Cercis canadensis
A darling of the small stature understory flowering trees in Northern California may be replacing the ever-popular flowering but...
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TELCS
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4 min read
Pittosporum tenuifolium
It is easy to dismiss some of the more Plane Jane plants of the ornamental landscape, but for landscape architects, they can play key...
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3 min read
Prunus laurocerasus
For formal and informal hedges, Prunus laurocerasus is a competitive option. They treat us with deep green and lustrous foliage, perfect...
41 views0 comments
3 min read
Pinus edulis
Memories can pop up when least expected. My family and I would sit on the back deck of our South Lake Tahoe cabin and pick out and devour...
11 views0 comments
4 min read
Koelreuteria paniculata
Truth be known, I have not specified Koelreuteria paniculata in any of my designs, and I am not sure why. Perhaps one reason is that it...
24 views0 comments
3 min read
Melaleuca linariifolia
Easily unnoticeable but offers so much more when looking at the details, we should be seeing more of Melaleuca linariifolia in public...
18 views0 comments
3 min read
Ceiba speciosa
Ages ago...I am referring to my own ancient history...I was an outsider yet still involved with activities on Stanford's campus. My...
14 views0 comments
4 min read
Ginkgo biloba
Like me, Ginkgo biloba is a living fossil, or as Sunset summarizes, an "ancient survivor from prehistoric times..." (p. 339). The...
21 views0 comments
4 min read
Myoporum laetum
There are two trees I can think of that leave me unenthusiastic about giving them my time here. The first is Ailanthus altissima, which...
29 views0 comments
2 min read
PSA #1: Trees still need water over the summer and fall, just not as much as you might think
Autumn 2021. California is drought stricken. Wildfires seem endless. Fire season. Our state is at the precipice, where we are...
12 views0 comments
5 min read
Pistacia chinensis
Frequently, I second guess myself on the scientific name of this deciduous tree. Pistache, pistachio...isn't there an "h" in the genus? ...
119 views0 comments
3 min read
Ceratonia siliqua
Where do you fall in the carob or chocolate debate? A general online search illustrates how people take sides for their health benefits,...
17 views0 comments
4 min read
Arbutus 'Marina'
When thinking about street trees for California, there are few evergreen examples that check off all the boxes of requirements and still...
27 views0 comments
4 min read
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
If a landscape design calls for tropical plant species, one cannot go wrong with including Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Its genus, Hibiscus,...
30 views0 comments
3 min read
Styrax japonicus
Designers may already be familiar with Japanese maples and flowering cherries, but this Japanese snowdrop or snowbell tree offers a...
13 views0 comments
3 min read
Clerodendrum trichotomum
This large shrub, small tree came my way from generous owners of a small resort in Guerneville. I would occasionally talk with them...
26 views0 comments
3 min read
Lagunaria patersonii
Admittedly, I only discovered this tree when developing our plant list for student studies, so in this situation, I am the student as...
11 views0 comments
3 min read
Chilopsis linearis
In the past decade, Chilopsis linearis has started to pop up in Northern California as a viable, colorful option in the landscape ...
21 views0 comments
4 min read
Punica granatum
We moved to Palo Alto when I was child, so I was amazed to learn that we had our own pomegranate tree in the front yard, already well...
36 views0 comments
5 min read
Lagerstroemia indica
What's not to love about Lagerstroemia indica, or crape myrtles? Right about now, mid to late summer, their ubiquity is obvious along...
57 views0 comments
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