In a Japanese Garden : Using Calif. Native Gymnosperms 2013

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2013 (our 9th year)
© Project SOUND

In a Japanese Garden:
Using CA Native Pines,
Junipers & Other
Gymnosperms
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve
December 7 & 10, 2013
© Project SOUND

2014: Bringing Nature Home - Lessons
from Gardening Traditions Worldwide

© Project SOUND

What do you think of when you hear the
words ‘Japanese Garden’?

http://www.interiorholic.com/outdoors/landscaping/japanesestroll-garden-designs/

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Ponds/lakes
Streams
Waterfalls
Japanese lanterns
Bridges
Green, green & more green
Evergreen shrubs & trees
Careful, formal pruning
Not a leaf in sight
Pink/purple flowers
Colorful fall leaves
Peaceful/meditation
© Project SOUND

http://thephotogardenbee.com/2010/03/01/the-huntingtons-japanese-garden-in-san-marinocalifornia/

There are actually several Japanese
garden types/styles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_garden


Promenade or Stroll Garden

Dry Zen/meditation Garden
© Project SOUND

Many local ‘Japanese Gardens’ combine
several types/styles

http://www.culturalnews.com/?p=7620

© Project SOUND

Earl Burns
Miller Japanese
Garden
CSULB - 1250 N Bellflower
Blvd Long Beach
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/28218598.jpg

© Project SOUND

Japanese garden – Descanso Gardens

http://www.descansogardens.org/

© Project SOUND

Huntington Library
 100 years old – very
established
 Also the new Chinese Garden
 Well worth the trip in any
season

http://thephotogardenbee.com/2010/03/01/the-huntingtons-japanese-garden-in-san-marino© Project SOUND
california/

Suiho En, the garden of water and
fragrance - Tillman Water Reclamation Plant (Woodley Park,
6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys)
 6.5 acres
 Designed by Dr. Koichi Kawana;
constructed 1980-1983.
 Ranked 10 of300 public Japanese
gardens in the United States by
the Journal of Japanese
Gardening.

 Includes: a dry Zen meditation
garden (Karesansui); large chisen,
or "wet strolling" garden with
waterfalls, lakes, greenery; an
authentic tea house and adjacent
tea garden.
© Project SOUND
http://pumpkinmania.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-visit-to-japanese-garden-suiho-en-at.html

Can there ever truly be a ‘Japanese
Garden’ in S. California (or outside of
Japan, for that matter) ?


© Project SOUND

Japan’s climate is
not our climate
 Much more like the Pacific
Northwest or N. CA:

http://www.worldpress.org/images/maps/world_600w.jpg

 More rainfall; higher
humidity (fog)
 Colder in winter
 Landforms: more vulcanism
than tectonic uplifting
 Forests/mountains/sea more
accessible (at least where
some of the famous gardens
are - can ‘borrow’ the
outside landscapes better
than we can)

Bottom line: Japan and Japanese culture are
quite different
© Project SOUND

But like all gardening traditions, Japanese
gardening has lessons to teach us

http://www.asherbrowne.com/

© Project SOUND

The Japanese gardening tradition reflects
Japanese history
 Shinto religion:
 Reverence for the natural world
 The special holiness of certain
places, natural objects

http://travelpast50.com/roadside-shinto-shrine-nikko-japan/

 Need to keep ‘animals’ (including
humans) and other things in or
out:
 Fences & gates separate world
into sacred & profane
 The garden is a ‘place apart’
from the outside world
 A ‘retreat’ that allows for
renewal
© Project SOUND

http://www.chinagardensociety-kc.org/ChineseGarden_KC.htm

Japanese history
 Influence of China & Korea (~700800 A.D)
 Gardening traditions go back >
3000 years – include large public
gardens and small
http://www.chinagardensociety-kc.org/ChineseGarden_KC.htm

 Many elements influenced
Japanese gardening tradition:
 The idea of gardens producing
harmony between humans & nature
 Enclosure: walled gardens
 Specific elements: ponds, rock
works, trees and flowers
 Winding paths connecting a series
of carefully composed scenes
© Project SOUND

http://www.chinatoday.com/culture/chinese_garden.htm

Japanese history
 Reverence for tradition – and
the many 100’s of years of
formal gardening tradition
 Importance of studying/
studying with the masters

 Demographics
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g406/kunouero/41R.jpg

 City life: need to bring nature to
people who were becoming
removed from it – and had
leisure to enjoy it
 Small islands/limited
land/growing population – the
need for retreat

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4093/4782591223_3e68c8420d_z.jpg

© Project SOUND

Roji (Cha-niwa)
Teahouse Gardens
 Simple, small rustic gardens, often
with teahouses



 Purpose: transition – path/passage
between the mundane cares/
stresses of the secular world and
the detached spiritual realm of the
tea ceremony

© Project SOUND
http://www.minimalisti.com/architecture/exterior-design-architecture/12/traditional-japanesegarden.html

The Tea Garden

 Evokes the remoteness and
tranquility of the mountains, and
provides an illusion of depth.
 Guests are made to feel as if
they were walking along a simple
mountain path, so the prevailing
colors are greens and browns of
various shades and intensities.
 Few exotic/flowering plants –
would distract

 Seasons are subtly reflected
through autumn leaves or spring
buds; variety in diverse shapes
and levels of shininess of the
leaves.

