1.) Holly maybe.
2). No and don't mess w/ bamboo, you'll regret it.
3.) Flowers are not my forte
4.) minimumum water and shade rule out grass. plant mulch!

There are literally TONS of Extension Office publications about Valley Oak. All of them will tell you if you plant grass you'll kill the tree. Many also will detail which plants are resistant to oak wilt, as will Sunset Western Garden Book. Sounds like some research is in order.

Dan

Our backyard has grass with sprinkler and concrete patio under the oak tree. We bought the house 15 years ago and the house came that way. Perhaps my oak tree is so old (probably a few hundred years old) and established, it has roots really deep and did not mind the grass?

I don't want my whole backyard to be just mulch. I thought I should replace the current regular grass with more drought tolerant grass and the concrete patio with permeable pavers which should be better for the oak tree?

I will check out the sunset book.

Thanks!

The problem is that the more drought tolerant grass requires full sun.
The shade tolerant grasses, st augustine, tall fescue for example are water hogs. IRrigation essential in ca.

I've seen some nice installations of artificial grass that have absolutely blown me away. I've always been skeptical of artificial and time will tell how it holds up where I've seen it installed but it is definitely worth taking a look at. It's not your grandpas astroturf, lets put it that way.

Astroturf under "valley" oak about the worst thing you can do to them. I'm curious about that spp in SJC area - an outlier surely and might be tougher because of it. But you still need to choose your plants that are resistant to oak wilt.

Dan

If by astroturf, you mean modern day artificial lawn, why do you say it's the worst thing? Site prep? Should be permeable.

For flowering stuff, try Sages, Lavender, California Fuscia, blooming Cat Mint (not Cat Nip), Toyon (Christmas Berry), Strawberry or Pineapple Guava, Rosemary, et cetera.

Up here in the foothills, we have Dryopteris (Oak woodland ferns) that grow wonderfully beneath oaks. Some of mine are sited right against my native Blue and White oaks.

I agree that astroturf is awful stuff. I cringe whenever I see it.


Josh

Josh have you only seen Astroturfî, or have you seen some of the modern day artificial grass?

The comment you made sounds like a comment that I routinely made before seeing modern day - not Astroturfî- artifical lawns. The difference is that you don't know the fake stuff is fake unless someone tells you.

Whether the site prep damages tree roots or the stuff doesn't let water pass through, I don't know. What I do know is the OP ask for something that doesn't exist. Drought tolerant grass that grows in the shade. Alternative ground covers would be another solution, one I personally would do but it sounds like OP is dead set on turfgrass.

I've seen some of the modern grass, and it is much better than the easter-basket plastic in days of yore.
I walked by some modern artificial grass this morning, and it was only a little bit shiny...but I could tell.

You'll notice that I didn't mention grasses, and for good reason - I don't think it's a plausible solution.

In general, I don't care for lawns at all. I'm slowly eating away at the edges of my lawn, claiming more
and more for ferny zones beneath choice conifers and maples.


Josh

Oh what I'd give to have a yard that was too shady for grass....

Last city I worked for we wrote code to ban plastic grass, as they raise ambient air temps and are at best semi-pervious. Likely they would inhibit infiltration and upset the water regime of the tree.

Dan