9 illustrators draw their favorite L.A. plants

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We asked nine L.A.-based artists to illustrate their favorite plant in the city. On the list of shout-outs: Melrose Place, Sawtelle and the Chateau Marmont.

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Akiko Ruiz

@akikokatoruiz loves to walk along Melrose Place in West Hollywood, looking at all the beautiful greenery. You’ll find these plants in front of the store Zimmerman. “I love the luxurious shade of green in a small space. They also have two identical plant beds on each side of the storefront, which complete the exterior.”

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Alex Cabal

@acaballz: “I chose the ginkgo tree because I love the shape of its leaves, especially when they turn yellow. I find these trees at Sawtelle Boulevard. I often visit this area to check out local shops as well as go to Giant Robot to see artwork, but I mostly go to try different kinds of foods.”

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Charlie Brand

@charliebrand: “I first saw the fiddle-leaf fig growing so tall that it bent at the ceiling like someone walking into a room they were too tall for. When I learned its name was ‘fiddle-leaf fig,’ it was true love.”

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Clay Hickson

@clayhickson: “This is a beautiful old tree on Windsor Avenue and 2nd Street that I used to walk by all time when I was little. We called it the gnome tree because my brother swore he saw a gnome in it once.”

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Danni Fisher-Shin

@dannifs loves this tree because it’s huge, which she doesn’t see often around Los Angeles. “It happens to be growing just inside one of my favorite local nurseries, Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery on Sawtelle Boulevard. I have a hunch that the nursery owners may be part of the reason it’s still there despite its size, which makes me happy.”

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Kyle Griggs

@k____g: “I moved to L.A. about a year and a half ago after living in Sydney for seven years, and I am still struck by how much of the flora in Los Angeles is similar to the flora in Australia. This tree is one of many eucalyptus trees in a huge sculpture garden found on the UCLA campus. It’s a perfect place to sit and read whilst surrounded by gum blossoms.”

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Liana Jegers

@lianajegers: “When we first moved to LA we would walk by the Chateau Marmont regularly, and I loved walking up Sunset and past the main entrance to the Chateau, then up past the side door. It’s especially good and lush before they trim and prune the plants back a few times a year: big bougainvilleas, spiky red bottle brushes, a hint of a palm peeking over.

“Walking around that curve, you can hear the chatter in the outdoor dining area, the piano in the lounge by the first set of windows (in the winter you can catch a glimpse of the Christmas tree here), the kitchen noises by the next set of windows, and finally employees throwing out trash, taking a break, or blowing off some steam in back. It made the Chateau less intimidating to see the back side of it, but also added to its grandeur to watch its moving parts working at the same time.”

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Paul Windle

@paulwindle: “The first week I moved to Virgil Village in 2014, I came across these sculpted hedges that form arches over an orange and black checkered section of the sidewalk on Lucile Avenue. Going through these arches is like walking into another world. I really appreciate that someone decided to go all out with their small section of the sidewalk.”

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Ruth Mora

@_meanmachine: “I chose the firestick succulent because they are prominent in the city where my sister lives and where I spend a lot of time — Huntington Park. You can walk around streets like Slauson and Gage and see these tall and vibrant succulents, usually in bunches. My favorite thing about them is that their tips turn a bright coral or orange color in the sun.”

9 illustrators draw their favorite plants in L.A.