Landscape Maintenance Failures... The Awful Commercial Landscapes Thread..

[Silas_Sancona]

We know them, and get that nauseous feeling when we see them ...Landscapes gone bad..

Over pruned, badly laid out/ maintained ...just plain UGLY ..and in need of a complete overhaul / new "Care takers"  ( ..Who actually know plants, haha )

So lets see em'  Cuz' we know they're everywhere...

Let's start with this disaster, lol..  In the desert, where you want tree cover, even a little.. lets forget that and  "Lion Tail" decent sized Olive Trees ( Labeled "OL" ) instead  ...and turn them into green cylinders which serve absolutely no purpose.. 😬🤦‍♂️  Doing the same w/ the Baja Fairyduster ( Labeled "EC" is bad enough  )    Rip out and start over..




Think this is bad? ..just wait, lol.. Came across something that should make those of us who admire plants like Agave, Yucca, and Dasylirion cringe ( ...and feel extra nauseous, haha ) ..All i could say as i passed that disaster was ..WHY?🤦‍♂️

[Silas_Sancona]

That other atrocity i mentioned before..  Why landscape people do this to Dasylirion here, i'll never know..  Dumbest idea regarding maintaining them..










I guess the standard fare landscape dudes are bored lately.. Running to the store a couple hours later, appears things got worse after t got this shot.. Oof..

[Silas_Sancona]

It's Springtime, Green Cloud TX Sage lookin' good...   ...Flowerin' all nicee and providing a pleasant-to-look upon screen between the Medical Offices across the street and... Well, the street ..And all of us across the street..

...So why not hack 'em up, ..to nubs,  ...right before the heat sets in.. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Screw flowers for pollinators, and pleasant views mann. Gotta make them' bushes look as ugly as possible, Whoo hoo!

OOF! 😬🤦🏽‍♂️🙃

Nice



Not so nice   ...Where'd the plant(s) go?







Here comes "Hanabal Hacktor"







...Not even trimmed consistently..



 

[Tom in Tucson]

I can't help but describe one of my pet peeves. Even after or during a 'red flag warning', the "gardeners" paid by my HOA, feel they must rev up their gas powered leaf blowers, pollute the air with 2 cycle exhaust, kick up more dust even though the health department has issued an unsafe air quality health advisory, and try in vain to make any sort of leaf pile. In spite of the fact that the nearly gale force winds have blown them into other neighborhoods.

This venting has relieved my infuriation, for the time being.

Hi 86˚, Lo 52˚

 

[Xerarch]

My "favorite" they do to the dasylirion and hesperaloe is when they shear them into round shapes with power shears, um, these already of a desirable shape that they don't outgrow.  Forcing a ball out of a plant that already has a round shape looks soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad.

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, Xerarch said:

My "favorite" they do to the dasylirion and hesperaloe is when they shear them into round shapes with power shears, um, these already of a desirable shape that they don't outgrow.  Forcing a ball out of a plant that already has a round shape looks soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad.

It all looks horrendous but yea, lol.. Have done more than a few double takes when i see Hesperaloe butchered like this..

[Merlyn]

I always like seeing large fields of native Zamia (Coontie, Integrifolia, Floridana, whatever it's called this week) that they plant along my bike path.  They put them in the little medians near big intersections, around parking lots, it's one of the favorite plantings for zero maintenance and consistent greenery.  AND....then they come by every spring with a brush hog and hack them down to nubs, cutting off the growing point heads on any unfortunate enough to grow more than 2 inches above ground level.  There's no reason to cut these back, ever.  If they left them alone then maybe in 100 years they'd grow to 2-3 feet tall...

[Darold Petty]

Let's acknowledge that these atrocities are committed by low wage employees with no horticultural training, "mow and blow".  Their employers really don't care either, and only focus on obtaining the contract.

