Native Plants

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Wednesday - October 16, 2013

From: Bay Point, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives, User Comments, Cacti and Succulents, Herbs/Forbs, Trees
Title: Correction of tree name from Bay Point CA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

The tree should of been Mulberry don't know how it was changed!! Tuesday - October 15, 2013 From: Bay Point, CA Region: California Topic: Non-Natives, Cacti and Succulents, Trees Title: Non-native jade plants and spider plants beneath Mayberry tree in Bay Point CA Answered by: Barbara Medford QUESTION: I have a fruitless Mayberry in my back yard that's about 50/50' can I plant jade and spider plants under it? The tree is very healthy. ANSWER: We went to our Native Plant Database and searched on "Mayberry." We got this webpage on Vaccinium elliottii (Elliott's blueberry) (follow that link to see what information we have.) Actually we have very little information on that plant, not even any pictures in our Image Gallery. So, we Googled on "Mayberry" and found this article from Floridata on a plant by that name. From that article:

ANSWER:

Sorry, that's the only tree name we couldn't think of. Morus rubra (Red mulberry) is native to California and since you already have it growing in your garden, you obviously need no help with that. However, knowing the tree is native doesn't help with the rest of your question. Here were our comments on jade and spider plant:

"Since we are not making much progress on the tree you have asked about, we will look at the plants you wish to plant beneath it, whatever it is. Jade plant, Crassula ovata, is a succulent native to South Africa and most commonly used as a houseplant. Spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum, is native to tropical and southern Africa, also usually used as a houseplant.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, home of Mr. Smarty Plants, is committed to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are to be grown; in your case, Contra Costa Co., CA. None of the plants you asked about are native to North America, so we can't really help you."

As we noted, both of those plants are considered houseplants and, since we have no information on them in our Native Plant Database, we have no way of knowing if they would do well outside under a tree.

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