How to Design Using California Natives - if you don't live in California

For those of you from other areas here is a short list of our major community groupings and how they relate to you: Remember rain doesn't wet the soil in most of California from May to October. Our soils generally have moisture for growth of natives (deeper than 1 inch) from Jan 1 to June first. Our winters have sharp frosts followed by mild conditions. Our summers can extend into December and have 50 mile an hour winds with no humidity. No water, no humidity. Only a few places in California have the ground freeze deeper than an inch. (For more detail see our habitat page.)

COASTAL SALT MARSH= coastal marshes from Texas to Va. Constantly wet with a high sodium or calcium content. Halophytes!

COASTAL SCRUB=CHAPARRAL= The mixed forests from W. VA. south along the E. coast. Eastern Australia, South France, and S. Africa. Lavenders, Rockrose, Sunrose, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Oaks, Pines.

REDWOOD= East Texas to Fl. up to Va. along the coast. Many of the areas of high rainfall in the tropics are similar. High humidity, fog drip, rain drip, dew drip, drip drip. Temperatures vary from 40-60 degrees F. all year.

WOODLANDS= The pine forests in the Northwest and Southeast. The oak savannas of N.S. America, France, N. Spain. The Eucalyptus Savannas of Australia. Seasonally wet, then kinda dry. Hot in summer, whew!

PINE AND FIR FORESTS= Conifer Forest= This is the group that is excellent in the pine forests throughout the U.S.. The YEL and FIR could be also tried in Canada and Central Europe. Yosemite, Grants Grove, the pictures of the west you dream of visiting.

HIGH PINE FORESTS= Boreal Forest=The drier areas of the high plains, higher elevations of the east and Northwest, Colorado. Central Turkey and China. Frost at anytime. Beautiful day followed by cold windy night. Fattest chipmunks you've ever seen. (Bubbamunks). Plants from here like to be left alone in the winter and are usually only active in mid-summer. It's surprising how well they do in many ‘normal' gardens.

DRY SCRUB WOODLANDS= best tried in Ariz. through Utah and down to W. Texas, N. Africa, Portugal, W. Australia, Greece, Turkey. Best in areas of limited or winter rainfall.

GRASSLANDS AND PERENNIAL PLACES= Southern prairie, Transvaal and Pampas for PRAIRIE and GRASS. Northern Prairie for FELL. Any wet area for FMARSH or MEADOW. Put these plants under a bird bath or horse trough.

DESERT= The great basin and the drier parts of the prairie, Chile, SW. Africa, E. Middle East, and C. Australia. More summer rain, but less overall rain. (Like a 1/2 inch/month.)