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Tree Inventory Acacia caven Chilean Acacia, Espino-cavan Map Location 48 Bed H (P-4) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Chile Height: 4.5 m. (15 ft.) One of the most spectacular bloomers in the Garden, it is covered with clusters of golden-yellow flowers in April. Often a shrub in form, it is used for hedges in Chile because of its stout spines. Its finely divided leaves are attractively feather-like in appearance. Nice shade tree and very hardy. Acacia constricta Whitethorn Acacia Map Location 14 Bed 11 (N-28); Bed C (J-11) Family: Fabaceae Origin: SW USA Height: 5 m. This shrubby tree in front of the Winter House is a native of the American deserts from western Texas to Arizona and south into Mexico. Extremely drought tolerant, it is also very hardy, surviving temperatures to 50F. The pinnately compound leaves are deciduous in winter, on branches with conspicuous white spines. Fragrant, golden yellow, ball-shaped flowers appear in late spring and occasionally in fall. Pods are up to 4” long and usually constricted between the seeds. Acacia craspedocarpa Leatherleaf Acacia Map Location 79 Bed A (I-33) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Australia Height: 10’ This evergreen shrub from Australia has round, thick, leathery full gray-green leaf-like ½" phyllodes, hence the name Leatherleaf Acacia. It is an erect, compact shrub slowly growing to 10 – 15’ tall and wide, somewhat resembling a large boxwood. The bright yellow catkin-like flowers appear spring through summer followed by large flattened seedpods. Plants do best in full sun to part shade. Requires moderate irrigation until established. It often turns a tan color in cold weather (Mountain States Wholesale Nursery website: http://www.mswn.com/index2.htm). Acacia pendula Weeping Myall Map Location 39 Bed F (BB-10) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Australia Height: 16 m. The silvery-leafed tree with pendulous branches in the western part of the garden. Relatively insignificant pale yellow flowers in late winter (sometimes in fall). Grown primarily for its foliage and weeping habit; dense Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden growth to about 40’. The wood is “violet-scented” and used for veneer and “fancy boxes”. Found naturally in hot, dry interior regions of Australia’s eastern states, generally along dry stream courses. Very drought-tolerant and hardy. Acacia pravissima Oven’s Wattle Map Location 51 Bed J (II-6) Family: Fabaceae Origin: SE Australia Height: 8m This Australian shrub or small tree, with triangular phyllodes in lieu of leaves, brilliantly covered with yellow flowers in late winter. Acacia saligna Blue-Leaved Wattle Map Location 82 North Fence (G-42) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Western Australia Height: 6m Small tree from Western Australia, sometime called the Weeping Wattle. Acacia sp. Map Location 81 North Fence (H-43) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Height: Two trees of the same species planted here. Acacia subporosa Map Location 37 Bed 7 (Z-17) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Australia Height: 10 m. A moderate-sized tree of a relatively vertical form with rather long, narrow phyllodes. The pale yellow flowers emerge in early spring. The new growth gives a yellow hue to the foliage. Brachychiton acerifolius Australian Flame Tree Map Location 1 North Fence (G-38) Family: Sterculiaceae Origin: Australia Height: 20 m. (60 ft.) A spectacular red-flowering tree hardy to 25 degrees. Strong, heavy, smooth trunk that is usually green in color. Leaves are handsome, glossy, bright green fans up to 10” across with deep lobes. They look similar to maple leaves, hence the name acerifolius=maple-like foliage. Showiest flowering from May to June when the whole tree can be covered with small, tubular, red or orange-red bells. Leaves drop before flowers appear in the portion of the tree that blooms. Brachychiton australis Flame Tree Map Location 49 Family: Sterculiaceae Origin: N. Australia Height: 15 m Page 2 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Bed F (DD-10) This tree from Queensland and Northern Australia resembles B. acerifolius, but has white flowers. Brachychiton discolor x acerifolius Bottletree Map Location 36 Bed F (DD-9) Family: Sterculiaceae Origin: E. Australia Height: 30m This hybrid tree (both parents come from Australia) has fuzzy pink- to rose-colored flowers, which appear in summer. Brachychiton ‘Majestic Beauty’ NCN Map Location 5 North Fence (E-21) Family: Sterculiaceae Origin: Australia Height: This Brachychiton is a hybrid between B. acerifolius and B. populneus. Like B. acerifolius, it has dangling red flowers, but