemental water; soils are
dry in summer/fall.
 Zone 2 – occasional summer water; soil is
allowed to dry out between waterings.
Watering is slow & deep to replenish the
soil water stores.
 Zone 3 – regular water; soil is usually moist
to soggy, even in summer.
© Project SOUND

Water
Description Picture Result/consequence
Zone
Many Zone 1 plants (including
many native to western L.A.
No supplemental
Zone 1 water county & deserts) become
summer dormant; some shade
species remain green

Includes ‘CA Natives’ from
Occasional water; many plant communities;
soil dries out occasional summer water
Zone 2 between deep helps many species to remain
waterings evergreen – many also extend
bloom season

Only native riparian and some
Regular water;
Zone 3 soil moist/ soggy mountain/N. CA species – will
kill many local CA natives

© Project SOUND

The secret of a water-wise garden is to prioritize water
needs and group plants with similar requirements

Regular water

Dry; needs
drought-
tolerant
plants

‘Water-wise’ ; occasional summer water
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00101.asp
© Project SOUND

Is it hard to grow plants under oaks (and other
summer dry trees)?
 Yes, but not impossible
 Challenges: summer drought
requirement; dense shade; root
competition
 Solutions:
 Choose plants that thrive in
dry shade:
 Plants from the Southern Oak
Woodland
 Plants from the Central and
Northern Oak Woodlands
 Other drought-and-shade
tolerant plants (often from
Chaparral)
 Prune to provide better air
http://syllable.rice.edu/LangEx_06_07/WIKI/index.php?title=Presentation_Group_1_with_ circulation, light
Andr%C3%A9s&printable=yes&printable=yes
© Project SOUND

Under many drought-tolerant trees you
have options/choices

© Project SOUND

Central & Northern Oak Woodlands
 Annual rainfall: 20-35 inches
 Dominant large trees/shrubs
 Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), Blue Oak
(Quercus douglasii), Coast Live Oak
(Quercus agrifolia) and Interior Live Oak
(Quercus wislizenii)
 Gray Pine ( Pinus sabiniana)
 Understory:
 Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.)
 Coffeeberry and Redberry (Rhamnus spp.)
 Currant and Gooseberry (Ribes spp.)
 Toyon
 In openings:
 Grasses & ferns
 Annual & perennial wildflowers : Goldfields
(Lasthenia spp.), Poppies (Eschscholzia
spp.), Lupines (Lupinus spp.) and other
forbs in spring.
© Project SOUND

Oak woodlands in Central &
N. CA get more rain – they
look & feel more lush than
those of S. CA

http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Finches/House_finch/house_finch.html

You may find the ‘greener’ look of the
more northern Oak Woodland more to
your liking/needs
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities/central-oak-woodland © Project SOUND

The key is to group plants with like needs
together

© Project SOUND

http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Natural_Resources/Oak_Woodlands.htm

Shade is variable, even in an Oak Woodland
© Project SOUND

You need to become a
‘connoisseur of shade’

 Light shade (FS/PS):
receives shade for less
than four hours each day.
 Partial or semi-shade
(PS): assumes a half day of
shade.
 Full shade (FSH): occurs
where there is no direct
sun.

http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Loeb/Loeb-Pages/index.html
© Project SOUND

Light shade
 Definition: shaded but bright
 Examples:
 The sun's rays blocked by a tree,
wall or building for several hours at
midday, sunny the rest of the day
 Areas that receive filtered or
dappled sunlight for longer periods.
http://www.rivenrock.com/blogcanyon062006.jpg (edges of shady gardens or areas
under the canopy of lightly branched
trees)

 Effects on plants:
 Provides beneficial cooling/shade
during the heat of summer
 Flower and foliage color may be
more brilliant
 Most sun-loving plants can
survive/thrive in light shade

© Project SOUND

Partial, medium or semi-
shade
 Definition: direct sun rays are
blocked from an area for at least
half the day.
 Similar to an open glade in the forest
or the woods' edge
 Examples:
 Established landscapes with mature
trees; area receives some direct sun
early or late in the day
 Bright, north- or east-facing
exposures, slopes