© Project SOUND

Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden,
Pasadena

http://japanesegardenpasadena.com/

© Project SOUND

But how do we apply the principles of
Japanese gardening to our own gardens?

© Project SOUND

The lessons of Japanese Gardens are
reflected in the ‘essence’ of the tradition

http://www.landscapingnetwork.com/garden-styles/asian.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/Dragynstorm/Japan2012/Japan20
12_F_57_zps7707e7eb.jpg

A garden is at its best when it reflects some of the
themes found in nature, yet elevates and interprets
those themes into an artful expression of human
interaction with the land.
© Project SOUND

The ‘essence’ of Japanese gardening is
to capture the ‘spirit’ of the natural world
in which we live - and bring it home

© Project SOUND

The ‘spirit’ of Japanese gardening is
rooted in a sense of place

© Project SOUND

‘The essence of nature created in a smaller space’

http://www.zimbio.com/Gordon+Smith/articles/_2JMBjlKz-1/Nontraditional+Japanese+Garden+Arroyo+Grande

 So a Japanese-influenced California garden interprets
California landscapes – and will never look like a Japanese
garden in Japan
© Project SOUND

Classical plants for
Japanese gardens

 Trees:

Japanese maple
Flowering cherry
Gingko
Podocarpus

 Shrubs:
Bamboo
Camellia
Azalea
Pine
Juniper

http://www.interiorholic.com/outdoors/landscaping/japanese-strollgarden-designs/

 Groundcovers & perennials:
Asiatic jasmine
Star jasmine
Ginger
Ferns
Liriope
Thyme
Mondo grass

© Project SOUND
http://thephotogardenbee.com/2010/03/01/the-huntingtons-japanese-garden-in-san-marinocalifornia/

Before designing a garden we must first study
natural landscapes in detail, to determine the
‘essence’ of the California landscape

© Project SOUND

Choices for ‘Japanese influenced’ CA garden
 N. CA coastal and mountain
forests – most like Japanese
forests

 S. CA forests – drier, but still
forest communities
 More local plant communities
 Coastal Prairie/shrubland
 Coastal Sage Scrub
 Coastal Chaparral (Santa
Monica Mtns)

© Project SOUND

 First we need to develop
a deep understanding of
the natural landscape
 Then we must determine
the ‘essence’ of what
makes our California
landscape unique
 Only then can we apply
traditional principles for
‘bringing nature home’

© Project SOUND

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/15348535-md.jpg

© Project SOUND

N. California evergreen forests

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_California_coastal_fo
rests_(WWF_ecoregion)

Coastal redwood forest

Cool, damp, foggy with relatively rich, organic soils
© Project SOUND

Mixed evergreen forest

Closed-cone pine forest

© Project SOUND

The ‘essence’ of the
coastal northern forest

http://www.lizasreef.com/HOPE%20FOR%20THE%20RAIN%20FORESTS/rain_forests_of_the_
world.htm

 Shade: medium to dense
 Play of light and shade; may
be islands of sun
 Straight tree trunks:
column/pole-like and often
large
 Evergreen Gymnosperms
 Smaller understory plants:
often vine-like
 Spots of color in mostly
green landscape
 Mostly flat – fades out into
the mist
© Project SOUND

Evolution of plants
 The gymnosperms are older
than the angiosperms
(flowering plants) by quite a bit
(~ 400 MYA vs ~ 150 MYA)
 The gymnosperms:
http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/plantrelat.gif

 Have pollen & seeds
 Do not have flowers or fruits;
are not dependent on living

pollinators

 Pollen comes into ‘direct’
contact with ovule (seed) for
fertilization to occur

http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-iii/kingdoms-living-world/gymnosperms.php

© Project SOUND

The Gymnosperms: old and less mighty
than in the past
 700 living species
 Classically divided into
four divisions (subclasses):

http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/biobookdiversity_6.html

 Conifers: pines,
spruce, cypress –
worldwide
 Cycads (such as the
sago palm) - tropics
 Ginkgos (the
maidenhair tree,
Ginkgo biloba) - Asia
 Gnetophytes (such as
Mormon tea, Ephedra
© Project SOUND

A modern representation of the phylogeny
of gymnosperms based on chloroplast DNA.
 The pine family
(Pinaceae) and a
sister branch leading
to six additional
families have a
common ancestor
within the division
Pinophyta.

http://sydkab.wordpress.com/tag/gondwanaland/

 In other words, the
seven major families
of cone-bearing trees
and shrubs all evolved
from the division
Pinophyta.
© Project SOUND

Division Pinophyta: California natives
 Family Pinaceae: Cedrus, Pinus, Cathaya, Picea, Pseudotsuga,
Larix, Pseudolarix, Tsuga, Nothotsuga, Keteleeria, Abies

