Advice about Trees
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions |
What kind of tree? Evergreen, in shade
June 2010
We are planting 2 new trees in our relatively small backyard as 2 diseased trees are being removed (a pittosporum and a stone pine). Our house is north facing and in the South Bay. Does anyone have recommendations of 2 different trees that we could plant? We are looking for trees that are evergreen to provide privacy/screening. We'd also like the trees to not grow too big as they would be under and close to the PG power lines. Are there trees that are evergreen that also have lovely seasonal blossoms? That would be great. Any suggestions are appreciated. Tree Lover
Hello, I'm a landscape designer, and I use Camellia sasanqua or Camellia japonica when I have a shady condition with space constraints. You said your house is north facing, so I'm assuming your yard is in the shade. You can purchase them as a 15 gallon standard (versus multi-stem), so they will grow like a small tree. They are evergreen and in the early spring produce beautiful blooms. Plus you can make tea! Good luck, Carmen
City of Berkeley Tree Planting Program
March 2005
Our neighborhood in N. Berkeley is in the process of using the tree planting program to replace several trees lost in the 80's drought. If you are a Berkeley resident who took advantage of this program, I would be interested to learn which tree species you chose and the plusus and minuese of that choice. Would you choose the same species again? If not, why not? There are so many to chose from, and although I have gotten the list of trees as well as read up on them, it is difficult to decide what will work best. I would welcome any feedback! sarah
My former block in Berkeley had chosen the Liquid Amber trees. I'm not sure if they are still on the list, but the block regretted the choice because they drop a thick sap that is very hard to get off of cars. anne
Tree is dripping sticky stuff (aphids)
Sept 2006
I've seen the archives about people who will trim or move your trees, but I'm looking for someone who can tell me if my tree is sick. I'm not sure if those are the same people or not. The tree next to the street in front of my house in North Oakland drips this stuff off it that gets on your car if you park under it. And now the tree has black spots on its leaves and what look like white spots on its branches. I need someone to tell me if there is something wrong with the tree, and if so, what to do about it and if I need to get it trimmed or doctored
What's Wrong With My Tree?
I am not a tree expert BUT it sounds to me like there are aphids in the tree - which is pretty normal. Ants like to farm aphids so if you see ants going up and down the tree trunk, there are probably aphids. The ants are aphid ranchers and feed on the sweet ''honey dew'' that the aphids give off. The honey dew also falls out of the tree onto leaves and cars. Its stickyness makes it gather dust and leave dark specks. Since you say you see white spots on the tree, it may be scale bugs, too, which i think can also be associated with ants. On small trees if folks want to get rid of the aphids or scale, they put sticky ''tangle foot'' in a ring around the trunk so the ants can' get to their herd. I recommend that you take a leaf with the white stuff on it to a good local independant plant store and ask them. In my neighorhood we go to Berkeley Horticulture for advice. Up at the UC Botanical Garden, a retired professor (Rabbe?) used to do a fabulous plant clinic once amonth or so. Folks would bring in their bits of sick or infected plants and he would tell you what was wrong with them ...for free!. He is an amazing font of knowledge and others would hag out just to soak up some of his expertise. Call the UC BOt Garden (google for the number) and see if they still do the clinics Garden Mom
Sept 2008
As an arborist, I think you can take care of aphids by yourself. First, if the tree is in a bad location or is getting too much/little water, light or fertilizer (most often too much fertilizer), correct this problem first. Mulch under the dripline if that's not already done. Second, get a strong pressure nozzle for your hose and knock off as many aphids as you can. They won't climb up again. If there are ants managing the aphid colony then put tanglefoot or another sticky substance around the base of tree and check every few days to make sure they haven't bridged it. If none of this works after a week or so, my last resort is to get neem spray, and while using COMPLETE PROTECTION (eyes, mouth, skin) apply this to the affected parts of the tree. Never taken me more than two applications to do them in. Neem is an organic, but obviously still potent enough to do the job, so treat it like any chemical. You can get it at Berkeley Hort. It's used in toothpaste as an antimicrobial, so it's safe in small amounts, but I wouldn't push it. And of course, this is a general recommendation, as I haven't seen the tree. Good Luck! molly
Elm trees sprouting up all over our yard
August 2006
We have a big backyard and there are tons of elm trees sprouting up all over it and there is one big old stump. Is there any non-toxic way to get the elm to stop sprouting up and trying to create an elm forest in our backyard?
working like heck in the backyard
I am no tree expert, but I heard that pounding some copper nails in a tree stump will kill the ability of the tree to sprout. So you can try this, or have a tree contractor grind out the stump. dr
Birch Tree Shedding Seeds EVERYWHERE
March 2005
We are having a problem with our birch trees shedding small, brown, paper-like seeds EVERYWHERE. These little things are invading our house. We recently had work done to our home and I am wondering if there was damage to the trees during this process as I don't remember this ever being a problem prior to the work. I am not sure exactly what type of birch trees they are and have looked on the internet but didn't find an absolute answer. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I am absolutely fed up with having these things take over the exterior and interior of our home. looking for a solution!
The only reason that your tree would be producing more seeds now is if it was damaged in some way and is trying to make sure that it leaves progeny behind if it dies. Some plants will almost always do this, others only sometimes.
By next year's 'seeding season' you should have some evidence as to whether it is either dying or recovering by whether the heavy production is still occuring.
