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(Not so) guerilla planting opportunity

Hammer

By Hammer
in DISCUSSING PALM TREES WORLDWIDE

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Hammer Grand Master

Hammer

Posted
Posted

Howdy,

I have a really great chance to add some palms and other landscaping to city property. I spoke with the City Manager yesterday who gave me the verbal go ahead to do some landscaping on the hill that adjoins my back yard.  

He said as long as I plant things that will NOT require the city to maintain them, I am good to go.

I will post pics of the hill tomorrow.  The area is infested with gophers, gets hammered by the sun, is pretty dry for the most part and gets water spray from sprinklers that are city owned.  

Would love a Bizzie or two...but, the gophers are probably not going to cooperate with that selection.  I would love to add a grove of Kings but they probably need more water than the area currently gets.

Maybe Alfies? But then they like water too. Probably would survive but might not really thrive... do gophers like their roots too?  Dunno. Since they are not crownshafted the city might get annoyed with potential perceived maintenance.

Am planning to put a plumeria or two up there too.  No idea what the gophers think of their roots.

At the end of the day, I would love to have a grove of the same species if possible.  I like the look but don't have space in my yard to do it.

Any suggestions on what I should plant?  Input is GREATLY appreciated. 

 

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Hammer Grand Master

Hammer

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Found a couple pics on my phone!  It looks super green in the photos because this is just after winter rains ended.  This hill is 2 stories high from the yard to the peak.

20160320_184427.jpg

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Kim Grand Master

Kim

Posted
Posted

"Dick:
The first thing we do, let's kill all the gophers."

-William Shakespeare, Henry VI

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Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Ben in Norcal Grand Master

Ben in Norcal

Posted
Posted

I'd think there is really only one genus that would genuinely require zero care in our climate, or close to it.  I'm thinking Brahea.

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Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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PalmTreeDude Grand Master

PalmTreeDude

Posted
Posted (edited)
24 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

I'd think there is really only one genus that would genuinely require zero care in our climate, or close to it.  I'm thinking Brahea.

That would be pretty nice, the real concerning thing here are the gophers! Washintonia, after time will start to have the cost of dead fronds hanging down and falling off at random times, so that would need to be maintained at some time. Brrahea edulis (like Darold Petty mentioned) would be a good choice.

Edited by PalmTreeDude

PalmTreeDude

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redbeard917 Mentor

redbeard917

Posted
Posted

I agree that large plantings of the same palm are attractive. Can't you put a wire mesh in the planting hole to protect them from gophers? I thought I saw someone on Palmtalk do that. Every plant needs some maintenance, even well adapted things like Braheas. Can you get up there to trim the fronds yourself? Or just pick up fronds after they dry up and fall?

Woodville, FL

zone 8b

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Brett in Mission Viejo Proficient

Brett in Mission Viejo

Posted
Posted

 

Excellent! This could be a great area that would visually extend you yard. Most Brahea are certainly drought tolerant when established. Maybe you can sneak a drip line up there to get a few things established? Maybe Dypsis Decaryi, Allagopterra, Hyphaene, Trithrinax, Copernicia, certain Syagrus, etc.  Lots of drought tolerant species you could try.

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Mission Viejo, CA

Limited coastal influence

5-10 days of frost

IPS and PSSC Member

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Ben in Norcal Grand Master

Ben in Norcal

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

 

Excellent! This could be a great area that would visually extend you yard. Most Brahea are certainly drought tolerant when established. Maybe you can sneak a drip line up there to get a few things established? Maybe Dypsis Decaryi, Allagopterra, Hyphaene, Trithrinax, Copernicia, certain Syagrus, etc.  Lots of drought tolerant species you could try.

Parajubaea would be another one if you can sneak a drip line up there, or otherwise somehow irrigate.  I suspect in time they would become self sustaining, but definitely need water while establishing in California.

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Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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Hammer Grand Master

Hammer

Posted
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Thanks for the suggestions. Keep em coming.

I could run some drip irrigation up the hill if necessary. Or maaayyybe, the city will let me tap the existing sprinker line and run drip.  If so, that changes the equation significantly.

I suppose some gopher cages are an option too.  Then the concern becomes "tap water" in the crown from the sprinklers.

 

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Firepalm Proficient

Firepalm

Posted
Posted

Hey Adam, give Parajubaea Sunkha a try up there.  Beautiful palms that seem to get by on very little water.  Hard to beat them for a lush and tropical look that doesn't require a ton of irrigation.

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Ben in Norcal Grand Master

Ben in Norcal

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Firepalm said:

Hey Adam, give Parajubaea Sunkha a try up there.  Beautiful palms that seem to get by on very little water.  Hard to beat them for a lush and tropical look that doesn't require a ton of irrigation.

I like the P. sunkha idea. Very anecdotally, they seem to take dry better for me than the others in the genus.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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Zeeth Grand Master

Zeeth

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Hammer said:

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep em coming.

I could run some drip irrigation up the hill if necessary. Or maaayyybe, the city will let me tap the existing sprinker line and run drip.  If so, that changes the equation significantly.

I suppose some gopher cages are an option too.  Then the concern becomes "tap water" in the crown from the sprinklers.

 

If you can run drip I'd plant a grove of B. alfredii. Otherwise I like the P. sunkha idea if they indeed are drought tolerant. 

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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