Trees of the California Landscape

Turns out, our text book for the Tree ID class at Merritt College is a great resource for identifying trees in the landscape. Trees of the California Landscape is written by Charles R. Hatch, and published by University of California Press, Berkeley in 2007. The book is divided into three main parts – the introduction, a compendium of trees of the California Landscape, and a reference section.

• Introduction - describes the topography, geography, and climate of California. It provides information about trees in the native landscape, including information about different habitats and plant communities. It also provides information about trees in the urban landscape, including public parks and plazas, freeways, streetscapes, and residential landscape, design elements for tree selection, and lists of tree characteristics.
• Compendium - provides a list of trees, sorted by binomial name. Diagnostics for each tree are described, including leaves, flower, seeds, twigs and bark, and pictures are provided.
• Reference - includes information about taxonomy, tree structure, bark, habit, leaf veining, leaf parts, leaf types, leaf format, flower types, and fruit types. It also includes a  glossary, trees by classification and family, key to tree genera, an index to trees, an index to common names, a list of arboretums, and a bibliograhpy.

I love its clear pictures of tree forms and leaf structure. The diagnostics are also useful. I also appreciate that it recognizes non-native trees that are part of the urban landscape in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Street Trees Through the Seasons - Chinese Pistache

Pistacia chinensis (Chinese Pistache) is native to China and has naturalized in parts of California.

The tree is deciduous, and key diagnostics include a rounded form, nearly as wide as it is tall, with low sweeping branches unless pruned. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, 4-8” long, dark to medium green with 10-16 elliptical to ovate-lanceolate leaflets (2-4” long by ¾” wide), glabrous, with brilliant fall color. Insignificant male and female flowers are on separate trees (dioecious). Females develop clusters of small, red drupes. Bark is reddish brown, becoming gray-brown and finely fissured with age.

Pistacia chinensis - leaves, flower, and form.

Chinese Pistachio tolerates drought and alkaline soil, resists oak root fungus, and is relatively pest free. The drupes drop in the fall, making this a very messy tree, but makes up for it with its fall color in our temperate climate.

Winter - limbs are bare against the winter sky.	Spring - male and female flowers emerge.
Summer - trees are leafed out and drupes develop.	Fall - brilliant color and drupes turn red.

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Street Trees Through the Seasons - Upright English Oak

Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ (Upright English Oak) is a variety of the species that is native to central and northeastern United States and southern Canada.

The tree is deciduous, and key diagnostics include a distinct upright columnar form, with many small, twiggy side branches. Leaves are alternate, simple, 3-4” by 1-2”, oval, dark green, with little or no stem, distinctly scalloped edges, persisting well into winter with orange to tan fall color. Acorns are brown, oval, with flattened, rounded ends and a short blunt nib and cup scales forming a fat warty surface over half the nut. Bark is dark brown, furrowed, with shallow, flat, peeling ridge plates.

Quercus robur 'Fastigiata' - leaves and form.

Quercus robur‘ Fastigiata’ requires little care once established, but does best in good soil.

Winter - bare, ascending branches reveal the upright columnar shape.	Spring - fresh, green, densely clustered leaves.
Summer - attractive foliage and form under the hot Dublin sun.	Fall - leaves turn bronzy orange.

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