tree recommendations

kallard

I would like to get some help choosing some trees for my yard. We currently have NO trees, and this would be the beginning of any landscaping...aside from the grass that the yard came with.

Our local area (San Diego, and I am in Lakeside, which is East San Diego) is offering free trees for energy conservation. Trees all come in 15 gallon containers. I can receive up to 10 trees on approval and they list specific guidelines on which type (deciduous or evergreen) should be planted on s,w,e,n, etc.. Fortunately, the way our house is, the specific recommendations were for the north and east sides, and we can only plant on the east and west sides. The trees we can chose from are:

Strawberry Madrone
Bronze Loquat
Crape Myrtle
African Sumac
Mimosa Silk
Purple Orchid
Golden Medallion
Chinese Flame
New Zealand Christmas
Fruitless Mulberry
Purple Robe Locust
Camphor
Jacaranda
Southern Magnolia
Chinese Pistache
Fern Pine
Long-Leafed Yellow Wood
London Plane Tree
Coast Live Oak

My property in the font/east had a HUGE pine of some sort that fell in a wind storm in 2003 and had to be removed. The stump is still there and I know we will most likely need to have it removed. There are also some sewer lines that went around the pine, so I need something in the front that is showy, but roots that will not overtake the yard, yard is approx 30' x 30'. I have driveway, and then a small plot that is only about 8' x 15'.

I have no room on the north or south sides of my yard for trees.

I then have a back yard that is about 45' wide and L-shaped. The more narrow end is 20' from bedroom wall to back fence (behind fence is still our property and drainage ditch...another 15'). The larger part of the L is probably 30' from patio cement to same back fence.

In the back, I would like to make it as shady as possible, particularly in the larger area near the patio because our family room, which opens to the patio, has a high ceiling and our air conditioning never gets this room cool in the summer! I know that none of these trees will do this overnight, but this would be my goal. I also don't know how many trees I can reasonably fit into my yard. I like the Chinese Pistache, but would like to hear some other comments and recommendations...as I really know nothing.

For the backyard, we would need something that would have branches high enough to walk under. Young plant would need to be strong, we have kids and dogs. I don't mind some litter if it adds to the beauty of the yard and acts as mulch if not cleaned up, but don't want something overly messy. There is much less concern about roots in the backyard...as we only have the self-installed sprinkler system to worry about. Don't mind birds, squirrels, etc. I don't mind bees, but don't know how my kids would like that! Would love butterflies.

I am a complete beginner...my husband has a little more experience, but not much.

Thanks for any input.

fosheezy

i suppose the biggest factor in choosing will be your personal aesthetic prefference, but it would be wise to match the tree's requirements to your site (rainfall, frost, size, etc).

something that ekka i think has mentioned several times in previous posts is to avoid planting on your fence-line, which will avoid so many future problems....

out the back you've got a great opportunity to plant a real property value-increasing tree. something like an oak or plane tree would be one that would turn into a real specimen in time, and with professional formative pruning every 5-10 years would be a real investment.

i think it could be argued that plane trees are structurally the safest big trees in the world but people dont like the leaves they shed so compromises on every tree you choose...

hope that gives some insight,
anton.

Robert STAVROU

Morning, don't forget to have someone check out your soil conditions.
The environment for plant growth is below as well as above the ground.
Survival is possible if you match plant needs to the above ground conditions, but success is guaranteed if you match this to the below ground environmental conditions as well
regards.

__________________
STAV

kallard

I thought the London Plane might be too big. Before posting this to see what others said, I was considering the Chinese Pistache because it was a little smaller and also had beautiful colors.

Part of my question though is how many trees, and of what size, can I put? Can I fit 2 trees in my backyard? If I planted the London Plane, is that all I plant in the back? But if I plant something smaller, can I fit 2? Which choice is better for overall shade for the house? 1 large or 2 medium? Are there any I can plant close together?

What about my front? I was considering the Crape Myrtle in the front due to the sewage line. Seems I really only have 1 spot I can plant in the front, so want to make a good choice there...something that has roots that don't spread out everywhere, but looks nice. I do want it tall enough that it doesn't totally block my view.

kallard

I don't know too much about soil, but I thought that the trees on the list were picked (mostly) due to their ability to grow in this area. I know one of them grows well near the ocean...which we are not. The soil we have is neither very sandy or with a lot of clay. It also does not have a tremendous amount of rocks, which I know my parents dealt with at their house when digging!

Robert STAVROU

Hello Kallard,
the plants that are available and the plants that are suitable to particular environs, are often quite diametrically opposed. Species selection should be based on what suits your below ground (most important) then above ground site characteristics.
Choose wisely for your long-term pleasure and for the trees long-term health and vitality. That may mean looking more widely that from the list that you have currently (just a suggestion).
regards

__________________
STAV

kallard

I understand the importance of the composition of the soil...even though I am just now looking into the differences. I will do my research and look around my neighborhood to see if I can find examples of the trees on the list.

The list is not composed by myself but is what is available from http://www.tree.energycenter.org in my local area for free to help with energy conservation...offering free shade trees to help insulate homes. It is sponsored by our local gas and electric company. I won't be looking at anything other than these trees. Most of the information says that the trees are suitable for clay, loam, and sand...a few say only loam and sand.

fosheezy

yep, planes and oaks are big. big trees = big impact on the landscape. i've no idea what people mostly plant in your area but personally i'm sick of pruning tiny cherry trees that people want to "keep a manageable size" (its far easier to manage a big tree that you can climb than a small tree that you need a ladder for). so i guess i probably come across as completely biased against small trees but hey, if you got the room - geez they make a house look good.

cheers

kallard

That's helpful...I DO like big trees best, but want to be reasonable for the yard. I think I have quite a bit of range/choice in the backyard...but the front yard is more concerning. It is not terribly large....I think I overestimated in my measurements now that I look. I had a large pine tree there before...must have been 60-70 feet tall, but it came down in 2003 in a rare wind storm with 50-60 mph winds. Many trees came down across the county from the storm. We have some sewer lines in the front and need something with less invasive root system, but would like it to grow taller...not short. But not be overly wide.

Of course my kids want a tree they can build a tree house in...they don't seem to understand that it would take years before the tree would be large enough for that!

fosheezy

from what i gather the front tree can't be too dense or low growing, so that almost immediately eliminates species like magnolia, loquat, fern pine, etc. shame eucalyptus isnt on the list lol, would be ideal - no low branches.
have you looked into which plants are native to your area? native trees are usually quite a good choice if they provide particular food sources or habitat for local fauna.

so many factors to consider...

The whole non-invasive root system may be a tricky one with so little research on roots of particular species available, how deep is the pipe? how far from the planting area? can the tree be moved further away from the pipe?