SHOPPER'S GUIDE TO EVERGREEN TREES
University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Fresno County
April 2006
Select plants suitable for USDA hardiness zone 9 or Sunset hardiness zones 8 or 9. Not all trees listed here belong to these zones.
| NAME | SHAPE | SIZE | GROWTH RATE | LEAF LENGTH | WATER NEEDS | POTENTIAL PROBLEMS | COMMENTS |
| Acacia Shoestring Acacia |  | 20-30' H 20-40' W Patio | Moderate | 1/2" leaflets |  | Allergenic pollen Messy fruit | Fragrant yellow flowers |
 | 30' H 20' W | Fast | To 16" | | Allergenic pollen | Creamy-white flower balls Frost sensitive | |
| Arborvitae, American Thuja occidentalis. |  | 35-60' H 10-15' W | Moderate to fast | 1/2 - 3/4" needles |  | ||
| Bottle Tree Brachychiton populneus |  | 30-50’ H 30' W | Moderate | 2-3" |
| Fruit litter Frost tender Brittle wood | Interesting seed pods prized by flower arrangers |
| Camphor Cinnamonum camphora |  | 30-50’ H 30-60' W | Slow | 2 1/2 - 5" | | Spring leaf drop, invasive roots, Verticillium wilt | Many volunteer seedlings, Slow growth |
| Carolina Cherry Laurel | | 20-30’ H 15-25' W | Moderate | 2 - 4" | | Fruit and flower litter | Small fragrant creamy-white flowers |
| Cedar, Deodar Cedrus deorara |  | 80' H 40' W | Fast | 2" needles | | Pollen, catkins Giant conifer aphid | Drought-tolerant when established, 3-5" cones |
| Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia | | 40-60' H 50-70' W | Fast | 3/4 - 2 1/2" | | Shallow aggressice roots, Aphids, scale, leafhoppers Allergenic pollen | Semi-deciduous in cold weather Many cultivars available |
| Cypress, Italian | | 20-60' H 8-15' W | Slow | | Mites, Coryneum canker Allergenic pollen | Drought-tolerant Cones to 1 1/2" | |
| Cypress, Leyland Cupressocyparis leylandii | | 50' H 30' W | Very fast | | Very susceptible to Coryneum canker | Becomes floppy, needs regular trimming | |
| Eucaluptus 70 species grown in California | Various | Some species to 200' | Fast | Various | | Some species messy Brittle in wind Borers, psyllids, beetles | See vaious species Some species considered invasive |
| India Hawthorne Rhaphiolepis indica ‘Majestic Beauty’ | | 20-25' H 8-10' W Patio | Moderate | 1 1/2 - 3" | | Fire blight Cercospora leaf spot | Spring flowers Can reduce size by shearing |
| Juniper, Hollywood Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ | | 15' H 10' W | Moderate | | Root rot, juniper blight, Mites, borers Juniper twig girdlers | ||
| Loquat Eriobotrya japonica | | 15-30' H 15-30' W Patio | Fast | 6-12" | | Fruit and leaf drop Fire blight | Fragrant flowers |
| Magnolia, Southern Magnolia grandiflora | | 80' H 30' W | Slow | 4-8" | | Surface roots Mites, scale, aphids | Fragrant flowers Leaves and pods do not decompose rapidly |
| Mayten | | 30-50' H 30-50' W | Slow to moderate | 1-2" | | Dense growth may prevent lawn growth beneath | Suckers from roots Requires good drainage |
| Oak Cork Oak Holly Oak Southern Live Oak | DO NOT WATER IN SUMMER ONCE ESTABLISHED | ||||||
|
| 20-70' H 20-70' W | Fast | 1-3" |  | Aggressive roots Heavy leaf drop in spring Allergenic pollen | ||
| 30-60' H 30-60' W | Slow to moderate | 3" | | Large heavy acorns Leaf drop Allergenic pollen | Interesting corky bark Tolerant of lawn water | ||
| 30-60' H 30-60' W | Fast | 1-3". | | Acorn drop Allergenic pollen | |||
| 40-80' H 40-80' W | Moderate to fast | 1 1/2 - 5" | | 1" sharp acorns | Most attractive of all oaks in hot interior climate | ||
| Olive Olea europeana | | 25-30' H 25-30' W | Moderate | 1-3" | | Fruit stains, allergenic pollen Scale, Verticillium wilt, crown gall, nematodes | Thrives in hot summers Frost sensitive |
