Newsletter Articles
How to Choose Landscape Trees for Southern California
By Richard Flowers, ACCNP, Green Thumb Nursery Ventura
Choosing a landscape tree comes down to one principle: right tree, right place. Match the tree’s mature size, water needs, and purpose to your site before you plant, and you avoid the most common and expensive mistake, which is a tree that outgrows its spot. A tree is a decades-long investment, so a little planning now saves a lot of pruning, repair, and regret later.
Quick answer: Pick a landscape tree by matching it to your site, not the other way around. Check its mature height and spread, decide what you want it to do (shade, privacy, accent, or fruit), and confirm it suits your sun, soil, drainage, and water budget. Give it room away from power lines, foundations, and pavement, choose deciduous for summer shade or evergreen for year-round screening, and do not let a fast growth rate tempt you into a weak, short-lived tree.
| Factor | What to ask before you buy |
|---|---|
| Mature size | How tall and wide will it get, and does the spot have room? |
| Purpose | Do I want shade, privacy, an accent, or fruit? |
| Site match | Does it suit my sun, soil, drainage, and climate? |
| Water | Is it drought-tolerant enough for Southern California? |
| Clearance | Is it clear of power lines, foundations, and pavement? |
| Leaf type | Deciduous for summer shade, or evergreen for year-round screening? |
| Growth rate | Am I trading long-term strength for fast growth? |
Start With Right Tree, Right Place
The single most important step is to know how big the tree will get before you plant it. Consider its mature height, crown spread, and root space, and place it to avoid collisions with power lines and buildings.[1] It is easy to be fooled by the small tree in the nursery pot: a 5-to-10-foot tree you buy today may grow to 50 or even 100 feet, so let the planting location dictate the species you choose, rather than the other way around.[2]
Decide What You Want the Tree to Do
Different trees serve different jobs, and the job should drive the choice. Deciduous shade trees cool a home in summer and let winter sun through once they drop their leaves, evergreens make a windbreak or privacy screen, and fruit trees feed you.[3] Before you shop, decide whether you are planting for shade, privacy, an ornamental accent, or food, because that answer narrows the field quickly.
Match the Tree to Your Site
Once you know the job, match the tree to the conditions it will actually live in: sun exposure, soil type and drainage, and your climate or hardiness zone.[4] A tree that thrives in one region can struggle in a hotter, drier one, so do not assume a pretty tree from a nursery tag will suit your yard. In Southern California, water is part of that match: favor low-water, drought-tolerant trees that fit our dry climate, and group thirstier trees only where you can realistically water them. For help there, see our guide to drought-tolerant plants. The free Cal Poly SelecTree database is a handy tool for checking a tree’s size and needs, and our team can point you to proven Southern California landscape trees for your specific spot.
Give It Room: Space, Roots, and Utility Lines
Trees need room above and below ground. The biggest overhead hazard is power lines: near a utility line, choose a small tree that will not exceed about 25 feet at maturity, so it never grows into the wires.[5] Below ground, give roots space and keep trees away from sidewalks, foundations, and septic systems; where root-and-pavement conflicts are a concern, proper species selection, tree wells, and root barriers help.[6] For more on keeping roots out of trouble, see our guide to choosing trees that will not disturb your underground plumbing.
Deciduous or Evergreen?
This choice is really about function and, in our climate, energy. A deciduous tree placed on the south or west side of the house shades it through the hot months, then drops its leaves to let the winter sun warm the house, which is the heart of using the right tree in the right place to save energy.[7] An evergreen, by contrast, holds its foliage year-round, which makes it the better pick when your goal is a constant privacy screen or a windbreak.[3]
Watch the Growth-Rate Tradeoff
It is tempting to buy the fastest-growing tree you can find, but speed has a cost. Fast-growing trees put their resources into quick growth rather than strong, defensive wood, which makes them more likely to break and typically shorter-lived. Slower-growing trees build denser, stronger wood, wall off injuries and disease more effectively, and tend to live much longer.[8] For most yards, a moderate-growing, strong-wooded tree is the better long-term investment.
Still deciding? Visit any Green Thumb Nursery location and our team will help you match the right landscape tree to your yard’s size, light, soil, and water. You might also like our guides to trees with year-round interest and native Southern California trees.
Choosing a Landscape Tree: FAQ
How do you choose a landscape tree?
Match the tree to the site. Decide what you want it to do (shade, privacy, accent, or fruit), check its mature height and spread, and confirm it suits your sun, soil, drainage, water budget, and space before you buy.[1]
What should you consider before planting a tree?
Its mature size, its purpose, your site conditions (sun, soil, drainage, climate), clearance from power lines and structures, and whether it is drought-tolerant enough for Southern California. Plan for the tree it will become, not the small one in the pot.[2]
How far from the house should you plant a tree?
Give it room for its mature crown and roots, and keep it away from the foundation, pavement, and septic lines. Under power lines, choose a small tree that stays below about 25 feet so it never reaches the wires.[5]
Are fast-growing trees a good idea?
Usually not for a permanent landscape tree. Fast growth tends to mean weaker wood, more breakage, and a shorter life, while slower-growing trees are stronger and longer-lived.[8]
Should I choose a deciduous or evergreen tree?
Choose deciduous on the south or west side for summer shade plus winter sun, and evergreen when you need a year-round privacy screen or windbreak.[3]
Sources
- [1] Arbor Day Foundation, Tree Planning, Selection and Location: arborday.org
- [2] Oregon State University Extension, Selecting, Planting and Caring for a New Tree: extension.oregonstate.edu
- [3] International Society of Arboriculture, Choosing the Right Tree: treesaregood.org
- [4] Arbor Day Foundation, 7 Smart Tips for Choosing the Right Tree: arborday.org
- [5] Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech), Selecting and Managing Trees to Avoid Conflicts with Overhead Utility Lines: pubs.ext.vt.edu
- [6] Arbor Day Foundation, Resolving Tree and Sidewalk Conflicts: arborday.org
- [7] Utah State University Extension, Planting Trees for Energy Conservation: extension.usu.edu
- [8] Alabama Cooperative Extension System, How Tree Growth Affects Tree Failure: aces.edu
Sign up for the Green Thumb Nursery newsletter for seasonal Southern California gardening tips.