Has anyone grown desert willow in California?

[Ecumenist]

Northern California to be exact. I just found out what I'm going to have to do to repair a graded out streambed that some idiot who laughingly calls himself a contractor. Let's just say that it involves the placement of VERY expensive stone gabbions, not only in the actual stream bed BUT we have to continue the same into and all along the ditch, which is quite a substantial ditch, trust me. The more important this is that once these gabbions are in place, we're going to have to plant along the "shoulders" of said stream to help stabilise the soil.

Which brings me to my point at hand: I want to plant material that is drought resistant, has beautiful foliage and blooms as well as LOVES the sun. So, this brings me to my question about the desert willow AND western redbud as well as ceanothus species. I will also plant native annuals and perennials.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Oy. Still dealing with that repair, eh?

I have no experience with desert willow but on the redbuds and ceanothus, be very careful to buy varieties best suited for your microclimate. I learned the hard way that it's better to spend a buck at a local nursery where they only stock the best cultivars for the local area, especially with the ceanothus. Some that grow beautifully in other hot dry summer/wet winter climates don't do well at all for me.

Some cytisus and cotoneaster varieties are fairly drought tolerant and form attractive small shrubs with flowers.

[Ecumenist]

2. Oh yeah....The first portion of the bill to even get started BEFORE the anything

is even dug is 11000.00!!! 7500 is JUST FOR THE PERMITS to get started and what we would have had to obtain IF WE WOULD HAVE PURPOSELY DESTROYED THE STREAMBED. I've already looked up the cultivars that would work best in southwestern Tehama county, so I'm alright with that. What we're bound and determined to do is try to plant, as much as it's possible, natives, whether regional or local. I already consulted with a native plant restorationist at Chico State and she's signed on to help me make the right choices for the parcel. I'm just so pissed Gormy, to have to pay what looks like will probably add up somewhere between 40 and 60, 000.00!! I swear, I'm going to get that idiot to pay up if I have to sell his kids into indentured Servitude.

I know that Desert Williow has a native range in Southern and the Eastern regions of California. It looks like the climes in the northern Sacramento Valley can support it's growth. I just adore that tree and hope that I can grow it in that area.

[XemaSab]

3. I know a guy who grows desert willow in Redding

and it's doing great. :)

[Ecumenist]

4. Wow, great!! Redding is about 52 miles north-northeast of my property...

Thank you so very much. MUCH colder and so much more hot in the summer, drier too. So, it should do well where I want to put them. Thank you Xemasab, I really appreciate your help! :hi: