California Landscape Design

Favorite tree for WILDLIFE HABITAT value

Cynthia Tanyan: Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak
Carla Harford: Pistachia chinensis, Chinese pistache
Carol Vander Meulen, FAPLD: Cercis occidentalis, Western Redbud
Johanna Woollcott: Arbutus ‘Marina’, Strawberry Tree
Lisa Bellora: Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak
Francesca Corra, APLD: Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak
Mary Fisher, FAPLD: Vitex agnus-castus, Chaste Tree
Julie Lienert & Reka Foss: Prunus ilicifolia, Holly Leaf Cherry

Favorite tree to use near or in a RAIN GARDEN

Cynthia Tanyan: Acer rubrum, Red Maple
Carla Harford: Populus tremuloides, Quaking Aspen
Johanna Woollcott: Chilopsis linearis ‘Art’s Seedless’, Desert Willow 
Lisa Bellora: Platanus racemosa, Western Sycamore
Francesca Corra, APLD: Platanus racemosa, Western Sycamore
Mary Fisher, FAPLD: Agonis flexuosa, Peppermint Tree
Julie Lienert & Reka Foss: Corylus cornuta var. californica, Western Hazelnut

Favorite STREET TREE (under power lines)

Cynthia Tanyan: Acca sellowiana, Pineapple Guava
Kristen Rudger, APLD: Tristania laurina 'Elegant', Elegant Water Gum
Carla Harford: Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’ Oklahoma Redbud
Carol Vander Meulen, FAPLD: Lagerstroemia cvs., Crape Myrtle 
Johanna Woollcott: Cassia fistula, Golden Shower Tree
Lisa Bellora: Lagerstroemia cvs., Crape Myrtle
Francesca Corra, APLD: Cercis occidentalis, Western Redbud
Mary Fisher, FAPLD: Acacia fimbriata, Fringed Wattle

Favorite STREET TREE (no power lines)

Cynthia Tanyan: Pistacia X 'Red Push', Red Push Chinese Pistache
Kristen Rudger, APLD: Acer buergerianum, Trident Maple
Carla Harford: Ginkgo biloba, Maidenhair Tree
Johanna Woollcott: Ginkgo biloba, Maidenhair Tree
Lisa Bellora: Cassia leptophylla, Gold Medallion Tree
Francesca Corra, APLD: Jacaranda mimosifolia, Jacaranda
Mary Fisher, FAPLD: Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’, Red Maple

We’ve all met that person—the one that seems great, but as time goes on, reveals themselves to be a gossip or a liar. Well, the tree universe has those ‘people’ too. I’ve chosen a list of common trees (and a vine) that seem to cause problems with most of the homeowners I talk to. Major concerns with these trees include damage to houses and property, allergies, messiness, invasive behavior, and flammability.

The list of trees you should avoid planting changes depending on your criteria: the place you want to put the tree, your climate, and several other things. A “problem tree” may be worth the extra work to you, or they may be a fine fit for the place you’re putting them. A liquidambar tree is beautiful and fine as long as its roots can’t reach any pipes or sidewalks, for instance.

We are lucky to live in a mild climate where we have so many choices in trees and plants. Why choose a tree that’s a troublemaker?

Using sustainable materials in a landscape results in a long-term decrease of energy consumption, conserves water, and serves to bolster ecological function by reducing environmental strain. This ultimately contributes to increased environmental services, and healthier, enduring landscapes. 

In Designing the Sustainable Site, Heather Venhaus describes a series of benefits supported by sustainable sites. They include ecosystem services, such as regulating temperature and precipitation, sequestering greenhouse gasses, cleansing air and water, providing habitat, maintaining soil health and fertility, retaining and storing fresh water, controlling erosion, and mitigating natural hazards such as flooding, wildfire, and drought. Sustainable sites may  also provide social benefits, such as providing recreation, producing food and other raw materials such as timber, medicine, and fuel, providing inspiration and cultural enhancement, and enhancing opportunities for mental respite. 

Why do we need to know about climate-ready trees? In the field of arboriculture, climate change has been extensively researched. If you ask an old tree, it already knows the climate is changing rapidly. 

Trees are the plants in our landscapes that live the longest. As responsible designers, some elements of our designs should take our landscapes into the future. Trees—those majestic, whimsical, lovely actors—can help do that for us. Trees have to contend with stressors that have become critical factors in their ability to thrive or even survive. These stressors include heat, drought, high winds, salinity, pests and disease, and delayed dormancy (lack of winter chill), to name a few. We need to select tree types that can cope with conditions those trees might experience in 20, 40, even 75 years. Our designs should consider using tree species that will be able to thrive in the predicted climate of the coming years.

UC Davis, in collaboration with arborists, foresters, growers and others, have a 20 year-long field study/evaluation identifying and testing the resilience of specific tree species to climate change stressors. Some are quite attractive, require minimum maintenance, and will pose little hazard to people or infrastructure. Most of these trees are unfamiliar to many of us in landscaping, but what that can mean to you is a new recommended tree palette to use, new opportunities!

It seems as if I’m always searching for the perfect tree for an urban yard. It’s not so easy with all the myriad factors that we need to consider when specifying climate appropriate plant material. The tree should be able to grow with little water once established. It should stay a manageable size for an urban lot and should have visual interest in its bark, leaves and fruit. It should be disease and pest resistant and, if possible, it should also be fire-wise.

The delightful strawberry tree checks all the boxes. It stays relatively small, with a lovely shape with twisting trunks and a low canopy. Particularly large specimens of the strawberry tree may reach 30 - 40 ft high, but many are smaller, and the plant is slow-growing which makes it a good choice for many garden settings.

Arbutus ‘Marina is a naturally occurring hybrid of Arbutus unedo and Arbutus andrachne species native to the Mediterranean region and has characteristics of Manzanita and Madrone trees although easier to grow than the native Madrone. It is grown as either a standard or multi trunked specimen.

The Strawberry tree an evergreen tree whose exfoliating bark peels away to reveal the gorgeous, shiny, red, new bark underneath. Leaves are a thick, glossy and satisfyingly deep green, and dainty, pendulous clusters of urn-shaped, blush-colored flowers - much like manzanita flowers - bloom year-round. The flowers grow simultaneously with the unusually shaped, red to yellow pom-pom fruit with extraterrestrial-looking spikes. The fruits are edible, but they are much more appetizing to birds and other wildlife than humans. Because of the above characteristics, it does have a fair amount of litter from its fruit, flowers and bark so it’s not a good choice to be placed by paving, a walkway or pool.

The Arbutus ‘Marina’ should be planted in full sun or part shade with good drainage. The strawberry tree is summer dry once established. It’s deer-tolerant and has low root damage potential (although it will suffer from root rot if it languishes in wet soil). It’s resistant to oak root fungus and not on the list of reproductive hosts of Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer. It’s hardy to 15-20 degrees F (with some tip damage on young plants with temperatures in the low 20's F).

All things considered, it’s an enchanting addition to your waterwise garden with lots of visual interest year-round. It can be used as a focal point but also plays nicely with others (plants).