  Recently here in SF  the street median planting of Phoenix canariensis along upper Market street was "pruned" by cutting off the distal half of the fronds, rather than removing the older lower fronds.  Imagine this palm as a giant lollipop.     

(sorry, but no image)    

[Merlyn]

@Darold PettyI imagine the Canariensis looking like a giant version of this bizarre haircut...the person in question was confused as to why it wasn't growing new fronds:

[Merlyn]

And here's the field of Coonties, that used to have 100% coverage from the path on the left to the driveway on the right.  2 years ago it was solid green, and then they brush-hogged it in mid-January a couple of weeks before a really bad freeze.  At least half of them died...but at least this year most of the survivors are flushing now.

[Looking Glass]

4 hours ago, Merlyn said:

And here's the field of Coonties, that used to have 100% coverage from the path on the left to the driveway on the right.  2 years ago it was solid green, and then they brush-hogged it in mid-January a couple of weeks before a really bad freeze.  At least half of them died...but at least this year most of the survivors are flushing now.

Probably crushed all the caudexes with their tires.   …morons.  Would cost thousands of dollars to replant that area with coonties.  

[Silas_Sancona]

Here's another example of completely un necessary "pruning"  ..That really Pizz'-es me off..

While it may look like a commonly planted Euphorbia, this is actually a sp. of Asclepias, ...Asclepias subulata, or Rush / Desert Milkweed, as it many call it. One of the few Asclepias sp.  that will tolerate some of the hottest / driest areas of the Sonoran and Colorado deserts. A super important plant for Queens and Monarchs here that should never be hacked, unless it dies and needs to be replaced.





Doesn't even look good " trimmed ".

[Darold Petty]

Phormium gets the same treatment here !  

[teddytn]

The dasylirions hurt me. All the pics did 🤣😭

[Hillizard]

21 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Here's another example of completely un necessary "pruning"  ..That really Pizz'-es me off..

While it may look like a commonly planted Euphorbia, this is actually a sp. of Asclepias, ...Asclepias subulata, or Rush / Desert Milkweed, as it many call it. One of the few Asclepias sp.  that will tolerate some of the hottest / driest areas of the Sonoran and Colorado deserts. A super important plant for Queens and Monarchs here that should never be hacked, unless it dies and needs to be replaced.





Doesn't even look good " trimmed ".

I planted Asclepias subulata in my front yard from a pot after growing it from a seed. I had no idea it would look like this eventually! It handled our cold, very wet winter quite well. I've now got 5 different milkweed species in my yard... now I just need to see some Monarch butterflies!!!!!

[Silas_Sancona]

11 hours ago, Hillizard said:

I planted Asclepias subulata in my front yard from a pot after growing it from a seed. I had no idea it would look like this eventually! It handled our cold, very wet winter quite well. I've now got 5 different milkweed species in my yard... now I just need to see some Monarch butterflies!!!!!

Nice..  And pretty telling hardiness-wise if it can handle one of the wettest winters you might see again up there for awhile.  Have to check on the seedlings that popped out front over the winter. Planted out A. asperula collected Down south last fall, and seed of a couple other locally / near native sp. but nothing so far. may -or may not-  germinate later once Monsoon season starts -if- it is a decent year. 

Know people growing plants, so that's the next route if seed does nothing.  Want to get my hands on the other reed-like / leafless / weird Milkweed that grows in the hottest parts of the desert, Asclepias albicans.. Can grow to 10ft+ in height.

[Hillizard]

14 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Nice..  And pretty telling hardiness-wise if it can handle one of the wettest winters you might see again up there for awhile.  Have to check on the seedlings that popped out front over the winter. Planted out A. asperula collected Down south last fall, and seed of a couple other locally / near native sp. but nothing so far. may -or may not-  germinate later once Monsoon season starts -if- it is a decent year. 

Know people growing plants, so that's the next route if seed does nothing.  Want to get my hands on the other reed-like / leafless / weird Milkweed that grows in the hottest parts of the desert, Asclepias albicans.. Can grow to 10ft+ in height.

