Common name:Olive, Edible Olive
Botanical name:Olea europaea

This broad tree will slowly grow to 20'-30' tall and wide. It has small, grey-green, evergreen leaves. Small white fragrant flowers bloom in spring, followed by fleshy black fruit that appears in fall. Fruit is messy and can stain sidewalks. There are cultivars that do not produce fruit. Some folks are allergic to the blooms. This tree is very long lived, with a beautiful gnarled trunk. It prefers full sun and low watering in summer months (twice a month) and none during the winter, when established.

Common name:Royal Purple Smoke Tree
Botanical name:Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'

Royal Purple Smokebrush is a large shrub or small tree with handsome, oval purple leaves all summer which turn scarlet color in the fall. Silvery-purple clouds of seed heads appear in fall. This striking shrub prefers full sun and low amount of watering once it's established. Prune in winter to shape. This shrub reaches 15' tall and 10' wide.

Common name:Variegated Japanese Sedge
Botanical name:Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

This low-growing, clumping grass consists of green leaves that each have a broad yellow stripe down the center.

Common name:Arctotis African Daisy
Botanical name:Arctotis hybrids

African Daisy hybrids grow 12-18" high x 12" wide and produce daisy-like flowers from spring through summer. These hybrids have lobed, gray green leaves and bloom in white, pink, red, purple, cream, yellow or orange. Arctotis likes full sun and well draining soil. It is drought tolerant once it's established.

Common name:Lily of the Nile
Botanical name:Agapanthus praecox ssp. orientalis

This evergreen shrub will grow about 3' tall and has large green leaves with blue flowers that bloom in spring and summer. It will grow in all soils but prefers loam soil. It can be grown in sun or shade. Lily of the Nile prefers a moderate amount of water; established plants have low water use.

Common name:Rose selected cultivars
Botanical name:Rosa species

These shrubs and vines are the most-loved in the West and are very resilient. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors and are easy to maintain with proper care. Roses can be espaliered or used on a trellis or as shrubs along walkways. Some are fragrant; most have thorns.

Sustainable Fertilization

If you mulch heavily as recommended in the compost and mulch fact sheets you should not need traditional fertilization. Sustainable landscapes fertilize themselves as soil organisms break down and recycle the dropped leaves into nutrients.

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