without the palmate leaves of that species. Brachychiton populneus Kurrajong Map Location 41 Bed L (FF-14); Bed F (Z-9) Family: Sterculiaceae Origin: Australia Height: 20 m. (60 ft.) This Brachychiton species is named for the resemblance of its leaves to those of a poplar. Its flowers are small and inconspicuous. It performs well in desert areas and consequently is widely planted in Arizona. Brachychiton rupestris Family: Sterculiaceae Queensland Bottle Tree Origin: NE Australia Map Location 16 Height: 20 m. Bed 11 (P-33); Bed C (F-6); Bed M (KK-25); Bed 7 (W-17) The largest of these trees is near the greenhouse in Bed 11. The trunk stores food and moisture, allowing the tree to survive long periods of drought in the dry interior of NE Australia. Leaves palmately divided in youth, becoming simple (un-divided) on adult trees; flowers are a dull yellow with red speckles, but relatively insignificant. Survived the 1990 freeze, but lost the outer tips of each branch. Very heat and drought tolerant; ultimately as much as 60’ in height. Aborigines ate the young roots and the seeds, either raw or roasted. Brahea armata (Erythea armata) Family: Arecaceae Mexican Blue Fan Palm or Blue Hesper Palm Origin: N. Baja CA and Mexico Map Location 21 Height: 80 ft Bed 5A (W-26); Bed F (Z-11) After Tycho Brahe, 16 century Danish astronomer, and armata=armed with thorns. The genus Brahea contains approximately sixteen species growing from the Sonoran desert in northern Mexico into Central America plus one species that is native to Guadalupe Island. B. armata has two very distinctive features: a crown of blue- Page 3 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden green to aluminum-gray palmate fronds and the extremely long arching (approximately 18 feet) inflorescences that emerge from the crown of fronds bearing masses of creamy yellow flowers. On young trees the inflorescences can arch out and beyond the crown of fronds and reach the ground. B. armata is relatively slowgrowing. They will tolerate extreme drought and extreme cold. The few representatives of the species growing in the Ygnacio Valley survived the 1990 freeze (down to approximately 16-19 F degrees) without noticeable damage. Since B. armata is native to the hot dry deserts of northern Mexico, they are not suitable in coastal Sunset zone 17 climates. The palm can reach a height of 80 feet or more in a century of growth but specimens this old are rarely seen in California; a few still survive on old ranches in the Central Valley. The Garden has one very spectacular specimen visible from the main entrance of the Folly. It is approximately 30 years old. Butia capitata (Cocos australis) Jelly Palm, Pindo Palm Map Location 31 Bed 9 (U-15); Bed 6W (BB-14) Family: Arecaceae Origin: S. Brazil, Uruguay Height: 6 m. (20-25 feet) From the vernacular Brazilian name and capitata, grown in a dense head, referring to the large dense clusters of fruit. The genus Butia consists of eight species distributed in southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. B. capitata grows in open savanna and sparse woodlands and are extremely variable in color, light green to glaucous gray, and growth habit of the fronds, which can be erect or deeply recurved and arching (the most desirable form). The pinnate fronds can be up to eight feet in length with the leaflets standing upward from the petiole forming a trough. The inflorescences arise from within the crown of fronds and initially the spathe stands nearly vertical and may reach 4-1/2 feet in length. As the spathes mature, they swell at the top, looking something like a pointed baseball bat. Eventually the spathe will open by “unzipping” from the top to bottom and the peduncle and rachillae will spill out. The unopened flowers are initially maroon in color against the pale yellow of the peduncle and minor branches. The mature inflorescences will contain a dense mass of yellow/orange fruit, each approximately one inch in diameter. By the end of the summer, the inflorescences can weigh 75 pounds or more. A tree may produce five or six fruit clusters in a single season. The fruit are quite tasty but the seed is large and the fruit very fibrous. A jelly is made from the fruit in South America, hence the common name. B. capitata is very cold tolerant and generally drought tolerant also. It can take the full brunt of California’s hot dry summers. Butia paraguayense Scrub Bottletree Map Location 40 Bed F (Y-9) Family: Arecaceae Origin: Paraguay Height: This palm is very similar to B. capitata, but has paler fruits with a less sour flavor. Caesalpinia cacalaco Cascalote Map Location 78 Bed A (J-32) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Tropical Mexico Height: 15 – 18’ Caesalpinia cacalaco can either