Thanks for your comments Nathan. I'll have to look for some A. albicans though its mature height might not work in my front yard! BTW, I forgot to mention my A. subulata bloomed in the late fall last year in its pot.

[Silas_Sancona]

On 5/9/2023 at 8:07 AM, teddytn said:

The dasylirions hurt me. All the pics did 🤣😭

   ...Butchering them in commercial landscapes is bad enough but ..someone doing the same thing,  in their own yard is.. 🤬 🤪


 

[teddytn]

8 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

   ...Butchering them in commercial landscapes is bad enough but ..someone doing the same thing,  in their own yard is.. 🤬 🤪


 

Reminds me of cruising around the panhandle of Florida. Especially Panama City beach…you’ll see some businesses and privately owned houses that are full of various sized palmettos with skirts/ growing on top of eachother. Has a wild natural look, I personally like a lot. And then people who just trim dead fronds of course, also great. But what I can’t stand is rental properties/ hotels/ businesses that let landscapers come in and “hurricane cut” all the palms, literally leave 3 fronds maybe…how in the hell this became an accepted practice I have no clue. Tree trimming companies obviously push for it to keep making money. 

[amh]

On 5/10/2023 at 1:32 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Nice..  And pretty telling hardiness-wise if it can handle one of the wettest winters you might see again up there for awhile.  Have to check on the seedlings that popped out front over the winter. Planted out A. asperula collected Down south last fall, and seed of a couple other locally / near native sp. but nothing so far. may -or may not-  germinate later once Monsoon season starts -if- it is a decent year. 

Know people growing plants, so that's the next route if seed does nothing.  Want to get my hands on the other reed-like / leafless / weird Milkweed that grows in the hottest parts of the desert, Asclepias albicans.. Can grow to 10ft+ in height.

Checks cold hardiness for Asclepias subulata and Asclepias albicans, I'm too cold.

4 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

   ...Butchering them in commercial landscapes is bad enough but ..someone doing the same thing,  in their own yard is.. 🤬 🤪


 

Maybe people think the leaves will just regrow. I can understand trimming these to accentuate a trunk, but this is permanent. 

[Silas_Sancona]

19 minutes ago, amh said:

Checks cold hardiness for Asclepias subulata and Asclepias albicans, I'm too cold.

Maybe people think the leaves will just regrow. I can understand trimming these to accentuate a trunk, but this is permanent. 

If i can get my hands on seed of it, more than happy to send you some A. subulata to try.. Yes, it may be too cool to plant in the ground but i know i've heard of it surviving in Z8 areas here where it gets dusted w/ snow.  Easy to grow in something like a wide 7 or 10 gal too..  Does need really well draining soil though or it can rot ...though the chopped specimens up the street seem to survive being in pretty wet soil ( i think there are leaks in the drip irrigation over there )

Really want to find just enough seed to play with of two of the rarer milkweeds here ( A. lemmonii = Catalina, Rincon, Santa Rita and Huachuca Mountains; and A. elata ( same general area, though more common in the mountains closer to Mexico ). A couple others from down there too but both grow at pretty high elevations and likely would croak from the start down here.

Agree, reasoning behind butchering these kinds of plants, ..or stuff like Yucca ( seen that too ) or Hesperaloe is pretty stupid. Tidying up an especially shaggy skirt on taller " Wood Lily " specimens to bring out the trunks more, sure, perfectly acceptable ..As long as it isn't over done.

Trimming the same plants like a Boxwood or Privet ( both = 🤢 ) should be enough to get the maintenance crew doing the hacking fired from X contract / job.

[amh]

Asclepias asperula and Matelea reticulata are the only milkweeds that will thrive in my area. I've tried a few other native species, including Asclepias tuberosa, but I'm just too hot and dry.

