California Landscape Architect
Examination with Practice Questions And
Correct Answers (V
1. A licensed California landscape architect is preparing construction documents for a
hillside residential project in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Under current
state standards, which plant selection approach best satisfies both defensible space
requirements and the client's request for a lush appearance?
A. Specify dense continuous juniper hedges within 30 feet of the structure to block
embers
B. Use irrigated, low-growing succulents and herbaceous groundcovers in isolated
clusters with horizontal and vertical separation
C. Plant eucalyptus windbreaks at the property line to deflect prevailing winds
D. Maintain a continuous mulch bed of shredded bark extending to the structure
foundation
Answer: B. Use irrigated, low-growing succulents and herbaceous groundcovers in
isolated clusters with horizontal and vertical separation
Rationale: Defensible space standards require fuel separation, low-flammability plants,
and irrigation; irrigated succulents in isolated clusters meet this while preserving visual
lushness. Juniper and eucalyptus are highly flammable, and continuous bark mulch
adjacent to structures is discouraged.
Page 1 of 83
,2. During design development, a landscape architect must estimate peak irrigation
demand for a 2-acre park in Fresno. Reference ET for July is 8.0 inches, the plant
factor is 0.6, and the irrigation efficiency is 0.75. What is the estimated July applied
water requirement?
A. 3.84 inches
B. 6.40 inches
C. 4.80 inches
D. 7.20 inches
Answer: B. 6.40 inches
Rationale: Applied water = (ET × plant factor) / efficiency = (8.0 × 0.6) / 0.75 = 6.40
inches. Distractors reflect common errors such as omitting the plant factor or misplacing
the efficiency divisor.
Page 2 of 83
,3. A California landscape architect is designing a stormwater treatment BMP for a
1.5-acre commercial parking lot with 85% imperviousness. Which sizing approach
most accurately reflects current state stormwater permit expectations for flow-based
treatment?
A. Size for the 2-year, 24-hour storm volume with 80% capture
B. Size for the water quality flow (WQF) derived from the 85th-percentile storm
intensity
C. Size for the 100-year flood elevation to prevent overflow
D. Size for the average annual rainfall depth multiplied by tributary area
Answer: B. Size for the water quality flow (WQF) derived from the 85th-percentile
storm intensity
Rationale: MS4 permits in California typically require flow-based BMP sizing using the
water quality flow associated with the 85th-percentile storm event. Volume-based
alternatives exist but the flow-based WQF approach is the standard for flow-through
treatment.
4. A client requests a landscape design that includes a new 6-foot-tall solid fence along
a property line in a City of Los Angeles R1 zone. Which regulatory constraint most
directly governs this fence's height and placement?
A. California Environmental Quality Act thresholds
B. Local zoning code front yard setback and fence height limits
C. State Coastal Act permit requirements
D. Federal Clean Water Act Section 404
Answer: B. Local zoning code front yard setback and fence height limits
Rationale: Fence height and location in residential zones are governed by local municipal
zoning ordinances, which often restrict front-yard fence heights and require setbacks.
CEQA, the Coastal Act, and CWA Section 404 address environmental review, coastal
development, and waters of the U.S., respectively.
Page 3 of 83
, 5. Which statement best describes the legal standard for a landscape architect's duty
to disclose known site hazards to a client under California professional practice
standards?
A. Disclosure is required only if the hazard is explicitly within the scope of contracted
services
B. The landscape architect must disclose material hazards that a reasonable professional
would recognize as affecting public safety
C. Disclosure is optional because site hazards are the sole responsibility of the
geotechnical engineer
D. Disclosure is required only when mandated by a regulatory agency
Answer: B. The landscape architect must disclose material hazards that a reasonable
professional would recognize as affecting public safety
Rationale: Landscape architects owe a professional duty to disclose material safety
hazards they reasonably should recognize, regardless of contract scope. Deferring entirely
to other consultants or requiring a regulatory mandate misstates the standard of care.
6. In a California native plant restoration project, a designer must select species for a
site with serpentine soils and seasonal vernal pools. Which species assemblage is most
ecologically appropriate?
A. Quercus agrifolia, Baccharis pilularis, and Nassella pulchra
B. Layia glandulosa, Lasthenia californica, and Plantago erecta
C. Washingtonia filifera, Encelia farinosa, and Larrea tridentata
D. Sequoia sempervirens, Polystichum munitum, and Vaccinium ovatum
Answer: B. Layia glandulosa, Lasthenia californica, and Plantago erecta
Rationale: Layia glandulosa, Lasthenia californica, and Plantago erecta are characteristic
of serpentine and vernal pool habitats in California. The other assemblages represent
coastal scrub, desert, and redwood forest communities, respectively.
