West Hollywood’s commercial landscaping benefits from a variety of plant types that thrive in its Mediterranean climate. Through this guide, View Scape Design helps to explore the right plants for creating an attractive and sustainable landscape. Drought-tolerant species are particularly favored, given the region’s dry summers. Native plants, such as California poppies and sages, not only require less water but also support local wildlife. Ornamental grasses, succulents, and evergreen shrubs add texture and year-round interest, while vibrant flowering plants like bougainvillea provide striking color. By choosing resilient and low-maintenance plants, businesses can create inviting outdoor spaces that are both visually appealing and environmentally responsible.
Drought-Tolerant Plants
Succulents are a staple in drought-tolerant landscaping due to their ability to store water in their thick, fleshy leaves, stems, or roots. In West Hollywood, succulents like agave, aloe, and echeveria are particularly popular. Agave plants are known for their dramatic, spiky leaves that can add a striking architectural element to any landscape. Aloe, beyond its medicinal uses, offers rosettes of fleshy, serrated leaves that are often adorned with spikes of tubular flowers in bright reds and oranges. These succulents require minimal watering and thrive in the hot, dry conditions typical of West Hollywood’s summer months.
Lavender is another excellent drought-tolerant plant that not only survives but thrives in the West Hollywood climate. This plant is known for its aromatic properties and striking purple flowers, which bloom abundantly from late spring through summer. Lavender’s silvery-green foliage and tall flower spikes add both color and texture to gardens and landscapes. It’s also a versatile plant, used in everything from borders to hedges to container gardens. Lavender attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, making it a great choice for eco-friendly landscaping that supports local wildlife.
California Natives
California poppy, the state flower, is a perfect fit for commercial landscapes looking to add a touch of local flair. This vibrant orange flower is not only beautiful but also incredibly resilient, thriving in poor soil conditions and requiring very little water. California poppies can cover large areas quickly, providing a bright, cheerful ground cover that blooms profusely in spring and early summer. Their low maintenance needs make them ideal for commercial settings, where resources for landscaping care may be limited.
Manzanita is another native plant that excels in the West Hollywood climate. Known for its smooth, reddish-brown bark and small, bell-shaped flowers, manzanita adds an interesting visual element to landscapes. It’s an evergreen shrub, meaning it provides year-round foliage, which can range in color from light green to deep mahogany. Manzanita is particularly valued for its drought resistance and low maintenance requirements, making it a practical choice for commercial properties.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are increasingly popular in West Hollywood’s commercial landscapes due to their aesthetic appeal and low maintenance needs. Blue fescue is a compact, clump-forming grass with striking blue-gray foliage that adds a cool color contrast to gardens. Its fine texture and rounded form make it an excellent choice for edging, mass planting, or as an accent in mixed borders. Blue fescue is drought-tolerant and requires little care once established, making it ideal for commercial spaces where ease of maintenance is crucial.
Muhlenbergia, commonly known as muhly grass, is another attractive option. This grass is known for its airy, cloud-like flower plumes that appear in late summer to fall, ranging in color from pink to purple. The fine-textured, arching leaves of muhly grass add movement and softness to landscapes, making them visually dynamic. Its ornamental qualities and low water requirements make it a popular choice for commercial landscaping projects.
Shrubs and Trees
Olive trees are a classic choice for Mediterranean-inspired landscapes, which are common in West Hollywood. These trees are not only drought-tolerant but also have a timeless appeal with their silver-gray foliage and gnarled trunks. Olive trees can be used as standalone specimens or as part of a formal planting design. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, olive trees are low maintenance and can thrive in poor soil conditions, which makes them suitable for commercial landscapes where irrigation and soil improvement may be limited.
Bougainvillea is a popular flowering vine that brings vibrant color to West Hollywood landscapes. Known for its profuse blooms in shades of magenta, purple, red, and orange, bougainvillea is often used to cover walls, fences, and trellises. This hardy plant is drought-tolerant and thrives in the hot, sunny conditions typical of the region. Bougainvillea can be pruned into various shapes, including as a ground cover or shrub, offering flexibility in landscape design. Its long blooming season and low water needs make it a practical and visually stunning addition to commercial properties.
