October Plant Information Class Notes

Grand Park Landscaping Photos

Shrub Selection

●       Reality Check

●       Function

○       Barrier

○       Fill

○       Diversion

○       Loiter Prevention

○       Erosion Control

○       Edge Softening

○       Utility Hiding

○       Neighbor Hiding

●       Water Use

○       Know your landscapes hydrozones.

○       Water saving vs. fire resistant

○       Drainage needs

○       pH needs

○       Function

●       Temperature requirements

○       Deciduous?

●       Growth Habit & Size

○       Know ultimate height and width

○       Root “invasiveness”

○       Density

○       Axillary growth potential

●       Texture

○       Hard to smooth

○       Spikey to soft

●       Color

○       Hot to Cool

■       Color can move you (literally)

●       Flowers  & Mess

○       Flower color (see above)

○       Flower size

○       Bloom period

○       Flower “mess”

●       Container Size

○       Large vs. Small

●       Planting

●       Staking

○       Proper staking

●       Pruning

○       Look up each plant

■       Some plants can take a shear

■       Other need to have their growing tips pinched

■       Pines and candles

●       Irrigating

○       In general ½ or less of the ET index.

●       Planting for fire areas.

●       Some selected shrubs

○       Juniper

○       Podocarpus

○       Syzygium

○       Ficus?

○       Raphiolepis

○       Box hedge

○       Hopseed Bushes

○       Dwarf myrtle

○       Pittosporums

○       Xylosma

○       Abelia

○       Ligustrum

○       Nandina

○       Melaleuca (was Callistemon)

○       Dwarf Abelia

○       Westringia

○       Agapanthus

○       Morea and Dietes

○       Plumbago

○       Berberis 'Ken Hartman' Hybrid (Oregon Grape)

○       Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter' (Joyce Coulter Ceanothus)

○       Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon)

○       Mahonia pinnata (California Barberry)

○       Rhamnus californica (California Coffeeberry)

○       Others