Street Trees, Native

[Anonymous]

The City would like to incorporate native trees into our streetscape program. Are there publications that would give an assessment of trees that would be appropriate for certain conditions? In the past, some trees have raised the sidewalks with the roots, or grown too tall or wide for their location. We would like to minimize these problems in the future.</p>

[Anonymous]

Patrice,The problems you mention about street trees are true whether they are native to California or from China, South Africa, or Brazil. The trick is knowing what the plant will do in the situation you place it.Of course, If I were a tree, being used as a street tree would tick me off. Poor diet Soils are usually rather bad there, compaction, watering practices at odds with my health if I am a native perhaps the over-abundance of turf watering?, root pinned into an area way too small for a healthy tree's spreading roots, and once they do start to spread and lift that sidewalk they get cut!, and if my crown ever gets to a size that can help send nutrients down to a needy root system, I get a haircut.What is there to like about being a street tree? Put yourself in their shoes, roots.I would try to pick trees that stay relatively small even as adults, meaning you can let them develope and not need heavy pruning. 15 to 20 feet or soStay away from riparian trees with their normally shallow root systems. Flowers are nice but overall structure or shape is most important. Now what about some natives? Catalina Cherry? Nice size and leaf color not too bad of roots-opps the fruit it grows and drops Eliminates it from the list.Island Ironwood? Lyonothamnus Well, it's structure is right, rather upright, staying for the most part out of traffics way-Roots not bad. The shaggy bark is attracvtive to me but may not be to suburbia at large. And the creamy white umbels of flowers are a nice addition. Possible, depending on clients ability to take a tree that is not nice and neat like a plastic tree.Island Oak? Quercus Tomentella Good upright form, roots questionable, evergreen and certainly a beautiful tree. How it would do with the routine summer water normally found in parkways, I'm not sure.California Bay? Probably would make it and look pretty nice doing it. Would likely tolerate soil and irrigation irregularities. I have seen them used in Claremont SoCal doing OK. I guess my recommendations would be to call all surrounding native nurseries wholesale or not and get their ideas about YOUR area. Then do research in various literature even the Sunset Western Garden Book, ask people who use these plants like landscapers who use natives alot. Their information is THE best. Then strive to see these trees in local plantings so you can really get a feel for them. Then after you have a list of the plants and their good and bad points, bring your list to your local chapter of CNPS and they will probably give you valuable imput about the trees, helping you further narrow the list. They might also be helpful in knowing where to purchase your material.Hope that helps. There is no magic native street tree book that I am aware of and quite frankly there are not that many native trees that make good street trees by todays standards but there are a few, and they are wonderful when used, and you should not be discouraged in discovering/finding them.Good luck,Dan </p>

[Anonymous]

Patrice,The problems you mention about street trees are true whether they are native to California or from China, South Africa, or Brazil. The trick is knowing what the plant will do in the situation you place it.Of course, If I were a tree, being used as a street tree would tick me off. Poor diet Soils are usually rather bad there, compaction, watering practices at odds with my health if I am a native perhaps the over-abundance of turf watering?, root pinned into an area way too small for a healthy tree's spreading roots, and once they do start to spread and lift that sidewalk they get cut!, and if my crown ever gets to a size that can help send nutrients down to a needy root system, I get a haircut.What is there to like about being a street tree? Put yourself in their shoes, roots.I would try to pick trees that stay relatively small even as adults, meaning you can let them develope and not need heavy pruning. 15 to 20 feet or soStay away from riparian trees with their normally shallow root systems. Flowers are nice but overall structure or shape is most important. Now what about some natives? Catalina Cherry? Nice size and leaf color not too bad of roots-opps the fruit it grows and drops Eliminates it from the list.Island Ironwood? Lyonothamnus Well, it's structure is right, rather upright, staying for the most part out of traffics way-Roots not bad. The shaggy bark is attracvtive to me but may not be to suburbia at large. And the creamy white umbels of flowers are a nice addition. Possible, depending on clients ability to take a tree that is not nice and neat like a plastic tree.Island Oak? Quercus Tomentella Good upright form, roots questionable, evergreen and certainly a beautiful tree. How it would do with the routine summer water normally found in parkways, I'm not sure.California Bay? Probably would make it and look pretty nice doing it. Would likely tolerate soil and irrigation irregularities. I have seen them used in Claremont SoCal doing OK. I guess my recommendations would be to call all surrounding native nurseries wholesale or not and get their ideas about YOUR area. Then do research in various literature even the Sunset Western Garden Book, ask people who use these plants like landscapers who use natives alot. Their information is THE best. Then strive to see these trees in local plantings so you can really get a feel for them. Then after you have a list of the plants and their good and bad points, bring your list to your local chapter of CNPS and they will probably give you valuable imput about the trees, helping you further narrow the list. They might also be helpful in knowing where to purchase your material.Hope that helps. There is no magic native street tree book that I am aware of and quite frankly there are not that many native trees that make good street trees by todays standards but there are a few, and they are wonderful when used, and you should not be discouraged in discovering/finding them.Good luck,Dan </p>