Flowering Plants
Bird of Paradise is one of the most iconic plants used in landscaping for its striking and exotic appearance. The plant gets its name from its flowers, which resemble a bird in flight with vibrant orange and blue petals. Bird of Paradise plants are well-suited to West Hollywood’s climate, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil. They add a tropical flair to any landscape and are often used as focal points or in mass plantings for dramatic effect. In addition to their beauty, these plants are relatively low maintenance and drought-tolerant, making them a great choice for commercial properties.
Gazania is another flowering plant that is perfect for adding bright, cheerful colors to a landscape. Known for its daisy-like flowers in shades of yellow, orange, pink, and red, gazania is a hardy plant that can tolerate poor soil and dry conditions. It blooms abundantly from spring through fall, providing a long-lasting display of color. Gazania is often used as ground cover or in rock gardens, where it can spread and form a colorful carpet. Its low water requirements and resilience make it an ideal choice for commercial landscapes aiming to conserve water while maintaining vibrant visuals.
Ground Covers
Ice plant is a versatile and low-maintenance ground cover ideal for commercial landscaping in West Hollywood. Known for its vibrant, daisy-like flowers that bloom in an array of colors, including pink, purple, yellow, and white, the ice plant provides a striking visual appeal. The plant’s fleshy, succulent leaves are adapted to store water, making it extremely drought-tolerant and suitable for the arid climate of West Hollywood. Ice plant is particularly useful for covering large areas quickly and effectively, making it an excellent choice for slopes, embankments, or areas where soil erosion is a concern. Its ability to thrive in poor, sandy soils and its low water requirements mean it requires minimal maintenance, which is a significant advantage for commercial properties.
Lantana is another robust ground cover option that offers both beauty and resilience. This plant is characterized by its clusters of small, brightly colored flowers that change hues as they age, creating a stunning multicolored effect. Lantana is well-suited to the warm climate of West Hollywood, thriving in full sun and well-drained soils. It is highly drought-tolerant once established and can endure periods of neglect, making it ideal for low-maintenance landscaping.
Trees
Olive trees are a classic choice for Mediterranean-style landscapes, which are popular in West Hollywood. These trees are not only aesthetically pleasing with their silvery-green leaves and gnarled trunks but also incredibly hardy. Olive trees are highly drought-tolerant and can thrive in poor, rocky soils, making them well-suited to the arid conditions of the region. In a commercial setting, olive trees can serve multiple purposes: they provide shade, create a sense of permanence and stability, and require minimal maintenance once established. Additionally, olive trees are long-lived and can become a defining feature of a landscape over time. Their resistance to pests and diseases further reduces maintenance efforts and costs.
The California pepper tree is another excellent option for commercial landscaping, offering both beauty and practicality. This evergreen tree is known for its graceful, weeping branches and fine, feathery foliage. The California pepper tree produces clusters of small, red, berry-like fruits that add seasonal interest and attract birds. Its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in a variety of soil types make it a reliable choice for West Hollywood’s climate. The tree’s dense canopy provides ample shade, making outdoor areas more comfortable for visitors and employees. Additionally, the California pepper tree is relatively low-maintenance, requiring only occasional pruning to maintain its shape and health.
Shrubs
Bougainvillea is a popular choice for adding vibrant color and lush foliage to commercial landscapes in West Hollywood. This fast-growing vine is renowned for its spectacular display of bracts, which come in a range of colors, including magenta, red, orange, pink, and purple. Bougainvillea is highly versatile and can be trained to grow on trellises, fences, walls, or as a ground cover. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, requiring minimal water once established. This makes it an excellent choice for the water-conscious landscaping practices common in Southern California.
The manzanita shrub is another valuable addition to West Hollywood’s commercial landscapes. This evergreen shrub is native to California and is well-adapted to the local climate, thriving in dry, rocky soils. Manzanita is known for its striking red or mahogany-colored bark, which peels to reveal smooth, polished surfaces beneath. The shrub produces clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers in white or pink, which are followed by berries that attract birds. Manzanita’s unique, twisting branches and glossy green leaves add year-round interest to the landscape. Its drought tolerance and low maintenance requirements make it a practical choice for commercial properties looking to reduce water usage and upkeep.
