Native Plants
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Wednesday - September 17, 2014
From: Kensington, CA
Region: California
Topic: Groundcovers, Turf, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Alternative for HABITURF® in Contra Costa County, CA
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We live in Kensington, just north of Berkeley, in the San Francisco area. We intend to get rid of our water consuming lawn and we are wondering what kind of alternative you would suggest. You don't specifically recommend your Habiturf for California.ANSWER:
Habiturf® is recommended for Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona, but there is a California alternative called UC Verde Buffalograss developed by UC Davis and UC Riverside for the hot dry climate of California and lower Arizona.
The City of Santa Barbara has an ariticle, Water Wise Lawn Alternatives, that has three possibilities that grow in, or adjacent to, Contra Costa County:
- Agrostis pallens (California Bent Grass) Here is more information from University of California Cooperative Extension Sacramento County.
- Carex pansa (Sanddune sedge) Here is more information from Bay Natives in San Francisco.
- Carex praegracilis (Clustered field sedge) Here is more information from Pacific Horticulture.
Here are some possibilities that aren't grass or grass-like:
Epilobium canum (Hummingbird trumpet) Here is more information from San Franciso Botanical Garden and Las Pilitas Nursery.
Armeria maritima (Thrift seapink) Here is more information from Las Pilitas Nursery and from Perennial Resource.
Fragaria chiloensis (Beach strawberry) Here is more information from Las Pilitas Nursery and from Marin Master Gardeners.
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