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shrubs for winter & spring coursework

As with trees, shrubs for winter & spring highlight notable seasonal features such as highly textured our colorful bark, rich vegetation, and seasonal blooms.  This does not mean that many of the species listed here are unremarkable during summer and autumn seasons. Instead, they may provide additional benefits in more than one or two seasons.  Their categorization by season is intended to be helpful to students to remember their unique qualities. 

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Shrubs, like trees, are woody plants.  They typically last for years, although there are exceptions when, for example, shrubs from mild or tropical climates are planted in areas subject to freeze.  In these areas, regional designers, gardeners, horticulturalists, and even nurseries, might categorize such shrubs as perennials, because they may experience dieback of foliage, from the tips to all the way to the ground.  They may regrow in the spring, or they could completely die if winter conditions were severe.  For California landscape designers, it is critical to reference their cold hardiness and micro climate zones to verify species performance in a given area.  When researching plant hardiness, make sure you cross reference with California-based sources for survivability in your area.

The following list is fluid, meaning it will change as new information is made available, including new species and status on campus.  We welcome any updates, corrections, or comments to continue to make this page useful to students at West Valley College.

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If a scientific name is linked, please feel free to find additional information via this website.

scientific name

Acacia redolens

Arctostaphylos manzanita 'Dr. Hurd'

Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn'

Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet'

Artemisia californica

Artemisia 'Powis Castle'

Azara microphylla

Baccharis pilularis

Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Point'

Banksia spinulosa

Berberis aquifolium (formerly Mahonia aquifolium)

Berberis darwinii

Brunfelsia pauciflora 'Floribunda'

Buxus sempervirens

Buxus sempervirens 'Graham Blandy'

Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'

Callistemon viminalis 'Little John'

Camellia sasanqua 'Showa-No-Sakae'

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

Ceanothus 'Dark Star'

Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis

Chaenomeles speciosa

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Nidiformis'

Choisya ternata

Coleonema pulchellum

Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold'

Coprosma repens

Coprosma x kirkii 'Variegata'

Cornus sericea (formerly C. stolonifera)

Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'

Correa pulchella

Corylus avellana 'Contorta'

Cotoneaster dammeri 'Lowfast'

Cotoneaster lacteus

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Cytisus x praecox

Daphne odorata

Dendromecon rigida

Deutzia gracilis

Echium candicans

Elaeagnus angustifolia

Erica carnea

Euonymus fortunei (spreading, low-growing form)

Euonymus japonicus

Euryops pectinatus 'Viridis'

Forsythia x intermedia

Fremontodendron californicum

Garrya elliptica

Gaultheria shallon

Genista lydia

Grevillea 'Noelii'

Grevillea rosmarinifolia

Hamamelis x intermedia

Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

Juniperus chinensis

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'

Kerria japonica

Lavandula multifida

Loropetalum chinense

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Razzleberri'

Mahonia repens

Melaleuca incana

Myrica californica

Myrsine africana

Osmanthus fragrans

Osmanthus heterophyllus

Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile'

Philadelphus lewisii

Photinia x fraseri

Physocarpus capitatus

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo'

Pieris japonica 'Cavatine'

Pittosporum crassifolium

Pittosporum tobira

Prunus x cistena

Prunus laurocerasus

Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis'

Pyracantha koidzumii 'Santa Cruz'

Rhamnus alaternus

Rhaphiolepis indica

Rhododendron 'Anah Kruschke'

Rhododendron 'California Sunset' (AKA Azalea: Belgian Indica hybrid)

Rhododendron 'Formosa' (AKA Azalea: Southern Indica hybrid)

Rhododendron occidentale

Rhus integrifolia

Ribes sanguineum

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum

Ribes speciosum

Ribes viburnifolium

Rosa glauca

Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosmarinus officinalis prostratus

Sambucus nigra 'Laciniata'

Sarcococca ruscifolia

Spiraea x vanhouttei

Symphoricarpos albus

Syringa x persica

Syringa vulgaris

Thuja occidentalis 'Sunkist'

Vaccinium ovatum

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii'

Viburnum rhytidophyllum

Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet'

Weigela 'Variegata'

Westringia fruiticosa

common name

prostrate acacia

Dr. Hurd manzanita

Howard McMinn manzanita

 

carpet manzanita

California sagebrush

wormwood

boxleaf azara

coyote brush

Pigeon Point dwarf coyote brush

hairpin banksia

Oregon grape

 

Darwin barberry

yesterday, today-and-tomorrow

common boxwood

Graham Blandy boxwood

true dwarf boxwood

dwarf bottlebrush

Showa-No-Sakae camellia

Yuletide camellia

Dark Star California wild lilac

Carmel creeper

flowering quince

dwarf Port Orford cedar

Mexican orange

pink breath of heaven

Sunset Gold breath of heaven

mirror plant

dwarf variegated mirror plan

red twig dogwood

yellow twig dogwood

Australian fuchsia

Henry Lauder's walking stick

Lowfast cotoneaster

Parney cotoneaster

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Warminster broom

daphne

bush poppy

slender deutzia

pride of Madeira

Russian olive

heath

winter creeper

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evergreen euonymus

shrub daisy

border forsythia

flannel bush

coast silktassel

salal

Lydia broom

Noellii grevillea

rosemary grevillea

witch hazel

yaupon

juniper

blue carpet juniper

Japanese kerria

fernleaf lavender

Chinese fringe flower

Razzleberri fringe flower

 

creeping Oregon grape

gray honey myrtle

Pacific wax myrtle

African boxwood

sweet olive

holly-leaf osmanthus

Belle Etoile mock orange

wild mock orange

Fraser photinia

Pacific ninebark

Diabolo ninebark

lily of the valley

karo

tobira

purple-leaf sand cherry

English laruel

Schipkaensis English laurel

Santa Cruz firethorn

Italian buckthorn

hawthorn

Anah Kruschke rhododendron

California sunset azalea

 

Formosa azalea

 

western azalea

lemonade berry

red flowering current

pink flowering current

fuchsia flowerig gooseberry

Catalina perfume

redleaf rose

rosemary

prostrate rosemary

fern-leaved elderberry

sweet box

bridal wreath

snowberry

Persion lilac

common lilac

Sunkist American arborvitae

evergreen huckleberry

Japanese snowball

 

leatherleaf viburnum

Spring Bouquet laurustinus

variegated weigela

coast rosemary

campus location

 

Cilker: East

Cilker: South, West

 

 

 

 

 

Cilker: Native Plant Garden

Cilker: East; Student Services

 

 

 

 

 

Community Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Campbell Community Center

Fruitvale Avenue median

 

 

Science and Math

 

 

 

 

Campbell Community Center; Baseball Bleachers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parking Lot 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science and Math

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Campbell Community Center

 

 

 

 

 

Campbell Community Center

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Career Way at West College Circle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Library

 

 

 

 

 

Parking Lot 5 

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Batting Range

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