REAL GREEN TREE SELECTION GUIDE

FRUIT TREES: Dwarf Varieties (Availability will vary)

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

Apple – The ornamental apple tree with its branching character and long life is an excellent choice for your garden. You will be delighted with spring blooms and tasty fruit in autumn. Trees may be grown as espaliers tied to frames, fences or other supports. Height: 10’

Apricot – This tasty apricot is in the stone-fruit family originat-ing in China. The tree has early spring blossoms of pink or white. Harvest is in late spring into summer. The leaves are reddish in color when new, maturing to bright green. The tree maybe espaliered for a decorative look in your garden. These apricots are great for canning or drying. Height: 10’-14’

White Nectarine – The nectarine is native to China and resembles the peach in appearance except that it has a smooth skin. This delicious, super-sweet nectarine rates very high in taste tests with rich flavor and crunchy texture when ripe. The fruit ripens in mid to late July and is very well adapted to our Valley. Height: 6’ to 10’ at maturity.

Yellow Nectarine – This very popular stone fruit has been an all-time favorite of many home gardeners. Early fruit harvest is firm-ripe and tangy. Later harvest is sweet with a rich flavor scoring high in the taste tests. The lovely pink spring blossoms are delightful. Height: 10’ to 14’ at maturity.

White Peach – Peaches are native to China and have a pit or stone in the middle. The flavorful white meat peach is a favorite of many. The slightly “fuzzy” skin ripens in June and July after lovely white spring blossoms. The San Joaquin Valley has excellent growing conditions for this fruit tree. Trees can be trained to espalier against a fence or metal form for an ornamental touch. Height: 10’ to 15’ and slightly wider.

FRUIT TREES Continued:

Navel Orange – Citrus offers a year-round attractive tree for your yard with glossy deep green leaves, very fragrant white blossoms in April with decora-tive, delicious and seedless fruit. Our Valley is the perfect growing medium for this heat loving tree. This tree may be grown in a container. Harvest is from late Fall into winter. Height: 8’ to 10’

Yellow Peach – The yellow-fleshed peach is a standard for many peach lovers: great tasting, a fine texture, a lovely yellow skin with a pink blush, and spring blooms. This peach ripens in mid-July. Tree may also be espaliered to your fence for a decorative touch to your garden. Height: 10’ to 15’ and slightly wider

Improved Meyer Lemon – If you are into cooking or just like the ability to pick lemons from your own tree, then you need this lemon in your back yard! The fruit is slightly rounded, thin skinned and orange yellow in color. It has a tangy aroma and is the variety of choice of many culinary experts. The word “improved” refers to the fact that it is a disease-free variety. Height: 10’ to 12’ tall and wide.

CITRUS TREES:

Lime – There’s nothing better than picking your own limes to use in beverages and cooking. The tree is quite angular and open when young, but forms a dense crown when mature. It is thorny and does tend to drop leaves in the winter. Harvest this seedless lime in late winter until late spring. It can be grown in the ground or in a container. Growing in a container does allow you to move to a protected area in extreme cold. Height: 7’ to 10’

Mandarin – This great looking and fairly compact tree would be a wonder-ful addition planted in your yard or container. The fruit is smaller than an orange, seedless, very flavorful and easy to peel. It blooms in the Spring and bears fruit in the Fall and winter depending on variety. Height: 8’ to 10’ and the same width.

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

SMALL SHADE TREES:

Japanese Maple – (Acer ) This is a picturesque, fine textured and delicately branched deciduous tree. You will want to plant it where you can see it readily. Growth rate is slow. The fall color display is wonderful. Select a planting loca-tion with sun to partial shade to protect from sun burn resulting in leaf burn and curl. This tree will grow nicely in a container on your patio. Height is 5’ to 15’ with fair carbon storage and pollution filtering and medium allergen potential.

Chaste Tree – (Vitex) A native of the Mediterranean region to central Asia is a very showy tree with flowers from summer into fall. The blossoms are small, fragrant lavender-blue flowers in 6-12” spikes at branch ends and in leaf joints. It may be grown as a multi or single trunk tree. No fall color. This moderate to fast growing tree reaches a height of 25’ with fair to good carbon storage and pol-lution filtering. There is medium allergen potential.