be left unpruned to grow as a large shrub, or trained into a small tree to 15-18’ tall and wide. In the winter, Cascalote produces large spikes of clear yellow flowers at the branch tips, followed Page 4 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden by attractive copper-colored seedpods. Cascalote is native to tropical areas of Mexico, and suffers frost damage when temperatures drop below 20°F. In warm climates, this plant is evergreen, with glossy green compound leaves. Younger branches are reddish-brown, and are usually adorned with rose-like thorns. The thorns are not as prominent on older trunks and branches. Cascalote grows best in full sun and well-drained soil, and is easily propagated from seed. USDA Zone 9 (Mountain States Wholesale Nursery website: http://www.mswn.com/index2.htm). Our specimen was donated by our friends at Mountain States Wholesale Nursery in Glendale, Arizona, and was planted in The Garden during the spring of 2004. Caesalpinia spinosa Tara Map Location 83 North Fence (D-20) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Peru Height: 2-5 m. This small tree comes from Peru. It has dark gray bark and prickles on its trunk. Its leaves are divided into rounded leaflets, and its flowers are yellow to yellow-orange. Calliandra tweedii Brazilian Flame Tree Map Location 26 Bed 10 (Q-22) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Brazil Height: 2 m. (6 ft.) Large evergreen shrub or small tree, with lacy, bi-pinnately compound leaves. Brilliant crimson-red “powder puff” flowers, heaviest in spring, scattered through fall; petals are small but color is provided by the stamens. Accepts a variety of soils, and very drought-tolerant once established. Hardy to the low 20’s. Best in regions with hot summers. Flowers are popular with hummingbirds. Cassia leptophylla Gold Medallion Tree Map Location 2 North Fence (G-37) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Brazil Height: 6 m. One of the most graceful and shapely of the Cassias. Fast-growing tree or large shrub; open headed, low spreading, tending to weep. Deep yellow flowers to 3” wide, in 6” to 8 “ long spikes through July-August with scatter blooms from April to May. Visitors often note the yellow flowers upon entering the Garden as they are conspicuous along the driveway. Catalpa bignonioides Common Catawba, Indian Bean Map Location 60 Bed G (H-2) Family: Bignoniaceae Origin: SE US Height: 20 m. (60 ft) A rounded tree in habit, with ovate leaves up to 8” long, ill-smelling when bruised. Its beautiful white flowers are born in panicles up to 10” long with 2 yellow stripes and brown spots. The seed pods that follow flowering are long and narrow about 12” in length that separate into two valves. The seeds have a tuft of hairs at each end. Page 5 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Cedrus deodara Deodar Cedar Map Location 73 Palm Allee (NN-17) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Himalayas Height: 25 m. Fast-growing to 80’, with a 40’-spread at ground level. Lower branches sweep down to the ground, then sweep upwards. Upper branches openly spaced and graceful. Its nodding tip identifies it in the skyline. Softer, lighter texture than other cedars. Often planted as a living Christmas tree, this becomes a substantial plant and should not be used in small areas. This tree comes in many varieties from low shrubs to major trees. Ceratonia siliqua Carob Map Location 46 Bed G (L-2, N-2, M-1) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Mediterranean Height: 18 m. (50 ft.) An evergreen tree with dense crown featuring dark green pinnately compound leaves with leaflets opposite and about 4” long. We have several trees planted together. They can withstand a little frost, but generally adapted to climates that support oranges. It will grow on any well drained soil and is used as a street tree extensively in S. California. The pods are eaten by livestock, and also by humans. The seed pods are edible with a sweet pulp between the seeds, and they can be processed to make a cocoa-like flour which can be used in baking and in making candy bars, etc. Roasted seeds can be used as a coffee substitute. Cercis canadensis var. mexicana NCN Map Location 84 North Fence (C-10) Family: Fabaceae Origin: N. & Central America Height: to 14 m. (40 ft. +) Small tree resembling C. occidentalis. There are several trees planted together here. Cercis occidentalis Family: Fabaceae Western Red Bud Origin: Calif. Native Map Location 7 Height: 5 m. (15 ft.) Bed B (J-23); Bed C (G-13, H-12, I-11) A number of large multi-stemmed shrubs or trees with nearly round leaves, along the drive and near the Folly entrance. Notable in late winter or early spring for displays of bright magenta-pink flowers