Growing "native plants" in Rockridge district of Oakland, California

by James K. Sayre

The idea of growing "native plants" in Rockridge district of Oakland, California is somewhat complicated by first having to define exactly what a native plant is. I would suggest that a generous viewpoint would suggst that any plant that is grown from seed in California would be a California native; at least, that is the human standard for being a "native born" citizen. However, some narrow-minded religious fanatics in California worship what they define as being a California native as only ones that has been growing here since before the first visits of the early Spanish explorers in the 17th century. Of course, this is very narrow view. See my short essay on the subject at: California native plants .

That being said, here are some short sketches of my experiences of growing traditional "California natives" in my backyard garden:

Coyote Brush (Baccharis piluluris)

- this is the pride of my California native plant collection. It started as a volunteer in 9/01, when I moved in and removed the astroturf that had been covering the central part of the backyard for many years. Removing that thick plastic covering unleashed Mother Nature in my backyard. Initially, I mostly let Mother Nature take its course, and just planted around the edges of the yard. The Coyote Brush now growing in my backyard is magnificant fast-growing evergreen shrub that is now about ten feet high and about twelve feet wide. It has stout lower limbs that are up to about three inches thick. In the summer it produces myriads of tiny yellowish-white flowers which are visited by Hummingbirds, bees and wasps. Insect-eating birds visit any time to pick off tiny insects.

The Red Alder (or California Alder) (Alnus rubra)

This was another early California native volunteer that appeared in the backyard soon after the dreaded astroturf had been removed, about three and a half years ago. This deciduous Alder tree is now about twenty-five feet high. It produces small cone-shaped seed pods called strobiles, which provide food for squirrels and small birds. This tree was tough for me to identify: at first I assumed that it was a Fremont Cottonwood tree (way, way off), then I decided that it was an Oriental Birch tree (getting warmer). It is the first Alder that I have watched grow.

Coastal Live Oak tree (Quercus agrifolia)-

This is an extremely-slow growing tree that is native to the coastal regions of California. I purchased two six-inch high seedlings in May, 2003 and they are both about one foot high now. Don't hold your breath for shade under these slow-growing babies.

The Toyon shrub (Photinia arbutifolia)

Toyon is another evergreen shrub that is native to coastal California. The Toyon grows much faster than the Live Oak. I purchased two one-foot-high Toyon shrubs about two years ago (that were originally started in 1/00) and they are both about four feet high now and both are spreading out.

The California Bayberry (California Wax-myrtle) (Myrica californica)

This is another evergreen shrub that is a denizen of coastal California. About two years ago, I purchased two one-foot high specimens: now they are between three and four feet high.

California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica):

This is the familiar orange-flowered poppy of California hillsides, which bloom from early spring through late summer. Easy annual-to-perennial flower to grow from seed; will not suffer transplanting.

End.

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Web page last updated on 8 March 2005.