Native Trees for Landscaping and Wildlife
The trees listed are available in the nursery trade or can be special ordered by your local nursery from either Native Sons Nursery in Arroyo Grande or Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano. These are both wholesale nurseries and not open to the general public. All trees listed are all suitable to the coastal areas of the Central Coast as well as some of the warmer inland areas. Water requirements vary from a continuous, moist condition to no water at all during the dry season. As with all native plants however, supplemental water will be required during the initial dry seasons following planting. For trees, plan on supplemental water for at least three to five years after planting.
Since these would have been propagated and grown under nursery conditions, even the trees that would normally require no dry-season water will benefit from watering and may even tolerate occasional watering throughout their life. It would appear, based on studies by U.C. Cooperative Extension, that plants including natives when nursery propagated and grown with a routine watering schedule quite readily adapt to having a routine supply of water. Of course, there are always exceptions. One note of caution: don’t plant any tree over your septic tank or leach field!! Let’s start with deciduous trees:
Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum): This tree is found statewide in riparian areas below 5,000 feet. Coming from a riparian (streamside) environment, it appreciates a good watering once a week. Height varies from ten to forty plus feet with a spread of twenty plus feet. Overall size will depend on a number of factors such as sun/shade, soil fertility, quality and quantity of water, frequency of watering during the dry season, etc.; tolerates full sun to part shade and clay to sandy soil. Best growth would be achieved in a rich, clay soil with part shade and moist conditions. Under these conditions, additional watering during the wet season should be kept to a minimum since waterlogged roots will rot even on water-loving plants.
Big Leaf Maple is a multi-trunk tree with an open habit and impressive fall color. This would be a good selection for a lawn tree with watering no more often than every four days in sand and weekly in clay. With a lawn using native grasses, this tree would fit right in with the weekly watering schedule.
White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia): This is also found statewide in riparian areas below 5,000 feet and appreciates even moister conditions than the Big Leaf Maple. Height for the White Alder varies from ten to thirty feet with a spread of twenty feet. A fast growing tree, the White Alder tolerates full sun to full shade and clay to sandy soil. Again, growth will be influenced by the amount of sun, soil fertility, and water availability.
White Alder is a single-trunk tree with dark green leaves and makes an excellent backdrop tree. Another good tree for use in a lawn area but don’t plant too close to the house foundation, driveway, sidewalks, or street. The roots will grow under these structures and raise and/or crack them.
Western Redbud (Cercis occidentallis): A small tree with showy pink flowers in the spring and found statewide in chaparral and woodland habitat below 4,500 feet. Height varies from eight to twenty feet with a spread of ten plus feet. Tolerates full sun to part shade, clay to sandy soil, and watering during the dry season should be one to two times per month. Again, best growth will occur with rich, clay soil and part shade.
Western Redbud is a multi-trunk tree or tall shrub with heart-shaped leaves and resistant to oak root fungus, a plus for this area since this fungus is present in the soil whether you have oaks or not. Due to the lower water requirements, this is an excellent small tree for the home native garden and can be the center-piece among other low-growing natives.
California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa): Limited to the central and southern coastal and intermediate areas, this tree is found in riparian areas below 4,000 feet. Height is forty plus feet with a spread of thirty plus feet.
California Sycamore is usually a multi-trunk tree but may be single-trunk. Often, the lower branches will touch the ground making great places to sit and absorb the beauty of your garden. Prefers full sun, will grow in clay or sandy soil, and likes moist conditions.
Western Cottonwood (Populus fremontii): This tree is found statewide in riparian areas below 6,500 feet. Height is 30 to 50 plus feet with a spread of 35 plus feet; not a tree for your average lawn. Prefers full sun and moist conditions, is heat and drought tolerant, and tolerant of clay and sandy soils. The roots of this tree will find water, anywhere they can get it so keep the tree far away from water pipes, septic tanks, and leach fields as well as driveways, sidewalks, and foundations.
Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa): Characteristics very similar to the Western Cottonwood except this tree can reach a height of 70 plus feet with a spread of 40 plus feet.
Willows (Salix species): Some of the native willows will grow to small tree dimensions reaching a height of 30 to 40 feet with a spread of 20 to 25 feet. These are found statewide in riparian areas below 3,000 feet. All will tolerate full sun to partial shade, moist conditions, and clay or sandy soil. The tree-type willows available in the nursery are Black Willow (Salix goodingii), Red Willow (S. laevigata), and Lance-leaf Willow (S. lasiandra).
These may be multi-trunk trees when small becoming a tree with a single, dominant trunk with age. All are graceful in appearance with the long, narrow leaves waving in the breeze. Many birds including hummingbirds us the hairs on the seeds as nesting material. Larger birds bite off the flexible outer stems for weaving their nests.
Mexican Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana): This small tree is found statewide in many types of plant communities ranging from chaparral to riparian and hills below 4,500 feet to grasslands. Height is up to 20 feet with a spread of 15 plus feet. Growth habit when young is usually multi-trunk becoming a single, dominant trunk with age. Usually a fast grower that tolerates full sun to part shade, prefers moist conditions but adapts well to no supplemental water, and clay or sandy soil.
Small, edible bluish berries are produced during the mid to late-summer time frame. These are edible as noted but should be slowly cooked to produce a thick sauce which is excellent on pancakes and ice cream. The berries can be eaten uncooked in small quantities; eating too many uncooked will produce stomach cramps like you have never had. These berries are also use as food by numerous types of birds.
Native evergreen trees make a very effective backdrop for native plantings and lend themselves very well as shade trees for patios and other areas. In addition, many native annuals and perennials are well suited for planting under these trees thereby providing color from flowers and food and shelter for wildlife. Such a setting can be very eye-appealing and functional while requiring little water and maintenance.