lining the stems and branches, quickly followed by large numbers of flattened bean-like pods, each a dark magenta. Bright yellow fall color before leaves drop. Very drought tolerant. Found in the foothills throughout California below 4000’. Best flowering where winter temperatures drop below 28 degrees F. Cercocarpus betuloides Mountain Mahogany Map Location 29 Bed 10 (N-18) Family: Rosaceae Origin: Calif. Native Height: 6 m. Native to the Sierra Nevada and mountains of California, it has a very attractive open structure and branching pattern. Distinguished in the fall by long-lasting small fruits (achenes) with long twisted, feathery, tail-like plumes that sparkle in the sunlight. Called hardtack, mountain ironwood, or sweet brush, this is a very hard wood. Often found in shrub form with multiple trunks. Leaves are dark green above and pale beneath, feather- Page 6 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden veined with toothed edges. They resemble the leaves of birch trees; hence the name betuloides, or birch-like. Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean Fan Palm Map Location 28 West Pool (S-21, T-21) Family: Arecaceae Origin: Mediterranean Height: 6 m. (19 ft.) Chamaerops is a monotypic genus and the only palm native to Europe. The normal habit of growth is as a multiple-trunked clump, but occasionally single trunked trees are found. The trunks are rarely more than 8 to 10 inches in diameter, covered with long brown hair, and occasionally attain a height of 20 feet. The palmate fronds are deeply divided and rarely are more than two feet across. The color of the fronds can vary from pale green to glaucous blue/gray. The petioles are armed with vicious spines that point backwards which make pruning the dead fronds a dangerous task. C. humilis is very cold hardy (the freeze of 1990 did not damage them) and drought tolerant. It is widely planted in Mediterranean-climate areas. Clumps develop slowly from offshoots, curve to a height of 20 feet and up to 20 feet wide. A versatile palm that can be used in containers, under other trees, or to form an impenetrable hedge. Drought and wind resistant, it should be fed and given water in summer to speed growth. Chilopsis linearis Desert Willow Map Location 18, 90 (‘Regal’) Bed 2 (Y-31); Bed 1 (U-38); Bed M Family: Bignoniaceae Origin: SW Deserts Height: 9 m. A medium-sized tree with slender, willow-like leaves, found in various parts of the garden, some of the trees being seedlings of the original plantings. Soft pink to lavender flowers like small trumpet flowers, beginning in late spring and continuing through much of the summer, followed by long bean-like pods, typical of the Bignoniaceae. Relatively fast growth to about 25’. Seeds readily in the garden. Found along dry stream courses in the deserts of the southwest and northern Mexico. Very heat- and drought-tolerant; not happy in the fog-belt. This tree provides very nice filtered shade. A cultivar named ‘Regal’ is planted in Bed M, map location 90. Chorisia speciosa (Ceiba insignis) Silk Floss Tree Map Location 19 East Fence (DD-29) Family: Bombacaceae Origin: Brazil Height: 20 m. A very distinctive tree with a spiny trunk along the fence east of the longer shade structure (bed 6). Very tropical looking foliage of palmately divided leaves and a fairly open branching. Large pink flowers, bearing a resemblance to hibiscus, produced in the fall; leaves often drop during flowering, and when temperatures drop below 27 degrees. Best where temperatures don’t drop below 20 degrees; survived the big freeze with major damage to all branches and the trunk. Most growth visible today has grown since the freeze of 1990, while the trunk is remarkably healing itself with new bark and cambium. Under best conditions, can be up to 60’ tall. Drought-tolerant, but happier with some water during the summer. Cupressus arizonica Arizona Cypress Map Location 72 Family: Cupressaceae Origin: SW US Height: 13 m. (40 ft.) Page 7 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Bed N (GG-17) The foliage makes this evergreen conifer a popular tree. Its leaves are pale or glaucous-green. Cones are up to 1” across and also glaucous. It is planted in much of the US and has many cultivars. Scales are woody with many seeds to each scale. The cones take two years to mature. Eucalyptus caesia Gungurru Map Location 69 Bed O (FF-22) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: 10m With dangling leaves and attractive pink flowers with yellow stamens. E. caesia has brown bark which peels in narrow curling strips so that the pale under-bark shows. It has deep green leaves and whitened branch tips. Eucalyptus cephalocarpa Mealy Stringybark Map Location 30 Bed 9 (N-15) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: 