Campanula vs. Viola

UNDER CONIFER PURPLE POSIES: CAMPANULA VS. VIOLA

By Cassy Aoyagi:  Finding a groundcover to thrive under conifers can be difficult in Southern California. Two groundcovers that can work are Campanula poscharskyana, a Mediterranean native, and Viola adunca, a California native. While plants from other LA-climate compatible regions of the world, like the Mediterranean basin, can thrive in California, this exchange is proof positive that California natives always have a home court advantage.

Campanula

Campanula poscharskyana, or Serbian Bellflower, is native to the former Yugoslavia and used throughout Europe. It is now a staple ground cover in California.  While lovely, Serbian Bellflower has:

  • Low tolerance to extremes. Although it is native to mountainous ranges, Serbian Bellflower does not tolerate the extremes Southern California presents. A naturally moist area might drown this plant at certain times of the year, but in high heat supplemental water would be mandatory. While it is most likely to find what it needs under conifers, the situation where it truly thrives is rare. It needs a strong sun without out high heat and shade with bright light for it to thrive and spread.
  • High maintenance needs. Serbian Bellflower prefers a harder cut back in winter to preserve its energy for the next season.
  • Spotty seasons. Campanulas seasonal cut backs leave undesirable bare areas part of the year. Often times, I see this plant appearing very “spotty” in its landscape, thriving in the rare areas where its needs are met, while struggling in many others.

If you love the thought of having greenery and long-lived purple flowers dancing beneath your evergreens, there is a California native alternative to Campanula.

VIOLA-ODORATA

Viola adunca, very similar to Serbian Bellflower in appearance, is distributed throughout California from the coast to the desert and possesses strong advantages to thriving in its native region. Viola adunca:

  • Thrives in California’s mountainous regions. In both desert and coastal climates, Viola adunca seeks higher altitudes (5000-11000), the shelter of evergreen forests, and seasonal marsh-like conditions.  Although these conditions seem unlikely in Southern California, I regularly run into Viola-friendly microclimates in LA County and have had success with them at lower elevations, under evergreens, and in naturally moist, sheltered spots.
  • Well-adapted to extremes. We struggle with ground covers that will take the shade and naturally occurring moisture, most everything, including baby tears is fussy and won’t stand the test of time, but unlike the rest, the Viola has adapted to take extreme and harsh conditions within its niche.
  • Persistent color and blooms. An herbaceous perennial, Viola adunca spreads through underground rhizomes and makes a nice, thick mat of green, providing year round interest. It is all the more charming during the warmer months of spring through fall when light purple pansy-like flowers dance a few inches above the foliage.
  • Provides fragrance and alternative benefits. While the seeds can be poisonous, Viola can also be used for tea and other medicinal purposes and is sometimes fragrant.

If you are considering adding Viola adunca to your landscape, Woodferns, Tiger Lilies, and Sedges make great teammates.

For more guidance on where to plant big dry ones, see our past Wet-to-Dry Exchange articles.

Bacopa vs. Satureja Douglasii

By Cassy Aoyagi:  It is so challenging to find a flowering and full ground cover that will thrive in shady areas.  At least two possibilities offer cover with flair – Bacopa Suteria, which is pretty common, and the rarely used but lovely California native, Satureja Douglasii.

Bacopa Suteria is a very common shade-loving ground cover with small white flowers.  It has a small, delicate looking roundish leaf that is very light and airy.  It is frequently used by landscapers because it grows and spreads very, very quickly.  It does, however, have a few down sides:

  • Bacopa has a very short life span.  It can get woody with in one to two years, requiring severe cutting back or replacement.
  • Bacopa is a heavy drinker.  Native to the tropics and moist areas of the US, it thrives with wet feet, which means it is happiest with wet roots. Keeping Bacopa happy during a drought takes work… and water.
  • Bacopa is not a good California neighbor. Most California natives like to keep their feet dry.  If the natives are thriving, Bacopa won’t be.

