After a tall tree in my garden developed a split, I had it removed last May (with city approval), revealing a large overgrown shrub. This shrub, a western spicebush (Calycanthus occidentalis), has ...

In California, besieged by the twin threats of drought and wildfire, the choice to grow native versus non-native plants is attracting more attention than ever before. What exactly are the merits of ...

Question: My garden has a number of California natives. I’m thinking of adding some new non-native shrubs that do well in our climate. What do you suggest? Answer: In making your selection, we suggest ...

Invasive weeds are non-native plants that infest native habitat. Once introduced, invasive weeds spread, outcompete and eventually eliminate natives. Crabgrass, acacia trees, English ivy and Himalayan ...

In case you didn’t get the memo, California and the rest of the West are deep in drought, with no end in sight, so there’s no better time than now to reshape your landscaping — or balcony-scaping — ...