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Small trees

GENUS	SPECIES	VARIETY	COMMON NAME	HEIGHT	EVG	Comments
Acer	buergeranum		Trident maple	20’+	Deciduous	Bushy small tree to about 25’, usually lower. Soft green foliage; bright red or orange fall color. Nice for small courtyards or patios. Prefers regular watering.
Acer	palmatum	many varieties available	Japanese maple	15’+	Deciduous	Fussy about soil, water quality, wind, heat....See Acer truncatum for a possible substitute. Can be grown in the right microclimate if the soil is amended heavily (as for Camellias and Azaleas) and it is fertilized monthly with an acid-type fertilizer.
Acer	truncatum		Purpleblow,Chinese maple	20’+	Deciduous	Good substitute for Japanese maple! Small tree with attractive, shiny leaves, spreading “planar” growth habit. Tolerant of heat, sun, wind.
Arbutus	unedo	‘Compacta’	Strawberry tree	Tall shrub,15 - 20’	Evergreen	Showy flowers and fruit, beautiful bark like madrone. Heat and drought tolerant. Grows 1 - 2’ a year. Easily kept at 6’ with one annual pruning.
Arbutus	X	‘Marina’	Strawberry tree	Tall shrub,15 - 20’	Evergreen	Showy flowers and fruit, beautiful bark like madrone. Heat and drought tolerant. Grows 2 - 3’ a year. Availability limited.
Betula	alba		European white birch	30’	Deciduous	Fast-growing with soft green leaves. Creates dappled shade. Never drought-tolerant. Resists borers if kept well-watered. Prune as little as possible, and never prune when borers are active (Mar. - May).
Cercis	canadensis		Eastern redbud	15 - 20’	Deciduous	Beautiful magenta flowers in March. Prefers summer watering; o.k. in lawns. Burns if it gets hot afternoon sun. ‘Forest Pansy’ has unusual purple foliage. ‘Oklahoma’ has thicker leaves that are more heat-resistant.
Cercis	occidentalis		Western redbud	Tall shrub, 10 - 15’	Deciduous	Grows as large shrub or small multitrunked tree. Beautiful magenta flowers in March, and distinctive grey-green foliage. Nice plantings in the UC Davis Arboretum. Very drought-tolerant and prefers limited summer irrigation. Hybrid ‘Oklahoma’ is more tolerant of garden watering than C. occidentalis, more tolerant of heat than C. canadensis.
Chionanthus	retusus		Chinese fringe tree	15’	Deciduous	Like a giant white lilac! Blooms with masses of small white flowers in June and July. Not common in the trade, but available in the bareroot season (Jan. - Mar.)
Cotinus	coggygria	'Royal Purple'	purple Smoke tree	Tall shrub,10 - 15’	Deciduous	Purple leaves and purple flowers make a striking contrast with grey or glossy-leaved plants. Very tolerant of drought and heat. Gets iron chlorosis if irrigated heavily. Availability is limited.
Crataegus	phaenopyrum		Washington thorn	25’	Deciduous	Masses of white flowers in spring. Shiny red fruit hangs on through fall and winter. Good in lawns. Fireblight resistant. Availability very limited.
Feijoa	sellowiana		Pineapple guava	Tall shrub,10 - 15’	Evergreen	Plant named varieties if you want reliable fruit production. Edible flowers! Very drought tolerant. Fuzzy grey-green leaves make a nice contrast with red-leaved or shiny-leaved shrubs. Highly recommended.
Hibiscus	syriacus	many var’s available	Rose of Sharon	Tall shrub, 8 - 15’	Deciduous	Small tree with showy Hibiscus-like flowers all summer. Very tough, easy to grow. Can take light shade or full sun, drought, poor soil. May reseed. Gets aphids, but also a common nesting site for green lacewings.
Lagerstroemia	indica and hybrids		Crepe myrtle	Med - Tall shrubs, 4 - 30’	Deciduous	Shades of pink, rose, dark pink, almost red, lavender, purple, white! See separate list.
Laurus	nobilis		Grecian Bay laurel	Tall shrub,10 - 30’	Evergreen	The bay leaf used in cooking. Very versatile garden plant. Large shrub, eventually growing to 30’+, but very upright habit and ease of pruning make it manageable. Will grow in total shade, or in full sun. Drought tolerant. Very easy to keep in a pot for years. Highly recommended.
