Plants for Children’s Environments in Northern California

List of Favorites

There are a number of plants that are great additions to school campuses and should be readily available from a local nursery source. Here is a short list of favorites.

Trees

When selecting and planting a tree, you are providing an asset to a school that will not immediately provide large amounts of shade. However, the tree will provide many benefits and shade within five or more years. There are several factors to consider, including function, water use, climate resiliency, and maintenance. See Shade and Shelter and A Guide to Plants for School Grounds for more.

Water use. In response to our recent drought, a law was developed in California — the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). This law requires that we use primarily low-water-use plant species in landscape areas.

Below is a list of trees — with their water use determined by the key state accepted rating source, the Water Use Classification Landscape Species (WUCOLS). As you select trees you should check with WUCOLS for the water rating in your area. This list is in order of WUCOLS water rating, from very low to high water usage.

Trees and Plants that do well in Pots

For potted plants, it is important to ensure that irrigation or regular watering can be done even while school is not in session. Volunteers can be helpful, but availability can change, therefore, this is an unreliable method for keeping potted plants well watered over time. For short term projects, such as kids planting in pots and taking them home, you can water really well on Fridays to ensure the plant will be successful over the weekend. Most shrubs, perennials, and annuals will do well in planters or large pots. Follow instructions on the supplier plant tag for spacing, soil and nutrient requirements.

Plants for Dividing Spaces and Screening

These are good plants for dividing spaces or screening the street. Plant these in beds, berms, or large containers. These plants are typically found in local nurseries. Larger species are going to need more root growth space, so plan on larger planters, such as concrete boxes, large metal troughs, and other containers that can be placed and not need to be moved. Smaller containers can be set on movable platforms with lockable caster wheels.

• Pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana)

• Western spicebush (Calycanthus occidentalis)

• Clumping bamboo (Bamboo spp.): Plant in a container only.

• Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica)

• Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum)

Screen structures can be used, such as wire mesh frames, with vines. Perennial and evergreen vines such as clematis, jasmine and honeysuckle are great for more permanent locations. Annual vines, such as Scarlet Runner Bean, gourds, passion vine, and lemon cucumber grow very fast and have flowers/fruits/beans to use as part of the curriculum.

Plants and Trees for Habitat and Pollinator Gardens

Whenever possible, select native plants for your area and provide good diversity of plants to promote healthy habitat for a wide range of pollinators. Avoid using chemicals of any kind in or around pollinator gardens. While there are many plants that provide pollinator habitat, the following list represents plants that perform well in schoolyard environments.

This is a collection of mostly perennials and shrubs that will support pollinators on your site. There are many, however, to choose from and this is just a small collection of our favorites. Remember pollinators, particularly butterflies, will visit plants that are in full sun and have a warm rock or two to land on nearby.

Specific Garden Project Ideas

Native And habitat gardens

Use layers of habitat from tall trees such as Oak (Quercus), Alder (Alnus), and Big-leaf maple trees (Acer macrophyllum), to understory trees such as Vine maple (Acer circinatum), and Coast silktassel (Garrya), to shrubs (listed above) and perennials. Use local natives where possible and pair with habitat and ecosystem curriculum.

Stormwater And Rainwater Gardens

Visible stormwater components with plants provide many opportunities for watershed education and ecosystem health. These areas generally are planted with sensitive soils and are more for looking at than exploring. If your site has detention/retention areas or can connect from downspouts you can plant with plants that do not mind having wet feet. These plants include sedges, rushes, red-twig dogwoods, ceanothus, and many other plants. You can refer to your County’s C-3 stormwater plant list if you live in one of the nine SF Bay Area Counties.

Key Issues to Keep in Mind

Plants are living organisms that come with assets, liabilities, and maintenance requirements. There are hundreds of species of plants to choose from for our region. Below are key issues to keep in mind while selecting plants for your living schoolyard.

Note the various climate zones in the Northern California region. This list is generalized for considering Sunset Zones 1A to 17 and USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5A to 10B.

Irrigation. Plants in our region need some summer irrigation unless they are established California natives (in ground for at least two full dry seasons — summer/fall) and if our state is not in a drought. Consider how far the plants are from the water source and how watering could happen for the summer months when school is often out of session.

Review plants for toxicity. Many plants have toxic parts, from leaves to seeds. The California Poison Control System (CPSC) maintains a list of toxic and non-toxic plants with a toxic rating from mild itchiness to severe sickness for each plant. These ratings are based on amount of consumption and the plant qualities. The information on this list is a compilation of consumption by animals and humans. In general plants considered poisonous to humans are likely to be poisonous to animals who may eat larger amounts than humans and thus become sicker. A plant that has high play and educational value may be on the poisonous list. If you are interested in planting this particular species you could contact the CPSC to enquire more about the plant and find out if the plant poses a risk to humans. When planting around young children, please note that plants are the major cause of poisoning for children under the age of six.

Bee safety. The Edible Schoolyard at King Middle School in Berkeley has a curriculum and safety steps in place to teach their students about the wonder and importance of bees. 

Resources

Bay Area Planting Calendar
— SF Bay Gardening

California Native Plants List
— Calscape, California Native Plant Society

California Poison Control System Plant List
— California Poison Control System

Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
— California Department of Water Resources, 2015, updated 2020

Monthly Vegetable Gardening Tips
— UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County

Plants for Living Schoolyards SF Bay Area, Trees of Oakland, and StopWaste
— BAY TREE DESIGN

Resource Library
— The Edible Schoolyard
Free lesson plans and materials from a Berkeley-based organization

Water Use Classification of Landscape Species
— University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Credits

This list was compiled and curated by Lisa Howard, RLA, ASLA, CPSI, Bay-Friendly Landscape Professional, BAY TREE DESIGN, Berkeley, California.

It was reviewed by Ellen Xie, CFA, ASLA, BAY TREE DESIGN, Berkeley, California.

National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative supports schools and districts around the country in their efforts to reopen safely and equitably using outdoor spaces as strategic, cost-effective solutions to increase physical distancing capacity onsite and provide access to abundant fresh air. The Initiative seeks to equitably improve learning, mental and physical health, and happiness for children and adults using an affordable, time-tested outdoor approach to keeping schools open during a pandemic.