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Re: Dodonaea viscosa WAS: Re: RE: RE: Ailanthus altissima


In a message dated 9/11/98 12:45:34 PM, khoover@hii.hitachi.com wrote:

>barry wrote:
>
>>its a very common nursery shrub here. Actually im considering buying a 
>>few for a windbreak in the back yard. There its hard for me to get out 
>>and water the very back of the back yard all the time, and we also 
>>have a ChainLink fence with no protection from the winds that blow in 
>>off the bay. Since it can take being dry i think it would be a good 
>>choice. 

Dodonaea is an excellent choice for windbreaks and screens, but like anything
else needs some water in its first dry season...
>
>This Hopbush is an amazing plant - it is considered native to Florida 
>Keys, South America, New Zealand, Australia, and I think, Japan. I 
>think I've seen a few of them around here (Northern California) but it 
>doesn't seem to be very popular in the Santa Clara Valley. I don't know 
>why.
 

>Barry's situation with a windy, chain-link surrounded, backyard is 
>similar to mine. Our backyard presents the additional challeges of 
>roughly a 1 in 4 slope and rampant perforation by pocket devil gophers 
>(Thomomys)
>
>For breaking wind  <8)   I'm thinking of using Lagunaria patersonii (a 
>tree) (another widely spread species) and/or Black-stemmed 
>Pittosporum, a shrub. I would like to use california natives, but none 
>seem quite 'tough' enough. Perhaps Monterrey Cypress would work (of 
>course which would need some additional water in my climate - eastern 
>foothills of the Santa Clara valley.)

The Monterrey Cypress is a *very bad* choice for the Santa Clara Valley (I was
born and raised in San Jose so I know the valley very well...) for many
reasons. It's much too hot there in the summer, and the air is too dry. This
tree wants foggy, cool, moist air. Also it's being attacked by several nasty
bugs and diseases of late. I won't bore you with the details now but planting
Monterrey Cypress  outside of it's natural range makes it more susceptible to
them.

>The native vegetation is largely grass, a holly-leaved live oak (if 
>anyone cares to look up the etymology of 'holly' 'holm' and 'ilex' 
>will find a pretty interesting tale - in my opinion) and California 
>Fan Palm - a Palmetto - Washingtonia california (I think)

Holly Oak (Quercus ilex) is not a California native but does well here with
some supplemental water. Washingtonia filifera is the only palm native to
Calif and is from the southern part of the state, in desert oasis areas. W.
robusta is from Mexico, but is also extensively planted in the Bay Area. There
are no palms native
to Northern California, they are all exotics... every cursed one... I love
seeing palms in their native habitats but not up here. And they are a *major*
weed in the gardens I care for. Birds drop the seeds prepackaged with
fertilizer... AARGH.
>
>I'm quite allergic to oak pollen and would really like to use 
>something else.
>
>In the same part of the landscape in wich I need a windbreak, I tried 
>two little (one-year old) Torreya californica-s this year but I was 
>remis in watering, and the little churls both croaked this summer. I 
>think I need to install some drip irrigation BEFORE i waste any more 
>effort/materials/little baby plants .

Definetly. No water=No tree... Set the main line down and add the emitters
where needed after you plant. Later you can abandon the system. The Torrey
Pine is another not so good choice for some of the same reasons as above...
Sorry to be so negative... California is a huge place with *lots* of climactic
variation. Just because a plant is native to the state doesn't mean you can
grow it anywhere in the state... 

A really stunning combination for your screen would be the purple foliaged
form of Dodonaea (plant two staggerered rows for the best wind break),
Fremontodendron californica, a tough golden-yellow flowered beauty which loves
and needs dry hot hillsides, and one of the smaller silver leaved new
Pittosporum hybrids (but be sure to water all of them through their first
Valley summer...  

best,

Deborah Lindsay
Oakland, Ca
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