HibiscusAdd a tropical touch to your Los Angeles garden with hibiscus. Equally beautiful and eye-catching as isolated shrubs or trimmed into small trees, hibiscus makes a truly spectacular fence or green screen. The large, lush green leaves are offset year-round by huge, vibrant, trumpet-shaped blooms in a rainbow of festive hues, including white, yellow, peach, pink, fuchsia, orange and scarlet. Some cultivars produce variegated or multicolored flowers. Although individual flowers persist for only a few days, they are so abundant that fallen flowers are quickly replaced by new ones, leading to a profusion of color throughout the season. Hibiscus loves sun and thrives in bright places. They need moderate water to look their best, but are sensitive to wet feet and root rot, so avoid overwatering. The incredible variety of hibiscus available can be tempting, but due to variations in leaf size and growth patterns, it is best to choose a single cultivar when planting a formal hedge. Young plants may require staking and selective pruning to establish a vertical pattern. Once strong trunks have developed, the stakes can be removed. Wind and salt resistant, hibiscus is ideal for coastal locations in Southern California. Use a hibiscus hedge as a privacy screen around a pool or as a charming, colorful green fence. Chinese Juniper Sometimes called Hollywood juniper, the drought-tolerant and virtually maintenance-free Chinese juniper is an Asian native that absolutely loves Los Angeles. Seen everywhere from the city center to the desert, this hardy evergreen provides consistent blue-green color while creating an unobtrusive backdrop for more showy plantings. Endlessly adaptable and nearly indestructible, Chinese juniper is available... middle of paper.... ...m year-round in Southern California, often showing its best color during the hottest, driest months of the year. Exceptionally resistant to pests and diseases, lantana is a low-maintenance plant that requires very little care. They are vigorous and forgiving and can be sheared or trimmed at any time, regardless of the season. They need little outside water once established and grow in almost any soil. Their tolerance of direct sun makes lantana ideal for use in low green fences or hedges along pavements or road frontages where there is very little shade. They can also be used as foundation plantings or along block walls where they will thrive in reflected heat. Lantanas are also sold as ground covers, so when building a hedge be sure to select a variety that reaches a certain height. Shrub cultivars generally reach 3 to 4 feet tall.