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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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.

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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!

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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.