8 m. Fibrous, deeply fissured bark of this species covers the trunk and branches, and this is similar to the bark of a stringybark, though this is not a true stringybark. The buds and leaves are usually glaucous, or blue-gray, in color, and this gives rise to the ‘mealy’ of the common name. The name cephalocarpa means ‘fruit heads’ and refers to the crowded umbels of fruits. In nature, this tree is found in Victoria and New South Wales, growing in sandy soil or loam, mainly on flat country. The summers are mild with very few days over 370C, but the winters are cool with numerous frosts. The wood of E. cephalocarpa is hard and dense, not burning readily, and the flowers are a useful source of pollen for bees in honey production. While not well-shaped in poor soils, the trees can grow to about 8 m, and in good soils can develop good shade. Eucalyptus eremophila Tall Sand Mallee Map Location 87 Bed P (EE-25) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: 4.5m A small tree, with long finger-like buds which precede the flowers. Prefers full sun and good drainage, and is tolerant of frost and drought. Eucalyptus erthyrocorys Red Cap Gum Map Location 66 Bed N (GG-20) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: 8m Of all the species of Eucalyptus, E. erythrocorys has one of the most unusual bud-caps. Like other species it lacks petals, relying instead on the tuft of colored stamens for floral showiness. The stamens are initially concealed under a bud-cap, which is pushed off by the developing stamens as they mature. This species is known as the red-cap gum because of the scarlet bud-caps. They also have a wonderful rough texture and ridges that form a cross. The red color of the caps contrasts nicely with the yellow burst of stamens that emerges when they are shed. The tree is of modest proportions, reaching a height of about 20-25 feet. It has sickle-shaped green leaves, a white trunk, and branches which are reddish at the tips. It occurs only in a small area of Western Australia a little north of Perth. Page 8 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Eucalyptus grossa Coarse-Flowered Mallee Map Location 68 Bed N (HH-20) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: 3m This drought-tolerant bush or small tree has large, leathery, dark green leaves which are oval or lance-shaped. It has large yellow flowers. Eucalyptus kitsoniana Bog Gum or Flat-root Map Location 32 Bed 9 (U-16) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: 6 m. This is a species which occurs in scattered localities on poorer soils and wet sites in southern coastal Victoria. It has also been collected from near Nelson, on the coast in far south-western Victoria. It is one of the relatively few mallees of the moister part of Australia, being apparently adapted to survive in wetter than normal conditions, rather than the dry conditions which are typical of the inland mallee country. E. kitsoniana has the large underground root—stock or lignotuber which characterizes the mallees, and from which numerous slender, smooth-barked stems arise. The large, ovate, opposite leaves which are usually present are intermediate type, the adult leaves being much smaller, lanceolate, and with a fine point. This species was described in 1904 by J. G. Luehmann, curator of the National Herbarium, Melbourne, and named in honor of A. E. Kitson, a Victorian geologist. Bog gum is usually only 1.0 to 1.2 m tall, but in a few localities it grows to tree form, reaching about 6 m. It has a smooth, gray bark, with large, ovate, leathery intermediate leaves and smaller, but still leathery, adult leaves. The rounded, sessile buds are borne in close clusters of seven, and it flowers in midsummer. Eucalyptus laeliae Darling Range Ghost Gum Map Location 53 Bed K (KK-0, LL-0) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: to 20 m Reaches a height of up to 20 m (60 ft.), with smooth pale bark, grey-green sickle-shaped leaves, and white flowers in summer. Comes from the Perth area in Western Australia. Eucalyptus lansdowneana Port Lincoln Box Map Location 70 Bed N (FF-20) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: 6 m. A small to medium-size dense tree, somewhat sprawling in its habit of growth. It can reach a height of up to 6 m (a little under 20 feet). Flower color ranges from pink to mauve. The name lansdowneana honors Thomas Lansdowne Brown, who was one of the first collectors of the plant. Eucalyptus macrandra Long-flowered Marlock Map Location 59 Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: 10.5 m. Page 9 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Bed H (Z-5) The common name above which has been applied to this species in some literature, is rarely used. The