Free or Inexpensive Plants

[Anonymous]

Does someone know where I may be able to find free or inexpensive natives that grow tall, would make good privacy plantings, hedges, or a woodland garden?

Thank you. </p>

[Anonymous]

Hello there. I'd guess that folks would have suggestions on numerous plants that would suit your needs, as well as suggestions as to where you might be able to purchase them. However, the suggestions for plants, and for nurseries or plant sales, will depend on the climate and geographic area where you live, and also on the specific conditions where the plants will be located, e.g., whether the plants would be in sun or shade, wet or dry conditions. So you might want to provide a few more details along these lines to the discussion board.

Also, for what it's worth, in my limited experience with such things, I've found that the natives won't be any less expensive than more common non-native landscaping plants, and in some cases may cost a bit more, presumably because they are not widely available. If you're looking to save money, a small plant that costs a bit less may within a couple of years grow larger than a much bigger plant purchased at the same time. Also, with native plants you can save money in the long run as you will need less in the way of soil amendments, and if they're drought-tolerant as many naive plants are, less water.

Hope this helps.</p>

[Anonymous]

Hello Julie,

Thank you for your response. The area that I am wanting to plant is on the Northeast side of our home and gets a minimal amount of sunthough being in Southern California, probablly more than most other NE backyards.

I would like to find something that will get very tall, provide privacy and help with the noise of our busy street.

Hope this is explains moreoh and there is also a type of oak tree in that area. So, I guess whatever I plant will need to be able to grow around an oak?

We are in the San Fernando Valley Los Angeles County

Thank you,Lori </p>

[Anonymous]

Lori:

Although not free, there is an excellent native plant nursery not far from you, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The non-profit Payne Foundation has a great nursery exclusively comprised of natives. Two resilient large shrubs/almost trees that would do well in your area are Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia and Sugar Bush Rhus ovata. I'm sure there are others, but the folks at Payne should be able to offer further suggestions. Visit their website for additional info:

http://www.theodorepayne.org/abouttpf.htm

Good luck.

Bob Hansen</p>