 Family Cupressaceae: Cunninghamia, Taiwania, Athrotaxis,
Metasequoia, Sequoia, Sequoiadendron, Cryptomeria,
Glyptostrobus, Taxodium, Papuacedrus, Austrocedrus,
Libocedrus, Pilgerodendron, Widdringtonia, Diselma,
Fitzroya, Callitris (incl. Actinostrobus), Neocallitropsis,
Thujopsis, Thuja, Fokienia, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus,
Hesperocyparis, Juniperus, Calocedrus, Tetraclinis,
Platycladus, Microbiota
 Family Taxaceae: Austrotaxus, Pseudotaxus, Taxus,
Cephalotaxus, Amentotaxus, Torreya
© Project SOUND

* California Nutmeg – Torreya californica

©2011 George Jackson

© Project SOUND

* California Nutmeg – Torreya californica
 N. Calif. Endemic
 Its range has two distinct parts:
 Coast Ranges - from southwest Trinity County
south to Monterey County
 Cascade-Sierra Nevada foothills - from Shasta
County south to Tulare County.

 Cool, humid, wooded slopes, shady canyons in
forest or woodland, sometimes chaparral

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torreya_californica

http://www.budomonk.com/california-nutmeg.html

© Project SOUND

The genus Torreya : an old taxon
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~ 170 million years

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Once widespread throughout the
Northern Hemisphere - fossil records
from Europe, Greenland, AK, British
Columbia, OR, CO, VA, NC

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Now extremely spatially disjunction
distribution.
 ? Out-competed
 ? Climate change

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Five species now: three in eastern Asia,
one in California (T. californica) and a
small range in northern Florida (T.
taxifolia) .

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Torreya_nucifera_SZ129.png

© Project SOUND

CA Nutmeg: a woodland evergreen tree
 Size:
 40-60+ ft tall
 20-40 ft wide

 Growth form:
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Upright tree from central
leader: conical then rounded
Evergreen; branches appear
to droop
Looks like yew or redwood
Slow growing
Bark: thin, gray-brown

 Foliage:
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Torreya_californica

Small, sharp ‘needles’
Very aromatic – like
sandalwood
© Project SOUND

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=420

Female ‘cones’ : unusual
 Blooms: in spring
 Flowers:
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http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall%2003%20project/Nutmeg.html

Dioecious: separate male
and female trees (usually)
Pollen cones: small, wind
pollinated (typical of
gymnosperms)

 Seeds:


Charles Webber © California Academy
of Sciences.

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http://www.conifers.org/ta/Torreya_californica.php

Female cones have fleshy
covering – green then
purple-brown
Shape/size reminiscent of
the true nutmeg
2 years to mature
Decorative/interesting:
food for birds, animals
© Project SOUND

Forest conditions

 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained,
including clays
 pH: any local – takes acidic

 Light:


In our are, best in part-shade to
even full shade

 Water:
 Winter: plenty
 Summer: Water Zone 2-3 to 3;
young trees may benefit from
occasional misting on cool days

 Fertilizer: fine with ½ strength

fertilizer; best with organic forest
mulch

 Other: dislikes wind
© Project SOUND

Gardening with Torreya
 Specimen tree in shady spots
 Large screen/barrier hedge (sharp)
 Good for large containers/bonsai –
slow growing

http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall%2003%20proje
ct/Nutmeg.html

Be sure you smell before
you buy
http://selectree.calpoly.edu/Photos/Torreya_califo
rnica/images/tree.jpg
©2012 Belinda Lo

© Project SOUND

The ‘essence’ of the
coastal northern forest

http://www.lizasreef.com/HOPE%20FOR%20THE%20RAIN%20FORESTS/rain_forests_of_the_
world.htm

 Shade: medium to dense
 Play of light and shade;
may be islands of sun
 Straight tree trunks:
column/pole-like and often
large
 Smaller understory plants:
often vine-like
green landscape
 Mostly flat – fades out into
the mist
When choosing gymnosperms
consider their size
© Project SOUND

N/central CA Mixed Evergreen Forest

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5171898.bmp

© Project SOUND

Essence of N. CA mountain
evergreen forests

http://www.kcet.org/news/the_back_forty/commentary/golden-green/the-angelesnational-forest-is.html

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Vistas
Slopes & valleys
Sun and shade
Drier than Coastal forests
‘specimen’ evergreen trees
Rocks/boulders

© Project SOUND
http://travelonastudentbudget.com/?tag=angeles-national-forest

The essence of N. CA
forests in a garden

http://www.moplants.com/secrets-of-coast-redwood/

Gymnosperms
Large trees
Light and shade
Illusion of distance & slope
Cool, green appearance
Specimen tree or not
Smaller understory plants:
often vine-like
green landscape
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Take home message: capture
the essential features
© Project SOUND

* Incense Cedar – Calocedrus decurrens

J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

* Incense Cedar – Calocedrus decurrens
 Montane forests from Oregon
south through California to
northern Baja California,
Mexico and east to western
Nevada
 Locally in San Gabriel Mtns.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?157,158,159