specific name macrandra means ‘long stamens’, in this case, and indicates one of the features of the plant. The buds are long, narrow and acutely horn-shaped. The bud cap is usually at least three times as long, and about the same width at the bottom, as the cup or calyx tube. E. macrandra is very similar to the tall sand mallee (E. eremophila) but the bud caps on the latter are narrower at the base than the calyx tube. This species is free-flowering and has smooth bark, usually growing to about 8 m, and sometimes topping 10 m in height. It occurs as thicket in better-watered situations in the Stirling and Porongorup Ranges of Western Australia, receiving up to 750 mm annually. Because of its habit, E. macrandra makes an ideal windbreak species, and it is also an attractive ornamental, making rapid growth up to 4.5 m in five years. It is drought-resistant and moderately frost-resistant. Eucalyptus nicholii Narrow-leaved Black Peppermint Map Location 61 Bed G (F-2) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: 12 m. One of the most attractive rough—barked trees, E. nicholii has been planted for ornamental purposes both in Australia and overseas. It is especially popular in California where its fine, light green foliage and rounded, compact crown are much admired, and the pink to plum-colored tint of the new leaves is used as a background to floral displays. In contrast to its attractive showing as a garden specimen, E. nicholii is an inconspicuous, rather poorly— shaped tree in its native state. It does not usually grow to more than 12 m, with a short bole covered by fibrous, brown bark and rather irregular branches with a tendency towards a weeping habit. The many small, creamy flowers in autumn are borne in groups of seven, along the branches. The fruits are also small and hemispheric with a flat or slightly raised disc. E. nicholii occurs naturally on shallow soils overlying slates in a restricted area from Walcha to north of Glen Innes in New South Wales, but will grow on a wide range of soils. It is frost-hardy and moderately droughtresistant. The narrow-leaved black peppermint is more often simply known by its botanical name; it was named after Richard Nichol, formerly a chief clerk at the Sydney Botanic Gardens. Eucalyptus pauciflora Ghost Gum, Snow Gum Map Location 58 Bed K (AA-4) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: 9 m (taller in some populations) One of the best known, as well as one of the most widely distributed eucalypts, this seems to be also one of the most inappropriately named. The botanical name, given by Sieber, means ‘few-flowered’, yet it is a common sight to see trees covered with blossoms during early summer. This species is also known as white sally, cabbage gum and weeping gum. It is typically a cold-country species, and one form, which is sometimes regarded as a variety and sometimes as a separate species, with the name E. paucifiora subsp. niphophila (meaning ‘snow-loving’), is the tree found at the tree-line of the mountains in the south-eastern part of the mainland of Australia. Snow gum is also found on the edges of frosty, treeless valleys in the mountains, and to near sea level in western Victoria and adjacent parts of South Australia. It is common in Tasmania, although here its high-altitude position is taken by other species. Snow gum presents a remarkably attractive picture in the snow, with its short, curved trunk and smooth, blotched, yellow and white bark, often with patches of green or bronze. The bark is marked by insect scribbles, Page 10 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden which help to distinguish it from mountain gum (E. dalrympleana subsp. dahympleana) where they occur together. Snow gum has large, grey, leathery juvenile leaves with semi-parallel veins. The twigs are often bright red or yellow, although in the alpine form they are covered by a waxy bloom. In the Garden, its beautiful white bark elicits numerous comments and inquiries from visitors. Eucalyptus polyanthemos Silver Dollar Gum Map Location 42 Bed D (P-10) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia Height: to 75 ft. The silver dollar gum is a fairly good-sized tree; large specimens may reach a height of 75 feet. A mature tree has a rounded crown of gray leaves, and bears many small white flowers when it blooms. The juvenile leaves are rounded, with a notch at the tip, and are used in flower arranging. This species is native to eastern Australia, and is drought-tolerant. There are two trees planted together in the garden. Eucalyptus preissiana Bell-Fruited Mallee Map Location 67 Bed N (EE-16) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: 2.5m Eucalyptus preissiana is a shrub or multi-trunked small tree with bluish