Landscape Waste Prevention

North Natomas Landscape Plant Guidelines

The California Integrated Waste Management Board and the City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities implemented the North Natomas Landscape Management Outreach Program in 2001-2004 that encouraged homeowners to use sustainable landscaping and home maintenance practices to protect water quality in the rapidly-growing North Natomas area. The North Natomas Landscape Plant Guidelines (Adobe PDF, 6.3 MB) were developed as part of this program to reduce green waste and conserve water by reducing the over planting of trees, shrubs, and groundcovers in new developments.

The guidelines include a palette of plants that are well-adapted to the climate and soil conditions in North Natomas. The guidelines were developed by a landscape architect (Strayer Associates) in consultation with representatives from local nurseries, landscape contractors, Sacramento Tree Foundation, and the City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities, Tree Services Division. The plants were selected on how well they would perform based on the following criteria:

• Watering requirement
• Average height at maturity
• Average spread at maturity
• Growth rate
• Minimum spacing requirements for specific uses
• Rating
• Identify if native plant
• Use as street shade tree
• Planter size
• Color
• Flowers
• Deciduous or evergreen

The landscape professionals that participated in developing the guidelines attempted to balance the above criteria in order to select appropriate locations and uses for each plant. The City of Sacramento's Parking Lot Tree Shading Design and Maintenance Guidelines, Tree Services Section Tree Planting Guide, and Water Conserving Landscape Requirements Ordinance were also incorporated into the guidelines. Plant height and width at maturity were determined by averaging estimates from several landscape publications. The guidelines are intended to allow flexibility of plant selection within the plant palette framework.

Developing Local Plant Guidelines for Your Area

The North Natomas Landscape Plant Guidelines can serve as a model for communities that are in interested working with the developers and builders on the "front end" to reduce green waste and conserve water in new developments. Local ordinances, plans and policies should be reviewed and incorporated into the plan. These could include Parking Lot Tree Shading Design and Maintenance Guidelines, Tree Planting Guides, and Water Conserving Landscape Requirements Ordinances.

The local Planning Department or other appropriate agency should assemble a task force to develop plant guidelines. Local nurseries, landscape contractors, arborists, landscape architects, Master Gardeners, U.C. Cooperative Extension, environmental organizations, home builders, developers, and other stakeholders should be invited to participate. The task force will determine which types of plants would perform well in the local environment based on factors such as climate, soils, growing season, plant availability, general irrigation and fertilization practices, etc.

Developing a plant list is a complex process, as there are numerous and sometimes contradicting factors that must be considered. Plant width and height at maturity are difficult to estimate, as local conditions can influence growth patterns. A coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) may grow to a height of several hundred feet on the north coast but may not grow nearly as tall or fast in the hot Central Valley. Irrigation and fertilization greatly influence plant growth, but it is difficult to determine the amount of water and fertilizer that will be applied to a plant by the "average" person. Competing environmental goals are another concern, as the types of plants and trees selected to reduce green waste could increase air pollution, reduce the effectiveness of stormwater quality control measures, or conflict with local water conservation and parking lot shade ordinances. It is crucial to engage as many stakeholders as possible in the process to ensure that the plant guidelines will be accepted in the community.

Last updated: October 24, 2007