Cercis canadensis
A darling of the small stature understory flowering trees in Northern California may be replacing the ever-popular flowering but...
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TELCS
3 min read
Vaccinium ovatum
Every winter, retail nurseries fill with a variety of bareroot plants including blueberries that at times I have specified in designs but...
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3 min read
Pinus edulis
Memories can pop up when least expected. My family and I would sit on the back deck of our South Lake Tahoe cabin and pick out and devour...
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4 min read
Ginkgo biloba
Like me, Ginkgo biloba is a living fossil, or as Sunset summarizes, an "ancient survivor from prehistoric times..." (p. 339). The...
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3 min read
Teucrium x lucidrys
This little germander always finds its way into my gardens, in part for its versatility. I have primarily specified T. x lucidrys as...
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5 min read
Chysanthemum x morifolium
There are two secrets I will now share with you that many within California's horticultural and landscape industries already know. The...
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3 min read
Rosa californica
California has everything, even its own rose. No, it is not a fancy multi-petaled cut flower coveted by lovers, but it certainly has...
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4 min read
Vitis californica 'Roger's Red'
For twenty plus years, my commute followed the Russian River from Healdsburg to Duncans Mills. Sometimes I would keep going all the way...
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3 min read
Ceratonia siliqua
Where do you fall in the carob or chocolate debate? A general online search illustrates how people take sides for their health benefits,...
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4 min read
Arbutus 'Marina'
When thinking about street trees for California, there are few evergreen examples that check off all the boxes of requirements and still...
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4 min read
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
If a landscape design calls for tropical plant species, one cannot go wrong with including Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Its genus, Hibiscus,...
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4 min read
Punica granatum
We moved to Palo Alto when I was child, so I was amazed to learn that we had our own pomegranate tree in the front yard, already well...
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3 min read
Tulbaghia violacea
Pssssst......landscape designers......over here...make sure your client or the users of your landscape LOVE garlic before planting this...
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4 min read
Lavandula angustifolia
Lavare. Just writing this Latin derivative meaning 'to wash' evokes spas filled with lavender bathing soaps and oils. Relaxing. If...
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5 min read
Quercus agrifolia
The coast live oak is among other tree species noted for their size, often achieving heritage status within communities... witness trees...
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4 min read
Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'
There are three Arbutus species that every California landscape architect should know: A. menziesii, A. 'Marina,' and this one, A. unedo...
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3 min read
Hemerocallis hybrids
Ubiquitous comes to mind. Maybe not as common as lily-of-the-Nile, but daylilies are a favorite filler for landscape designers. Why? A...
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2 min read
Ugni molinae
Low maintenance, evergreen, and tasty bits of guava fruit! Picked too early, these berries had a sweet but "pine flavor," only the deep...
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3 min read
Cistus ladanifer
If gardeners and landscape maintenance workers can manage the irrigation, Cistus ladanifer provides a lot of bang for the buck in a...
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