CAPIS california plant information systems by Brenna Castro University of California, Davis Landscape Architecture A Senior Project, Spring 2012 project approval ________________________________ Steve Greco Associate Professor of Enviornmental Design ________________________________ Truman Young Professor of Plant Sciences ________________________________ Glenda Drew Associate Professor of Design ________________________________ Heath Schenker Senior Project Instructor abstract The landscape architect’s plant selection process is complex, considering many factors from site and climate requirements to design and aesthetic qualities; but a comprehensive searchable listing of all such relevant informa- tion is not available, so the plant selection process is complicated by cross- referencing of many different sources. This is especially true for California native plants – where there is a growing trend to design with natives, there is not a comparable improvement in resources to make information about these plants accessible to landscape architects. This project analyzes the plant selection process, identifying goals of plant selection and how California na- tives meet these goals, and applying these goals to understand where exist- ing resources fall short. This analysis is applied to create a new database en- titled CAPIS: California Plant Information Systems, which is accessed through a dynamic website to improve accessibility of information about California native plants by landscape architects. CAPIS is intended as a tool to aid in plant selection, compiling relevant information into one resource; it facilitates the landscape architect’s plant selection process and the use of California na- tives in the landscape. dedication For: My parents and my sister, whose love and support are always there when I need it and even when I don’t. My friends, classmates, and peers, who told me to go for it, and whose com- pany late at night kept me inspired and sane. My studio family. And Anna. ii acknowledgements My committee members: Glenda Drew, Steve Greco, and Truman Young, for their encouragement, insight, and expertise. Gayle Totton, for always being a voice of reason, for being a wonderfully available sounding board, and for lending me her beautiful and inspiring per- sonal database. Brian Morgan, for his help in database management and design. Laurie Gates and Stewart Winchester, for their help in understanding the challenges of categorizing plant maintenance. Eric Lin, for being endlessly full of solutions to my PHP problems. iii 17 Review of Existing Resources 18 Botanical databases 20 Horticultural databases 22 Commercial databases table of contents 23 Print: lists and recommendations 25 Methods 25 Data collection 25 Pant list 27 Plant data 29 Building the database 29 Software and coding: MySQL with SQL Abstract 30 Data modeling ii Dedication 33 Website management iii Acknowledgements 33 Web standards v List of Images 33 Coding languages vii Preface 36 Parts of the information system 1 Introduction 39 Discussion 2 Project Goals 39 Meeting project goals 3 Definitions 40 Meeting personal goals 42 Direction for the future 5 Understanding Plant Selection 44 Project Significance 5 Planting design philosophy 7 Goals of plant selection 45 References 7 Aesthetics 47 Appendix A: Glossary 9 Ecology 48 Appendix B: Plant List 10 Characteristics of Interest 14 How California natives meet plant selection goals 14 Aesthetics 15 Site ecology 15 Local ecology iv 10 1.10 Vine form. Clematis pauciflora. Neal Kramer (2010). 11 1.11 Plant forms. Brenna Castro (2012). list of images 12 1.12 Fine texture, Festuca californica. Ken Gilliand (2009). 12 1.13 Medium texture, Salvia apiana. Stanley Spencer 12 1.14 Coarse texture, Umbellularia californica. Barry Breckling (2009). 12 1.15 Epilobium canum. Keir Morse (2008). 6 1.1 The wide, low-ceilinged space under a Blue Oak 12 1.16 Eschscholzia californica. George Jackson (2011). (Quercus douglasii). Keir Morse (2009). 12 1.17 Parkinsonia florida. Ken Gilliand (2008). 7 1.2 Harmonious color scheme. 12 1.18 Rhamnus californica. Steve Matson (2006). 7 1.3 Complementary color scheme. 12 1.19 Ceanothus ‘Concha’. Ken Gilliand (2008). 8 1.4 Combining forms - plumes, spires, umbels, and daisy-like flowers. 12 1.20 Iris douglasiana. Gary A. Monroe (1994). 10 1.5 Tree, Quercus lobata. Gary A. Monroe (2005). 12 1.21 Ribes malvaceum. Gerald and Buff Corsi at Califonia Academy of Sciences (2007). 10 1.6 Shrub, Salvia clevelandii. Curtis Croulet (2009). 12 1.22 Achillea millefolium. Keir Morse (2008). 10 1.7 Herbaceous perennial, Heuchera maxima. Jean Pawek (2010). 13 1.23 Arbutus menziesii. Julie Wakelin (2006). 10 1.8 Herbaceous annual, Eschscholzia californica. 13 1.24 Calocedrus decurrens. Steve Perkins (2005). Gerald and Buff Corsi at California Academy of Sci- 13 1.25 Platanus racemosa. Bon Terra Consulting ences (2008). (2003). 