leaves, branches which are reddish at the tips, and attractive yellow flowers in early spring. It comes from the winter-rainfall region in southwestern Australia, and prefers plenty of sun and well-drained soil. It is one of the lignotuber species, which have a swollen base capable of re-sprouting after fires. Eucalyptus sheathiana Gungurru Map Location 74 Bed O (FF-23) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: W Australia Height: to 25 ft. E. sheathiana is a small tree which may be up to 25 feet in height. It comes from inland plains in southwestern Australia. The leaves are lance-shaped to sickle-shaped and gray-green in color, and they have a strong fragrance when crushed. The flowers are cream or pale yellow in color. Geijera parviflora Australian Willow Map Location 63 Bed C (J-12) Family: Rutaceae Origin: Australia Height: 30 ft. Small tree to 30 ft. in height with smooth, linear leaves and small white flowers. The narrow dangling leaves are somewhat reminiscent of a weeping willow, giving rise to its common name. Good for filtered shade in the garden. Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Ruby Lace’ Family: Fabaceae Honey Locust Origin: E. US Map Location 15 Height: 23 m. (140 ft.) Yucca Flat (Q-29) Page 11 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Fast growing tree with upright trunk, spreading and arching branches. Leaves are divided into many oval leaflets each about 1” long. Late to leaf out the leaves turn yellow and drop early in the fall. Broad, 12-18 in. long pods follow inconspicuous flowers. Tolerant of acid or alkaline conditions, hardy to gold, heat, wind, and some drought. Seems to do best in areas with sharply defined winters and hot summers. Good desert tree. Can be used as a lawn tree, but not good against the curb or sidewalk as roots will heave up paving. This cultivar features deep red new growth. Jubaea chilensis Chilean Wine Palm Map Location 57 Bed K (Z-3) Family Arecaceae Origin: Chile Height: 25 m. (80 ft.) After King Juba of Numidia and chilensis, from Chile. Jubaea is a monotypic Chilean genus. It was once abundant in its native area, but is much less common now, since mature trees were formerly harvested for their sap, used to make palm wine and sugar. The trees are now protected. The most noticeable characteristic of this palm is its massive smooth dark gray trunk, which can attain a diameter of six feet (the largest of all palms). A crown of dark green pinnate fronds tops the massive trunk. The oldest specimens in California may be 130 years old and are in Lotusland in Montecito. J. chilensis trees are slow growing (the trunk will take 25 years to reach its maximum diameter), but may ultimately reach as much as 80’. They are very cold and drought tolerant. The inflorescence is more than 3 ft. long and maroon in color with yellow center and stamens. Juniperus deppeana Alligator Juniper Map location 92 Bed L Family: Cupressaceae Origin: SW U.S., Mexico Height: up to 60 ft. Can grow as large as 60 feet, but usually much less. The blue-green foliage is fine-textured. The berry-like cones resemble lumpy blue-green peas when immature, and take on a purplish color as they mature. The bark breaks into squarish plates which give it a texture reminiscent of alligator hide, giving rise to the common name of “alligator juniper”. The overall appearance of this tree is similar to that of the Arizona cypress, but the latter has very different stringy bark on its trunk and much larger cones. Lagunaria pattersonii Norfolk Island Hibiscus Map Location 85 North Fence (B-7) Family: Malvaceae Origin: Australasia Height: 15m Evergreen tree of the hibiscus family from Australia and islands to the east. Flowers pink to purplish-pink. Mahonia fremontii NCN Map Location 47 Bed G (O-2) Family: Berberidaceae Origin: S. Calif. & Baja Height: 3 m. (9 ft.) A shrub or small tree with dark green holly-like leaflets in usually in 2-3 pairs. The leaflets have 4 or 6 spiny Page 12 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden teeth. The berry-like fruits are yellowish-red, and the seeds are red-brown. The foliage is attractive and durable and the plan is drought tolerant. It does best when protected from the wind and hot sun. The Garden’s specimen is located among other trees, which help to shade it and block the wind. Melaleuca preissiana NCN Map Location 43 Bed D (Q-11) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: SW Australia Height: 10 m. (30 ft.) Dense shrub or small tree with whitish, papery bark. Leaves have nearly parallel sides and blunt tips. The white flowers have long exserted stamens, which make it look like a bottle brush when in bloom. In the garden, the main flowering period for M. preissiana is August-September. Parkinsonia