This is an educated guess from a horticulturist! Get an opinion from a licensed and experienced arborist as to the tree's health. I would recommend calling Brende and Lamb for this sort of thing (510-486-8733). They are good at evaluation whereas many tree companies are really only good for basic pruning and removal. Unless you want to just go ahead and take it out? There are tree companies for this purpose in the archives. Cecelia
Spraying Oak Trees
March 2004
We received a flyer in the mail from Gring Pest Control asking if we wanted our Oak Tree sprayed to prevent sudden oak death from ''Spring Oak Catepillars.'' We're wondering if anyone has any experience dealing with Gring and if they do this Oak spraying on a yearly basis. Any advice is helpful, as we have a large oak in our backyard that we'd love to keep, but don't know anything about this particular service. Thank you
We discussed this company in my Arboriculture class! According to my teacher, this is a scam!!
First off, there are many different Oak species and only some have gotten Sudden Oak Death (the Tanbark Oak), -and- this disease isn't a problem in the east bay (yet).
You don't need to spray your tree if it isn't sick, and the one and only spray that has been approved in treating sudden oak death isn't the one that this company sprays. Your best bet is to call the Alameda County Master Gardener volunteers for more information! 510-670-2200
The most important thing is that there is no reason to spray and treat a healthy tree. Especially with a chemical that is not approved by the International Society of Arborists (ISA). - Candace
Oak Moth Caterpillers do not have anything to do with Sudden Oak Death, and I can't believe that any responsible company would promote such an idea!
Oak Moths cause damage to Oak leaves for a fairly brief period in the Spring when the larvae (caterpillars) are voraciously feeding (the adult moths do not cause any damage). If less than about 1/4 of the leaves are affected and the tree is otherwise in good health, don't worry about it- the tree can handle that. But if the damage is extensive, &/or the tree is not in great shape to begin with, action is recommended. (If the tree's not in great shape, get a consultation from an experienced certified arborist to determine the larger problem).
There is a very effective biological control for Oak Moth larvae called BT- lethal for them, innocuous to us and other critters. But it is only effective if it is sprayed on the larvae when they are actively feeding, so you must watch your tree closely for their appearance, and then spray right away. A spray too early or too late does no good.
I use Vern McQueen for landscape spraying, 841-2782. He has a Pest Control License, is reasonable, and is a very nice fellow. Cecelia
do NOT do it at this point in time. For information about Sudden Oak Death call the Master Gardener office (Alameda Cooperative Extension) at 510-639-1371. Leave a voicemail if the phone is not answered and someone will get back to you in a day or two. MG
Sudden Oak Death and Oak Caterpillars are two entirely different problems. Try the UC Davis website for more info. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7498.html http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7422.html sunsol
I'd like to put in a plug for a native tree. They are powerhouses in providing for native birds, animals and pollinators.
Go to Calscape, put in your zip code, and it'll return a list of trees native to your area along with a bunch of their properties, including size and speed of growth, water needs, and how many species of native pollinators they support. We have a small but mighty set of nurseries that concentrate on California natives that would also be happy to help out with questions and choice.
+1 for native trees! Calscape is a great reference to choose plants, and nurseries nearby like Oaktown Native, East Bay Wilds, Native Here, and Berkeley Horticultural (they have a native section) all would be helpful. I'd also add in some of the links below might be helpful as a comparison of the wildlife benefits of native plants versus non native:
https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/douglas-tallamy-resources
I second the plug for native trees! It's awesome watching birds, butterflies, and other critters enjoy the plants and trees in our yard that they co-evolved alongside. I highly recommend going to locally-run nurseries (over "big box stores" like Home Depot) where the folks working there can give you specialized advice. I particularly like East Bay Nursery, Oaktown Native Plant Nursery, and Annie's Annuals. They have very knowledgeable staff.
Since the Bay Area has many "micro-climates" you may need to go into detail on how much fog/sun/wind you get to determine what will grow there. Spend some time tracking these elements and getting to know your area. A tree that does well in one area may not thrive in the next town over. Take a walk in your neighborhood and note which trees thrive there and which ones you like. I like to use the "Seek" app from iNaturalist to help me identify plant species and then I can take notes on what will grow in my garden.
One word of caution: Do NOT opt for a "fast growing" anything. If it's "fast-growing" now, it will be fast growing for the rest of its life. Many of those plants then become invasive (and impossible to contain). Unless it's an annual/biannual, most plants don't hit a target height and then stop growing. I think many new gardeners get into trouble wanting a big tree or a full garden quickly, and not taking into account that trees operate on a different time scale.
Good luck!
We have 2 trees on our property that I especially like. One is the ginkgo. It has lovely yellow leaves in the fall. A beautiful leaf shape. The other tree we planted in our parking strip. It is a Chinese pistache. Has gorgeous flame colored leaves in the fall. Both trees are great for shade, but have no leaves in the winter. Both are about 20 feet tall. Neither is particularly messy except for the fall leaf drop.
The best way to find a good tree is to walk around your neighborhood and see what your neighbors have. Take pictures of trees that you like that seem to be thriving. There is no tree, not even a California native, that will like whatever spot you plunk it down in, and there are a LOT of micro climates just in the East Bay. But if it's growing well in your neighbor's yard, it will probably grow in your yard too. Research the tree's light and water requirements. Does it like to get sun all day? Or does it like some shade from a tall redwood or nearby hill? Will it get water all year from the surrounding garden or from a creek? Many native trees that are not riparian will rot if their roots get summer water. Do you want a flowering tree or an evergreen tree? Do you mainly want shade or do you mainly want spring flowers or fall color? Does it have pollen that will bother family members? or fruits that are hard to clean up? How tall will it get (and is that OK for your site?) In my front yard, which is sunny, I have a mature dogwood that I love, and a magnolia that is so pretty in the spring, though neither have leaves in the winter. Those are both favorites in my neighborhood too. In the back I have a bunch of 50 year old camellia bushes that grew into trees that are now drought tolerant, evergreen, and gorgeous when they bloom. And a giant live oak in the corner that shades everything. I love them all!