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Welcome to the Center for Landscape and Urban Horticulture (CLUH), an information resource of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UC Cooperative Extension). The CLUH supports UC Cooperative Extension educational and applied research programs serving California's environmental horticulture industry. This site features science-based information on:

Please review our Mission Statement.

For the latest science-based information on landscape water needs, please visit our pages under Landscape Water Conservation and Irrigation Management.

Information is contributed by University of California Cooperative Extension scientists. All content is reviewed by these or other experts to assure it is authoritative and science-based. Featured are summaries of technical topics, fact sheets, newsletters, reports, commentary, and web links.

THE 9%: Landscape irrigation accounts for just 9% of water use in California, yet landscapes are under relentless attack as California confronts ongoing drought. The facts presented here show how these attacks are misguided and that there are ways to conserve water without degrading landscape plantings.

Does the landscape you manage have a water budget or water conservation goal that seems impossible to meet? Read about Five Simple Steps for Conserving Landscape Water.

For Home Gardening information and resources, please visit the University of California Garden Web.

UPCOMING EVENTS

What's new in Landscape and Urban Hort?

The Dangers of Homemade Pest Control Remedies

Figure 1. Pesticides made from household ingredients lack the details needed to safely and effectively control pests. (Credit: B Messenger-Sikes)

Instructions for making homemade mixtures to control pests are easy to find online and in social media, and it's tempting to make your own home remedy when pests invade. Doing so may seem like a natural, organic, and non-chemical solution, but did you...

Seasonal Insect Pests in the Home

Adult fungus gnat (Credit: J Green, University of Nebraska Extension)

As the weather warms up, we see more insect activity in gardens and landscapes, and you may also notice more activity of insect pests in your home. Common insect pests found indoors in springtime can include carpet beetles, fleas, fungus gnats, and...

Trees Come First During the Drought!

During the drought, your trees should come first! Because many well-maintained trees don't reach their prime until their 4th or 5th decade, it's important to keep them watered during the drought and water restrictions. Older trees absorb higher levels of...

Spotted lanternfly resources for Californians and others

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive pest in the United States that was first detected in 2014 in Pennsylvania. It is a pest of numerous cultivated and...

Aphid-eating Insects

Aphids on roses (Credit: K Windbiel-Rojas)

“Aphids are really bad this year!” This is what we've been hearing on social media and from many home gardeners. Aphids can curl leaves, stunt plant growth, and make a mess by the sticky honeydew they exude. Some aphid species create galls...