Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Your gift keeps resources like this database thriving!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Tuesday - February 14, 2012

From: Aguanga, CA
Region: California
Topic: Trees
Title: Trees native to Anza Valley California
Answered by: Anne Ruggles

QUESTION:

What are the best trees to plant in Aguanga, California?

ANSWER:

You live in a high elevation, dry area dominated by chaparral and scrub oak. There are a number of sources of information available to you. Let’s start with the resources of the Wildflower center and then move west.

* The Wildflower Center has lists of plants native to many regions of the country. Here is a list for Southern California. This is a large list but by using the descriptors on the right side of the page you can narrow your search to find trees that meet the conditions of where you live.

*  Here are past Ask Mr. Smarty Plants answers (with links to photos) to questions from folks in Aguanga also asking about native plants.

Someone from Aguanga looking for native shrubs and evergreens

Someone from Agunanga asking about poisonous plants

*  The Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden – the largest botanical garden dedicated to California native plants – is located in Claremont and is an excellent source of information.

*  The Grow Native Nursery, also located in Claremont, and a part of The Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden has, for 30 years, propagated and sold plants native to California. You can download a plant list of what is available at the nursery at the Grow Native Nursery web site. The Grow Native Nursery also holds a free Native Plant Clinic the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. 

*  The Anza Valley On-line Community has a listing of local nurseries in your area that carry native plants.

 

More Trees Questions

Cedar elm with brown leaves
August 12, 2011 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, We feel we may have limited time to save our beautiful Ceder Elm. We have many trees in our yard (Post Oaks and Cedar Elms) and have been told they are all between 50 - 75 year...
view the full question and answer

Removing Texas cedar Juniperus ashei from Blanco River banks
February 26, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Should cedar trees be removed from our Blanco River banks to prevent them from sucking too much of our precious water before it makes it into the river system? If so, what s...
view the full question and answer

Stressed Ashe juniper is dropping needles
May 07, 2015 - We have a large Ashe juniper tree in our backyard, at least 20 ft tall. This past winter/spring, several limbs have died and it's dropped a ton of leaves (clumps of "needles" really). Is it slowly ...
view the full question and answer

Looking for yellow bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.) and native substitutes
February 14, 2008 - I have been looking for years for a yellow bottle bush. It is identical to the red but is yellow. there are several varieties, but the one i want is just like the red one in appearance. I live in Flor...
view the full question and answer

Unusual green fruit
August 17, 2009 - Unknown "fruit" in my backyard I have large (softball size) nobbly green orbs finding their way into my backyard. They sort of look like a tennis ball left out in the rain to rot, but they are o...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.