I'm looking for suggestions to plant in a roadway center island that
has no built-in irrigation. They'd have to be drought-tolerant plants,
probably native to my Northern California (Zone 9) locale. Initially,
watering would only occasionally be provided by a nearby neighbor until
the plants get established enough to (hopefully) survive on their own,
with whatever Mother Nature offers them. Low-maintenance would also be
a requirement.

Suggestions appreciated.

-Fleemo

wrote:
I'm looking for suggestions to plant in a roadway center island that
has no built-in irrigation. They'd have to be drought-tolerant plants,
probably native to my Northern California (Zone 9) locale. Initially,
watering would only occasionally be provided by a nearby neighbor until
the plants get established enough to (hopefully) survive on their own,
with whatever Mother Nature offers them. Low-maintenance would also be
a requirement.

Suggestions appreciated.

-Fleemo


Quercus lobata or Quercus douglasii (both will require pruning while
young to be street-able).

http://www.forestfarm.com/search/clo...lantID=qulo080
http://www.forestfarm.com/search/clo...lantID=qudo053

On 13 Apr 2005 14:11:40 -0700, wrote:

I'm looking for suggestions to plant in a roadway center island that
has no built-in irrigation. They'd have to be drought-tolerant plants,
probably native to my Northern California (Zone 9) locale. Initially,
watering would only occasionally be provided by a nearby neighbor until
the plants get established enough to (hopefully) survive on their own,
with whatever Mother Nature offers them. Low-maintenance would also be
a requirement.

Suggestions appreciated.

-Fleemo


Manzanita comes to mind. There are small ones and big ones, you
didn't say how large the plants could get. I'd also consider redbud,
just because I like it.


--
Charles

Does not play well with others.

Fleemo
What is the soil like? Full sun? Size of the area? Low plants?
bushy? taller, like 10 feet or more?/?
Emilie
NorCal

Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

What is the soil like? Full sun? Size of the area? Low plants?
bushy? taller, like 10 feet or more?/?

Currently, sandy soil, full sun, probably four feet by 12 feet. We'd
probably prefer relatively low-growing plants, say under two or three
feet. No big shrubs or anything. Daylilies would be an example of the
type of thing we'd like to go for. I'm not sure how drought-tolerant
they are, but they're certainly easy to grow and put on a nice show.

-Fleemo

wrote:

Currently, sandy soil, full sun, probably four feet by 12 feet. We'd
probably prefer relatively low-growing plants, say under two or three
feet. No big shrubs or anything. Daylilies would be an example of the
type of thing we'd like to go for. I'm not sure how drought-tolerant
they are, but they're certainly easy to grow and put on a nice show.

In Oregon, they use Scotch Broom for this. They have many colors.

Here in Pennsylvania, they use a wild flower mix. Then mow it after the
bloom season. The wild flower seed mixes can be bought for various
climates and various effects.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhody.html
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http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6

Currently, sandy soil, full sun, probably four feet by 12 feet. We'd
probably prefer relatively low-growing plants, say under two or three
feet. No big shrubs or anything. Daylilies would be an example of
the
type of thing we'd like to go for. I'm not sure how drought-tolerant

they are, but they're certainly easy to grow and put on a nice show.

-Fleemo


The soil sounds good for natives, (Sacramento clay would need drainage
improvement.)
Some ideas:
Globe mallow (Sphaeralcea)
Penstemon many native species, P. heterophyllus is good and available
as 'Blue Bedder'
California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
Salvia: Cleveland sage, Brandegees sage, S.dorrii Blue sage, Mexican
bush sage (not native)
Deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
Fremontia (Fremontodendron californicum)
both Manzantia and Ceanothus have small to mid size varieties.
Zauschneria: Hummingbird Fuchsia
Erigeron: Seaside daisy, spreading daisy or Santa Barbara daisy
I think all of these would be green all year and most have flowers
And , not native, but this is a good place for Mexican Evening
Primrose, which can be terribly invasive in a garden, but good in a
contained space.
(Daylilies would never make it in full sun with no water)

PLEASE, do not use broom; an incredibly invasive weed!
( sorry Stephen, but it's on the noxious weed list here in N. Calif.
The CA Native Plant Society has "Broom Bashing " parties, where we
declare war on it!!)

