Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Friday - September 11, 2009

From: Merced, CA
Region: California
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Evergreen shrubs for privacy in Merced County California
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Mr. Smarty, A main road will be moving closer to our home in the next two years. A chain link fence will be put in but we would like to start planting now for privacy. We would appreciate any ideas for trees or shrubs that would provide 12 months of privacy in the Central Valley of California. Thank you for your help.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants found the following evergreen plants of various sizes for your fence line. These were all found to either occur in Merced County or in one or more adjacent counties according to the USDA Plants Database distribution maps. You can see more possibilities in our California-Northern Recommended list.

Arctostaphylos patula (greenleaf manzanita) 3-6 feet tall

Carpenteria californica (tree anemone) 4-8 feet tall

Ceanothus leucodermis (chaparral whitethorn) 4-8 feet tall

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (blueblossom) 3-18 feet tall

Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush ceanothus) 3-5 feet tall

Dendromecon rigida (tree poppy) 6 feet and taller

Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon) 6-8 feet

Juniperus californica (California juniper) 10-15 feet tall and here are photos

Morella californica (California wax myrtle) 10-25 feet and here are photos

Umbellularia californica (California laurel) a slow grower to 40 feet