Are you in a cool part of the Bay Area or does it get pretty hot? That would play a part in what will work well for you. Your front yard is fairly small so also include large shrubs limbed up in your search. (A large shrub is as large as a small tree.)

Crepe Myrtles have beautiful summer flowers in an array of colors, good autumn foliage color, beautiful bark, don't get too big, and are fairly well behaved root-wise. The area you have there is pretty small, so watch the mature size of the plant. Magnolia, stick to a smaller version like 'Teddy Bear' (even that will eventually get fairly large) or one of the saucer magnolias (Magnolia × soulangeana).

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/favorite-tree-of-california-dsvw-vd~1772721?n=77

A lot of great suggestions here!

Thank you. Josue Diaz I've been following along there as well. Many of the trees are far too large for my small yard.

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23 We are in the cool part. We don't really get frost like 9a/9bs but also do not have the heat normally associated with that zone. We have (at most, usually less) 7-10 days/year where the temperature rises above 85 degrees F.

I was recommended crepe myrtle by someone else as well but also cautioned that we didn't have the heat for it. Do you know it's heat needs?

Some Crepe get quite large and will hide the house. Your yard is small and your front door is hidden. I would plant one fastigiate tree where I marked and be done with it. I love trees but your yard is just too small.

emmarene(9) Like an arborvitae? I find those kind of ugly What are some examples of fastigates that would work in our odd climate of no frost yet low heat?

I agree our yard is too small. If I could have my way, I'd plant no trees, but HOA refuses to budge on their rule of 1 tree. The neighbor also needs to put in a new tree on their side and they will be going with a japanese maple. I was thinking of planting a Black Turkey Fig on my side with a Black Jack fig on the other side of the house since they remain small.

You mention winter interest. Would you consider a conifer?

emmarene There is a house here similar to mine on the exterior with only a slightly larger yard and they have some kind of conifer growing on both sides, with a larger conifer on the larger slice of yard. It looks really great! They also have a beautiful green lawn so it all works very well.

My problem is I'm ripping out my lawn and putting in a meadow style perennial lawn that I can just mow once in January and be done. I'm thinking a conifer will look odd with drought friendly perennials. Any other ideas?

Look at Metrosideros 'Springfire'. 12-15' tall evergreen, coral flowers attract hummingbirds, would appreciate the cooler climate. I would stay away from Crepe Myrtles if you are in a cooler zone, though the heat reflected from the sidewalk and driveway might make it possible. See if there are any in your neighborhood and how they are doing. Toyon (CA Native) makes a small tree (slowly) and has white flowers in June and red berries in winter that attract birds. Some of the Arctostaphylos are small trees (eventually), slow growing but they have fabulous dark dark red bark, wonderful silhouettes, white flowers in spring that feed hummingbirds. 'Austin Griffiths', A. glauca, maybe? Check a native plant nursery site to see what taller Arctostaphylos would be best for your zone. Some of the native Ceanothus can make a good small tree. Not always long-lived, but they grow fast so can be easily replaced. 'Ray Hartman', 'Snow Flurry', maybe?

You could espalier the black jack! That would look so cool in your smaller side area.

Kerry Johnson That is a great idea! What shape would be best for a free standing black jack?

I would get or build a long trellis and run it along your property line (where you inserted the red line). Start with a smaller fig (5g or under) and as it pushes out new growth in the Spring start guiding the branches around/through the openings in your trellis. Keep doing this as the branches continue to grow. You will then have room to put a nice grouping ( perhaps 3 or so) of some other flowering plant in front of your fig. Check out catmint (Nepata faassenii). It is on the smaller side, has a nice mounding structure and beautiful little purple flowers that attract all kinds of bees (including natives ones). It isn't a CA native plant but it is extremely drought tolerant and takes pruning well.

Whenever you get close to a decision I recommend you check out what kind of root system your tree has. Evergreen magnolias, for instance have terrible surface roots that lift pavements and destroy any chance of planting in the area of the root zone, Maple trees with their pretty foliage and striking Autumn colors also usually have difficult surface roots. Many oak trees are deeply rooted. The Ginkgo tree is deeply rooted. One of my favorite trees is Nyssa sylvatica, which is deeply rooted.

it can be boring to have an evergreen tree all year and most conifers have lots of surface roots. Deciduous trees have three seasons of interest at least and for some people like myself, the bare limbs of deciduous trees have a certain beauty, giving a fourth season of interest,. Especially those with unusual bark.

echolane Thank you. I'm settling down on planting edible trees in dwarf sizes. I am thinking of a dwarf Persian mulberry and a dwarf bay leaf tree on the smaller yard, and then a Black Jack fig, a dwarf cherry, and a dwarf strawberry tree on the larger yard side. Do you happen to know anything about the roots of these trees? You make a great point about the roots affecting pavements and I will be researching these myself as well.

I have a Blsck Jack fig and I must say the figs are irresistibly delicious. But the roots of fig trees are notoriously bad. I did install a root barrier, but it has already breached the edge of it :-(

As for Persian Mulberry, I had never heard of it, so did a search and came up with an interesting link. Check out the Q and A Section below the article and you will discover that those who chimed in think the Pakistani Mulberry is far superior. Persian/ Pakistani Mulberry. I do think Mulberries have wide ranging horizontal root systems.

A firend in Irvine had a specimen golden shower tree in a yard that size. It was the prettiest tree on the street. A trimmed standard wisteria would be beautiful too.

I wish I knew where that tree was located in Irvine, kittymoonbeam, because I'd love to see it! Fistula is very rarely grown here, because it isn't really the preferred climate. I heard about one in northern San Diego County, but it was really slow growing and I think it had some damage during an off year weather-wise.