Every large city has a tree department, an arborist and a recommended list of trees for their area, here's yours.

Here is a link that might be useful: recomendations for riverside county

You didn't say whether your own preference is for a tree that will remain evergreen year round, or perhaps go seasonally deciduous. Many subtropical trees will stay evergreen most of the year, but may drop leaves right before they bloom in spring. Some showy bloomers that would fit with a tropical theme, yet also be considered as providing shade would include Jacaranda mimosifolia, Chorisia speciosa, Tabebuia chrysotricha or T. impetiginosa, Tipuana tipu, to name just a few. Another very showy summer blooming, winter deciduous tree that would love your summer heat, is Albizzia julibrissin. Smaller growing, but also showy in summer bloom, is the winter deciduous Lagerstroemia indica and x fauriei hybrids, and some grow large enough to provide shade, and certainly have tropical affinities, as there are tropical species of this genus as well.

The only problem with many of these trees, is that they aren't as clean as palms, and the flowers or seasonal drop of leaves will require some cleanup, but the show is most often quite worth it, and the shading they can give a roof or south/west facing wall can make a real difference in cooling the house in summer.

Check Sunset Climate Zone for your location against frost tolerance for the various trees listed above, as not all are equally tolerant of winter cold. Tipuana tipu is probably the least winter hardy, as this is the only one listed that isn't grown regularly further north here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Fantastic, thank you! This will give a start to look at some of these recommendations.

I have always loved both! If I had my choice, I'd plop a big ol' maple tree in front but that isn't practical!
It's right at the sidewalk so, I don't want a jacaranda. I know that much! I love them, but they'd spit on the cars! Had my old car get spit on all the time when I stayed with a friend.

I like the idea of a showy tree. I guess a little dropping isn't too bad. And, last yrs frost was a record here for us, so I don't know that we'd get something like that again for a while.

Thank you for the link to the county site, too! I had no idea there was such a place. Much appreciated.

- Terra

Thinking maybe crape mertle may be a possibility. Just need to check on the height for the shade thing.

Anyone own any? Pro's Con's?

The lavender variety of Crape Myrtle gets fairly large but not overly so. It will make a fine shade tree and be showy to boot. Crapes are not that messy either.

wonderful thank you for the insite. My friend's mom has a gorgeous magenta colored myrtle in her front yard and it always blooms beautifully. I've always loved it. Just don't know how they get in the winter. Twiggy I imagine. But I may be leaning this way! - Terra

They don't look bad in winter because they have a pretty shape and they have that pretty bark.

I was just looking at a few websites and noticed they make mini's too!

I think I have stumbled upon something good!

Thanks sooooo much!- Terra