Flowering Plants
Bird of Paradise is one of the most striking flowering plants available for commercial landscaping in West Hollywood. Named for its bird-like flowers, this plant features large, banana-like leaves and stunning flowers that resemble the plumage of a tropical bird. The flowers are typically a vibrant mix of orange and blue, making them a focal point in any landscape design. Bird of Paradise thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it well-suited to the climate of West Hollywood. It’s a relatively low-maintenance plant that can withstand periods of drought, making it ideal for commercial properties where consistent watering may not be possible.
Gazania is another excellent choice for adding bright, cheerful colors to commercial landscapes. This hardy, low-growing perennial is known for its daisy-like flowers that come in a wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, pink, and red. Gazania is often used as a ground cover or in rock gardens, where it can spread and form a colorful carpet. Its low water requirements and resilience make it an ideal choice for commercial landscapes aiming to conserve water while maintaining vibrant visuals.
Trees and Large Shrubs
The Mediterranean fan palm is an excellent choice for commercial landscapes in West Hollywood. This versatile palm can be grown as a multi-trunked clump or trained as a single-trunk specimen. It is known for its fan-shaped leaves, which add a tropical feel to the landscape. The Mediterranean fan palm is highly drought-tolerant and can withstand cold temperatures, making it a durable choice for a variety of climates.
The Palo Verde tree is another excellent choice for drought-tolerant landscaping. This tree is known for its green bark, which photosynthesizes even when the tree has shed its leaves, making it highly efficient in arid conditions. The Palo Verde produces a stunning display of yellow flowers in the spring, which can add a burst of color to commercial landscapes. It is highly drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun, requiring little water once established. Its open canopy provides filtered shade, making it a great choice for areas where full shade is not desired.
Perennials and Ground Covers
The Woolly Thyme is a versatile and low-growing perennial that is perfect for commercial landscapes. This plant forms a dense mat of woolly, gray-green leaves and produces small, pink flowers in the summer. Woolly thyme is highly drought-tolerant and can thrive in poor soils, making it ideal for challenging landscapes. It is often used as a ground cover or between stepping stones, where its aromatic foliage can release a pleasant scent when stepped on. Woolly thyme requires little maintenance and is resistant to pests and diseases, making it a practical choice for commercial properties.
Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is another excellent ground cover option. This succulent plant is known for its thick, fleshy leaves and star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer and fall. Sedum is highly drought-tolerant and can thrive in full sun and poor soils, making it ideal for West Hollywood’s climate. It is often used in rock gardens, green roofs, or as ground cover. Sedum’s low water requirements and ability to spread quickly make it an excellent choice for commercial properties looking to reduce water usage and maintenance costs. Its variety of colors and textures adds visual interest to any landscape design.
Accent Plants
Agave is a striking accent plant that is perfect for commercial landscapes. Known for its rosette of large, spiky leaves, agave adds a bold architectural element to the landscape. It is highly drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun and well-drained soils. Agave plants are low-maintenance, requiring little more than occasional removal of dead leaves. They also produce dramatic flower spikes, which can reach several feet in height, adding vertical interest to the landscape. Agave’s bold form and low water requirements make it an ideal choice for commercial properties.
The Kangaroo Paw is another excellent accent plant. This Australian native is known for its unique, claw-like flowers that come in a range of colors, including red, yellow, and orange. The Kangaroo Paw is highly drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun, making it ideal for West Hollywood’s climate. The plant’s long, slender leaves add a fine texture to the landscape, contrasting with larger, bolder plants. Kangaroo Paw’s low maintenance requirements and striking appearance make it a practical and visually appealing choice for commercial properties.
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing the right plants for commercial landscaping in West Hollywood involves considering the climate, water needs, and aesthetic appeal. By focusing on drought-tolerant and native species, businesses can create beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes that thrive in the local environment. This approach not only enhances the visual appeal of commercial properties but also promotes sustainability and supports the local ecosystem. With the right selection of plants, businesses can create inviting and attractive outdoor spaces that leave a lasting impression on visitors and customers.