Re: Trees for Medit. area


On Nov 23, 2004, at 9:47 AM, david feix wrote:

For me, I would also want the tree to be flowering,
and be less commonly planted.  Some that can be seen
to perfection in Los Angeles are all southern
hemisphere; the South African  Calodendrum capense, or
Cape Chestnut, but I have never seen one bloom here in
the SF Bay Area, although there is a good sized one at
Strybing Arboretum.

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Calodendrum capense blooms well here in San Luis Obispo, but it seems to take a long time to start. I planted one close to ten years ago and it has yet to bloom. Maybe this spring!!!! I planted a fairly good sized one (perhaps eight feet tall) with a large "head". Unfortunately I put a support on the downwind side, a cross piece screwed to two large stakes, and a wind came up and broke it off right at the support leaving just a stick! But, knowing most plants reluctance to die even in the face of great obstacles, I left it to its own devices and it grew a new "head. It is doing quite well vegetatively but its floral output has been nil, nada, zip,,,, nothing yet!
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Some from central America down into Brazil, are the hardier Tabebuias, such as Golden Trumpet Tree, T. chrysotricha,(which does very well here in the SF Bay Area), and T. impetiginosa.
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I have had three T. chrysotricha trees. I gave one to the city to see if it wold grow i this area\. And it would be spectacular when in bloom. I'm sure people would drive out of their way to see it. They planted it just outside of the development department and then quit watering it. It struggled for a long time then it disappeared. They obviously didn't want it to thrive. I planted one in back of a fourplex we own and it is hanging on but it doesn't get the attention it apparently needs when it's small (ca 7-8 feet). It does bloom in spring, putting out whirls of bright yellow gold trumpets at the end of the twigs. It's hanging on but I'm not holding my breath. The tird one I gave to Cal Poly. They have a groundsman that cares. He is babying it and it is looking good. If we can get it up to fifteen or twenty feet maybe it will get to be a bit spectacular. I'm looking forward to it. But the point is, we are probably at the "tree line" for this tree! I'm sorry to say that because the one I saw in bloom at Huntington Gardens was truly spectacular!
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Two more South Africans that are seldom seen as real
trees here in California, where they are yet mostly
too young to have developed tree-like character are
the South African Cabbage Trees; Cussonia paniculata
with intensely blue gray foliage and corky grey bark
on a plam like trunk until it starts branching with
age, and the equally beautiful Low Veld Cabbage Tree,
C. spicata, which is much faster to gain height, has
more of an olive green foliage but with deep burgundy
flushes of new foliage through out the year.  The
foliage of both these trees are almost tropical in
appearance, and give much the same character that the
Snowflake Tree, Trevesia palmata does. C. spicata and
Trevesia are probably best in safely zone 10
conditions, as they both froze back to the roots in
Berkeley in the December, 1990 freeze, whereas all the
other trees listed above survived with just minor
freeze damage or none at all besides losing leaves.

+++++-----------------------
I have both of these planted in half wince barrels. They are surviving but since I don't know what to expect I have no idea if they are "doing well" or not. They are not putting on much height but the foliage seems healthy. Maybe I'll photograph them and put them on my page. Do they have pretty flowers?
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I would also put in a plug for the towering  Lemon
Gum, Eucalyptus citriodora, which makes an elegant
skyline tree and also works well in close proximity to
buildings.  The fragrant foliage and smooth white bark
and weeping form are all spectacular where one has the
room to grow them.  Again, this is only a good choice
within view of salt water, or warmest parts of USDA
zone 9 locations, as it is tender to severe frost.  I
have also come to enjoy a relatively new to me species
of Pittosporum, P. brevicalyx 'Golden Temples', with
fragrant golden flowers  in spring,  foliage similar
to a Camphor Tree, no messy seeds/fruit, and hardier
to cold than the similar P. undulatum. This one is
also unusual in that it comes from China, and I think
it was an introduction by Saratoga Horticultural
Foundation when it was still functioning.  Not much
seen in the landscape, but worth seeking out.

--- Gayle & Tim Kalman <leahdragonfly@earthlink.net>
wrote:

Dear All, 


     In a Mediterranean climate zone with costal
influence, what tree would you choose to plant?




		
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