Building 20-Trees and Plants on Building 12/Building 19 Hill

Building 20-Trees and Plants on Building 12/Building 19 Hill

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(Zone Key: Redwood Forest Redwood Forest Edge Douglas Fir Forest Fountain/Riparian/Streambank Seasonal Chaparral Mixed Conifer/Mixed EvergreenScrub Oak/Shrub)Current Prominent and Mature Plants:

Save Trees

Save shrubs

Save herbaceous plants

Plant List: (Existing plants)

1. Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

2. Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

3. Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea)

4. Mahonia (Mahonia lamariifolia)

5. Species of Ceanothus, including: C. gloriousus; C. ‘Julia Phelps’

6. Manzanita (Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’

7. South African Shrub Daisy (Euryops pectinatus)

8. Burford Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’)

9. Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Gold Coast’)

10. Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)

11. Delavay Osmanthus (Osmanthus delavayi)

12. Common Yew (Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’)

13. Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)

14. Noell’s Grevillea (Grevillea ‘Noellii’)

15. Cherry (variety) Prunus

16. Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

17. Kauri Pine (Agathus australis)

18. Japanese Cedar (Cryptomaria japonica)(two varieties)

19. Japanese Cedar (Cryptomaria japonica)

20. Row of She-Oaks or Common Ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia)

21. Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara)

22. Triple-leaf or Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera)

23. Mature Crabapples (Mallus sp.)

New Plants for Aesthetics:

Ecosystem Zones:

Redwood Forest

Description: This area will be used to educate students on the California Redwood Forest plant community. The opportunities can be improved by leaving the understory, litter and duff intact. Currently, the litter and soil is developed enough to support white coral fungus colonies in the spring. Additions to this ecosystem to improve instruction and add aesthetic value would include:

Scarlet Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)

Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregano)

Deer Fern (Blecham spicant)

Giant Western Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata)

Western Sword Fern

Bracken Fern

Polypodium

Five-Finger Fern

Maidenhair Fern

Succulent Hill-

Dudleyas

Sedums

Redwood Forest Edge/Oak Woodland

Description: This area is just adjacent /south of the redwood groves. It is a perfect condition to illustrate the ecology of forest openings and edges. Plants that occupy these slightly sunnier locations can provide a bit of a flower show and contrast with the shadier understories of the tree ecosystems. A mix of native and ornamental plants that produce flowers and seeds of botanical interest are already present at this site. Removal of the sweet broom (Additions of compatible plants will improve add additional edge habitat species and also provide more color in this sunnier area:

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos) (Varieties TBD)

Grevillea (Grevillea) (Varieties TBD)

Wood Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa)

Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria californica)

Island Coral Bells (Heuchera maxima)

Canyon Pink Heuchera (H. ‘Canyon Pink)

Douglas Fir Forest

Description: This area is dominated by the mature Douglas Fir and is used to educate students about the Douglas Fir Forest ecosystem. Douglas Fir occurs in a different microclimate than the redwood forest. It is valuable to compare and contrast these two forest types. This area also has a mature understory supporting some unusual bryophytes, one genus Anthoceros, (hornwort). This area should be left mostly undisturbed. A few repetitions of some of the flowering species that occur in the redwood forest could be added here to improve the aesthetics and provide some landscape interest, while preserving the natural quality of the hill:

Giant Western Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata)

Island Coral Bells (Heuchera maxima)

Canyon Pink Heuchera (H. ‘Canyon Pink)

Hairy Manzanita (Arctostaphylos Columbiana)

Hoary Manzanita (Arctostaphylos canescens)

Water Feature: Riparian/Streambank

Description: This area includes the functional but non-operational fountain. Even though the fountain is not operational, there are mature plants and bryophyte and lichen communities that exist in the understory. The overstory has a nice collection of conifer trees (Conifer Corner) that shade the water feature and support shade plants. This fountain could be upgraded and would be a lovely aesthetic addition to the complex. The moisture would maintain the existing community. Species that prefer a moist environment and typically occur in riparian or streambank conditions could be added:

Leopard Lily (Lilium pardinalum)

Native Maidenhair Ferns (Adiantum)

Stream Orchid (Epipactis gigantean)

Western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale)

Equisetum telmatea

Seasonal Garden

Description: The retaining wall area can be used as a seasonal garden. The wells from the retaining wall blocks can be planted with various bulb plants for a spring flower show. Seasonal gardens provide the opportunities to teach about temperate climates and plant adaptations to the seasons of the year. This area would be left dormant in the dry season. A variety of bulb plants already grow here. Additional bulb plants would be added. Each well of the retaining wall could have a different bulb display showing species, hybrids and bulbs from around the world.

Chaparral

Description: This area of the hill, now adjacent to Building 12, presents an opportunity to display shrub ecosystems, particularly chaparral. This are currently includes some mature shrub specimens, in addition to some important botanical specimens (Mahonia, Agathus). Additions of shrub species here, in groupings for color, will add additional botanical specimens and improve the aesthetics. Salvias are an important group of Mediterranean plants that occur in a variety of shrub/chaparral ecosystems. They also provide a nice color show with other plants and are important habitat plants. A collection of Salvias, mostly native cultivars, along with other showy plants, including upright and spreading forms, would be a compatible addition to this area:

Cleveland Sage Hybrid Salvia ‘Whirly Blue’

Salvia ‘Bees Bliss’

Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)

Black Sage (Salvia mellifera)

Sticky Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus)

California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum or hybrids)

Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri)

Lotus scoparius-deer weed

Mixed Conifer/Mixed Evergreen

Description:

Description: This area of the hill is dominated by an unusual and mature Italian Stone Pine. The understory is acidic due to the needles dropped from this tree. This area gives the opportunity to discuss some of the mixed conifer ecosystems found in California and in the Mediterranean climates and to highlight acid-loving plants. There is room here to introduce some understory native plants that can produce showy flowers, seasonal color, and fruits. These additions would be spaced so that their growth forms, flowering and fruiting habits could be shown:

Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans)

Spice Bush (Calacanthus occidentalis)

Blueberry (Vaccinium -variety TBD)

Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica)

Western Burning Bush (Euonymus occidentalis)

Baneberry (Actea rubra)

California mock orange (Philadelphus californicus)

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

Scrub Oak

Description: This area contains some shrubby oaks (Quercus agrifolia) and some mature shrubs. Oaks are an important component of many California ecosystems. This area should be left intact, with the addition of some additional examples of shrub-form oaks. The ceanothus collection that will be removed at the end of this area due to construction should be moved here. Some possible additions are:

Blue Oak Quercus douglasii (control height)

Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia)

California Scrub Oak (Quercus dumosa)

Ceanothus spp. (Deer-Resistant Varieties)

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