Asclepias curassavica makes for a great annual, but will not survive the winters.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, amh said:

Asclepias asperula and Matelea reticulata are the only milkweeds that will thrive in my area. I've tried a few other native species, including Asclepias tuberosa, but I'm just too hot and dry.

Asclepias curassavica makes for a great annual, but will not survive the winters.

Would research / look into finding the following, even if you have to collect seed yourself ( rarer ones ) within a 50-100 mile radius.  A. tuberosa grows down south around Sonoita / in the mountains east and north of PHX.  but even nursery-grown plants can be a challenge to establish.

Broad-leaved, Asclepias latifolia

Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides

Bract, Asclepias brachystephana

Emory,  Asclepias emoryi

Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora

Sand, Asclepias arenaria

Texas, Asclepias texana

Green Antelope Horns, Asclepias viridis

Tall Green, Asclepias hirtella ( Sourced from the near- Houston population of the species )

..and at least 2+ other sp. that grow in TX.

As far as Matelea,  Would think M. edwardsensis, biflora, and cynanchoides should grow for you there since they're all native to the same general area of TX.

[amh]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:38 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Would research / look into finding the following, even if you have to collect seed yourself ( rarer ones ) within a 50-100 mile radius.  A. tuberosa grows down south around Sonoita / in the mountains east and north of PHX.  but even nursery-grown plants can be a challenge to establish.

Broad-leaved, Asclepias latifolia

Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides

Bract, Asclepias brachystephana

Emory,  Asclepias emoryi

Green Comet, Asclepias viridiflora

Sand, Asclepias arenaria

Texas, Asclepias texana

Green Antelope Horns, Asclepias viridis

Tall Green, Asclepias hirtella ( Sourced from the near- Houston population of the species )

..and at least 2+ other sp. that grow in TX.

As far as Matelea,  Would think M. edwardsensis, biflora, and cynanchoides should grow for you there since they're all native to the same general area of TX.

Thank you for the list. If the weather returns to normal, I'll be able to experiment in the pasture again. Right now I'm trying to get some really invasive baddies under control with out using herbicide. I really hate Centaurea melitensis!

[amh]

A matelea species actively growing and flowering.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, amh said:

Thank you for the list. If the weather returns to normal, I'll be able to experiment in the pasture again. Right now I'm trying to get some really invasive baddies under control with out using herbicide. I really hate Centaurea melitensis!

We have that stuff here, though i've yet to see any ( Weird since it is supposedly everywhere )  Walking through areas where it's just-as-spiny ( Maybe slightly spiny-er ) cousin, C. solstitialis occurs was bad enough in CA.  ..and yet, there is someone out there who thought " ...Oh this won't be all that invasive " when it first popped up in each area it spread to.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, amh said:

A matelea species actively growing and flowering.

M. reticulata??   You ever get seeds, i'd happily take a pod or two..  Been trying to start a collection of Matelea  sps.

[amh]

Just now, Silas_Sancona said:

We have that stuff here, though i've yet to see any ( Weird since it is supposedly everywhere )  Walking through areas where it's just-as-spiny ( Maybe slightly spiny-er ) cousin, C. solstitialis occurs was bad enough in CA.  ..and yet, there is someone out there who thought " ...Oh this won't be all that invasive " when it first popped up in each area it spread to.

It's really unpleasant when barefoot or in sandals. I'm trying to kill the plants before they can flower, but it will likely take years of diligence to control.

[amh]

Just now, Silas_Sancona said:

M. reticulata??   You ever get seeds, i'd happily take a pod or two..  Been trying to start a collection of Matelea  sps.

I'm pretty sure it's Matelea reticulata, but I'll need to make sure there aren't any lookalikes in the area.

I'll try to save some seed for you.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, amh said:

It's really unpleasant when barefoot or in sandals. I'm trying to kill the plants before they can flower, but it will likely take years of diligence to control.

