Re: favorite street trees?

I'm one for really exotic trees, but despite that,
along the road into the small town of Spreckels near
Salinas, there is a very old, and very wonderful
alameda (tree lined avenue) of what I think are walnut
trees (the foliage is at least close enough). THeir
trunks are whitewashed part way up, and the visual
line of the straight roadand the trees is wonderful.

I also am partial to palms. My favorite, though it has
a hard time growing here in Marina is Archontophoenix
cunninghamiana. I've seen lines of these in Santa
barbara and the effect is just pretty. Phoenix
canariensis is also a beautiful tree for large
avenues, and there's a fabulous line all along much of
Dolores St. in San francisco (although some of the
trees are in poor condition). Washingtonia robusta can
be beautiful with enough age to cause them to drop
their leaf bases (let's face it, they never have a
pretty thatch like W. filifera)

Of flowering trees which do well, I love
Eucalyptus/Corymbia ficifolia. Especially when the
trees have deep red blooms. The closest we'll get to a
Delonix regia in flower color and showiness. 

Long avenues of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) are
fantastic where they are established, as are avenues
of tall, straight trunked  Cupressus macrocarpa. 

It still remains to be seen what the Metrosideros here
look like when fully mature. They all still look
rather neat and small crowned. Monterey has a few
along its streets, but these never flower as
brilliantly as they do in New Zealand (though i've
heard this is because they aren't pure M. excelsa).

--- N Sterman <TalkingPoints@PlantSoup.Com> wrote:

> What are your favorite street trees?
> 
> Nan
> 
>
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