How to pick a great tree

There are many things to
consider when choosing a new tree.

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

FRESNO, Calif. — Trees can do so many things for a yard. They can shade it. They can give it visual interest with colorful flowers, leaves or bark. But they also might cause problems with aggressive roots, or if they grow too big.

To determine whether a tree would be ideal for you and your yard, knowing the characteristics of tree varieties comes in handy.

“You have to know,” says Susan Stiltz, owner of Susan Stiltz Landscape Design and Consulting in Fresno. “You have to pick the right tree for the right place.”

Fall often is an ideal time to plant trees, allowing them time to get their roots established. So you might be looking for one or two to plant. When you’re shopping, you need to keep in mind that particular tree’s growing habits to make sure it will be suitable for what you want or need, she says. For example, if you have a small yard, you wouldn’t want to squeeze in a Valley oak, which can reach 75 feet tall.

Since there isn’t necessarily a one-tree-fits-all, here are some tree suggestions from Stiltz and John Pape, an arborist and author of “Understanding Trees” (Craven Street Books, $19.95). Tree descriptions are from Stiltz, Pape and his book, and “Sunset Western Garden Book” (Sunset Books, $34.95).

COLOR

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus): A fast-growing deciduous shrub or small tree, it can reach 25 feet tall. It has fragrant long, narrow leaves. Small, fragrant lavender-blue flowers grow on spikes in early summer.

Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis): A slow to moderate-growing tree that can reach 30 to 60 feet tall. It has long, narrow leaves that change colors in the fall from orange to red or yellow.

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica): A slow-growing tree that can get to 25 feet tall. The dark green leaves turn orange or red in the fall. In the summer, it gets clusters of flowers in various colors, including white, pink, purple and red. The smooth gray or light brown bark also peels off to show the smooth, pink inner bark.

Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus): A smaller tree that grows about 20 feet tall. In late spring or early summer, pure white blossoms appear.

Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica): A slow- to moderate-growing tree that can reach 30 to 50 feet tall or higher. It has crooked branches and dark, red-tinged bark with glossy, dark green leaves. In the fall, leaves will turn yellow, orange and red before dropping. It bears small, bluish-black fruit that birds like — and that can be messy.

ALLERGY-FREE

(Suggestions also come from a brochure about the Allergy-free Demonstration Garden at California State University, Fresno.)

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus): A fast-growing deciduous shrub or small tree, it can get to 25 feet tall with an equal spread. It has long, narrow leaves. Small, fragrant lavender-blue flowers grow on spikes in early summer.

Fern pine (Podocarpus gracilior): Often used as an evergreen shrub, it is easily trained into a tree that can reach 20 to 40 feet tall and spread 10 to 20 feet. The small leaves don’t create a mess and are suitable for planting around a pool.

Fruitless olive (Olea europaea “Swan Hill”): A slow-growing tree that can get to about 25 to 30 feet high with an equal spread. Leaves are deep green. It bears no fruit and has little or no pollen.

Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera): A fast-growing tree that can reach 60 to 80 feet tall and spread 40 feet. It features tulip-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers with orange at the bases when the tree is 12 to 15 years old.

SHADE

Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora): A slow-grower, it can get to 50 feet tall or higher and 60 feet in spread. However, it produces significant litter with leaves, flowers, fruits and twigs. Roots also can cause problems.

Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia): A fast-growing tree, it can tower 40 to 60 feet tall and spreads 50 to 70 feet. It has orange or green peeling bark.

Elm hybrids (Ulmus ‘Frontier’ or Ulmus ‘Accolade’): The Accolade variety grows 70 feet tall and spreads 60 feet wide with arching limbs. Frontier is a smaller variety, at 40 feet tall and a 30-foot spread. It has reddish-purple leaves in the fall.

Sawleaf zelkova (Zelkova serrata): A moderate to fast grower, this tree can reach 60 feet tall or higher. In the fall, leaves turn yellow, dark red or reddish brown.

Valley oak (Quercus lobata): Native to the Central Valley and the Sierra foothills, it can grow to 75 feet tall. However, it can get messy as it drops debris such as leaves and acorns.

NOT MESSY

Fern pine (Podocarpus gracilior): Often used as an evergreen shrub, it is easily trained into a tree that can reach 20 to 40 feet tall and spread 10 to 20 feet. The small leaves don’t create a mess and are suitable for planting around a pool.

Palo verde (Cercidium ‘Desert Museum’): It can grow to 20 feet tall with an equal spread in three to five years. It gets blossoms in the spring, but has no thorns and few seedpods or litter.

Sweet bay tree (Laurus nobilis): A slow grower, it can get to 12 to 40 feet tall with an equal spread. It produces small yellow flowers in the spring that are followed by black or purple fruit.

NONINVASIVE ROOTS

Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis): This deep-rooted tree can get 40 feet tall with an equal spread. It produces small berrylike fruit, and its leaves turn yellow in the fall. Woolly aphids can be a problem, but they can be controlled by using a systemic pesticide.

Chinese pistache: (Pistacia chinensis): A slow-to-moderate-growing tree that reaches 30 to 60 feet tall. It has long, narrow leaves that change from orange to red or yellow in the fall.

Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba): A slow-growing tree that gets as tall as 40 to 50 feet. In the fall, the light green, fan-shaped leaves turn gold. Plant male varieties to avoid getting obnoxious-smelling fruit.

Red oak (Quercus rubra): A fast-growing deciduous tree that can reach 60 to 75 feet tall and spread 50 feet. Leaves are red or yellow in the spring, green in the summer, and red, brown or orange in the fall. It has deep roots.

COMPACT GROWTH

Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis): This tree can grow to 15 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. It produces fragrant flowers from spring to fall in various colors, such as purple, pink or white.

Flame maple (Acer tataricum ginnala ‘Flame’): It gets 15 to 20 feet high with an equal spread and has fiery red foliage. Clusters of small, fragrant yellowish flowers bloom in early spring.

Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria): A small tree, about 12 to 15 feet in height and spread, but it can reach 25 feet. Leaves are purple and change color in the fall. It has unusual flowers that look like puffs of smoke.

Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata): A deciduous tree that grows to 10 feet tall and 20 feet in spread. It has white flowers in early spring.

DROUGHT-TOLERANT

Cork oak (Quercus suber): This tree grows to about 50 feet high and has a corky bark. Wine corks often are made from this tree’s bark.

Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara): A fast-growing tree that can soar to 80 feet tall and 40 feet wide.

Flaxleaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia): This tree reaches 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide. White bark sheds in papery flakes. In the summer, it gets fluffy spikes of small white flowers.

Shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla): A fast-growing, medium-size tree that can get to 30 feet high and 20 feet wide.

Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis): A shrub or small tree, it can grow 10 to 18 feet tall. In the spring, it bears magenta flowers, as are the newly forming seedpods in the summer. Leaves turn yellow or red in the fall.