Madrone (Arbutus menziesii): This tree is found along the north and central coastal and intermediate regions of California. Most common habitat is woodland and forest hills and canyons below 5,000 feet. Madrone can reach a height of 40 plus feet with a spread of 30 plus feet and exhibits a beautiful branching growth habit. Pink, bell-shaped flowers are borne in the spring followed by red berries in the fall; more food for wildlife.
Madrone will tolerate full sun near the coast to part shade in the intermediate areas, clay or sandy soil, and watering during the dry season should be 2 times per month.
Island Ceanothus (Ceanothus arboreus): This ceanothus can be grown as a very large shrub or trained and pruned to a small tree. As the name indicates, this ceanothus is found on the southern islands (Catalina and San Clemente) on bluffs and canyons below 1,500 feet in Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral habitat. Height can reach 20 feet with a spread of 12 feet. Leaves are a glossy green and 3 to 5 inch panicles of fragrant blue flowers are borne in the spring.
Island Ceanothus will tolerate full sun, prefers sandy soil, and watering during the dry season should be 1 to 2 times per month.
Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’: I’m going to include this in the ‘tree’ category because if you select a small plant (1 to 5 gallon) with a strong central leader, it can be trained and pruned to a small tree also. Height can reach 15 feet with a spread of 10 plus feet. It is relatively slow growing; starting with a small plant 2 feet tall, it will take 5 years to reach 7 to 8 feet in height. Large leaves are a glossy green and 5 to 6 inch spires of fragrant blue flowers are borne in the spring. Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ prefers full sun, sandy soil, and watering during the dry season should be 1 to 2 times per month.
Tan Oak (Lithocarpus densiflora): Tan Oak is a small tree with leathery green leaves that is hardy to 15 degrees F. Growth habit is a conical crown making this an excellent street tree. Tan Oak is found in northern and central coastal and intermediate regions in forests below 4,500 feet. Growth is moderate reaching a height of 10 to 30 feet with a spread of 15 plus feet. Flowers are borne in the summer and resemble willow catkins. Acorns ripen in the fall and form an important food source for Scrub Jays.
Tan Oak will tolerate full sun to full shade (grows taller in full shade), tolerates clay and sandy soil, and requires dry season watering of 1 to 2 times per month.
Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus): Catalina Ironwood is a relatively small tree that is restricted to the off-shore islands of Southern California where it is found in canyons below 1,700 feet. Growth is fast, reaching a height of 20 to 45 plus feet, depending on the subspecies (see below), with a spread of 15 feet. White flowers are borne in the summer on panicles that resemble Queen Ann’s Lace. The bark varies from gray to reddish brown, peeling in strips.
Catalina Ironwood prefers full sun, tolerates clay or sandy soil, and dry season watering of once per month.
Fern-Leaved Catalina Ironwood (subspecies asplenifolius): This ironwood can reach a height of 39 feet and is found on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Clemente islands.
Santa Catalina Island Ironwood (subspecies floribundus): Height for this ironwood is 49 feet and is found exclusively on Santa Catalina Island.
Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri): The Coulter Pine is found in central and southern coastal and intermediate regions from 1,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation. This is a conifer of large proportions reaching a height of 65 feet with a spread of 35 feet and very symmetrical in proportion. Though large in size, the canopy is relatively open which provides ample filtered sun to the ground below for many shade-loving natives. One of the drawbacks with this conifer is the size of the pine cones. They are large and heavy; ranging from 8 to 12 inches in length and can weigh up to 3 plus pounds. This is not a tree to take a prolonged nap under without a protective canopy.
Coulter Pine prefers full sun, prefers clay soil but will tolerate sand, and requires dry season watering of once per month.
Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata): This is a rounded conifer with a very dense growth habit and provides excellent windbreak capability with its fast growth. Found in northern and central coastal and island habitats, it can achieve a height of 30 feet with a spread of 20 feet.
Bishop Pine prefers full sun, sandy soil only, and dry season watering of once per month.
Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia): This is our beautiful local oak with a spreading crown and is found statewide in coastal and intermediate regions below 3,000 feet. Flowers are borne in the spring and resemble willow catkins. Acorns that follow in the fall are an important food source for Scrub Jays and were used by the local Indians and early settlers as a food source varying from bread to cereal. The Coast Live Oak is listed for a height of 40 feet with a spread of 35 plus feet. I personally had the opportunity to see and survey the largest Coast Live Oak in California while still living in Orange County. The dimensions noted above were dwarfed by this specimen. This tree is located in Christinitos Canyon inland from San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. Shortly after its discovery, a non-profit organization was formed and was successful in securing grants for the purchase of the entire canyon and surrounding watershed all the way to the ridge tops.
Coast Live Oak prefer full sun, clay or sandy soil, and dry season watering of none to once per month.
California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica): This is a large stately tree with aromatic glossy green leaves that is found in the northern and central coastal, intermediate, and island regions below 5,000 feet. Small yellow-green flowers are produced in the winter. The fruit is singly produced, oval in shape, and dark purple when dried. Height is listed as 30 to 80 feet with a spread of 25 plus feet. The height is greatly influenced by soil fertility, amount of shade, and water availability. With all other factors constant, a Bay Laurel growing in part shade will be taller, usually, but the growth will tend to be rangy.
California Bay Laurel tolerates full sun to part shade, clay or sandy soil, and dry season watering should be 1 to 2 times per month. If grown in sandy soil, there needs to be a lot of organic matter incorporated to achieve good growth.
