Aerial Setback -Recommended minimum distance (in feet) a particular plant should be planted away from buildings, walls, power lines, windows or any such exisiting or planned features.
Designers and plan checkers should consider the spread of proposed landscape plants at maturity. This ensures that pruning will not be required to avoid interference with planned or exisiting features. Daylight to buildings and vistas should also be considered."
Average Height - Average height in feet (at maturity) or what height can be expected at maturity.
Average Spread- Average spread (or width) in feet or what spread can be expected at maturity.
Common Name- Indicates one or more vernacular names for the plant. Unfortunately, there is no standardized listing of common names and a single common name can refer to any number of different plants.
Communities- For in-depth plant community descriptions, click here.
Flower Season - Flower periods vary year to year depending on environmental cues. General flowering seasons are given.
Ground Setback (from pavement) - Recommended distance (in feet) each species should be planted away from pavement.
Ground Spacing - To avoid over-planting, guidelines for ground spacing should be rigorously followed. Place plants appropriately to assure enough growing room is given to reach maturity unhindered.
Plant Type - Some plants listed have more than one plant type or category designation. In such cases, their “type” will depend on its use in the landscape.
Scientific Name - Indicates the currently accepted scientific (or botanical) name for the plant. Previous widely known plant names appear in parenthesis for clarity. Plant list nomenclature primarily follows The Jepson Manual.
Soil Requirements - The majority of California native plants don’t have one definite soil requirement but will rather perform in a range of soil types. Plants with very specific soil needs include those details in the notes section of each profile.
Sunlight Requirements - Ideally, under-story species adapted to partial or full shade would be planted after conditions become suitable. But since most landscape projects are installed all at one time, strategic methods are required to ensure that shade-adapted species survive the initial establishment period. Possibilities include positioning shade-requiring species on the north side of boulders or installing temporary shade structures. Such structures should be checked regularly to ensure their ongoing function due to potential vandalism.
Sunset Zones - Sunset zones can be determined by referencing the Western Climate Zones available in the Sunset Western Garden Book and at their website.
Water requirements - Approximate water needs of each native plant species is estimated in relation to the water needs for tall fescue turf-grass. Supplemental watering should be applied between late November and early March to complement the seasonal rain cycle to avoid winter dry spells and to assist in establishing new plantings. Summer watering is to be avoided in established landscapes where possible; deep watering on a monthly schedule may be applied if determined that the plant must always have access to water.
| Very Low |
Performs with no supplemental water |
| Low |
Low Supplemental Water, approx. 3-5” |
| Medium |
Moderate Supplemental Water, approx. 5-10” |
| High |
High Supplemental Water, approx. 10-16” |
* indicates that the plant must always have access to water. Water must be supplied on a continuous basis by irrigation, or the plant’s roots must have direct, reliable contact with ground water.
The above definitions are from: County of Los Angeles , Department of Public Works. Los Angeles River Master Plan, Landscape Guidelines. January, 2004. |