10 1.9 Groundcover form. Juniperus communis. Barry 14 1.26 Jepson Bioregions in California. Regents of the Breckling (2009). University of California (n.d.). v 15 1.27 Route of introduction for California’s invasive 35 3.5 The CAPIS Plant Search page. plants. Di Tomaso (2011). 36 3.6 The Query Results page, showing sample results 15 1.28 Purple loosestrife invading riparian wildlands. from a query for plants with a perennial herbaceous Louis-M. Landry (2006). habit. 18 2.1 CalFlora. (2009). 37 3.7 The Plant Page for California Fuchsia. 18 2.2 Jepson Online Interchange. Regents of the Uni- 37 3.8 The List by Name page, sorted by common versity of California (n.d.). name. 18 2.3 USDA PLANTS Database. USDA, 2012. 38 3.9 The CAPIS home page. 20 2.4 Theodore Payne Foundation California Natives Wiki. Theodore Payne Foundation (2012). 21 2.5 UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars. University of California, Davis (n.d.) 21 2.6 The New Sunset Western Garden Book. Sunset. (2012). 22 2.7 Las Pilitas Nursery. (2012). 22 2.8 Monrovia Nursery. (2012). 22 2.9 Moosa Creek Nursery. (2010). 22 2.10 Annie’s Annuals at Annie’s Amazing Nursery. Annie’s Annuals. (n.d.). 28 3.1 CAPIS data fields. 31 3.2 MySQL user interface for data entry and editing. 32 3.3 CAPIS data types and descriptions. 34 3.4 HTML and CSS code samples showing the out- put as it appears on the CAPIS website. vi preface This project was conceived out of frustration. As a land- but when the time came to put together a plant palette, the scape architecture student, I have created plant palettes for right plant never came to mind. A searchable database, full many projects including design development projects and of information important to me as a landscape architecture construction documents, but found myself unsure of the student and future professional, would put all this infor- best way to go about doing so. Studies of horticulture and mation at my fingertips. Having taught myself basic web plant biology familiarize students with the range of plants design during my preteen years, I felt comfortable build- available for use in the built landscape, but few resources ing a simple website to serve as the platform for accessing are available to students to aid in the plant selection pro- the database, making the information accessible not only cess. I became very familiar with what resources I did have for myself but also for landscape architecture students, access to, including botanical databases and horticultural professionals, and anyone hoping to learn more about the plant lists, but a fair amount of cross-referencing and plants of California. searching made it obvious that a more refined plant selec- tion tool was needed. My own personal studies of plant bi- -Brenna Castro ology, California floristics, and horticulture have taught me that the California flora is broad, diverse, and beautiful, vii introduction The CAPIS project, short for California Plant Information CAPIS website, www.california-plant.com, creates an Systems, is a searchable online database of California information network by linking users to other databases, native plants, intended for use by landscape architects and plant images, care information, and commercial availability. landscape architecture students to aid in plant selection. CAPIS is a tool for designers intended to aid in the plant In order to meet the needs of this profession, the database selection process and encourage use of native plants in the is searchable by both site-specific and design-specific landscape. criteria. In addition to providing database access, the 1 Goals architect as well as images and links to plant listings on other websites. Next, to make the database publicly available, a This project first necessitates a thorough understanding of the dynamic website, www.california-plant.com, was built to plant selection process, both to help understand how our current serve as a simple access platform, allowing users to query the resources fall short, and also to help build a tool optimized for database, returning lists of plants and data for each listed use by the landscape architect, providing as much information entry. The website also links to other resources to build a as possible without including unnecessary or unhelpful network of information – the information system – that directs information. The project analyzes plant selection as a part of the users to other websites pertaining to California native plants, landscape architect’s design process and identifies a set of plant including other databases, care and maintenance guides, and selection goals, then further analyzing how California native nursery availability listings. The project draws on a wide range plants meet these goals. This analysis of plant selection goals of resources with the aim of making this information more is applied in a review of existing resources to identify gaps in easily accessible to landscape architects, students, and related the available databases and lists, categorizing these resources professionals, improving the way we learn about California into several main groups by their primary use.