Coast Live Oak Garden

Description

This garden palette has been designed to complement existing coast live oak trees occurring in gardens and landscapes throughout the Inland Empire. Our native oaks are often protected and several local cities have established ordinances and provide guidelines to restrict removal and to care for these trees. Many people who have oaks in their gardens consider themselves to be very fortunate.

It is often desirable to add plantings around existing coast live oaks, and in these situations, we advocate the planting of other California native species and cultivars due to their horticultural compatibility. The companion plants included in this palette are well suited for perimeter locations where there is more sun exposure and where they can be planted with minimum disturbance to existing tree roots. These plants are also adapted to growing with seasonal rains and low amounts of supplemental water during the summer months.

Plant List

Trees

Coast live oak

Botanical Name: Quercus agrifolia
Plant Type: Tree, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 30 ft. - 60 ft. Width: 40 ft. - 70 ft.

Engelmann oak

Botanical Name: Quercus engelmannii
Plant Type: Tree, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 25 ft. - 60 ft. Width: 25 ft. - 60 ft.

Shrubs

California buckwheat

Botanical Name: Eriogonum fasciculatum
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. - 3 ft. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Chaparral currant

Botanical Name: Ribes malvaceum
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Moderate shade, Partial sun
Height: 4 ft. - 6 ft. Width: 4 ft. - 6 ft.

Coffeeberry + cvs

Botanical Name: Rhamnus californica
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 8 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 8 ft. - 10 ft.

Concha wild lilac

Botanical Name: Ceanothus 'Concha'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 6 ft. - 9 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 10 ft.

Dark Star wild lilac

Botanical Name: Ceanothus 'Dark Star'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 4 ft. - 6 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 10 ft.

Dourley manzanita

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos 'John Dourley'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 3 ft. - 4 ft. Width: 5 ft. - 6 ft.

Hollyleaf cherry

Botanical Name: Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Moderate shade, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 15 ft. - 30 ft. Width: 15 ft. - 30 ft.

Lester Rowntree manzanita

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos 'Lester Rowntree'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 8 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 10 ft. - 15 ft.

Louis Edmunds manzanita

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, Partial sun
Height: 8 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 8 ft.

McMinn manzanita

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos 'Howard McMinn'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 6 ft. - 8 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 8 ft.

Redberry

Botanical Name: Rhamnus crocea
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 6 ft. - 8 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 8 ft.

Sugar bush

Botanical Name: Rhus ovata
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 8 ft. - 35 ft. Width: 20 ft. - 25 ft.

Toyon

Botanical Name: Heteromeles arbutifolia
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 12 ft. - 25 ft. Width: 12 ft. - 18 ft.

Winifred Gilman sage

Botanical Name: Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'
Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 3 ft. - 5 ft. Width: 3 ft. - 5 ft.

Perennials

Grape soda lupine

Botanical Name: Lupinus excubitus
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. - 3 ft. Width: 3 ft. - 4 ft.

Hummingbird sage

Botanical Name: Salvia spathacea
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, Partial sun
Height: 12 in. - 18 in. Width: 18 in. - 24 in. then slowly spreading

Matilija poppy + cv

Botanical Name: Romneya coulteri
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 6 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 10 ft.

Showy penstemon

Botanical Name: Penstemon spectabilis
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 1.5 ft. (3 ft. while flowering) - 2 ft. (5 ft. while flowering) Width: 2 ft. - 4 ft.

Sticky monkey flower

Botanical Name: Mimulus aurantiacus
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. - 3 ft. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Ground Covers and Vines

Chaparral clematis

Botanical Name: Clematis lasiantha
Plant Type: Vine
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, Partial sun
Height: 12 ft. - 18 ft. Width: 12 ft. - 18 ft.

Evergreen currant

Botanical Name: Ribes viburnifolium
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade
Height: 5 ft. - 7 ft. Width: 5 ft. - 7 ft.

Monterey Carpet manzanita

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Monterey Carpet'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, All day sun
Height: 1 ft. - 2 ft. Width: 8 ft. - 12 ft.

Mrs. Beard sage

Botanical Name: Salvia 'Mrs. Beard'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover, Native
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 4 ft. - 6 ft.

Pigeon Point Coyote brush

Botanical Name: Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Point'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Water Needs: Low 1
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 6 ft. - 9 ft.

Horticultural Preferences

Most coast live oak trees grow best with ample space and where the understory area below their canopy is undisturbed and covered with natural leaf litter that keeps the soil cool through spring and summer. These conditions enable healthy root growth, rich soil biology, and a natural cycle of winter soil moisture and summer dryness. Normal winter rains will provide enough moisture to support healthy springtime growth. It is important to keep the understory mulch dry during summer in order to avoid problems with oak root fungus.

Aesthetic Character

The coast live oak is one of our most widely recognized and appreciated California native trees. Over time it develops a broad canopy, massive trunk and bold branching character. Many trees achieve heritage class sizes and become local landmarks in parks and gardens. The combination of dense, dark, evergreen foliage contributes to the monumental stature of mature trees. Simple understory shrub plantings can add visual interest and seasonal character and limit potential damage to oak tree roots.

Moisture Needs

Existing oaks of all ages grow best when they receive normal amounts of winter rains and when their root systems are not damaged or reduced by buildings, pavement or compactions. However, when roots have been impacted and winter rains are below normal, deep monthly irrigation can help maintain healthy plants. The high and low range of the irrigation schedule shown below indicates these plants can grow with varying amounts of water depending upon exposure conditions and maturity of plants. Those months noted by an asterisk (*) is when normal rains can provide sufficient wintertime moisture and irrigation is not needed.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Low Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 1

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"

Range of supplemental summer water: 7"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-10"

0"-2"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.

For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.