Laurus	X	'Saratoga'	hybrid Bay laurel	Tall shrub,10 - 25’	Evergreen	Selected form of bay that has wider leaves, larger flowers (almost showy), and is fruitless. Leaf smells more pungent than L. nobilis--more like our native bay (Umbellularia). Highly recommended.
Magnolia	species and hybrids	deciduous magnolias; “tulip trees”	Magnolia	10’ +	Deciduous	Like rich soil, moisture, acid-type fertilizer. Flowers in great profusion in early spring. See our web site for information on some of the many varieties available.
Malus	X		Crabapples	Varies	Deciduous	Many varieties of crabapples are available: some are upright, some spreading, some very weeping. All can take heavy soil, lawn watering, or some drought. Flowers are red, pink, white. Look for fireblight resistance.
Maytenus	boaria	'Green Showers'	Chilean mayten	20’+	Evergreen	Clean shiny foliage, very graceful weeping habit, like a miniature weeping willow. Suckers and very slow growth are drawbacks. Branch dieback may occur on stressed or overwatered trees. Availability very limited.
Morus	alba	‘Chaparral’	Weeping fruitless mulberry	8’+	Deciduous	Dramatic weeping form with attractive, dark green leaves. Mounds up slowly to 8’ - 10’. Great focal point or accent. Available in bareroot season (Jan. - Mar.).
Morus	alba	‘Teas’	Weeping fruiting mulberry	8’+	Deciduous	Dramatic weeping form with attractive, dark green leaves. Mounds up slowly to 8’ - 10’. Produces large quantities of mild-flavored, juicy fruit (stains clothing, Mom!). Birds love the fruit. Great focal point or accent. Available in bareroot season (Jan. - Mar.).
Myoporum	laetum		Myoporum	Tall shrub,10 - 20’	Evergreen	Common in coastal areas and occasionally planted here, but they froze in 1990 and 1998, and are often damaged in moderately cold winters. Availability limited.
Olea	europea	'Wilsoni'		25’	Evergreen	Olives take heat, wind, drought, and have a unique structure. This variety is nearly fruitless. Common allergy plant. Availability very limited.
Prunus	cerasifera	'Krauter Vesuvius'	Red-leaf plum	15’	Deciduous	Plum with red leaves that stay burgundy through the summer. Usually very light fruit production. Grows 2 - 3’ a year to about 15’ with equal spread.
Prunus	cistena		dwarf Red-leaf plum	6 - 12’	Deciduous	Leaves come out bright red in spring, turning to burgundy in summer. Nice white flowers in March. Naturally grows as large shrub, but some growers train it up as a single-trunked tree.
Prunus	subhirtella	‘Pendula’	Weeping cherry	12’+	Deciduous	Very graceful weeping flowering cherry with pale pink flowers in great profusion. Paint the trunk with interior white latex paint when young to prevent sunburn. There is a double-flowered form. Needs excellent drainage.
Prunus	yedoensis	'Akebono'	Daybreak weeping cherry	25’	Deciduous	Dramatic flowering cherry with a spreading and slightly weeping habit. Billows of soft pink, double flowers. Give it room to spread--about 15’ across. Paint the trunk with interior white latex paint when young to prevent sunburn. Needs excellent drainage.
Punica	granatum	'Wonderful'	Pomegranate	Tall shrub, 8 - 20’	Deciduous	All pomegranates tolerate heat, wind, drought, poor soil. Great choice for west exposure. This is the standard commercial variety. ‘Grenada’ is a sport which ripens a month earlier. ‘Sweet’ has pink, sweet fruit that isn’t tart.
Styrax	japonicus		Japanese snowbell	20’	Deciduous	Small flowering tree with profusion of white flowers in June. Strong horizontal branches create a unique look. Likes plenty of water and good drainage. Availability very limited.
Umbellularia	californica		California bay	40’+	Evergreen	Our native bay tree, grows slowly--1’/year--though eventually can get huge. Strongly aromatic leaves. Very tolerant of heat, drought. Can grow in shade. Very limited availability.
Vitex	agnus-castus		Chaste tree	Tall shrub, 6 - 15’	Deciduous	Light blue flowers; white form also available. Fast-growing large shrub or small tree with light green palmate leaves. Tolerates heat, drought; will grow in partial shade.