Re: Tree Ideas
- Subject: Re: Tree Ideas
- From: david feix d*@yahoo.com
- Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 20:30:30 -0800 (PST)
--- Bracey Tiede <tiede@pacbell.net> wrote:
> Help, I need some ideas. Due to a recent windstorm,
> we are in the market for a
> tree or two to provide shade for our koi pond.
> Other trees we are looking at are:
> Eucalyptus ficifolia
> Other small and wide acacias
> Bay - both kinds, although they appear too shrubby
> for our use.
> Arbutus unedo (we have a small A. "Marina")
>
> Cheers,
> Bracey
> San Jose CA
> http://home.pacbell.net/tiede/
Bracey,
I can't find any listing for Acacia congesta in my
reference books, so can't comment on this one. Most
of the smaller growing Acacias are unlikely to reach
40 feet tall, although many such as A. baileyana, A.
boormannii or A.podalyrifolia are attractive and well
behaved, if not all that long lived. Ones to avoid
for reseeding around here in northern California are
A. melanoxylon and A. mearnsii.
Our native Bay tree, Umbellularia californica will
ultimately become a large tree, but is slow to start
with, and almost impossible to purchase as a tree,
they are usually only shrubs at the nurseries. It is
also rather messy and prone to scale/aphids in a
garden setting.
As to Eucalyptus ficifolia, a beautiful flowering
tree, but are you in a zone 14/15 location? This
usually does better in milder/more marine influenced
locations. It is also a rather messy tree to plant
over a fish pond, as it drops lots of foliage and
flowers are also messy. It would seem to me that any
type of pine would also be dropping a tremendous
amount of litter into the pond year round. The
suggestion of Lagunaria is also better for more
coastal conditions, and the tree has litter that can
also be a skin irritant, but again, it is quite showy
when in full bloom.
Arbutus unedo is attractive to birds, but will drop
fruit into the pond, and seldom reaches more than 30
feet in height, slowly. A. 'Marina' is more this
size, and might be worth repeating, but again is not a
"clean" tree to garden under, (I know this personally,
as I made the mistake of planting one over my front
porch steps, and the flowers and squished fruit get
tracked into the house, but it is too beautiful to
remove...)
If you liked the Aleppo Pine, it is certainly a good,
dependable fast grower, and should prove wind
resistant if planted at a smaller size, with careful
attention to avoid trees with kinked roots, and
thinned occasionally to avoid becoming a wind sail.
Hollywood Juniper, Juniperus chinensis torulosa will
also get to be 25~35 feet tall, and is much cleaner,
and provides good cover for birds, as well as being
very drought tolerant, but may not be what you had in
mind.
Some other small to medium evergreen trees that might
be considered for a "medit feel garden", that are all
evergreen, less messy and adapted to low water use:
Ceratonia siliqua, Eriobotrya deflexa, Geijera
parviflora, Lyonothamnus floribundus var
asplenifolius, Maytenus boarii, Melaleuca species,
Rhus lancea, Tristaniopsis laurina,(not reliable in
Sunset zone 14). These will vary considerably in speed
of growth, and degree of leaf drop, etc.
If minimal leaf drop into pond is the major
consideration, I would also consider palms or palm
like plants such as:
Cussonia paniculata(as a small grove), Brahea armata
or B.edulis, Butia capitata, or Trachycarpus fortunei.
No perfect tree for your yard I'm afraid, as the
desired characteristics are somewhat at cross
purposes. Perhaps you should further define what is
most important? Considering deciduous trees would
also widen your choices considerably, and I'd consider
this unless blocking views of neighbors is also part
of your criteria? The summer flowering hybrid
deciduous tree Chitalpa tashkentensis 'Pink Dawn'
might be worth looking at; fairly fast, in your height
range, extremely easy and drought tolerant, not very
messy, and showy over a long season.
Good luck with the replacement selection!
>
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com
