Do check out the irrigation system -- it would make more sense to irrigate the top of the slope and leave the bottom to live on runoff. I do that with several of my beds on our very sloped property (not only front to back, but side to side!) and it works quite well. I watered in everything once a week for the first few months, and after that let the lower beds survive on their own. They have thrived, even through the recent 2-week heat wave. I did improve the soil in most beds,and I have found that the beds I did NOT do this, the plants have not done as well. The clay has been exhaused by trees, weeds and unwanted shrubs for decades, and is no longer good quality soil unless very heavily amended. Replacement was actually easier than amending, BTW. I mulch heavily. I water (mostly soaker hoses, some hand watering) once every 2-3 weeks. If it's extremely, viciously hot, then once a week. Most of my beds are partial shade beds and it is surprising how much will grow in CA under these conditions. Our light is so bright that even under trees (or at least at the edges of the canopy) one can grow all kinds of things. And you're in a warmer zone than I am; I have had some trouble with winter chill damaging some frost-tender plants. I'm way north of you in the SF Bay Area, but in our sloped and rather shady backyard (a huge walnut and an enthusiastic silver maple that threatens to engulf fully half our large backyard), we still get enough bright shade overall to grow a surprising number of plants that are supposedly full sun. These include: -erysimum -canna -oleander -helichrysum -senecio -lantana -Meyer lemon -variegated euonymus -pelargoniums -shrub roses, rugosas, and miniature roses -New Zealand flax (phormium) I even got snapdragons to flower and return in one of the shadiest spots right at the foot of the silver maple. Although it probably helped to have a soaker hose in the bed -- the maple sucks up so much water that even weeds won't grow next to it. And of course, star jasmine grows like a weed, but it needs so much room I'm thinking of taking both of mine out. They are really uncontrollable! I'm not big on natives. They're nice, but spend half the year dormant or ratty. I want flowers, interesting foliage, and variety - all year round, even in January. OK, I'm a cottage gardener, I admit, LOL. Anyway, here's some pix of our backyard, and also the narrow north-facing sideyard, which is divided into two parts: the top half irrigated with soaker, the bottom lives on runoff. Looking upwards towards the house from the very bottom of our lot, from the backyard. Walnut to the right, silver maple dead ahead. Date: May 2006 for these pix Looking sideways at the bed around the walnut, towards my neighbor's yard Looking at the bottom of that bed, with the fence marking our lot boundary on your RH side. This side gets east-facing sun for about three hours before the walnut shades it all. Now the north-facing side yard: Top (Front) of the bed looking downwards - this is irrigated with soaker hose. The 'Emperor One' Japanese maple is a new variety and vastly superior to the old 'Bloodgood'. It grows in sun or shade; even windy conditions don't bother it. The bottom of the top bed, looking upwards (reverse of the photo above) The lower bed that lives on runoff. Contains star jasmine growing up a pillar, variegated aucuba, hellebores, bearded iris, liriope, and ferns.

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. :)

Not a lot to go on. I can state that the aroma of Wisteria frutescens flowers is not pleasant, and stated by others " stinks". Both Wisteria sinensis and frutescens grow in a counterclockwise manner in the northern hemisphere while W. floribunda grows clockwise. I am attaching photos of my Wisteria frutescens currently in flower. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/wisteria-frutescens/

My apologies all (carol23, JXBrown, Colwynn, floral_uk, chloebud)! Did not have phone with me when I saw this plant. I will get a shot of the shrub, was not sure if I would get back to that area. Thanks everyone for input, I will do my part with more details. I am leaning toward it being Pavonia praemorsa @gyr_falcon. I will upload a photo of entire plant within the next hour.