The Best Trees for Santa Clarita

 If you have lived in Santa Clarita for any length of time, you have become accustomed to our beautiful tree-lined boulevards and shady parks and paseos. You have also probably noticed that some trees are better adapted than others for this area. Some trees you may have been familiar with in the San Fernando Valley are not well adapted here. Jacarandas, Coral trees, and the vivid Silk-Floss tree all do well closer to the coast, but are damaged by the frosts here in Santa Clarita.
Many of the older species of trees providing majestic structure and welcomed shade have created a few problems for some small front yards. The Fruitless Mulberries, Elm trees, and Ash trees planted twenty years ago have roots that are as aggressive as the above ground branches. These trees should be planted in large, open areas, away from driveways, sidewalks, and patios.
Certain species of Pines, Eucalyptus, and Weeping Willows are prone to insect or disease, and require some preventive maintenance to assure optimum health and vigor. If you think this pretty much eliminates every tree you have ever heard of, don’t worry. There are more than 250 or so species of trees planted in Southern California. More than half of the trees on this list are relatively free of pests and diseases, and grow very well in our climate.
Of the more than 100 varieties trees to choose from, we can break these down into three categories: small, medium, and large. Small trees will usually have smaller root systems, and are better adapted to tighter areas such as parking medians and street trees. These trees will usually grow slowly and mature at heights less than 25 feet. A good example of small trees would include trees like the Redbuds, Desert Willows, and Tupelo trees.
Medium size trees seldom reach heights of 35 feet and usually grow at a faster rate. Good examples of medium size trees are the Australian Willow, Bottle Tree, and the Chinese Flame Tree.
Large trees are for larger yards with plenty of room to grow. These trees will often reach heights greater than 35 feet. These would include trees such as the Chinese Pistache, Holly Oak and Italian Stone Pine.
All of these trees have proven to do very well in our climate and at this time do not have any known insect or disease problems. The root systems have not proven to cause any unusual problems and they can all tolerate heat and drought.
John Windsor is a Horticulturist and Advanced California Certified Nurseryman with Green Thumb Garden Center, 23734 Newhall Ave., Old Town Newhall.