 Effect on Plants:
 Protection from harmful effects of
direct sunlight
 Less available light – so best to utilize
plants that require some shade

http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009/11/friends-of-south-pasadena-nature-park.html
© Project SOUND

http://longbeachnaturalareas.blogspot.com/2007/06/el-dorado-regional-park.html

Full (dense) shade
 Definition: Little or no direct
sunlight reaches the ground at any
time of the day.
 There may be reflected light from
sunnier areas of the yard or off
light-colored walls.
 Examples:
 Under thick tree canopies (under
http://www.nopalcactusblog.com/category/politics/

oaks and pines) or in dense groves of
trees
 Areas under stairways, decks or
covered patios on the north side of
buildings
 Effect on plants:
 Relatively little available light
 Plant choice is critical since only
limited plants will perform well in
such reduced light.

© Project SOUND

http://longbeachnaturalareas.blogspot.com/2007/06/el-dorado-regional-park.html

Openings in Oak Woodlands increase the variety
© Project SOUND

Oak Woodlands are transitional – include
areas that are wetter & sunnier
 Seasonal riparian plants
 Plants of adjacent plant
communities:
 Valley Grasslands
 Chaparral
 Even Mixed Evergreen Scrub

http://www.urbanedpartnership.org/target/fragile_habitats/climate.html

http://oakesfamily.net/nature.htm © Project SOUND

http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Loeb/Loeb-
Pages/index.html

 Get to know your shade – throughout
the year
 Choose plants that naturally grow
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Meuris/Meuris-Pages/index.html
well under oaks
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Richard/Richard-Pages/Image11.html
© Project SOUND

Let’s say this is your front yard…

© Project SOUND


Part of what attracts you is the variety of understory
plants © Project SOUND

First let’s replace a shrub that’s gotten too
big & old…

© Project SOUND

Possible shrubs for local Oak Woodland
understory
 California sagebrush
(Artemisia californica)
 California blackberry (Rubus
ursinus)

Nevin’s Barberry
 Nevin’s Barberry
(Mahonia/Berberis nevinii )
 California coffeeberry
(Frangula/Rhamnus
californica)
 Sourberry/Three-lobed
Sumac (Rhus trilobata)
Coffeeberry
© Project SOUND

Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU
Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND. © Project SOUND

Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata

 Naturally occurring:
 Many areas of western N. America –
Canada to Baja
 Coastal and mountain areas of CA
 In S. CA: coastal sage scrub, chaparral
and southern oak woodland
 Moist areas including stream-sides,
seasonal drainages, and canyon bottoms
 sand dunes and sand hills
 dry rocky slopes

 In same genus as Lemonade Berry,
Sugar Bush & Poison Oak (which it
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Rhus+trilobata resembles)
 Also known as Basket-brush, Sumac,
Sourberry, Skunkbrush

© Project SOUND

Three-lobed Sumac is loved by gardeners
because it’s so easy to grow…
 Soils: not too particular
 Any texture; well-drained
 Any pH

 Light: full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Very drought tolerant when established
 Can take some summer water – but may
become leggy
 Nutrients: fine with no fertilizer, but can
tolerate light doses/organic mulches
 Very hardy; takes a frost
 Rapid growth first 3-5 years; then
moderate
 Lives 20-30 years
http://weather.nmsu.edu/nmcrops/ornamentals/SUMAC.htm

© Project SOUND

Management of Three-lobe Sumac
 Planting:
 Best in fall/winter
 If planting under oaks,
don’t plant within 6 ft. of
trunk
 Good transplant success
rates
 Pruning:
 Can be pruned for shape
 Cut back severely (to 6
inches) to rejuvenate old
That’s all – very easy to manage plant plants or produce straight
stems (e.g. for basketry)
 Remove any unwanted
suckers

© Project SOUND

Three-lobe Sumac
pleases the palette…
 Yellow flowers in spring
 Butterflies & bees

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Rhus_trilobata  Red berries in summer
.html

 Birds love them (many species)
 Make a tangy drink
 Excellent for jelly
 Can even eat them raw (tart)

 Even the foliage is eaten
occasionally by large & small animals

Many parts of the plant are used for
natural dyes
© Project SOUND

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Quercus-agrifolia/
© Project SOUND

* Bluewitch Nightshade – Solanum umbelliferum

© 2009 Ron Wolf

© Project SOUND

* Bluewitch Nightshade – Solanum umbelliferum

 Coastal and foothill regions from
OR to Baja – locally in the San
Gabriel Mtns/foothills.

