Colorful flowers are blooming on trees and shrubs, the weather is slowly warming up, and the intoxicating aromas of citrus blossoms are starting to fill the air. Yes, you guessed it spring is here which marks one of the best times to plant everything. Preparation and better care now will ensure a healthy and full landscape throughout and spring. Our nursery pros have compiled a few tips and tasks for your landscape this month.
To Do List:
What To Plant:
Instant shade, privacy, and curb appeal is what makes the Ficus our #1 selling tree. These evergreen trees perform well in any landscape. They create a very dense canopy of thick, rounded green leaves all year that create a very thick shade that can keep your cooling costs down in the summer. They handle the heat very well and can be pruned to any shape. When it comes to clean-up and maintenance, you can go ahead and put your rake away, because Ficus are just about the cleanest tree you’ll ever purchase. We offer three different variations of Ficus: Single-trunk, multi-trunk, and column, which are a great choice as a barrier for blocking sun, noise, wind, and those pesky neighbors.
The Evergreen Elm, sometimes called the Chinese Elm, performs very well in the toughest soil, needing fewer nutrients to thrive then other Elm varieties. The Evergreen Elm will almost always escape winters without losing leaves, but occasionally have brief deciduous periods. Evergreen Elms prosper in the poorest environments and soils, which is why there are so many of them still standing around the country. Ideal for the Western United States' tough growing climate, you can plant an Evergreen Elm just about anywhere and you can rest assured you have a tough and tolerant shade tree that will be with you for years.
Looking to create a massive canopy of shade? Look no further than the Tipu tree. This semi-evergreen has become a popular choice for its rapid growth and eye-catching apricot yellow flowers during the summer. Tipu Trees require modest amounts of water for optimal performance, so they react well to droughts and landscapes desiring less water usage. Landscapers find many uses for the Tipu not just because they’re fast growers, but also for their golden blooms during the spring. In just a few years, the Tipu can reach heights of 25 feet quickly creating massive canopies of shade for your home, patio, home playground, or to protect the other plants in your yard from the summer sun.
The Sissoo tree is one of the fastest growing trees on this list and is extremely well adapted to the warm climate of the Western United States. Native to the hotter areas of India, the Sissoo tree looks like a classic shade tree and is very durable. The Sissoo has quickly become an area favorite for landscapers and homeowners because of their extremely fast growth rate and huge amounts of shade. Take advantage of the Sissoo’s favorite time of year by planting now and fertilizing to allow the Sissoo to become the feature piece of your yard!
Our climate is ideal for planting fruit and citrus trees and some of the best and easiest to grow are orange, lemon, grapefruit, peach, nectarine, and apple. All of the citrus and fruit trees we sell have been adapted to our climate. There are a lot of benefits to growing your own homegrown food. The fruit and citrus taste better, no pesticides, scented citrus blossoms, shade, and you don’t have to leave your house for fruit or citrus.
Queen palms are the height of tropical beauty and appeal in just about any landscape. Moon Valley Nurseries’ Piru Queen Palm variety is custom grown to be the benchmark for both durability and appearance for tougher growing climates. Grown from specific Argentine seedlings with superior genetic traits, Piru Queen Palms feature wider trunks, thicker crowns, and greener fronds then other queen palms. Our Piru Queen Palms are exposed to hot summers, cold winters, and dry climates to promote drought tolerance and water retention. The result of these growing conditions produces a palm that is better conditioned to extreme weather cycles, frost periods, and drought situations.
Compact size with an ability to thrive in the hot summer months and survive the cool winters has made the Mediterranean Fan Palm a popular choice for an outdoor oasis. Commonly used as a stand-alone focal point around pools, the Mediterranean Fan Palm sprouts multiple trunks and is slow growing. Aside from their wonderful looks, Mediterranean Fan Palms are some of the more durable palm trees grown in the Western United States. They thrive in hot locations and require minimal amounts of water compared to most palm trees. They’re also able to survive the typical frost season with little or no freeze damage.
A classic resort style palm tree, the Mexican Fan Palm features a single trunk and is desired for its ease of growth. It can handle cold weather and thrives in the sun. Our cigar-cut Mexican Fan Palms give a smooth texture around the trunk that highlights the deep green and unique colors of this palm tree. Mexican Fan Palms are a stately addition to any landscape, and mix well with both large and pygmy sized palm trees. We carry all sizes from the small starter palms to the giant, instant resort palms for any desired landscape appearance.
The ultimate palm for your pool, the Date Palm are usually found at most resorts and shopping centers. Around pools the Date Palm provides excellent shade due to its wide fronds and it has practically no litter. The Date Palm looks great when planted in clusters of 3 to 5 palms and is hardy to cold, heat and drought tolerant. While usually tough to find because of the time and care needed to grow such majestic specimens from seedlings…Moon Valley Nursery has the quantity and quality to fill any sized order.
This statuesque palm features many trunks of varying height or it can be grown with just a single trunk. Great for small spaces and accent locations near your pool, the Pygmy Date Palm is a slow grower and adapts well to sun and shade. Moon Valley Nurseries Pygmy Date Palms have been custom grown at our farms to ensure that the palm generates thicker trunks, fuller crowns, and more robust roots.