© 2005 Steven Perkins

 On mesic sites including
riparian habitats in mixedevergreen, yellow-pine
forests, 2000-7000 feet

© Project SOUND

Incense Cedar: magnificent
 Evergreen tree in large yards, parks,
business parks, schools, other large areas
 Used as a large screen

 Good for large Asian-themed gardens

http://shriverfarms.com/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calocedrus_decurrens

© Project SOUND

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37860873

* California Juniper – Juniperus californica

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juniperus_californica_Mount_Diablo.jpg

© Project SOUND

* California Juniper – Juniperus californica
 Mountain slopes of W. CA into Baja; desert
mountains of S. CA, NV & AZ – locally in
Antelope Valley & desert side of San
Gabriels
 In S. CA commonly occurs in pinyon-juniper
woodlands that border and integrate with
chaparral along desert margins

http://www.conifers.org/cu/Juniperus_californica.php

© 2003 Monty Rickard

© Project SOUND

Use where ever you
want a juniper
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As an unusual bonsai
On hot, dry slopes
As a specimen or hedge plant
For it’s great habitat value

http://www.fourdir.com/p_california_juniper.htm

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juniperus_californica_Mount_Diablo.jpg

Bonsai in Japanese
gardens
 The purposes of bonsai are
primarily contemplation (for the
viewer) and the pleasant exercise
of effort and ingenuity (for the
grower).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atlas_Cedar,_GSBF-CN_120,_September_12,_2008.jpg

 Not usually included in Japanese
gardens per se
 Take home message for small
gardens: large plants that can be
trained for bonsai are good
candidates for container plants
(junipers, pines, oaks, some
flowering shrubs)
© Project SOUND
http://valavanisbonsaiblog.com/2013/11/23/japan-international-bonsai-tour-exploration-autumn2013-part-5/

* Common Juniper – Juniperus communis
var. montana (saxatilis)

© Project SOUND

Juniperus communis, the common juniper

http://shelf3d.com/i/juniperus%20communis

 Has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the
cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south
in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America,
Europe and Asia.
© Project SOUND

* Common Juniper – Juniperus communis var. montana
 In CA: Klamath Ranges, High Sierra
Nevada, Warner Mountains
 Dry rocky soil and rock crevices on
slopes and summits
 Yellow Pine Forest, Douglas-Fir
Forest, North Coastal Coniferous
Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine
Forest, slopes

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu
/cgibin/get_IJM.pl?tid=60424

©2012 Jean Pawek

© Project SOUND

Common juniper: woody groundcover
 Size:
 1-5 ft tall
 4-10+ ft wide

 Growth form:
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
©2009 Barry Breckling


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Evergreen
Mounded to mat-like;
spreading w/ age
Live 150+ years
Moderate growth rate

 Foliage:
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


©2012 Jean Pawek

Blue-green or medium green
Sharp needles in bundles of 3
Bark – red-brown, thin peeling
Foliage makes nice orange dye
© Project SOUND

Female fruits are showy
 Blooms: spring
 Flowers: male and female; usually
on separate plants

©2012 Jean Pawek

 Female fruits/cones:




Look like berries – typical of
junipers
Take 2 years to ripen
Begin green, then red; blue
with white bloom when ripe

©2010 Louis-M. Landry

© Project SOUND

Juniper berries spice
up foods

http://mojavedesert.net/plants/shrubs/juniper.html

 The cones from a handful of species
are used as a spice, particularly in
European cuisine and native SW U.S.
- also give gin its distinguishing
flavor
 In addition to J. communis, other
edible species include Juniperus
californica which is said to have
‘sweet’ berries
 The mature, dark berries are usually
but not exclusively used in cuisine,
while gin is flavored with fully grown
but immature green berries
© 2005 James M. Andre

© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements

 Soils:
 Texture: just about any
 pH: any local

 Light: full sun to light shade;
fine under high canopy

 Water:

©2008 Louis-M. Landry

 Winter: adequate; no
standing water
 Summer: best with occasional
– Water Zone 1-2 or 2

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
but fine with leaf mulch

 Other: nice natural shape, but

can be pruned; watch for Juniper
Blight

http://web.ewu.edu/ewflora/Cupressaceae/Juniperus%20communis.html

© Project SOUND

Common juniper in the garden
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As an attractive pot plant, bonsai
Evergreen groundcover, under tall trees
Rock gardens
Woodland/habitat gardens
In Asian-themed gardens

http://www.bonsai.de/shop/images/SH040_wacholder_juniperus_communis_bonsai.jpg

http://conservationgardenpark.org/plants/443/common-juniper/

Susan McDougall @ USDA-NRCS
PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

Junipers as medicine
 Tea from foliage:





Tonic
Diuretic/kidney cleanser
Colds/flu
Arthritis, muscle aches

 Tea/infusion of ‘berries’
 stomach ailments
 Colds/lung ailments
 Kidney ailments