 Dry, brush-covered slopes &
valleys – usually in chaparral and
low-elevation oak woodlands in
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7682,7699
California

 A tough shrub which can grow in
rocky and clay soils

 Often springs up in areas
recovering from wildfires or
other disturbances

© 2008 Ellen Tatum

© Project SOUND

Characteristics of the ‘Bluewitch’
 Size:
 2-4 ft tall
 3-5 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Perennial sub-shrub – part woody
 Mounded to sprawling
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
(particularly in shade)
 Fairly open branching

 Foliage:
 Grayish to blue-green – rather
pretty
 Caution: all parts of plant are
toxic if eaten

 Roots: branching
© Project SOUND

Fabulous flowers
 Blooms:
 Mainly in spring-summer,
when days are warm
 With water may bloom
some at other times

 Flowers:
 Large for the family – 1” +
 Light blue-purple color
with golden stamens
 Quite showy – close at
night

 Fruits:
 In summer/fall
 Green turning to purple;
flat seeds like tomato
© 2009 Keir Morse

Brother Alfred Brousseau @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND

One hardy plant…  Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained; will
even take clays on slopes
 pH: any local

 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade

 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: very drought tolerant
(Zone 1 or 1-2) but looks a little
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

better at Zone 2 (occasional
water)

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

 Other: prune to shape

© Project SOUND

Use Bluewitch in
tough spots

 On dry slopes – even
part-shade areas
 Under oaks and other
http://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com/wildflowers/solanaceae/solanum/solanum-umbelliferum/
water-wise trees
 In difficult to water
areas
 In a dry mixed bed with
grasses and wildflowers

© Project SOUND

Cultivar 'Spring
Frost'

 Slightly smaller (2’ x 2’)
 Very light (gray) foliage
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=1201  White flowers
 Very attractive choice
for a white garden –
very unique, showy

© Project SOUND

Other perennials for S. Oak Woodland –
mostly sprawlers in shade

Diplacus aurantiacus Stachys bullata

Salvia spathacea Symphoricarpos mollis
© Project SOUND

Grasses are also an
important part of local
Oak woodlands –
especially in dappled
sun & sunny edges

http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Sparoows_towhees_and_buntings/Lark_sparrow/Lark_sparrow_in_y
our_garden.htm

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Melica-imperfecta/

© Project SOUND

Coast Range Melic Grass - Melica imperfecta

© Project SOUND

Coast Range Melic Grass - Melica imperfecta

 Distribution: CA, Baja CA
 Habitat: dry, rocky hillsides,
stable dunes, open woodlands
 Delicate-looking cool-season
perennial bunching rhizomatous
grass
 Height: 1-3 ft Width: 2-3 ft

 Flowers on graceful stems
above leaves – dark brown
fading to gold – Mar-June

 Local variation in
characteristics
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Melica-imperfecta/ © Project SOUND

Melic grass in the garden
 As a specimen plant in
small areas, rock gardens,
deep pots
 In natural meadows,
grassy borders
 Good for shaded areas –
meadows or under trees
 Soil stabilizer for slopes
 Restoring bare areas

http://www.conservaseed.com/Melica%20imperfecta.htm
© Project SOUND

California Polypody- Polypodium californicum

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Polypodium-californicum/
© Project SOUND

Characteristics of CA Polypody
 Size: 20” tall; individual plants ≈ 25”
wide – but often grow in spreading
clumps
 Leaves:
 Simple for fern – many leaflets with
serrated edges
 Drought deciduous – dies back in
summer
 No flowers: Sporangia are grouped in
round sori on the underside of the
leaflets.
 Rhizomes (underground
stems) – relatively slow-
spreading
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/californiapolypody.html