Crape Myrtle – (Lagerstroemia) The San Joaquin Valley would not be complete without the profuse color of the summer blossoms of this tree. In addition, the leaves turn dark red and orange in the fall. Your yard cannot have too many Crape Myrtles for summer show! This small deciduous tree has a moderate growth rate averaging 10’ to 15’ with good carbon storage and pollution filtering and medium allergen potential.

Flowering Plum – (Prunus) The Flowering Plum is grown for its beautiful floral displays in mid-winter and spring before the tree leafs out. It pro-duces a small bland fruit, so it is recommended to plant away from patios or driveways. The foliage is a lovely deep purple to give your yard contrasting color. This small de-ciduous tree has a moderate growth rate reaching a height of 10-12’ with fair carbon storage and pollution filtering with low allergen potential.

Photinia – (Photinia) This small evergreen tree with a moderate to rapid growth rate has dense foliage with elliptical to oval leaves. New growth is bright-red that matures to dark green. Small white clusters of flowers appear in the spring fol-lowed by berries that may last until winter. The berries will attract our feathered friends. These trees are great for screens and background plantings. This tree has a moderate to rapid growth rate to 10-15’ in height and width. You may espalier this tree or have a sin-gle trunk. There is fair carbon storage and pollution filtering with low allergen potential.

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

MEDIUM SHADE

SMALL SHADE TREES Continued:

Redbud – (Cercis) This tree is valued for its flowers and foliage. Clusters of small rosy to purplish pink blossoms are borne in great profusion on bare twigs, branches, and sometimes even the main trunk. Blossoms are followed by seed pods. The beautiful leaves are heart-shaped and give you lovely fall color. This small, decorative tree puts on quite a show in the spring and fall so you won’t want to miss having one in your yard. Height averages 15’ with good carbon storage, pollu-tion filtering and medium allergen potential.

Smoke Tree –(Cotinus) This unusual and colorful shrub-tree is naturally multi-stemmed but can be easily trained to a single trunk tree. Leaves are pur-ple to green in color. The common name is derived from dramatic puffs of “smoke” from fading flowers: as the tiny greenish blooms wither, they send out elongated stalks clothed in a profusion of fuzzy lavender-pink hairs. Plant in soil with fast drainage and avoid overly wet conditions. This tree is great in rock gardens. Height is 12-15’ at a moderate growth rate. There is medium carbon storage and pollution filtering with high allergen potential.

Rose of Sharon –(Hibiscus) This is among the showiest of flowering trees that is seen in our Valley. This is a heat-loving deciduous small tree with a mature height of 10-12’ and 6’ wide with a moderate growth rate. This tree is easily trained to a sin-gle trunk tree or as an espalier. The flowers vary in color from white to pink to red and arrive in late spring and continue until frost. Foliage does not color in the fall. There is fair carbon storage and pollution filtering with low allergen potential.

Carolina Cherry – (Prunus) This attractive evergreen tree is native to North Carolina and Texas and may be grown as a single or multi-trunked tree. It is a great shade tree or will provide a dense screen with its heavy 2-4” long, smoothed edge, glossy green foliage. Small fragrant creamy white flowers bloom in 1” spikes from late winter to mid-spring. Blossoms are followed by black fruit that is inconspicuous among the leaves. Flower and fruit litter can be a problem in paved areas. There is moderate growth rate to a height of 20’-30’ with fair to good carbon storage and pollution filtering with medium aller-gen potential.

(Trees over 25 feet tall are not power line friendly)

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

MEDIUM SHADE TREES Continued:

Maidenhair Tree – (Ginkgo biloba) An ancient survivor from pre-historic times (200 million years ago) when it grew worldwide. Now it is native to only two small areas of China. This lovely, graceful tree is attractive in any season but especially in the fall when the light green fan-shaped leaves turn brilliant gold. The leaves hang on the tree for awhile and then cleanly drop creating a golden carpet where they fall. Average height is 35’ to 50’ with a slow to moderate growth rate, good carbon storage and pollution filtering. Male trees have medium allergen poten-tial and females have low potential.

