Re: Natural understory beneath Olives
- Subject: Re: Natural understory beneath Olives
- From: &* J* d* l* M* <f*@xerijardin.com>
- Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:47:45 +0100
Hi Ben,
In my yard in Central Spain, Acanthus mollis, Viburnum tinus, Pistacia
lentiscus, Anemone coronaria, Narcissus triandrus, Viola odorata, Catanache
caerulea and Digitalis purpurea do well under mature olives.
If you want to use only natives of California, I would suggest the
following:
Asarum caudatum, Wild Ginger
Calycanthus occidentalis, Spice Bush
Carpenteria californica, Bush Anemone
Cercis occidentalis, Western Redbud
Heuchera maxima, Island Alum Root
Iris douglasiana, Douglas Iris
Iris hartwegii, Sierra Iris
Ribes sanguineum glutinosum, Pink flowered currant
Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus, Snowberry
Fran
Madrid, Spain
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Wiswall" <benwiswall@pacbell.net>
To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 3:40 PM
Subject: Natural understory beneath Olives
I have a grove of young olives in my garden, and by
next year they should be tall enough to walk beneath
(they've grown fast!). The understory is now mostly
Cistus ladanifer and Lavandula stoechas 'Otto Quast'.
But, as the trees are now casting some shade, the
Cistus are beginning to get loose, and the lavenders
are looking odd, out of place in the partial shade.
What grows beneath wild olives, or beneath an
abandoned olive orchard, in southern Europe?
As I live in southern California, I'm leaning toward
natives as an understory: Ceanothus 'Frosty Blue' has
been an ok background shrub, though not as floriferous
as in sun, and this past fall I've planted some
Arctostaphylos 'Bert Johnson' and Carpenteria
californica, so we'll see how they do.
Is a more herbaceous groundcover more appropriate?
Maybe Fragaria chiloensis and Heuchera maxima
cultivars?
Thanks for any advice!
-Ben Wiswall
