Native Plants

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Saturday - April 24, 2010
From: San Ramon, CA
Region: California
Topic: Trees
Title: Trees for pool area in San Ramon, California
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We live in San Ramon. We are remodeling our pool and are looking for a tree that will be 15 feet from a pool. We just removed a pine tree. We have now lost our privacy and see the neighbor's back fence on their hillside. What can we plant that will be about 15 feet high, 10 feet wide at most, direct sunlight, that will not be messy near our pool, yet pretty both during every season.ANSWER:
Below are several evergreen trees in approximately the size range you are seeking that are native to Northern California:
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii (hollyleaf cherry)
Umbellularia californica (California laurel)
Lithocarpus densiflorus (tanoak) and here are photos and more information
Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon)
Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany) and here are photos and more information
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (blueblossom)
Morella californica (California wax myrtle) and here are photos and more information
Rhododendron macrophyllum (Pacific rhododendron)
You can see more suggested species by going to our Recommended Species page and choosing Northern California from the map or the pull-down menu. You can use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option in the side menu to select for characteristics that you want.
Here are photos from our Image Gallery of some of the above:
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May 07, 2014 - Good morning Mr. SP,
I see from your description of Condalia hookeri that this species has bisexual flowers. Do you know if it is self-incompatible?
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I am thinking about ordering a Red Maple tree that is cultivated from Mount Vernon. I appreciate the historic nature of such a tree. The tree will be shipped to me and is ...
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Wild Texas olive trees in Chappell Hill TX
July 17, 2009 - Are wild texas olive trees male and female? Mine is evergreen with no olives. I would like to have another that is evergreen and has no fruit but all I find are deciduous and have fruit.
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