Try sliding off a trail on a Mountain Bike / on foot into it ( It's cousin in CA. ) Fun, with some extra speed thrown in while meeting it.. haha.  Still, Puncture Vine, Tribulus terrestris  takes top spot for " Pain in the sole ..Of one's hands ..and/or feet, lol.

[amh]

1 minute ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Try sliding off a trail on a Mountain Bike / on foot into it ( It's cousin in CA. ) Fun, with some extra speed thrown in while meeting it.. haha.  Still, Puncture Vine, Tribulus terrestris  takes top spot for " Pain in the sole ..Of one's hands ..and/or feet, lol.

I've done this with smilax and dewberry vines, alot. 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, amh said:

I've done this with smilax and dewberry vines, alot. 

Smilax ...Errrr...🤬 Horrible stuff.  While the Fruit is well worth some scratches, have many scars from meetings w/ Himalayan Blackberry. EXTREMELY invasive in CA, and real hard to kill completely.

[amh]

2 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Smilax ...Errrr...🤬 Horrible stuff.  While the Fruit is well worth some scratches, have many scars from meetings w/ Himalayan Blackberry. EXTREMELY invasive in CA, and real hard to kill completely.

You just need more deer; they will eradicate anything edible in no time.

[Silas_Sancona]

11 minutes ago, amh said:

You just need more deer; they will eradicate anything edible in no time.

It's actually one of the few things along creeks they rarely touch or try to pass through..  Too dense / thorny.  Now Thornless Blackberries / Rasberries, i know they'll munch on newer growth / leaves on those if the opportunity is there.

[amh]

5 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

It's actually one of the few things along creeks they rarely touch or try to pass through..  Too dense / thorny.  Now Thornless Blackberries / Rasberries, i know they'll munch on newer growth / leaves on those if the opportunity is there.

Wussy black tailed deer.

The white tailed deer here are so overpopulated that they'll eat any rubus species regardless of spines or thorns; really anything that isn't too poisonous is browsed, no matter how pointy.

[Silas_Sancona]

27 minutes ago, amh said:

Wussy black tailed deer.

The white tailed deer here are so overpopulated that they'll eat any rubus species regardless of spines or thorns; really anything that isn't too poisonous is browsed, no matter how pointy.

You ever start seeing this:  https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/78258-Oncosiphon-pilulifer
 
Kill it before it tries to set seed.. You'll sorely regret it if it establishes itself on your property.. No clue how AZ or CA will ever gain control of it now that it is -everywhere- 

Nothing eats it either.  https://www.azlca.com/uploads/media/files/05 Stinknet - Invasive Species Alert.pdf

[amh]

3 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

You ever start seeing this:  https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/78258-Oncosiphon-pilulifer
 
Kill it before it tries to set seed.. You'll sorely regret it if it establishes itself on your property.. No clue how AZ or CA will ever gain control of it now that it is -everywhere- 

Nothing eats it either.  https://www.azlca.com/uploads/media/files/05 Stinknet - Invasive Species Alert.pdf

I'll be on the lookout, hopefully my area is too cold or seasonally wet for it to establish.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, amh said:

I'll be on the lookout, hopefully my area is too cold or seasonally wet for it to establish.

Here's iNaturalists' current maps ( world wide distribution image #1 / U.S. distribution #2 )  Since it is a spring Annual, winter temps won't phase it .. Just like our heat / dry-ness hasn't stopped King's Ranch Bluestem ( ..Actually from Africa ) from gaining a foothold here.  From the looks of it, this plant may already be in TX. ( If the Observation in Houston < from 2018 > is legitimate )

[Silas_Sancona]

On 5/14/2023 at 3:52 PM, amh said:

Thank you for the list. If the weather returns to normal, I'll be able to experiment in the pasture again. Right now I'm trying to get some really invasive baddies under control with out using herbicide. I really hate Centaurea melitensis!

Guess what i encountered today ...Lol..

[amh]

23 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Guess what i encountered today ...Lol..

A most horrendous invader.