Chinese Fringe – (Chionanthus) The Chinese Fringe tree is a beautiful showy tree that is native to desert areas of California and Texas and as you might suspect, very drought tolerant. This deciduous tree grows to a height ranging between 15 – 25’ tall, not quite as wide, with a beautiful rounded shape. Handsome gray-brown bark provides winter interest. It flowers in May – June. The flower clus-ters have a very fine texture, which along with the snow white color, yields a beauti-ful accent tree in your garden. In full bloom the trees are completely covered with flowers which are contrasted by leaves that are dark green. The Chinese Fringe tree (female variety) produces a dark blue fruit that birds love after the blossoms. Broad leaves turn bright yellow in fall. This is an excellent choice for a tree that will add interest to a landscape most of the year. It needs good drainage and prefers acid soils, but is highly adaptable to our valley. It has fair carbon storage and pollution filtering with medium allergen potential.

Little Gem Magnolia – (Magnolia) Just as it name indicates, this would be a special tree for your home. This magnolia is evergreen, bearing magnificent fragrant white flowers from spring until late summer with large glossy leaves (prized by florists). It is heat resistant and tolerant of damp soil. It is messy, shedding its large hard leaves and other litter from spring into autumn. Do not plant near pavement. Grass will not grow under its branches in your lawn, so choose your planting site carefully. You may plant in a container or espaliered on a fence or wall. This slow growing tree matures to a height of 20’-25’ with a spread of 10’-15’.

Hopseed Bush - (Dodonaea) This tree is native to the warm areas of Arizona and Hawaii. It is easy to grow as a shrub or small tree and can easily be shaped as a single or multi-trunked tree or espaliered. Foliage is very interesting with strongly tinted bronze 4” leaf that darkens into winter. It is best planted in full sun to retain its rich color. Flowers are insignificant but the seedpods are often showy and long lasting. Height at maturity is 10’-15’ and width is the same. Good carbon storage and pollution filtration with medium allergen potential.

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

Pistacia – (Chinese pistache) If great fall color is a priority for you, this is a fabulous deciduous canopy tree. Foliage turns from luminous orange to red and sometimes shades of yellow depending on colder weather temperatures. Foli-age is on narrow leaflets. This tree has a slow to moderate growth rate reaching a height of 35” with good carbon storage and pollution filtering. Allergen potential is high with male and low with female varieties.

MEDIUM SHADE TREES Continued:

Strawberry Tree – (Arbutus) Native to southern Europe and Ireland this tree has many attractive features. It is one of the best lawn or raised-bed trees. The

ornamental bark sheds and becomes gnarly with age. It has clusters of little urn-shaped flowers, decorative edible fruit (small, red strawberry shaped) and handsome dark green foliage. The tree has slow to moderate growth to a height of 8’ to 35’ with good carbon storage and pollution filtering with low allergen potential.

Sweet Bay – (Laurus nobilis) This Mediterranean native is best known for its aromatic leaves that are used in cooking as bay leaves. The foliage is 2 to 4” long and dark green in color. Clusters of small yellow spring flowers are followed by black fruit. Its dense habit makes this tree a great background or screen for privacy. Tree may be easily grown in a container. This tree reaches a height of 12 to 40’ with good carbon storage and pollution filtering. Allergen potential is high with male and low with female varieties.

Aleppo Pine – (Pinus) This evergreen pine tree originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, southern Russia and southern Italy. It has a fast to moderate growth rate with a classic, beautiful, dense and erect pyramidal shape. Needles are dark green with reddish-brown cones. Height will reach 30’ to 60’ and has good carbon storage and pollu-tion filtering with low allergen potential with low allergen potential.

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

LARGE SHADE TREES: ( Large Shade Trees are NOT Power Line Friendly. )

Chinese Elm – (Ulmus) Originating from China, Korea, and Ja-pan, this is a highly prized shade tree. The arching branches have long weeping branchlets. The bark on the trunk of older trees sheds in patches creating a beauti-ful mottling effect. This evergreen variety has foliage with small dark green and evenly toothed leaves. This is a great patio tree, sun screen or street tree. Aver-age height is 40’-60’ tall and width with very good carbon and pollution filtering with high allergen potential

Afghan Pine—(Pinus eldarica) The origin of this evergreen pine tree was in Southern Russia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is one of the best suited pine trees for the desert and therefore for our Valley. It has a rapid growth rate when young, maturing to 30’-80’ tall and 15’-25’ wide. This pine tree has the classic shape and is dense and erect in shape. The needles are in 5” to 6” pairs and produces cones. Good carbon storage and pol-lution filtration.

