Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
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Monday - April 02, 2012
From: Simi Valley, CA
Region: California
Topic: Groundcovers
Title: Groundcover for Southern California clay slope
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a 30 ft. high by 96 ft. long slope with clay soil slope that I want to plant a low height ground cover. Any recommendations on what ground cover possibilities to use.ANSWER:
Las Pilitas Nursery with stores in Escondido and Santa Margarita has an excellent article, "Simple erosion control for a hillside or garden slope", that has good advice about landscaping slopes and offers some suggestions for native plants for using in Southern California. Here are some possibilities from the list for clay slopes:
Arctostaphylos edmundsii (Little sur manzanita) grows in full sun and here are photos and information from Las Pilitas.
Baccharis pilularis (Coyotebrush) will grow in full sun and part shade and here are photos and information from Las Pilitas.
Ceanothus griseus (Carmel mountain lilac)
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (Blue blossom) grows in part shade. Las Pilitas shows a cultivar, C. thyrsiflorus repens, that is low-growing.
Eriogonum fasciculatum (Eastern mojave buckwheat) grows in full sun and here are photos and information from Las Pilitas.
You can see other groundcovers listed by height on the Las Pilitas site.
From the Image Gallery
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June 13, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I live in Southwestern PA (zip code 15065). I have a small slope on my property that is hard for me to mow. I would like to cover it with creeping phlox, which I saw on t...
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February 04, 2008 - Where can I find a list of ground covers to replace my grass. I live in the south of Ocala Florida.
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