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/s
dpls/plants/Polypodium_californi
© Project SOUND
cum.html

Growth requirements: not your eastern fern

 Sun: part-shade to full shade; can
tolerate full sun only right along
coast, with adequate water
 Soils:
 Any well-drained
 Does not tolerate alkali soils

 Water:
 Moist in winter-spring – even
tolerates flooding
http://www.davidlnelson.md/Cazadero/Ferns.htm  Gradually reduce water for
summer/fall dormancy – must have
Probably the easiest local dormant period
fern for the garden;
 Nutrients: probably benefits from
location is everything
organic mulch; not a “big eater”

© Project SOUND

Polypody in the South Bay garden

 Bank cover on North-facing
slopes
 On north sides of buildings
 Delicate, small scale fern for
foreground rock walls
 In mossy (winter/spring wet)
rock gardens
 Excellent under oaks
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Polypodium-californicum/

 In shaded beds
 In a “fern dell” – needs it’s
summer drought so place
appropriately
© Project SOUND

We could fill in with some shade-tolerant annuals

http://philipsgardenblog.com/2008/03/

© Project SOUND

Miner’s Lettuce is fine in sun or shade…

 Herbaceous annual; makes a
good annual groundcover
 Size: 6-12 in. high; to 12 in.
wide
 Growth period: fall to spring
 Blooms:
 Small, white
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/minersl2.htm
 Feb-May
 Foliage:
 Attractive & unusual
 Edible: usually raw in salads or
as greens

© Project SOUND

Growing Miner’s Lettuce
from seed
Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
 Extremely easy
 Sow in prepared soil in fall
(best) through spring
 Germinates with:
 Damp soil/fall rains
 Short days

 Re-seeds
 May want to remove plants if
too prolific – will depend on
site

© Project SOUND
http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/phv66n3.editorial.html

Reasons to include Collinsia in your
shade garden
 Easy, reliable annual
 Beautiful flowers
 Long blooming season
 Make great cut flowers
 Brighten up shady areas
of the garden
 Does fine in planters, pots
 Looks great with many
other flowers in planted
beds
 Fine under trees

© Project SOUND

Central & Northern Oak Woodlands
 Primarily Zone 2 plants (in our area);
remember, in nature these plants get
more water than S. CA native plants
 Understory:
 Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.)
 Coffeeberry and Redberry (Rhamnus
spp.)
 Currant and Gooseberry (Ribes spp.)
 Toyon
 Others
 In openings:
 Grasses & ferns
 Annual & perennial wildflowers :
Goldfields (Lasthenia spp.), Poppies
(Eschscholzia spp.), Lupines (Lupinus
spp.) and other forbs in spring.

© Project SOUND

Low-growing Manzanita:
perfect for your garden?

 Attractive, ‘neat-looking’ foliage; red
bark on interesting trunks/branches
©J.S. Peterson

 Low-maintenance under the right
conditions:
 Needs good drainage
 Low water in summer - susceptible to
fungal diseases; deep watering (Zone
1/2)
 No fertilizer

Jo-Ann Ordano © California Academy of Sciences  Many take some shade – grow
naturally under oaks
Flammable: manzanita plants contain
volatile compounds, which burn like a  Coastal varieties will thrive along
torch when ignited – not a good immediate coast – even right next to
choice for fire-prone areas beach
© Project SOUND

In the wild – a groundcover plant

http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/mahonia%20repens.htm
© Project SOUND

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

 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 (or even 1-2)
once established; Zone 2-3 for
first 1-2 years

 Fertilizer: use an organic mulch
(pine needles or oak leaves are ideal)

 Other: tolerates heat
© Project SOUND

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

Showy mint flowers
 Blooms: May-Aug. in S. Bay
 Flowers:
 Dense heads of small
flowers; showy
 Color ranges from
lavender, rose-purple, to
white
 Long-blooming
 Attract a wide range of
butterflies, bees, other
pollinators