| Palm California Fan Palm Mexican Fan Palm |  | 60' H 20' W | Fast | 3-6 feet | | Frond drop, seeds Leaf spots, mites | Heat-tolerant Not for small lots Many volunteer seedlings |
| 90-100' H 10' W | Fast | 3-4 feet | | Frond drop, seeds | |||
| 60' H 50' W | Slow | 20-25 feet | | For better quality fuit plant Phoenix dactylifera | |||
| 30' H 20-25' W | Moderate | 15 feet | | Shallow roots | Frost sensitive | ||
| 30' H 10' W | Moderate to fast | 2-3 feet | | Leaf spot | Fiber-covered trunk | ||
| Pear, ornamental Pyrus kawakamii | | 15-30' H 15-30' W | Slow to moderate | 2-4" | | Flower/fruit drop Surface roots, Whitefly, severe fire blight | White flowers in winter/spring Semi-deciduous |
| Pepper Tree California Pepper Brazilian Pepper | | 25-40' H 25-40' W | Fast | 2" leaflets | | Leaf and seed litter Scale Allergenic pollen | Seedlings brittle branches Frost sensitive Surface roots |
| 15-30' H 10-30' W | Moderate | 1-2" leaflets | | Verticillium wilt Allergenic pollen Brittle branches | Many volunteer seedlings Frost sensitive Invasive species | ||
| Photinia, Red Tip Photinia fraseri | | 10-15' H 10-15' W Patio | Moderate to fast | to 5" | | Leaf drop Sunburn on trunk Borers | Reddish new spring growth Creamy white flowers |
| Pine Austrian Black Pine Canary Island Pine Italian Stone Pine Japanese Black Pine | REQUIRE SPECIFIC TRAINING TECHNIQUES | ||||||
| | 40-60' H 20-30' W | Slow to moderate | 3-6" needles | | Aphids, borers | Branches grow in whorls 2 - 3 1/2" cones | |
| | 50-80' H 25-30' W | Fast | 9-12" needles | | Heavy needle drop | Drought-tolerant 4-9" cones | |
| | 40-80' H 40-60' W | Moderate | 5-8" needles | | Prone to limb failure Shallow roots | Heat-tolerant 4-6" cones | |
| Various | 20' H 10' W | Slow to moderate | 3- 4 1/2" needles | | Aphids, borers Leaning trunk | Can be shaped Can be grown as bonsai 3" cones | |
| Pittosporum tobira Tobira | | 6-15' H 6-15' W Patio | Moderate | 2-4" | | Sticky seed and fruit litter Aphids and scale | Creamy-white flowers |
| Podocarpus gracilior
| | 20-60' H 10*20' W Patio | Slow to moderate | 2-4" | | Nearly pest-free Frost sensitive | |
| Podocarpus macrophyllus Yew Pine | | 15-50' H 6-15' W Patio | Slow to moderate | 4" | | Easily shaped Does well in containers | |
| Privet, glossy Ligustrum lucidum |  | 20-40' H 20-40' W Patio | Fast | 4-6" | | Immense fruit crop, stains | Spring and summer flowers Many volunteer seedlings Good hedging material |
| Redwood, Coast Sequoia sempervirens | | 70-90' H 20-30' 'W | Fast | 1/2" |  | Leaf litter Iron deficiency Susceptible to salt injury | Not well-adapted to Central Valley heat |
| Silk Oak Grevillea robusta | | 50-60 ' H 30-35' W | Fast | 4-6" | | Heavy leaf fall in spring | Gorgeous showy flowers Drought-tolerant Thrives in heat |
| Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo Arbutus “Marina” | | 40' H 40' W Patio | Slow to moderate | 2-3" | | Messy fruit, basal suckets, stem sprouts | Drought-tolerant |
| | 35' H 8-35' W Patio | Slow to moderate | 2-3" | | Messy fruit, basal suckers, stem sprouts | Drought-tolerant Better garden choice than A. unedo | |
| Sumac, African Rhus lancea | | 20-30' H 25-30' W | Slow | 4-5" | | Leaf litter Good drainage essential Allergenic pollen | |
| Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis | | 12-40' H 12-25' W | Slow | 2-4" | | Suckers, scale, psyllids Allergenic pollens | Drought-tolerant Spring leaf litter |
| Xylosma Xylosma congestum | | 12-25' H 12-25' W Patio | Moderate to fast | 1 1/2 - 3" | | Scale, spider mites, chlorosis | Semi-deciduous in cold weather |