Griselinia littoralis - Griselinia

Griselinia is a fast growing evergreen tree or shrub originating from New Zealand and is commonly seen as a hedge. Growing to 40-50' in its native habitat it likely will stay much shorter in cultivation. I don't think I have seen one outside of a botanic garden over 15 feet. They do make a great thick screen and can be pruned formally and hedged. Prefers coastal conditions.

Leaves are alternately arranged, simple, broadly elliptical to rounded, 4" long, thick, and light shiny green. Margins can be somewhat undulated.

There are several variegated cultivars.

Plants are dioecious, flowers are borne in the axils of the leaves in short panicles bearing 50 or more flowers. San Marcos Growers suggests that there is only one clone being grown in commerce and its a male.

Stems are an olive green color developing into a brownish bark with age.

Misidentification:

I don't know, the leaves look somewhat like Peperomias

Location:

Santa Cruz

1320 Mission St

Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea' - Purple Hopseed

The purple hopseed is a rapidly growing small tree or more likely a large shrub, but we can include it here anyway. Growing to 15', individual plants will form an upright oval shape. More often than not we seem them as a hedge or screen.

Leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, oblong to oblanceolate,  4" by about 3/4" wide and depending on the sun exposure and cooling temperatures they can be purple to greenish bronze. Generally held vertical on the stems.

Small green flowers in the spring, in clusters, hard to spot. Separate male and females on the same plant (monoecious). Can't say I have ever seen them or even looked for them.


Fruit is a 2-3 winged capsule, reddish to brown when mature. Resembles an elm fruit. But must look like a hop plant, unless you have actually seen a hop plant.

A fresh capsule, still red and showing the 3 lobes.

Bark is fibrous, peeling with age. Trunk never really gets that big in diameter.

Misidentification?
Not sure.

Location:
Everywhere, sorry but its the truth.