Page 4 of 83
Examination with Practice Questions And
Correct Answers (V
1. A licensed California landscape architect is preparing construction documents for a
hillside residential project in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Under current
state standards, which plant selection approach best satisfies both defensible space
requirements and the client's request for a lush appearance?
A. Specify dense continuous juniper hedges within 30 feet of the structure to block
embers
B. Use irrigated, low-growing succulents and herbaceous groundcovers in isolated
clusters with horizontal and vertical separation
C. Plant eucalyptus windbreaks at the property line to deflect prevailing winds
D. Maintain a continuous mulch bed of shredded bark extending to the structure
foundation
Answer: B. Use irrigated, low-growing succulents and herbaceous groundcovers in
isolated clusters with horizontal and vertical separation
Rationale: Defensible space standards require fuel separation, low-flammability plants,
and irrigation; irrigated succulents in isolated clusters meet this while preserving visual
lushness. Juniper and eucalyptus are highly flammable, and continuous bark mulch
adjacent to structures is discouraged.
Page 1 of 83
,2. During design development, a landscape architect must estimate peak irrigation
demand for a 2-acre park in Fresno. Reference ET for July is 8.0 inches, the plant
factor is 0.6, and the irrigation efficiency is 0.75. What is the estimated July applied
water requirement?
A. 3.84 inches
B. 6.40 inches
C. 4.80 inches
D. 7.20 inches
Answer: B. 6.40 inches
Rationale: Applied water = (ET × plant factor) / efficiency = (8.0 × 0.6) / 0.75 = 6.40
inches. Distractors reflect common errors such as omitting the plant factor or misplacing
the efficiency divisor.
Page 2 of 83
,3. A California landscape architect is designing a stormwater treatment BMP for a
1.5-acre commercial parking lot with 85% imperviousness. Which sizing approach
most accurately reflects current state stormwater permit expectations for flow-based
treatment?
A. Size for the 2-year, 24-hour storm volume with 80% capture
B. Size for the water quality flow (WQF) derived from the 85th-percentile storm
intensity
C. Size for the 100-year flood elevation to prevent overflow
D. Size for the average annual rainfall depth multiplied by tributary area
Answer: B. Size for the water quality flow (WQF) derived from the 85th-percentile
storm intensity
Rationale: MS4 permits in California typically require flow-based BMP sizing using the
water quality flow associated with the 85th-percentile storm event. Volume-based
alternatives exist but the flow-based WQF approach is the standard for flow-through
treatment.
4. A client requests a landscape design that includes a new 6-foot-tall solid fence along
a property line in a City of Los Angeles R1 zone. Which regulatory constraint most
directly governs this fence's height and placement?
A. California Environmental Quality Act thresholds
B. Local zoning code front yard setback and fence height limits
C. State Coastal Act permit requirements
D. Federal Clean Water Act Section 404
Answer: B. Local zoning code front yard setback and fence height limits
Rationale: Fence height and location in residential zones are governed by local municipal
zoning ordinances, which often restrict front-yard fence heights and require setbacks.
CEQA, the Coastal Act, and CWA Section 404 address environmental review, coastal
development, and waters of the U.S., respectively.
Page 3 of 83
, 5. Which statement best describes the legal standard for a landscape architect's duty
to disclose known site hazards to a client under California professional practice
standards?
A. Disclosure is required only if the hazard is explicitly within the scope of contracted
services
B. The landscape architect must disclose material hazards that a reasonable professional
would recognize as affecting public safety
C. Disclosure is optional because site hazards are the sole responsibility of the
geotechnical engineer
D. Disclosure is required only when mandated by a regulatory agency
Answer: B. The landscape architect must disclose material hazards that a reasonable
professional would recognize as affecting public safety
Rationale: Landscape architects owe a professional duty to disclose material safety
hazards they reasonably should recognize, regardless of contract scope. Deferring entirely
to other consultants or requiring a regulatory mandate misstates the standard of care.
6. In a California native plant restoration project, a designer must select species for a
site with serpentine soils and seasonal vernal pools. Which species assemblage is most
ecologically appropriate?
A. Quercus agrifolia, Baccharis pilularis, and Nassella pulchra
B. Layia glandulosa, Lasthenia californica, and Plantago erecta
C. Washingtonia filifera, Encelia farinosa, and Larrea tridentata
D. Sequoia sempervirens, Polystichum munitum, and Vaccinium ovatum
Answer: B. Layia glandulosa, Lasthenia californica, and Plantago erecta
Rationale: Layia glandulosa, Lasthenia californica, and Plantago erecta are characteristic
of serpentine and vernal pool habitats in California. The other assemblages represent
coastal scrub, desert, and redwood forest communities, respectively.
Page 4 of 83
