Gardening : Native Plants a Pretty Solution in Drought
Native plants that are not only drought-tolerant but practical and pretty as well are an ideal solution to landscaping in semiarid Southern California. This is the advice of Celia Kutcher, curator-taxonomist at the Fullerton Arboretum.
The California natives are practical because they are already adapted to our climate, soils and rainfall cycles, she says. In addition to being practical, native plants can certainly enhance the aesthetic quality of a landscape--many are pretty and some are spectacular.
Kutcher says that it is crucial to plant the California natives in the fall. This allows the plants to become established during the natural rainfall cycle that runs from late fall through early spring.
Asked to tell about 10 of her favorite practical and pretty natives that perform well in Southland landscapes, Kutcher named the following:
Showy Penstemon (Penstemon spectabillis). A showy perennial that produces prolific quantities of striking, tall lavender-purple flower spikes during spring and summer. The plants grow two to three high and spread three feet.
Island Bush Snapdragon (Galvezia specosia). A clean looking evergreen shrub that bears attractive bright red flowers from spring through most of the summer. Grows to three feet in height and spreads to four feet. This plant is a superb attracter of hummingbirds.
* Wild Lilac (Ceanothus). Most species of Ceanothus are used as large evergreen shrubs or small trees, although some low-growing species may be utilized as ground covers. Ceanothus ranks near the top of the beauty list among the California natives. Depending upon variety, it provides startling spring color in shades ranging from white to pale blue, pink, lavender, deep indigo blue and amethyst. Most varieties will not tolerate excess moisture; plant away from lawn and garden areas.
* Dana Point Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). This spreading perennial shrub is native to the cliffs of Dana Point. It makes an excellent ground cover or erosion control plant. It is an evergreen shrub that produces clusters of small white flowers with a tinge of pink; blooms May through October. Needs a soil that drains well.
* Nevin’s Mahonia (Mahonia nevinii). A pretty, erect, multi-branched shrub, with holly-like gray-green spined leaves and pretty yellow flower clusters. In the spring there is a beautiful rose colored flush of new foliage that contrasts brilliantly with the yellow bloom. Nevin’s Mahonia is not only pretty, it is very tough; a row of these plants makes a formidable barrier hedge.
* Toyon Christmas Berry (Heteromeles arbutifolia). Commonly called California holly, these plants once proliferated over the area that is now Hollywood--hence the name. Like Hollywood, the large (8- to 15-foot-evergreen shrubs are showy, featuring dark green foliage and brilliant red berries which occur in large clusters from November to February.
* Allen Chickering Salvia (Salvia Allen Chickering). This pretty mounding plant with gray-green leaves reaches a height of three feet and spreads to six feet. In spring and summer it bears clusters of blue to purple flowers.
* Coast Sunflower (Encelia Californica). A pretty evergreen shrub that grows rapidly and blooms from spring to midsummer. It features bright green leaves and yellow flowers that resemble daisies. Plants grow three to five feet tall and spread to five feet. It is not as drought-tolerant as most native plants and requires periodic watering during the summer.
* St. Catherine’s Lace (Eriogonum giganteum). A striking shrub that grows three to five feet high, spreading as wide. It bears pinkish-white flowers during the summer; flowers become russet colored in the fall. Makes an excellent accent plant.
* Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana). A very versatile plant, it may be planted in full sun, partial sun or shade. This perennial plant grows from one to two feet tall and produces white, yellow or purple flowers. The plants have a clumping plant habit and are superb border plants.
Kutcher says that before you think about adding California natives to your landscape, it is important to note that most of these plants need grouping according to their sparse water needs. Most California native plants do not make good lawn shrubs or trees because they receive too much water in a lawn situation.
Once established, most will survive on natural rainfall. Too much water causes root disease problems in many. And while some will tolerate garden situations, it is a good practice to group them together in an area of the landscape that does not receive much moisture.
Although most of the plants listed here are quite drought-tolerant once they are established, that doesn’t mean you can just stick them in the ground and forget about them. Until they become established, they require some watering. When planted in the fall, they should be watered deeply when planted, and again at two-week intervals (more often during hot weather) until winter rains begin.
Their first dry season (summer to early fall) they should be watered deeply three or four times. When they reach their second dry season, their roots should be deep enough to sustain them without additional waterings. However, some natives appreciate a supplemental watering or two during the heat of the summer.
Most of the natives listed here prefer full sun, but some will grow in partial sun. They don’t require fertilizer but will benefit from an occasional organic mulch. In addition, allow their fallen leaves to accumulate underneath the plants and decompose naturally.
Kutcher says that, after their second year of growth, all the plants mentioned here will benefit from being moderately pruned back in early spring when new growth appears.
For sources of native plants, the Fullerton Arboretum features natives in their fall weekend plant sales. These sales occur each weekend until the middle of December. The arboretum is on the northeast corner of the California State University, Fullerton Campus, on Associated Road.
In addition, the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden has an annual plant sale that occurs on Saturday, Nov. 2, and features a wide selection of California native plants. The garden is located at 1500 North College Ave., in Claremont.
The fall sales held by the many chapters of local native plant societies are excellent sources for plants; check for announcement of sales.
In addition a few Southland nurseries specialize in native plants and, because of our drought conditions, a number of local nurseries now feature a native plant section.