 Smoke:
 Ritual purification

Care must be taken to limit consumption
© Project SOUND

In the wilds, junipers often grow with other
native evergreens

©2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

© Project SOUND

* Sitka spruce – Picea sitchensis

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_sitchensis_forest.jpg

© Project SOUND

* Sitka spruce – Picea sitchensis
 Tree of northern temperate
rainforests – truly not our climate
 Very large – not for most gardens

 Sold in nurseries throughout the U.S.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Picea_sitchensis_
distribution_map.png

http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Olympic/Olympic8.html SOUND
© Project
http://www.humboldt.edu/redwoods/photos/spruce.php

Dwarf cultivars: very
different look

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/images/pisip38.jpg

Picea sitchensis ‘Papoose’

Picea sitchensis ‘Tenas’

 Shrub-size: 4-8+ ft.
 Round ball – not statuesque tree
 Useful, but not the real feel


© Project SOUND

* Douglas fir – Pseudotsuga menziesii

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudotsuga_menziesii_2.JPG

© Project SOUND

* Bigcone spruce – Pseudotsuga macrocarpa

On Mt. Wilson – San Gabriel Mountains
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudotsuga_macrocarpa_Mount_Wilson_CA.jpg
http://davisla.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/plant-of-the-week-pseudotsuga-macrocarpa/

© Project SOUND

Ideas for including the ‘essence’ of big
trees in a smaller garden
 If a neighbor has a large
pine, cypress or juniper,
make use of ‘borrowed
landscape


Incorporate large uprights in
architecture to suggest tree
trunks

http://www.minimalisti.com/architecture/exterior-design-architecture/12/traditional-japanese© Project SOUND
garden.html

Ideas for including the ‘essence’ of big
trees in a smaller garden

http://www.atedadesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/japanese-garden-designs.jpg

Use smaller trees (or container plants) to suggest larger trees
© Project SOUND

Cypresses are common components of
CA evergreen forests

© Project SOUND

Junipers and Cypresses are similar, but
their cones are quite different
 Cypress (Hesperocyparis) are
distinguished by woody cones, often
persistent on older branches and opening
(scales separating) upon fire

 Juniperus has succulent cones with
fused scales, developing at the ends of
leafy green branches (or in axils of
leaves).

© Project SOUND

A Cypress is a Cypress: whatever
happened to the genus Cupressus?
 Molecular studies have led to
splitting of the genus and
transfer of species among
four genera:
 Cupressus - Old World
 Callitropsis - nw N Amer.
 Chamaecyparis - 2 spp in N.
Amer. and 3 in e Asia)
 Hesperocyparis - 16 spp. w
N Amer. to Columbia

© Project SOUND

 Millions of years ago, cypress woodlands containing one or more
ancestral species of the cone-bearing Hesperocyparis dominated
vast areas of California. During the past 20 million years, as
mountains were uplifted and the climate became increasingly more
arid, most of these extensive cypress woodlands vanished. SOUND
© Project

Cypress ‘Islands’ are unique and
endangered




Some of these populations became isolated;
gradual changes over millions of years
resulted in the present-day species and
subspecies.


Tecate Cypress

Today 10 species (or 8 species and 2
subspecies) are confined to isolated groves
scattered throughout coastal and inland
mountains, from the Mexican border to
Oregon.

Cypress of arid inland mountains and valleys
(such as Piute cypress, Macnab cypress,
Cuyamaca cypress, and Arizona cypress) have
developed glandular (resinous) foliage and are
more drought resistant.
© Project SOUND

Monterey Cypress - Hesperocyparis macrocarpa

http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/why-plant-names-change-2/

© Project SOUND

http://treesofsantacruzcounty.blogspot.com/search/label/Cupressus%20macrocarpa

http://www.cnps-sgm.org/gallery/show.php?picloc=images-SturtevantFalls0704/SturtevantFalls041-TheTrack-m.jpg

© Project SOUND

* Tecate Cypress – Hesperocyparis forbesii

Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

* Tecate Cypress – Hesperocyparis forbesii




http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrolo
gy/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=784

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=89295

Very rare – 15 U.S. populations;
formerly more widespread – in La Brea
tar from Pleistocene
Santa Ana Mountains (Orange County);
Guatay Mountain, Otay Mountain (San
Diego County); Mount Tecate on the
U.S.-Mexican boundary; N. Baja.