 Vegetative
reproduction: natural
layering

© Project SOUND

Coyote Mint
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained

 Light: full sun to part shade

 Water:
 Winter: don’t let it get too wet
If the plant loses its leaves  Summer: best with slightly damp to
to drought during the hot slightly dry sandy soil; don’t over-
months, it will leaf out water – will make it leggy and decrease
again with rain and cooler it’s lifespan
weather.
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other:
 Pinch tips to promote fuller growth
 Shear back to about 1/3 of it’s volume in
fall/winter

© Project SOUND

Coyote Mint – just what
your garden needs!
 Good in herb gardens, mixed
borders, even vegetable gardens!
 Dramatic cascading down slopes or
over rock walls
 Does well on hot dry slopes and
sand dunes.
 Nice ground cover in sun or
dappled shade
 Great along paths & walkways
 Would do well in containers &
planters

 Fresh or dried leaves & flower
heads can be steeped in cold water
(should not be boiled) to make a
refreshing clear tea.
'Russian River‘ cultivar is slightly fuzzy
© Project SOUND

* Bolander’s Phacelia – Phacelia bolanderi
 Plant of coastal N. CA and OR/WA
 Component of coastal woodlands (including
pine/fir)
 May be found in either dry (dry slopes) or
more moist areas
 Honors Henry N. Bolander (1831-1897) who
made extensive collections of California
plants from 1863-1875, particularly in the
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?PHBO
San Francisco area

http://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/p
hacelia-bolanderi
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© Project SOUND

Bolander’s Phacelia is a pretty perennial
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 1-2 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Drought-deciduous perennial
 Mounded to sprawly
 Looks like a perennial
groundcover
 Short-lived (3-4 years) but
re-seeds

 Foliage:
 Fresh medium green
 Leaves toothed, somewhat
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/phacelia-bolanderi like grape leaves; attractive
 All parts are hairy – may
cause contact dermatitis
© Project SOUND

Among the prettiest
phacelia flowers
 Blooms:
 late spring into summer – May to
July in our area
 Fairly long bloom season 4+ weeks
– can extend with judicious
watering

 Flowers:
 Light blue-purple – can be very
pale
 Open flowers – ½” and more across
 Open sequentially along the stem
(uncurls as flowers open)

 Seeds: many tiny seeds in dry
http://www.larnerseeds.com/_pages/wildflower_perennial.html#Bolanders_Phacelia capsules; will often re-seed in garden

© Project SOUND

Bolander’s Phacelia  Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained
is easy to grow  pH: any local

 Light:
 Really best in some shade: dappled
shade or bright shade; morning sun
 If grown in full sun will need more
water

 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: wide range – if Zone 1 or
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
1-2 will be summer deciduous; Zone
2 to 2-3 can extend bloom, green

Don’t forget to wear gloves and  Fertilizer: adaptable; can take
long sleeves if you are occasional fertilizer
sensitive to Phacelias’ hairs
 Other: remove dead stems in late
summer/fall
© Project SOUND

Summer-dry perennials
make good groundcovers
 Lovely as a sprawling perennial
under oaks or other water-wise
trees

 Mix with other perennials and
grasses with similar requirement

 Like all phacelias, is an excellent
http://www.robsplants.com/plants/PhaceBolan.php

habitat plant – attracts many
visitors

 Use as a filler between shrubs –
particularly in young gardens

 Can also be used as a pot plant
on shady decks
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Phacelia-bolanderi/
© Project SOUND

We’ll e-mail you some resources

 Internet resources on
gardening with oaks/
dry shade
 Some book resources
to inspire you
 A dry shade plant list
(includes local and
other CA native plants
that grow well in S. CA)

© Project SOUND
http://www.statebystategardening.com/shop/images/9780520251106.jpg

Get out in nature
and experience an
Oak Woodland

Coast Liveoak Woodland
central coast

© Project SOUND
http://www.bahiker.com/slideshows/jserrapics.html

Woodland wonders 2010

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