low, fast growing trees for shade.

16 years ago

i am felling two giant pines in feb because they seem to be infested with some kind of beetle. to replace them, i would like to plant a couple of trees that dont get very tall(10-12 ft?), fast growing and gives shade all year round. fruit trees would be nice, but ornamentals are also ok. fragrant flowering trees would be the best.

i am somewhat smitten by michelia alba/champaca...but i am not sure if it is well suited for my needs/zone. it would be awesome to have such a natural air freshener by the house.

any and all suggestions appreciated!

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Comments (5)

lou_spicewood_tx
16 years ago
sweet olive( osmanthus fragrans)? I am not familiar with your area but if it doesn't get very cold, you could look at osmanthus fragrans 'Fudingzhu'/
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
16 years ago
Second the sweet olive, I used them in Sacto often. 'San Jose' is a good one, as is 'Fudingzhu' for the size you want. Xanthoceras sorbifolium is another. You may try Sorbus 'Rabina' as well, if you are in a cooler pocket. Cotinus coggygria as well, altho trite and may get leaf scorch there, unless you get fog.

Dan
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
16 years ago
10-12' is pretty darn tiny for most trees, unless you are looking for true dwarfs. The michelia will eventually grow much larger than that and is really a subtropical plant......it will not be happy if you get very cold in winter, which some areas of the Bay area can.

A larger growing evergreen shrub may be more what you are looking for if size is a real concern. And shrubby plants tend to establish and grow faster than trees as well. Osmanthus is a nice choice but I would not necessarily restrict my choice to O. fragrans - O. delavayi or x burkwoodii could work equally and are also quite fragrant. Another choice would be the compact form of Arbutus unedo, strawberry tree. Very mild fragrance, if any, but an excellent choice for your area with a lot of year round attraction. Very drought tolerant once established, as well.

Pittosporums, choisya and azara also offer fragrant evergreen choices and respond well to pruning to keep size in check.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
16 years ago
I generally tend to agree with gardengal, and strawberry tree in the Bay Area IMHO is overplanted, but choisya is a good choice if you have a green thumb. If I had a client that didn't mind the work I'd suggest it but if they were the type who enjoyed the garden by looking out the window I'd forgo the suggestion. If the OP is stuck on evergreen, perhaps a Leptospermum scoparium New Zealand Tea Tree might do the trick as well. Sweet olive, depending upon species, gives you multiseason fragrance and combined with pittosporum - as I did in my yard in Sacto - gives a long scent season. Pittosporum can be buggy with scale and requires attention.

Dan
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
16 years ago
Dan.....what sort of green thumb is required by Choisya? IME, this is a pretty much a plant-and-forget type of shrub - I only pruned mine occasionally when it got too rambunctious, no fertilizing, minimal watering, no disease or pest issues. Not a very tricky plant in my book and with a nice, citrus-y fragrance.