How did you determine that these were "old CA" plants or of Latin origin? Only maybe half are...........just sayin :-)

Maybe if you were to provide a sense of what you were trying to accomplish, we could come with additions to your list. What do you mean by 'old California'?

Hi... I'm trying to evoke the "feel" of it, sort of northern Mexico, old Hollywood/SD subtropical. There the plants one sees everywhere (in my zone, 10a)--bougainvillea, agave, lantana, etc. But I'm guessing there are people out there w/ more knowledge in this area; maybe plants that are not the stuff you'd see every day? I've tried to research Mexican plants in particular and I just haven't found very much info. Thanks in advance, Holly

Bird of paradise, olive.

Old Hollywood is vastly different from Old California/Mexico. The former is basically an extension of Victorian Conservatory planting except without the need for a conservatory because of our subtropical climate. That was enlivened at the end of Old Hollywood by the creation of Disneyland which employed some of the best collectors and plantspeople in the world. In many ways it was the second coming of the Victorian plant collection culture. The latter was arid and pragmatic Mission landscapes with native plants like Agave and functional imports like figs and olives. So which one do you want?

also, if it's Hollywood which period? Old Hollywood is 30's and 40s but the real planting fun was 50s and 60s.

And we can't forget the Orientalism of the early 20th c.

Hi,

I'd say I'd be interested in knowing what people felt were the "emblematic" plants of either old Hollywood or Old Ca/Mex. I will have a fig tree and agave--so maybe I'm more interested in the latter? I just would like to know what others would put in their gardens if they were doing one of these styles. Thanks! -H

For Mission it would be like gg mentioned plus Olives, figs, Agave americana, Oaks, and Opuntia.

For Old Hollywood it would be glam stuff, anything tropical and showy. So here you would have all your ferns, bamboo, philodendron, palms, cycads, banana, bird of paradise, orchids, bromeliads, figs, citrus, Agave attenuata, Aloes, Aristolachia, Epiphyllums, Epidendrums, tropical looking grass like Setaria palmifolia, fuschia, jasmine, gardenias, begonias, clivia. Basically anything that would make their NY or London friends super jealous when they came out to visit.

Gardengal48--thank you so much for these! I love having some names I can research!! My front yard is planted full of CA natives, so I wanted to go a little different/more Mexican in back... thank you again! :) -Holly

Nil13, thank you! That Old Hollywood plant list is delectable...I'm going to have so much fun looking at those names I don't know :)...thank you for taking the time! -Holly

well the water demands of some of them can be .... not so delectable. But not all, even orchids and bromeliads are far less water hungry than people think. Plus if you have a drought tolerant front yard, you can afford to use more water near the outdoor living space. Check out epiphyte78's posts about well epiphytes. They would definitely fit in. You might also want to look into greywater solutions for thirsty plants in the ground. A 10min shower will produce about 25 gallons of water per person everyday.

That style is about dense lush plantings.

Thanks, Nil13...the SD Zoo has an amazing bromeliad collection; I'm in pretty much the same zone, so I think I could go that way? I intend to eventually stop watering my front yard o' natives altogether (I hope!), so yes... more for the back yard! :) & I think I could get my fiance to help me set up a gray water system..

I'm hoping to somehow get a lush look w/out too much water.... gardeners love to dream, don't they? ;)

Try some plants from the wet-dry rainforest of Mexico. Cereus cacti,Monstera,Philodendron,Golden Barrel Cacti. Flowering Teubulia tree's. Poincettia's. Echeveria's in all shapes and colors.

The Tree daisy plants- fast growers. Bocconia is one of the more attractive. Montenoa ( blooms smell like chocolate some think),Wigandia (big)

Just Google around...plenty of beautys. Mexican flame vine...

stanofh, thank you very much! Tree daisies?! I love hearing about these new plants I've never heard of :)

If you'll consider a South African evergreen shrub how about Carissa macrocarpa. Used a lot in the 50's - 60's in southern CA.

Carissa

There's still a now-huge grape vine in Olvera Street in Los Angeles from the very early days of the pueblo. There used to be vineyards near present-day Union Station.

Do you have room for a grape to climb up a trellis?

My grapes get hammered by Pierce Disease.

I would second Nil's suggestion of citrus as emblematic of an old CA feel. And if I'm thinking about the CA mission landscape I would say that citrus, olive, bougainvillea and agave americana would define that for me. When I think of the traditional CA suburban landscape from the early to mid 20th century I immediately think about camellias.

Iris gal, thank you.... Natal plum, right? I do love it, but not when the plums come out on it...I wish it were just the white flowers ;)

Hi Nancy in Venice...I probably do have room for a grapevine, but I also feel like I'm going a bit crazy w/ the vines...I'll have cup-of-gold vine, a bougainvillea, & also a climbing rose on an arbor--all of which are giving me height & color. I think I like vines and tall things too much! ;)

Hi Kentc, thank you for these suggestions! I have a back-back yard (the back 40, as they say) that is Mediterranean supposedly, & that's where my olives & citrus are--though a meyer lemon in a pot would be a great addition to the part of the yard we're talking about?! Camellias are an interesting idea I hadn't thought of...unfortunately, the only shade I get is from a pergola, and I'm probably going to have to wait for some taller things to come in before a camellia could go in...but I too love them! Thanks again :)

Holly, do you know what type of area you are in eco-system wise? It might be fun to try and replicate what is near you. Me, I'm in SD right about where the coastal sage scrub and chaparral areas meet. I'm starting on a plan to rip out my front yard and replace with plants local to the area. As some mentioned, manzanitas, lemonade berry, toyon or California lilac from the chaparral zone and maybe some California sagebrush from the coastal sage scrub zone. Benefits are that they attract local birds (to include hummingbirds!) and butterflies. A lot of local nurseries carry these. As a bonus, I have a couple of toyons that have sprouted in my back yard. One is too big to transplant, but I'll move the other when I start this project. Jason

Hi Jason! I actually just replaced my front yard with natives like the ones you mentioned from the coastal sage scrub / chaparral communities :). This was just a few weeks ago so they're still pretty small. B/c I'm a gardener who likes Everything, though, I wanted to mix it up a bit for the backyard with a different theme. Ping me again if you'd like to talk natives! :)

Could you post a photo? Please?!? I'm looking for ideas on how to make this work and would like something to show my wife. She's given me the 'yes dear', but I'd like to show her something more concrete.

Holly: Why not take a day trip to the old Mission in San Juan Capistrano ?

The gardens there are probably full of what you're looking for and/or the feel you want to achieve. Take a camera !

Thanks, I'll do that! I like to go to Tree of Life Nursery up there, so that's an easy trip. Thanks very much!

They just reopened the Ortega Hwy a few days ago, after the rains at the end of January resulted in damage and closure. With more storms coming, visitors to Tree of Life Nursery might want to check the nursery's site for possible road closures prior to making the drive attempt.

While you're there, be sure to stop at Plant Depot. My favorite nursery in OC!! They should have a great selection of many of the plant types you are considering.

My gift idea list, for family members that request one, typically begins with Plant Depot gift card. No, I do not mind if you got me one the past x number of years running--your lack of imagination is very much appreciated. :D