Recommended Tree Species

We often get asked for recommendations of trees that do well in our area. The following lists are some of our favorite trees for the South SF Bay Area, East Bay, and Mid-Peninsula.

For more photos and detailed descriptions of trees, visit https://selectree.calpoly.edu/.

Shade Trees

• October glory maple (Acer ‘October Glory’)

• Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis)

• Frontier Elm (Ulmus ‘Frontier’)

• Accolade Elm (Ulmus ‘Morton’)

• Sawleaf Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)

• Ginkgo (Gingko biloba)

• Red Oak (Quercus rubra or Q. shumardii)

• Fruitless Olive (Olea europaea ‘Swan Hill’ or ‘Wilsonii’)

• Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)*

• Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)

• Chinese elm (Ulmus ‘Drake’)

• Cork oak (Quercus suber)

• Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana)

• Blue oak (Quercus douglasii)*

• Tipu Tree (Tipuana tipu)

• Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus × carnea 'Briottii')

• Hedge Maple (Acer campestre)

• River Birch (Betula nigra ‘Heritage’)

  
  

Blue oak (Quercus douglasii)

Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus × carnea 'Briottii')

Small Ornamental Trees

• Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus × carnea 'Briottii')

• Chinese Fringe Tree (Chionanthus retusus)

• Redbud (Cercis occidentalis)*

• Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)

• Metro Gold Maple (Acer campestre ‘Panaceck’)

• Marina madrone (Arbutus ‘Marina’) or Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

• Chitalpa (Chitalpa tashkentensis)

• Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)*

• Palo Verde (Cericidium ‘Desert Museum’)*

• Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia × fauriei ‘Natchez’)

Kusamaki (Podocarpus macrophyllum)

Screening Trees

• Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)*

• Elegant Brisbane Box (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’)

• Catalina cherry (Prunus illicifolia lyonii)

• Carolina laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniana ‘Bright N Tight’)

• Kusamaki (Podocarpus macrophyllum)

• Marina Madrone (Arbutus ‘Marina’)

• Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

• Monterey Bay Brush Cherry (Eugenia myrtifolia ‘Monterey Bay’)

• Fraser’s Photinia (Photinia fraseri)

• Fruitless Olive (Olea Europaea ‘Swan Hill’/’Wilsonii’)

• Pacific Wax Myrtle (Myrica californica)*

• New Zealand Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparum)

• Saratoga Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis ‘Saratoga’)

• Hop Seed Tree (Dodonea viscosa)

Ginkgo (Gingko biloba)

Colorful Trees (medium to large)

• Frontier Elm (Ulmus ‘Frontier’)

• Accolade Elm (Ulmus ‘Morton’)

• Sawleaf Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)

• Ginkgo 'Autumn Gold' (Gingko biloba)

• Red Oak (Quercus rubra or Q. shumardii)

• Tipu Tree (Tipuana tipu)

• Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus × carnea 'Briottii')

• Hedge Maple (Acer campestre)

Evergreens and Conifers:

• Fruitless Olive (Olea europaea ‘Swan Hill’ or ‘Wilsonii’)

• Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)*

• Peruvian Pepper (Schinus molle)

• Cork Oak (Quercus suber)

• Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica)

• Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara)

• Red Flowering Gum (Corymbia ficifolia)

• Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia ‘Drake’)

Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)

Larger Fruit Trees

• Avocado (Persea americana)

• Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

• Orange (not mandarin or dwarf)

• Persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

• Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)

*indicates California native