| 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. |
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