Feel free to ask me more about any of these if you wish
Emilie
Norcal

Hi Fleemo,

How about sage, penstemon, manzanita, california poppy, sand verbena, aquilegia, arabis, aster, desert marigold, woolly Indian panitbrush, coreopsis, delphinium, monkey flower - Diplacus, erigeron, California pearly everlasting, California goldenrod, red California fuchsia.
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/pla...ve_plant_A.htm

http://www.mynativeplants.com/search_options.php
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/california_plants.html
http://www.laspilitas.com/advanced/advanced.htm
http://www.laspilitas.com/groups/man...Manzanita.html

Newt

I should also add that the plants on my list will need to be watered
through the first summer:
about once a week until fall cools down and then once a month until the
rain starts again.

You might visit the CNPS website www.cnps.org for the chapter down
there. They might help with sources for plants. If you'd like a trip
to Chico, the Mt. Lassen Chapter is having their wildflower show and
plant sale on April 24, at the CARD (Chico Area Recreation District)
center at
545 Vallombrosa Ave from noon to 5 pm.
good luck with your project
Emilie

Actually, here in Oregon, they're trying to get rid of scotchbroom
since it's a noxious weed. I do see a lot of streets where they use
st. johns wart.

In article , Newt
wrote:

Wrote:
I'm looking for suggestions to plant in a roadway center island that has
no built-in irrigation. They'd have to be drought-tolerant plants,
probably native to my Northern California (Zone 9) locale. Initially,
watering would only occasionally be provided by a nearby neighbor until
the plants get established enough to (hopefully) survive on their own,
with whatever Mother Nature offers them. Low-maintenance would also be
a requirement.

Currently, sandy soil, full sun, probably four feet by 12 feet. We'd
probably prefer relatively low-growing plants, say under two or three
feet. No big shrubs or anything. Daylilies would be an example of the
type of thing we'd like to go for. I'm not sure how drought-tolerant
they are, but they're certainly easy to grow and put on a nice show.

Suggestions appreciated.

-Fleemo



Hi Fleemo,

How about sage, penstemon, manzanita, california poppy, sand verbena,
aquilegia, arabis, aster, desert marigold, woolly Indian panitbrush,
coreopsis, delphinium, monkey flower - Diplacus, erigeron, California
pearly everlasting, California goldenrod, red California fuchsia.
http://tinyurl.com/89lpy

http://tinyurl.com/brc95
http://tinyurl.com/a2xh3
http://tinyurl.com/djoy7
http://tinyurl.com/7s2ah

Newt

Some good suggestions for Fleemo. I have planted a similar area & for me
the most exciting ultra-drought-hardies are the rockroses which form a
sufficient groundcover that the weeds don't get through, & come in a
wonderful variety of intense colors. There are a couple "doubles" on the
market which bloom right up to autumn, the singles bloom summer, but the
leaves have such variety (from glossy green to blue-grey) that the plants
are lovely when not in flower. Rockroses are bigger, with a smaller color
pallet to choose from, but strong impact without need of watering.

Others that have worked well in my xeriscape areas are Russian Sage,
Catmint, Graecian Horehound, Archer's variegated horehound, homestead
verbena, bearberry cotoneaster, wallflower (there's a variegated
wallflower that is longest-blooming from mid-spring right up to the edge
of winter), rose-of-sharon hybiscus (many colors, highly floriferous all
summer), hybrid brooms, tree mallow which blends well with rockroses
(there's a newish golden-leaf tree mallow), & rabbit-ear lavenders.

All of these are ideal for my zone (8), a few would not like it hotter
(hybrid brooms) or colder (some of the rock roses), but most have a wide
range of adaptability.

-paghat the ratgirl
--
Get your Paghat the Ratgirl T-Shirt he
http://www.paghat.com/giftshop.html
"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden
people maintaining a free civil government." -Thomas Jefferson

In article .com, "d"
wrote:

Actually, here in Oregon, they're trying to get rid of scotchbroom
since it's a noxious weed. I do see a lot of streets where they use
st. johns wart.

The hybrid brooms are not noxious & are highly recommendable. The wild
scotchbroom is too well naturalized in the northwest to ever be gotten
rid of, but is illegal to grow in Washington.

-paghat the ratgirl
--
Get your Paghat the Ratgirl T-Shirt he
http://www.paghat.com/giftshop.html
"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden
people maintaining a free civil government." -Thomas Jefferson