Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
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Tuesday - September 23, 2008
From: Vista, CA
Region: California
Topic: Erosion Control
Title: Groundcover for erosion control
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live in southern california. What is the best groundcover to plant on a slope to prevent erosion?ANSWER:
Grasses, with their dense fibrous root systems, are one of the best plants to use for erosion control. Here are a few suggested grasses for southern California:Achnatherum hymenoides (Indian ricegrass)
Festuca californica (California fescue)
Koeleria macrantha (prairie Junegrass)
Melica imperfecta (smallflower melicgrass)
Sporobolus airoides (alkali sacaton) and more information
Here are some low-growing shrubs that could be used as groundcovers. These could be used along with the grasses or instead of the grasses. Their height is generally 1 to 3 ft.
Symphoricarpos mollis (creeping snowberry) with more information. This is low-growing shrub that is generally less than 2 feet tall.
Encelia farinosa (brittlebush) with more photos and information
Eriogonum fasciculatum (Eastern Mojave buckwheat) with more information
Mahonia repens (creeping barberry) with more information
More Erosion Control Questions
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May 03, 2012 - I live near Charlotte, NC and I have a very steep sloped area from the edge of our front yard down to the road. It's a huge eyesore mainly because it is red clay dirt and has nothing growing on it. W...
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Deer-resistant groundcovers for erosion control
September 26, 2012 - I need a ground cover (vine??) that will help me with erosion on a sloped front yard. It gets about 6-8 hours of sun and my main need is for something that the rats in our neighborhood will not destro...
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North Dakota Riverbank Stabilization
July 17, 2012 - Can you suggest plants to prevent and stabilize river bank erosion on Sheyenne River, ND?
Must be tolerant to cold, varying level of salts and sulfates and water level (from drought to flooding)
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Plants for curb appeal from Birmingham AL
June 16, 2011 - My front yard is on a down hill slope. Can you recommend some plants that would be good for creating curb appeal that will be planted up against the house? We need some that are short around 2 feet ...
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Erosion blanket question from Antimony UT
August 03, 2011 - I want to use an erosion control blanket for a hill and want to know what type I should purchase that would allow planting seeds and them growing up through the blanket
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