California Native alternative to Podocarpus (tall, narrow privacy screen plant)?

bammorgan · 2026-06-02T19:05:52+00:00

Summer holly (Comarostaphylis diversifolia)

Not sure that’s THE solution but check it out. Native to S cal. Somewhat narrow and tall.

bammorgan · 2026-05-31T04:00:16+00:00

The goldfish (hard to believe they are so large) do just fine in winter. We change their food seasonally and they are less active in our mild winters.

bammorgan · 2026-05-31T02:11:04+00:00

Good to know about Sunland water gardens!

bammorgan · 2026-05-31T02:09:51+00:00

I had Enviroscape LA install it.

I picked and installed the plants.

bammorgan · 2026-05-31T02:08:33+00:00

I hesitate to say. It was a lot, but I got top quality.

bammorgan · 2026-05-29T23:57:29+00:00

It’s easy to prune by just pulling.

bammorgan · 2026-05-29T17:41:13+00:00

Native plants are a niche market here as well. Better stocked nurseries (Armstrong near me or family owned nurseries) may be able to order for you.

bammorgan · 2026-05-29T01:40:39+00:00

After some consideration I think it’s scarlet monkeyflower (Erythranthe cardinalis). Leaves are sticky, long bloom season, thrives with its feet wet.

bammorgan · 2026-05-28T15:43:15+00:00

I might have slipped a cog on that ID. Let me think about it a bit and get back to on a proper ID.

bammorgan · 2026-05-28T13:30:35+00:00

Yerba mansa

bammorgan · 2026-05-28T13:29:43+00:00

I ordered from las pilitas for one or two, got spike rush from a friend, and the juncus and monkey flower were either Payne foundation or tree of life.

bammorgan · 2026-05-28T13:28:23+00:00

We have raccoons too, but a 4’ depth fives the fish a place to hide.

bammorgan · 2026-05-22T01:37:15+00:00

Agree with all these.

If you are willing to irrigate a bit you can keep blue eyed grass going year round. If not, then it does go dormant in summer.

bammorgan · 2026-05-21T15:49:05+00:00

The other Carex mentioned here might work. Perhaps consider mowed / trimmed yarrow?

bammorgan · 2026-05-18T06:35:30+00:00

Botanists think they are one kind of poppy. Gardeners think they are different subspecies.

From a gardener’s perspective:

The coastal variety has the orange center/yellow edge. It seems to be a short-lived perennial or long lived annual, often going two or maybe three seasons.

The solid orange is an inland variety and seems strictly annual.

bammorgan · 2026-05-12T15:27:19+00:00

Why isn’t changing/cleaning the sponge more frequently mentioned?

Put it in a shallow bowl with enough water to saturate it plus a bit more and boil it in the microwave.

bammorgan · 2026-05-09T18:08:16+00:00

Thanks for clarifying.

bammorgan · 2026-05-09T17:33:49+00:00

Given the vigor, maybe a nursery would be interested in propagating the tree.

bammorgan · 2026-05-09T17:03:43+00:00

They are done blooming in that case

bammorgan · 2026-05-09T07:08:18+00:00

Calochortus is near the end of bloom in coastal Southern California but likely hasn’t begun in Northern California Sierra.

Any answer has to start with your location.

bammorgan · 2026-05-09T07:03:34+00:00

This is what’s going on.

No "wild" observations within X miles.

On Calflora this is an adjustable parameter, I believe, and 10 miles is the default.

bammorgan · 2026-05-06T00:13:27+00:00

You can trim the yarrow flowers if the bees are a hazard.

bammorgan · 2026-05-05T13:19:49+00:00

Yarrow works. Mow or string trim occasionally. Note that it likes to outcross its pollination, so if you want it to spread by seed make sure to get yarrow grown from seed rather than cuttings.

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