SMaRT Station SMaRT Station Native Plant Project Native Plant Project

Description and Plant ListDescription and Plant List

SMaRT StationSMaRT Station Original landscape designed in 1992Original landscape designed in 1992 Goals for new design (completed in May Goals for new design (completed in May

2010):2010): Minimize water and green waste by installing native Minimize water and green waste by installing native

plants, drip irrigation and using recycled waterplants, drip irrigation and using recycled water Minimize pesticide use by sheet mulching and Minimize pesticide use by sheet mulching and

manually pulling weedsmanually pulling weeds Utilize on site resources such as mulch and compostUtilize on site resources such as mulch and compost Create demonstration garden to encourage Create demonstration garden to encourage

homeowners to plant nativeshomeowners to plant natives Install compost bin for onsite staff food recyclingInstall compost bin for onsite staff food recycling

Weed prevention Weed prevention using sheet mulchingusing sheet mulching

A non-toxic technique that creates a A non-toxic technique that creates a permeable and bio-degradable barrier permeable and bio-degradable barrier preventing weedspreventing weeds

It reduces/ eliminates the use of It reduces/ eliminates the use of herbicidesherbicides

It eliminates the use of plastic landscape It eliminates the use of plastic landscape fabric which does not decomposefabric which does not decompose

See www.stopwaste.org for more See www.stopwaste.org for more information on Bay Friendly and sheet information on Bay Friendly and sheet mulchingmulching

Sheet mulching detailSheet mulching detail

Sheet MulchingSheet Mulching

Laying down recycled-content paper, overlapping at the edges Three inches of woody mulch as

the final layer

Use of materials processed Use of materials processed on siteon site

Woody material is Woody material is chipped on site and chipped on site and the mulch used for the mulch used for final finish on plantsfinal finish on plants

Compost made from Compost made from collected green collected green waste was used to waste was used to amend the soilamend the soil

Recycled Water UsedRecycled Water Used Water is collected at the Water is collected at the

Sunnyvale Water Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant Pollution Control Plant and partially treated for and partially treated for use in landscapesuse in landscapes

Water is not drinkable Water is not drinkable (potable), but fine for (potable), but fine for plantsplants

Use in landscapes Use in landscapes reduces the use of reduces the use of potable water AND keeps potable water AND keeps water from desalinating water from desalinating San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Drip IrrigationDrip Irrigation Replaced spray irrigation Replaced spray irrigation

around the buildingaround the building

Much more efficient than Much more efficient than sprayspray

Native “lawn” irrigated with Native “lawn” irrigated with subsurface irrigation, the subsurface irrigation, the most efficient irrigation most efficient irrigation methodmethodSubsurface drip shown wetting

soil prior to topping with soil and planting native sedge “lawn”

Lots of lawn removed!Lots of lawn removed! Over 2500 square feet of Over 2500 square feet of

lawn was removed from lawn was removed from around the buildingaround the building

A small lawn was left for A small lawn was left for employee recreationemployee recreation

Lawn replaced with Lawn replaced with native native sedges, low growing sedges, low growing shrubs, and mulchshrubs, and mulch

Saves water and energySaves water and energy

Reduces green waste and Reduces green waste and pollution from mowingpollution from mowing

Invasive plants removedInvasive plants removed

Pampas grass, ivy, palms, and fennel are highly invasive plants in the Bay Area and were removed from the site.

Pampas grass had to be bagged and disposed so seeds wouldn’t escape.

Compost bin installed

A compost bin was installed for staff to compost leftover food from lunches, tea bags, and coffee filters

Why California Native Why California Native Plants?Plants?

Reduce water useReduce water use Minimize maintenanceMinimize maintenance Minimize pesticides and fertilizersMinimize pesticides and fertilizers Provide a local aestheticProvide a local aesthetic Increase floral biodiversityIncrease floral biodiversity Attract native wildlifeAttract native wildlife

Native plants purchased from local nurseries

Catalina cherryCatalina cherryPrunus ilicifolia lyoniiPrunus ilicifolia lyonii

Vine hill manzanitaVine hill manzanitaArctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard

McMinn’McMinn’

Dwarf coyote bushDwarf coyote bushBaccharis pilularis ‘Twin Peaks’Baccharis pilularis ‘Twin Peaks’

Oregon grapeOregon grapeBerberis aquifoliumBerberis aquifolium

California bush anemoneCalifornia bush anemoneCarpenteria californicaCarpenteria californica

Pt. Reyes ceanothusPt. Reyes ceanothusCeanothus gloriosus ‘Anchor Bay’Ceanothus gloriosus ‘Anchor Bay’

Island bush snapdragonIsland bush snapdragonGalvezia speciosa ‘Firecracker’Galvezia speciosa ‘Firecracker’

Giant buckwheatGiant buckwheatEriogonum giganteumEriogonum giganteum

Jones bush mallowJones bush mallowMalacothamnus ‘Jonesii’Malacothamnus ‘Jonesii’

CoffeeberryCoffeeberryRhamnus californica ‘Eve Case’Rhamnus californica ‘Eve Case’

Rhamnus californica ‘Leatherleaf’

Pink flowering currantPink flowering currantRibes sanguineum var. glutinosumRibes sanguineum var. glutinosum

Snowberry bushSnowberry bushSymphoricarpus albus var. Symphoricarpus albus var.

laevigatalaevigata

California fuchsiaCalifornia fuchsiaEpilobium speciesEpilobium species

E. canum ‘UC Hybrid’ and ‘White Form’

California buckwheatCalifornia buckwheatEriogonum fasciculatumEriogonum fasciculatum

Rosy buckwheatRosy buckwheatEriogonum grande var. rubescensEriogonum grande var. rubescens

Golden asterGolden asterHeterotheca sessifolia ‘San Bruno Heterotheca sessifolia ‘San Bruno

Mtn.’Mtn.’

California fescueCalifornia fescueFestuca californicaFestuca californica

Douglas irisDouglas irisIris douglasianaIris douglasiana

Giant wild ryeGiant wild ryeLeymus condensatus ‘Canyon Leymus condensatus ‘Canyon

Prince’Prince’

Photo by Deva Luna at Sierra Azul nursery

Coyote mintCoyote mintMonardella villosaMonardella villosa

Beach evening primrose Beach evening primrose Camissonia cheiranthifoliaCamissonia cheiranthifolia

Deer grassDeer grassMuhlenbergia rigensMuhlenbergia rigens

Sticky monkeyflowerSticky monkeyflowerMimulus aurantiacusMimulus aurantiacus

Beard tongueBeard tonguePenstemon heterophyllus Penstemon heterophyllus

‘Margarita BOP’‘Margarita BOP’

Western sword fernWestern sword fernPolystichum munitumPolystichum munitum

Cleveland’s sageCleveland’s sageSalvia clevelandiiSalvia clevelandii

Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’

California meadow sedgeCalifornia meadow sedge Carex pansaCarex pansa

This native lawn replacement can be walked on, but requires less water and mowing that grass lawns.

SageSageSalvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’

Salvia ‘Gracias’Salvia sonomensis

Please consider some Please consider some of these ideas the next of these ideas the next time you buy plants or time you buy plants or make changes to your make changes to your

landscape!landscape!

Design by Sherri D. Osaka, Landscape Architect

Sustainable Landscape Designs Sustainable-landscape.com, 408-264-

7427

Installation and maintenance by Flora Terra Landscape Management

Floraterra.com, 408-275-1200

Landscape oversight by City of SunnyvaleContact Karen Gissibl at

408.730.7277 for more information.

 Printed on recycled paper