Re: myrica californica
steve french wrote:
> Dear Mediterranean plants listers,
>
> Allow me to introduce myself and to ask a couple of questions. I am a new
> subscriber to this list. I live in Sebastopol, in Northern California
> (sixty miles north of San Francisco). I enjoy a very Med climate with ocean
> influence. I think I'm about 10-12 miles more or less from the coast and am
> on the eastern side of the coastal range. We get breezes every day in the
> afternoon when the coastal fog comes in. That is the "normal" summer
> experience anyway. We have sandy loam soil, very easy to work and it drains
> wonderfully. However, the gophers love it.
>
> The last thread I read involved discussing a screen for a compost pile. One
> suggestion was Dodonea viscosa and Myrica californica. I have been growing
> Myrica californica for a few years here. It has made a wonderful no
> maintenance 20 foot screen that is enjoyed by numerous small insect and
> seed loving birds. While I've had great success with this plant, I haven't
> seen it used anywhere else in a garden. It is native here in the coastal
> ranges of California.
>
> Has anyone else had experience with this plant? Have you had any problems
> with it? I'm planning on planting a longer screen of Myrica soon (to screen
> a neighbors car collection) so am curious if anyone has had difficulties
> with it.
>
> Steve French
>
> Steve French Landscape Architect
> 2616 Meier Rd.
> Sebastopol, CA 95472
> tel: 707-829-1200
> fax: 707-829-3967
> http://www.monitor.net/sfla/
> sfla@monitor.net
Hi Steve,
Glad you love Myrica californica as much as I do. It can be used as a sheared
hedge plant as well as letting it grow. And its shining green leaves are an
asset to any garden. I've only seen it in two So. Cal. gardens so far where
the only problem seemed to be getting it started in our heavy clay soil. Your
well-draining sandy loam must be what it likes. It's growing best behind a low
rock retaining wall in the garden in Capistrano Beach.
I agree it is a much under-used plant, but it is available down here at Tree
of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano.
Welcome to the list; glad you've joined. Jan
--
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Jan Smithen, gardening teacher
Los Angeles County Arboretum
jansmithen@earthlink.net
Sunset zone : 19
USDA zone : 10
http://home.earthlink.net/~jansmithen/
Visit the Victorian Rose Garden website at :
http://victorian-rose.org/
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