Camphor Tree – (Cinnamomum) This magnificent evergreen tree is native to China and Japan. The Camphor tree is a strongly structured tree with heavy trunk and heavy upright spreading limbs with a life span of approxi-mately 120 years. It is aromatic with 2.5 to 5” leaves that smell like camphor when crushed. New foliage appears in the spring as pink, red or bronze colors that mature to shiny yellow-green leaves. Inconspicuous yellow flowers bloom profusely in late spring followed by small blackish fruits. Leaves will drop in the early spring followed by the flowers, fruits and twigs. Plant in an area where the litter will not be a problem or where paved areas or sewer lines are not a concern. Height can reach 50’ with good carbon storage and pollution filtering with me-dium allergen potential.

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

LARGE TREES Continued:

Ornamental Pear – (Pyrus) This Chinese native is a deciduous tree that is prized for its profuse late-winter or early-spring show of white blossoms. The fo-liage is glossy dark green with brilliant fall colors of yellow to dark red. This pyramidal shaped tree will reach 40’ and 20’ wide with low to moderate carbon storage and pollu-tion filtering with medium allergen potential.

London Plane Tree - (Platanus) This is a spectacular deciduous canopy tree in the Sycamore family. It has a heavy trunk and sculptural branches. This fast growing tree will reach 40-80’ tall with 30-40’ spread. This tree can be pol-larded to create a low dense canopy for smaller spaces. Creamy new bark weathers to gray and looks very handsome in the winter. This is a great tree for streets or large gardens. The London Plane stands up beautifully to smog, soot, dust and reflected heat so there is very good carbon storage and pollution filtration with high allergen potential.

Southern Live Oak – (Quercus virginiana) This magnificent evergreen oak tree is native to the coastal plains of the southeastern U.S. and is the most attractive of all evergreen oaks. The heavy branching produces bark that is interesting, dark and ridged with shiny dark green leaves. It produces oval acorns up to 1” long. This long-lived tree is a great oak tree to plant near a lawn. The height will reach 40-80’ at maturity. It has very good carbon storage and pollution filtering with high allergen potential.

LARGE TREES Continued:

Scarlet Oak – (Quercus coccinea) A deciduous tree that is native to the eastern U.S. It is pyramidal in shape when young and rounded top at maturity. Bright green leaves are deeply cut lobes that turn scarlet in the fall. Rounded acorns are approximately 1” across with a low cap. These are great street or lawn trees as the roots are deep. The average height is 60-80’ tall and 40-60’ wide with good carbon storage and pollution filtration with high allergen potential.

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little:

Tupelo – (Nyssa sylvatica ) This deciduous tree is native to eastern U.S. and would make an excellent specimen or shade tree for your large garden. The pyramidal shape when young spreads to an irregular and rugged shape at maturity. Crooked branches make a dramatic picture against the winter sky. Glossy green leaves appear in late spring with inconspicuous flowers and small bluish-black fruit follows. The fruit will attract birds to your garden. A brilliant display of color follows in the fall with the leaves turning yellow and orange and then bright red before dropping. The average height is 30’-50’ and 15’-25’ wide with very good carbon storage and pollution filtration. Allergen potential is high with male trees and low with female trees.

Yew Pine – (Podocarpus) Native to eastern China and Japan, this versatile evergreen tree has good-looking foliage and narrow upright form. These heat-loving trees with a moderate growth rate are often used as a screen or hedge for privacy and background planting. It is not a “pine” tree with needles but has bright green 4” long leaves. This tree is great as a street or lawn tree and may be grown in a container and espaliered or clipped as topiary. Height at maturity is 15’ to 50’ tall and 6’ to 15’ wide. There is good carbon and pollution filtering with low allergen potential with female trees and high potential with male trees.

LARGE SHADE TREES Continued:

All of the trees in this guide like FULL SUN

With the exception of the Japanese Maple, which likes PARTIAL SUN

Tree availability will vary.

In the event that your tree choice is not available due to seasonal availability, or low nursery stock; you will be contacted to choose a replacement tree, or you may choose a rain check. If you choose a rain check, the

tree will be delivered when it becomes available.

Further information about the care, harvest, and nutritional needs of trees may be found by visiting the following websites:

http://www.lecooke.com/cms/contact-le-cooke.html

http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/

http://selectree.calpoly.edu

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Watering Need: Moderate: Low: Very Little: