narrow native hedge in Los Angeles
The L.A. Lady
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
5 years agoThe L.A. Lady thanked JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)The L.A. Lady
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Loquat hedge possible inland Los Angeles?
Comments (4)if they are everywhere.. that assumes some level of invasiveness ... meaning in this instance simply that they grow and multiply like the weed they are ...... and those that usually fall under that label are not your foo foo varieties choosen for fruit production ... it does suggest they should easily be grown... but it is left to you.. to find a superior strain if you goal is fruit ... and fruit will be increased by proper watering [among other fruit producing needs].. which i presume most free range plants are not properly watered ... ken...See MoreLos Angeles - Privacy hedge suggestions?
Comments (6)Hi Jahhn, We have a link here on California Gardening FAQ that might help you. I have listed it below. It depends too on how much space you have, how tall you want it, and how much water you want to use. I can't think of any flowering hedges that get tall and stay narrow, but if you have some room, Springtime Viburnum has dark green foliage and a pretty pinkish white flower. I have one in the conditions you describe next to a Duranta and a Pittosoporum eugenioides, and the Pittosporum has no leaves at the bottom. The Duranta is lovely, with purple flowers and yellow berries, but I believe they are short-lived. Both the Pittosporum and the Duranta are willowy, whereas the Viburnum is bushy. Of course the ultimate was Oleander; drought-tolerant, flowers galore, large size-- but they have been attacked by a blight. Boo. You can also read the recent thread on Hedgezilla, otherwise known as Podocarpus gracilis. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: Hedges for California FAQ Page...See MoreLos Angeles County milkweed and tropical MW info
Comments (6)Thanks so much for this information, needtoseegreen. "The three species you mentioned", is that the newsletter you're quoting? I have been concerned about planting non native milkweed so I'm very glad for this post. I grow the milkweed that is native to where I live in So. Cal., if was growing in the yard for decades and I didn't know what it was until 2 years ago. Luckily the roots survived my weedings. It makes sense not to fool around with mother nature and grow non native milkweed. I'm not surprised with the findings you listed from the newsletter. I have read about the toxicity of the "milk" varying and that So. Cal Monarchs aren't used to the toxicity level of tropical or other non native MW's, but I have no opinion because I don't know for sure. I would trust what Monarch Watch says on it. The Monarchs that visited my yard last year when I tried a small plant of tropical in addition to the native (A. fascicularis) didn't lay eggs on the tropical. The tropical didn't do well in my heavy clay soil either. Could you please forward the newsletter to me? I'd be very interested. Do you think they would mind if you mentioned them here? I don't recommend using anything but water on the milkweed, because even a tiny amount of bleach in water will kill the caterpillars on contact. I found this out in my cat raising indoors for the first time starting a few weeks ago. The newly hatched Monarch cats are way too small for anyone to notice, they are extremely small and are hidden under leaves, or can be embedded in the tender growth at the top of the stem. Insecticidal soap would kill them and leave a toxic residue (to them). I recommend crushing the aphids, and wearing latex gloves, they stain the skin. Hosing them off would be hard on the new cats and would likely wash them off too. May I ask what MW species you grow? since you're in the same growing zone and area as myself. Any way to find out if the other species you listed (other than A. fascicularis) are native to the L.A. area? Any So. Calif. milkweed and Monarch breeders who read this, could you share what species of native MW you grow? I am battling black mildew on my A. fascicularis leaves, and pulling off the affected leaves daily. It's a huge task. I need to keep a clean food supply for all the tiny cats I have brought in. Today I picked about 5 stem tops and found 4 more tiny cats, and the nights are getting too cold for them. Just the problem that the newsletter addressed; tiny cats hatching in weather that is too cold due to abnormal breeding spans encouraged by the non native MW species. (I get the impression that tropical MW to a Monarch is like catnip to a cat) Sadly all the nurseries, even Home Depot carry these non-native MW's, and I think they have helped create the OE problem. The cats I raised last December-January all emerged as OE infected butterflies. The reason for this (according to what I've read) is because since the plants have been visited all season by butterflies, all that "foot traffic" has raised the probability of contamination of the plants and egg by the microscopic OE spores. The unnaturally long breeding season puts Monarchs in a perilous position not just weather wise, but disease wise. Sorry this got too lengthy. This fall I'm dipping the milkweed used for feeding (clear of eggs or tiny cats), in water with a few drops of bleach for 10 seconds, and rinse it well. The 2 Monarchs I released today had questionable looking thoraxes (possibly OE infected), I was torn about releasing them. They were not raised entirely indoors. I need to get an inexpensive lighted microscope to check for OE, any suggestions where to get one, anyone? Thanks. It didn't work for me to raise the eggs on the narrow leaves, the larvae all got black death or NPV (or?) at various stages. Now it's the cut MW in water, tons of work and I can't disinfect the MW that have eggs on them. I'm worn out! It's a full time job. Feels like changing baby's diapers all day long. :)...See Morelooking for tall, native, hedge-like plants
Comments (1)I'm on the east coast so don't know much about California native plants, but here are some links (copy & paste) that may be useful: California Native Plant Society - Where to Buy Natives: http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/where_to_buy.php Los Angeles County Fire Department - Vegetation Management: http://www.fire.lacounty.gov/Forestry/VegetationManagementMiscTopics.asp Las Pilitas Nursery in Escondido: http://www.laspilitas.com/ Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont: http://www.rsabg.org/events/plant-sale...See MoreJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
5 years agoThe L.A. Lady thanked JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)The L.A. Lady
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5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoThe L.A. Lady thanked hoovb zone 9 sunset 23Sara Malone Zone 9b
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Sara Malone Zone 9b