Hi, my school needs eucalyptus plants for a class project. We also could use flowering plants for the butterfly garden. Thanks a bunch!

Hi,for a school science project I need some eucalyptus. Do yo have any?

I have a similar issue; as many people say, you need something that can withstand root competition and at least partial shade, as well as considerable drought, since there's little water in NE LA County, even less on a slope, and the eucalyptus will suck up most of what there is. If the eucalyptus are on your property, you could do what I did and have an arborist remove some limbs to let some more light into the understory. If you do, make sure you're ready to plant right away, because anything you don't plant, the weeds will colonize. I assure you that Scotch broom has no trouble living underneath eucalyptus. My native suggestions, all on Brenda's list: -toyon (heteromeles arbutifolia). This is the "California Holly" after which "Hollywood" is named. -coffeeberry (rhamnus californica). Very nice, evergreen, stands up to anything. -oregon grape (mahonia aquifolium). Deer won't touch it, yellow flowers, blue berries. It's not on the list, but I'll bet salvia spathacea (hummingbird sage) would work too. All of these will attract birds and butterflies like crazy. In addition, the Theodore Payne society (www.theodorepayne.org) sells seed mixes appropriate for various situations; it's a lot cheaper to buy and sow the seeds than set out one-gallon plants on a slope.

It's usual for not much to grow beneath these. What about a thorny fence? If you're trying to keep something out this would be more reliable than a planting, new, small plants can be trampled out or walked around.