Bacopa is best in a pot, where it can get the special care it needs.  It can also be useful on the edge of a garden wall where it might drape over the edges to create a softening effect.

In contrast, California native Satureja Douglasii or Yerba Buena, local from Los Angeles to British Columbia, provides effective groundcover for California’s shady but dry areas. Like Bacopa, “Good Mint” has small, round scalloped leaves and little white pink flowers.  It has additional charms:

  • Satureja grows low and holds its shape.
  • While it enjoys shady, cool and moister conditions, it will tolerate some heat and drought.
  • Satureja, likes its feet dry, making it a good neighbor to other California native plants.
  • In Native American culture, Satureja Douglasii was used as a tea because of its fragrant and minty aroma and flavor.  Drying or crushing it provides a lovely potpourri as well as a tea.  (Other varieties can be used in cooking as an herb, but those varieties are non-native and not long-lived perennials.)

Ready to plant a big dry one?  Now is the best time of year for it!  If you are taking the plunge, consider that Satureja flourishes alongside Juncus effusus, Heuchera maxima, and Carex glauca.  Each of these California Natives loves shade and thrives with little water, making them lovely companions for one another and vibrant additions to Los Angeles landscapes.

For more guidance on where to plant big dry ones, see our past Wet-to-Dry Exchange articles.

Pyracantha vs. Chamise

 PRIVACY HEDGES: PYRACANTHA VS. CHAMISE

By Cassy Aoyagi:  There are dozens of varieties of Pyracantha, which can be shaped and pruned to form a screen or barrier. It is common to see them planted so closely together that they require aggressive pruning to curb the spread of their tiger-like claws (not unlike bougainvillea). They come in all shapes and sizes, but what they all have in common are their thorns, berries and invasiveness.

plant1

Pyracantha SP

Native to parts of Europe and Asia, they are accustomed to moister climates than Southern California. That said, Pyracantha has proven itself incredibly adaptable to dry, hot conditions. In fact, their ease of germination makes pyracantha a competitor with native plants that are more likely to host beneficial and native wild life. (In fact, only 6 percent of native birds, insects and wildlife can make a living on non-native plants like Pyracantha.)

Pyracantha is very prone to diseases like fireblight, scale, aphids and other insects. When a diseased, non-native plant is mixed in with a native plant community, it can introduce and spread disease to native habitats that would otherwise be in a natural balance, which supports few pests. A battle against pests takes valuable resources from even indigenous plants, making it more difficult for them to survive and adapt to adverse natural conditions.

In contrast, Adenostoma, commonly known as Chamise, is one of the dominant California Native plants in our local Chaparral community.  It spans from coastal ranges to Sierras to Foothills. It has a light, elegant structure with small, soft needle-like leaves. The cummulative appearance is reminiscent of a Heather. The Chamise is green year round, has a profusion of vibrant, creamy flowers mid to late summer.

Adenostoma or Chamise

A really special low-height variety is ‘prostratum’.  This has a graceful, spilling waterfall appearance and stays about 3′ tall with a 6′ spread, where as the most common variety Adenostema fasciculatum grows to 5′-8′ tall with a spread of 4′ to 6′ wide.

Chamise requires very little water, so is a great plant to place where water is difficult to provide.  It is not challenging to grow and needs little to no pruning and upkeep.  For a plant that hardly needs anything, it looks rather handsome year round.

Although less commonly used in a garden setting, it is an ideal plant for the garden in many ways.  It can be used as a sculptural accent, foundation background plant, wind barrier or screening plant.  Except for high fire zones it is appropriate to use for erosion control purposes. Although it is highly flamable, it serves as a prectorate where it is indigenous to stabilize soils and slopes after fires and since it stump sprouts readily after fires, plays an integral role in recovery of scorched native slopes.

For more guidance on where to plant big dry ones, see our past Wet-to-Dry Exchange articles.