Dry slopes, exposed hillsides, ridgetops;
also along stream banks/arroyos, 1,500
to 5,000 feet

© Project SOUND

Tecate Cypress is a well-mannered evergreen
 Size:
to 20+ ft tall; grows
quickly to 12 ft. then slows
 6-8 ft wide


 Growth form:
 Woody evergreen tree;
may be shrubby, manybranched with age
 Bark lovely; peeling and
nice colors
 Long-lived (100’s of years)

 Foliage:
 Pretty typical Cypress
 Nice looking; neater than
Italian Cypress
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/tecatecypress.html

 Roots: taproot and laterals
© Project SOUND

Cones are distinctive
 Flowers:
 Separate male & female
flowers
 You probably won’t notice it
blooming

 Cones:
 Male cones numerous; unusual
looking – on small branches
 Female cones are larger and
attached to larger branches
 Start out green – gradually
become dry & hard
 Take 2 years to mature;
remain on tree for several
years
 Need hot temperatures (fire)
to open & release seeds

© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements

 Soils:
 Texture: best in coarse, welldrained soils
 pH: any local

 Light: full sun

 Water:
 Winter: rain usually adequate
 Summer: none or very little
after established; over
watering can make
susceptible to blow-down

 Other: Easy under proper
conditions

© Project SOUND

Uses in the garden






Anywhere you might consider a nonnative Cypress
Great on dry hillsides – is fire-prone
Excellent as an evergreen hedge or
screen
Impressive specimen plant

http://www.geographylists.com/tecate_cypress.jpg

http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/vhd/heritagevic#detail_places;70998
http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/pictures/Cupressus_forbesii_tecate_cypress.jpg

© Project SOUND

* Piute Cypress – Hesperocyparis nevadensis

©2008 Matt Teel

© Project SOUND

* Piute Cypress – Hesperocyparis nevadensis

http://ucjeps.berkel
ey.edu/cgibin/get_IJM.pl?tid=
89300

 Narrow endemic: Kern County: the
drainage of Bodfish Creek, and, at 4000
feet, on Red Hill in the Paiute Mountains
where it grows at elevations of 50006000 feet with Juniperus californica,
Pinus sabiniana, P. monophylla and

Ephedra viridis

©2012 Joey Malone

© Project SOUND
http://www.conifers.org/cu/Cupressus_nevadensis.php

Paiute Cypress: majestic tree
 Size:



30-50+ ft tall
20-30 ft wide

 Growth form:





Tree with straight
central leader
Pyramidal in youth; top
is rounded with age
Fast growing to 20 ft.
Wonderful rustic bark

 Foliage:
©2008 Matt Teel





Medium to gray-green
Scale-like leaves
Strongly aromatic

©2002 Dr. Louis Emmet Mahoney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cupressus_nevadensis_resin_glands.jpg

© Project SOUND

Cones are cypress-type
 Blooms: winter-early spring;
separate pollen, seed cones on
same plant
 Female cones:

©2002 Dr. Louis Emmet Mahoney






©2008 Matt Teel

Round; brown becoming gray
with age
Ripen in 1 year
On short lateral shoots near
branch tips; nice appearance
Only open when exposed to
high temperatures

© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements

 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained
 pH: any local

 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: looks best with
occasional to somewhat
regular water – Zone 2 or 23, though quite drought
tolerant

 Other: can be pruned to shape,
©2012 Joey Malone

even hedged - but has a nice
natural shape; watch for fungal
diseases, bark borers
© Project SOUND

Uses for Piute Cypress
 Planted as an ornamental tree,
particularly for gray foliage
 Nice large background plants – or
drought-tolerant large hedges/screens
 Hardy – planted along roads in Santa
Monica mtns

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/cupressus-nevadensis

http://www.worldbotanical.com/images/145-Cupressus.jpg
http://jaysullivan.org/cypresn.htm

© Project SOUND

Essence of a drier CA forest






Moderate size trees – some with
straight, vertical trunks
Open vistas with distant hills
Evergreens often mixed with other
plant communities (patches in
chaparral/ oak woodland)
Dry shade (more open); light/shade

©2010 Rebecca Wenk

© Project SOUND

Ideas for small gardens
 ‘borrow’ a nice landscape – if
there’s one to borrow
 Suggest distance
http://agardenbydesign.blogspot.com/2013/01/something-borrowed-part-1.html

http://freshfurnitureidea.com/garden/asian-garden-design-ideas/

 Medium gray-brown to graygreen fences
 Living ‘screens;

© Project SOUND

You may have noticed that cypress’ and
pines go together – in nature and gardens

http://achefinthegarden.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html

© Project SOUND

* Coast Pine – Pinus contorta var. contorta

http://sjgbloom2012.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/pinus-contorta-shore-pine-15-2/

© Project SOUND

*Coast Pine – Pinus contorta var. contorta
 Pinus contorta subsp. contorta — Shore
pine; Pacific Coast, S. AK to N. California
 Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana —
Tamarack pine, or Sierra lodgepole pine
(large tree) – in San Bernardino Mtns

©2012 Vernon Smith

http://www.mostlynatives.com/plants/pinus-contorta

© Project SOUND

Coast pine
 Size:



20-50 ft tall
10-25 ft wide

 Growth form:



Variable with age, environmental
conditions
Usually multi-branched, irregular;
may be wind-swept

 Foliage:


Needles short, medium/dark
green – may be sparse or dense

© Project SOUND
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/plants/trees/conifer/pine/pinus/contortacontorta.html

Cones are irregular
 Blooms: in spring - pollen
 Flowers:





Separate male, female cones
Female cones: two years to
mature; may remain on tree
for long time
Cones relatively small,
irregular shape

 Seeds:



©2012 Aaron Arthur

©2012 Vernon Smith

Ripen in fall
Edible – good for jays and
other birds that eat pine
nuts

© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements

 Soils:
 Texture: most, including sandy or
poorly drained
 pH: any but high pH (> 8.0)

 Light:


Full sun to part-shade

 Water:
 Winter: adequate – remember
where plant originates
 Summer: semi-regular best; Zone
2 to 2-3 depending on soil
drainage

 Fertilizer: none; fine with poor soils
 Other: organic mulch as must

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Pinus_contorta

© Project SOUND

Gardening with Shore pine
 As an attractive container plant
 Pair with Bishop pine (Pinus muricata),
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
and naked sedge (Calamagrostis
nutkatensis) for ‘N. coast garden’
 Fine for immediate coast
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/plants/trees/conifer/pine/pinus/contortacontorta.html

http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=179 Project SOUND
©
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/picoc1.htm

*Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/pinus-ponderosa
http://activerain.com/blogsview/253030/traveling-to-shingletown-from-redding-californiaponderosa-pines-bar-and-grill-is-a-must
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/pinus-ponderosa

© Project SOUND

*Coulter Pine – Pinus coulteri

http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant
_id=2497

http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_coulteri.php

Grows in San Bernardino Mtns
© Project SOUND

* Bishop Pine – Pinus muricata


Narrow endemic: several places
on N/Central coast and in Baja
(incl. Cedros Isl.)



Dry ridges to coastal, windshorn
forests, often in or around bogs
in Redwood forest, n coastal
conifer forest, closed-cone-pine
forest, chaparral < ~1500 ft

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=38287

Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

© Project SOUND

Bishop pine reflects its environment
 Size: moderate for pine



40-70 ft tall
20-30+ ft wide

 Growth form:



©2013 Jason Matthias Mills



May be rounded and windswept on coast; taller and
more pyramidal away from
coast (and in youth)
High canopy; dark,
furrowed bark with age
Relatively fast growth to
20 ft; 50-150+ years

 Foliage:


Dark green; medium
length needles
© Project SOUND

Cones stick around…
 Blooms: in spring
 Cones:





©2004 Charles E. Jones

Separate pollen/seed cones
Seed cones long and pointed’
usually hang down from
branches
Remain unopened until
exposed to high heat (usually
fire; may open with hot
weather); many on mature
tree at one time and old ones
are ultimately enclosed by
bark (‘eaten’)

 Seeds:


Mature in 3 years

©2012 Aaron E. Sims

© Project SOUND

Bishop pine: N. CA
coastal tree

 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained,
including sandy or rocky
 pH: any local

 Light:


Full sun (foggier coastal areas);
part-shade elsewhere

 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: occasional to
moderate (Water Zones 2 or 23; 2 or less with age)

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
organic mulch

 Other: susceptible to Aphids and

Beetle Borers, Phytophthora, Root
Rot, Rust and Pitch Canker

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/pinus-muricata

© Project SOUND

Bishop pine takes to local gardens





http://selectree.calpoly.edu/treedetail.lasso?rid=1058




Wherever a moderate-size pine is needed,
including coastal gardens, semi-dry slopes,
windbreaks/tall hedges
Asian-themed gardens
Large plantings, including public/ commercial
(schools; parks; etc.)
Prune up and can garden beneath (grasses;
ferns; other natural understory
Introduced into CA gardens by Theodore Payne

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pinus_muricata

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5683301494
© Project SOUND
_a469cd8fbf.jpg

* Knobcone pine – Pinus attenuata

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/pinus-attenuata
http://www.baumkunde.de/Pinus_attenuata/

© Project SOUND

* CA Foothill Pine – Pinus sabiniana


Foothills in coastal ranges,
Sierras south to Ventura Co.



Dry slopes & ridges below
4500 ft. in foothill woodlands,
n oak woodland, chaparral



AKA: Bull pine; Gray pine



Fossils suggest only recently
adapted to the Mediterranean
climate - closest relatives are
at higher elevations in the
southwest US and Mexico.



Humans likely contributed to
the current distribution
pattern, including the large gap
in distribution in Tulare
County.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_sabiniana

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?PISA2

© Project SOUND

CA Foothill Pine: moderate size but looks big
 Size:



40-80 ft tall (40-50 in garden)
25-35 ft wide

 Growth form:





Pyramidal in youth; high, rounded
canopy with age
Single leader
Fast to 40-45 ft in 15 years
Lives 200+ years in wild

 Foliage:


©2013 Susan McDougall

©2011 Jean Pawek





Color: most often gray-green; open
airy – can garden beneath
Longish needles
Graceful appearance
Roots & twigs used for basketry
© Project SOUND

Seeds: among the best
 Blooms: spring
 Female cones:
Produced after 10-25 yrs
Large (6-10 inches; 1-2 lb)
with long, sharp ‘beaks’
 Mature in 2 years; persist 5-7
years
 Open slowly, releasing seeds


©2011 Jean Pawek

 Seeds:




©2011 Neal Kramer

Large; predictable crop
Hard-shelled; need to process
Eaten fresh, roasted, boiled
or pounded and mixed with
cold water and other seeds
for small cakes, thin mush
© Project SOUND

Foothill Pine: Dry

 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained a must
 pH: any local

 Light: full sun to light shade
 Water:
 Winter: adequate; supplement
if needed
 Summer: drought tolerant;
best with occasional water
(Water Zones 1-2 to 2)

 Other: susceptible to western

gall rust and bark beetles; don’t
over-water, and watch for signs
© Project SOUND

Foothill Pine
From California Native Plants, Theodore
Payne's 1941 catalog: "A rapid growing
tree and the best pine for hot dry
locations. Beautiful long drooping silvery
green foliage. Quite distinct in appearance
from other pines. In typical specimens the
trunk has a habit of parking into several
erect branches forming a broom-like top.”
©2012 Jean Pawek

http://www.backyardnature.net/sierr
as/pinedigg.htm

© Project SOUND

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/pinus-sabiniana

 Tree of the Southwest: CA, AZ,
NM and northern Baja California;
in the dry mountain ranges of
NV, UT, and southeastern ID
 Pinyon-Juniper Woodland,
Foothill Woodland between
~3000 & 7500 ft.

green - Pinus monophylla subsp. monophylla
blue - Pinus monophylla subsp. californiarum
red - Pinus monophylla subsp. fallax


 Widespread and often abundant
in this region, forming extensive
open woodlands, often mixed
with junipers, Jeffrey pine,
sagebrush & montane white fir

© Project SOUND

 Single-leaf Pinyon occurred as early as
the Late Wisconsin glacial period
(20,000 to 11,000 years ago).

 Large area of distribution and,
therefore, probably a large degree of
genetic variation
 Conservation implications – esp. in CA
green - Pinus monophylla subsp. monophylla
blue - Pinus monophylla subsp. californiarum
red - Pinus monophylla subsp. fallax


Mark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

Singleleaf pine: typical pinyon
 Size:



10-35+ ft tall
5-20 or 25 ft wide

 Growth form:




Shrubby-appearing tree
Many branches – often
irregular shape with age
Slow-growing; long-lived
(100’s of years)

 Foliage:



Short, gray-green needles
in bundles of one

© Project SOUND

Seeds are fantastic
 Blooms: in spring; separate pollen
& seed cones on same plant
 Female cones:


Small: ~ 2”; round ; 35 years old
when start to bear

 Crops every 3-7 years; 2
years to mature
 Open widely when mature –
typical pinyon trait

 Seeds:




Absolutely delicious!
Consumed by humans, birds and
animals
Primarily spread by Jays, Clark’s
Nutcracker
© Project SOUND


Singleleaf pinyon

 Soils:
 Texture: most any
 pH: any local

 Light: full sun to part-shade
 Water:

Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

 Winter: good soil moisture
 Summer:
 Most xeric pine in the U. S.
 Mean annual precipitation range
is 8 to 18 inches; most
precipitation falling DecemberApril
 Once established, needs only
occasional watering

 Management: Native Californians

pruned out dead branches; removed
underbrush – fire can kill this species


© Project SOUND

Gardening with pinyons
 Container or bonsai plant
 Screen/hedge; good for mild, coastal
conditions
 Neat, bold appearance; gray color blends
well with dry high-desert and mountain
landscapes as well as modern and
mediterranean gardens

http://selectree.calpoly.edu/treedetail.lasso?rid=1054

http://paridevita.com/2013/04/20/drip-drop-drip-drop/
http://www.washoecounty.us/parks/arboretum/burke.html

© Project SOUND

Many good resources on
Japanese Gardening
 http://www.japanesegardensonline.com
 Books: Japanese Gardening

 Ortho’s All About Creating Japanese

Gardens

 Joe Earl (ed): Infinite Spaces: the Art and

Wisdom of Japanese Gardening

 many others – see your local library

 Books: CA Landscape Gardening

 M. Francis & A. Reiman: The California

Landscape Garden

 G. Keator & A. Middlebrook: Designing

California Native Gardens: the Plant
Community Approach to Artful, Ecological
Gardens
© Project SOUND

My Gardening Philosophy – circa 2013
1.
2.

http://www.the-philosopher.co.uk/

Knowledge is power
It’s better to understand how something works rather
than to just follow rules
3. It’s easier to work with the physical conditions in a
garden (soil characteristics, light, etc.) than to try to
change them dramatically
4. California native plants from the local area are often
the best suited for local gardens
5. Look to Mother Nature and Native Californians for
gardening advice
6. Make a garden plan – even tho’ it may change over time
7. Choose plants based on their suitability for your needs
and garden conditions
8. Save ‘Heritage’ trees and large shrubs – unless there’s
a good reason to remove them
9. Choose plants for their habitat value
10. Choose plants for their usefulness (food; dyes; etc.)
© Project SOUND

In a Japanese Garden : Using Calif. Native Gymnosperms 2013

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In a Japanese Garden : Using Calif. Native Gymnosperms 2013