A current column of mine discussed a bacterial disorder
No therapy has begun contaminating the popular and extensively planted southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora).
In reaction, I acquired the subsequent email from Nick Kurek of Granada Hills.
“We desire to revel in our ‘Little Gem’ southern magnolia as lengthy as it lasts; however, we need to plan for an alternative with magnolia sickness at the manner. Please recommend something comparable: evergreen (no messy leaf or needle drop) if viable, much less than 30 toes tall, disorder resistant, warmth tolerant.”
It’s no longer automatic that your ‘Little Gem’ cultivar will be laid low with this disease, vectored by a glassy-winged sharpshooter insect. Evidence for this comes from oleander shrubs, which succumb to the equal disease. ‘Petite Pink’ and ‘Petite Salmon’ oleander cultivars, which develop less than half of the dimensions of traditional oleanders, are much less likely to broaden the disorder, as identified via the presence of scorched leaves. Each cultivar of any species has a genetic makeup that differs from the obvious species type. Positive cultivars are often more (or much less) proof against a sure disorder than the apparent species.
From a distance, island oak (Quercus tomentella) resembles ‘Little Gem’ and other reasonably sized magnolia cultivars. Native to the Channel Islands, a top-notch specimen of island oak with a pyramidal form and vivid green foliage is developing in the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. If you have not yet paid a visit to this 33-acre garden, which capabilities California natives and different drought-tolerant species, you would possibly want to accomplish that now. It’s located at 400 West Gainsborough Road in Thousand Oaks and is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. Admission is free to five p.m., and canine walkers are welcome.
Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii), also local to the Channel Islands, is an evergreen tree that grows about 30 feet tall. It bears white flower panicles suitable for eating if not mainly candy and black cherries. Two other native evergreens undergo scrutiny as medium-sized tree alternatives. One is Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), a robust vertical grower with bronzish peeling bark and serrated leaves. The other is a pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla), a gradual growth that produces safe-to-eat seeds called pine nuts.
Even though deciduous, two additional California local timber meets your top specs. Desert willow (Chitalpa linearis) has thin, willow-type foliage, and flora range from crimson to burgundy, depending on the cultivar. In contrast, paloverde (Parkinsonia/Cercidium species) timber has yellow plant life and an umbrella or V-shaped boom addiction. Although palo verde bushes are deciduous, their green bark keeps your interest after the annual leaf drop happens.
One of Southern California’s most famous medium-sized evergreen trees is the Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’). Its plant life is identical to those visible on manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), a near relative. Its capabilities are easy, exfoliating cinnamon bark and lush foliage, and it is safe to eat if bland, pebbly-skinned purple fruit.
From Australia, Melaleuca trees are not the best evergreen but have a ramification of decorative qualities and good-sized drought tolerance. Many have furrowed, peeling, or spongy bark, including a maximum, considerably paperbark tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia). Lilac melaleuca (Melaleuca decussata) has caterpillar plants, as does the purple granite bottlebrush (Melaleuca elliptical). Pink melaleuca, or showy Honey-myrtle (Melaleuca nemophila), has lavender, crimson pompon plants.
The Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) is called for the potable crafted from its leaves. It is well-known, shows zig-zagging limbs, and is densely protected this time of year with white vegetation.
Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) erupts with scarlet vegetation in spring and once more in the fall. Some consider the plant life messy, but I assume their wealthy crimson outburst is truthful reimbursement for any extra clean-up involved. Callistemon ‘Cane’s Hybrid’ displays scads of small purple and white bottlebrushes; the new foliar boom is likewise red.
Tip of the Week: Keep in thoughts that nearly every type of citrus tree — inclusive of navel orange, mandarin/tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon — grows no greater than twenty feet tall, with semi-dwarf cultivars achieving half that length. Citrus trees are evergreen, blessed with fragrant plant life and legendary fruit, and particularly drought tolerant in southern California. Once mature, a great soaking twice a month, even in the freshest weather, is all the water a citrus tree calls for. Fertilizer and micronutrients must be carried out four instances a year, at six-week durations, from late January to early June.
