What to plant
San Benito County lies in the middle of a Central Oak Woodland
plant community.
To native gardeners, this is priceless information. The idea of
native gardening is to build a landscape using only plants, trees
and shrubs which grow naturally in a specific area.
The bad news is many species originally found in the Central Oak
Woodland plant community no longer exist. In a
several-thousand-square-mile area, from central Tulare County up
into the Modesto area, there is less than 10 percent or so of the
trees left, and almost nothing else but weeds, according to
research done by Las Pilitas, a Southern California nursery
specializing in native California plants.
What to plant
San Benito County lies in the middle of a Central Oak Woodland plant community.
To native gardeners, this is priceless information. The idea of native gardening is to build a landscape using only plants, trees and shrubs which grow naturally in a specific area.
The bad news is many species originally found in the Central Oak Woodland plant community no longer exist. In a several-thousand-square-mile area, from central Tulare County up into the Modesto area, there is less than 10 percent or so of the trees left, and almost nothing else but weeds, according to research done by Las Pilitas, a Southern California nursery specializing in native California plants.
There is some good news, however. While many species are gone, many still exist, and a native garden is the perfect way to help these plants thrive. Landscaping a yard, school, business or any other plot of land with native plants can help revive San Benito’s natural plant life. And the act of gardening itself is rewarding – small wildlife will find a home in your garden, as will hummingbirds, songbirds, butterflies and other insects.
Below is a short list of trees, shrubs and flowering plants native to San Benito County. Las Pilitas Nursery has a Web site – www.laspilitas.com – which features a list of native plants sorted by zip code. There are several other sites available to first-time native gardeners – search by entering native gardening in San Benito County.
Trees
Interior Live Oak – Several varieties of oak trees can be found in San Benito County and throughout California. It is a broad, dense tree with glossy, dark-green leaves and often reaches a height of 50 feet. Oak trees prefer sun, little to moderate water, and are a good choice for the gardener who likes low-maintenance plants – oak trees require no special care. And although it is a large tree, oaks are fine in a garden if planted at least 30-50 feet from a lawn or bed area, according to the Las Pilitas Web site.
Bay Laurel – An evergreen shrub/tree. Its average final height is 47 feet (after 100 or more years). It grows only a few inches a year here, although along the coast it may grow a much as four feet or more a year. The leaves are aromatic like its cousin from Greece. The Bay Laurel is native to the mountains of California and Oregon.
Tapiro, Blue Elderberry – A deciduous shrub to a tree with butter yellow flowers from April through August. This elderberry is native to canyons and valleys west of the Sierra Nevada from Oregon to Baja. It likes full sun to part shade, and can take extreme drought once it is established. Its berries are bluish-black and make great jam. Hummingbirds, scrub jays, thrashers and butterflies make their homes in elderberry trees.
Arroyo Willow – A 10-20 foot deciduous shrub or tree. It is native to most of California, and is essential for wildlife habitat within its range.
Flowering Plants
Zauschneria (Common California Fuchsia) – A colorful perennial, zauschneria plants make a great ground cover. The only real maintenance required with zauschneria, other than moderate water, is regular winter pruning. Pruning keeps the plants around six inches high and able to produce hundreds of bright red flowers in late summer.
Coast Goldfields – An annual wildflower with small, yellow daisy flowers. Coast Goldfields grow in full sun and are pretty much drought tolerant. They grow well with other annual wild flowers such as poppies and lupines.
Orange Bush Monkey Flower – This perennial has orange flowers, likes partial shade and look better with very little watering. The plant is cold tolerant and requires light pruning – once every three years or so. Monkey flowers are a great hummingbird plant.
Silver Bush Lupines – A three-to-five foot perennial, this plant has beautiful three-inch blue, spiky flowers on a white-silver bush. Lupines need full sun, good drainage and are best kept on the dry side. Lupines are also extremely fragrant and are attractive to butterflies. This plant goes well with California poppies, helianthus or sphaeralcea.
Skull Cap – A small perennial which grows in three-foot-wide clumps. Its flowers are a deep blue and does well with moderate, regular watering.
Shrubs and Grasses
Ian Bush Manzanita – This species of manzanita grows fast, reaching maturity at about five feet high. It has green leaves and a smooth, red bark. Ian Bush Manzanita makes a great hedge and is perfect for the smaller garden. It has bright pink flowers, likes full sun, requires little watering and even works in the more traditional garden setting.
Bent Grass – A small, delicate, perennial grass, bent grass can be used as a spring lawn, but it goes somewhat dormant in the summer. Although it grows in partial shade, bent grass flowers best in sunny conditions.
Trailing Sagebrush – This shrub makes a good groundcover, but it also flows well over walls and works well with a garden with boulders or red-black lava. It smells nice, is very drought tolerant and likes full sun.
Red Fountain Grass – This grass is grown for foliage. Its blooms range in color from rose to mauve to magenta. It likes full sun and regular watering, and should be pruned to keep back, as it can become invasive to the rest of the garden.
Native gardening information
Beginning a native garden doesn’t need to be overwhelming. There are quite a number of books, magazine articles and Web sites devoted to native gardening, covering everything from soil to water conservation. Some of the sites and books used to research this article include:
Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, 2660 East Lake Ave., Watsonville. 763-0939. Web site – www.sierraazul.com
“Eight Steps to a Water-wise Garden.” Gardener’s Supply Company. Web site – www.gardeners.com
“Why Grow Native California Plants?” Louise Lacey, for Growing Native. Web site – www.growingnative.com
Las Pilitas Nursery, Santa Margarita, CA. Web site – www.laspilitas.com
“Growing California Native Plants.” Schmidt.
“Natural Gardening.” Time Life Books.
More Mesa Preservation Coalition. Web site – www.moremesa.org