aculeata Mexican Palo Verde Tree Map Location 20 Bed 7 (BB-22); Bed 5 (BB-25) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Mexico Height: up to 30 ft. P. aculeata is a small tree with a green trunk and branches, and narrow, pinnately compound leaves with tiny leaflets (only present when rainfall is plentiful in the desert). Green bark is sign of chlorophyll, which allows photosynthesis to take place in the bark when no leaves are present. The branches have sharp spines. Bright yellow flowers, each with an orange “eye”, appear in late spring and summer, followed by 6” leathery pods. Very tough, rugged trees, tolerating heat, cold, and drought easily. An important tree in the desert, where its light shade protects the more sun-sensitive cacti and succulents, just as it does in this Garden. Other species are found from the SW USA to Chile. Phoenix canariensis Canary Island Date Palm Map Location 75 Bed M (NN-22) – multiple trees Family: Arecaceae Origin: Canary Islands Height: 20 m. (60 ft.) After phoenix, the Greek name for the date palm, and canariensis, from the Canary Islands. It is also possible that Phoenix refers to the mythical bird of Egypt or to Phoenicia, the ancient country in the Levant where date palms were grown. The genus Phoenix is one of the most widely distributed of all palm genera. The natural range is from the Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa, across North Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. There are seventeen species in the genus. P. canariensis is the largest member of the genus both in frond length (about 15 feet in length), trunk size (at least two feet in diameter), and the size of the crown (probably the largest of all palms in the number of individual fronds, approximately 200 pinnate fronds). One of the most distinctive characteristics of Phoenix is the induplicate leaflets, which are attached to the central leafstalk (the petiole) with the pleat facing upwards. All Phoenix have spines on the lower petiole; on P. canariensis they are about ten inches long and deadly sharp. P. canariensis is very common in California, having been planted in the state since the mid-19th century. Some of the earliest plantings were in palm allees, double rows of palms lining the entranceways of ranches and farms. The stately old Canary Island palms lining the entrance to the Bancroft family estate are a classic example of a palm allee. P. canariensis are beautiful palms when viewed from a distance, but are not practical for small suburban gardens. Page 13 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Young plants do well for many years, looking something like pineapples until their trunks elongate. Note that the date palm from which commercial dates are derived is a different species, P. dactylifera. Photinia serrulata Map Location 38 Bed 8 (X-14) Family: Rosaceae Origin: China Height: 12 m. A large shrub or tree with shiny leaves that are dark green on top and yellowish green beneath. In the spring the new leaves have a reddish color, making the plant quite spectacular. Leaves are thick and oblong, acuminate, usually rounded at bases. Flowers are an attractive white and displayed in broad panicles, and fall brings abundant red berries. Pinus aristata Bristlecone Pine Map Location 35 Bed 7 (Y-21) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Rocky Mts. US Height: 15 m. A bushy tree with dark green color in the needles with conspicuous whitish exudations of resin. Cone cylindric-ovoid about 4 - 9 cm long. Closely related to P. longaeva, the Bristlecone Pine found in the White Mountains of California, this tree is among the oldest living things. It survives in the Garden but prefers more depauperate soils and a shorter growing season. Not well suited for our area. Pinus edulis Family: Pinaceae Two-needle Pinyon Pine Origin: US Great Basin Map Location 22 Height: 15 m. East Pool (U-24); South Pool (V-23) This pinyon pine features two stout leaves (needles) per fascicle and is found from Wyoming to Texas, California, and northern Mexico. Its needs are edible and a source of pinyon nut. Frost hardy and drought tolerant this is a tough and attractive tree rounding in habit. Pinus monophylla Single-needle Pinyon Pine Map Location 33 Bed 7 (X-19) Family: Pinaceae Origin: US Great Basin Height: 15 m. Single needle leaves that are rigid and glaucous-green in color. Cone is broad ovoid shaped with dark brown seeds (pinyon or pine nuts). Used by Paiutes as a primary food source. Very resinous. Pinus montezumae Montezuma pine Map Location 17 Bed 12 (P-34) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Mexico Height: 25 m. The only pine near the greenhouse, notable for its long pendulous needles. Of several dozen pines native to Mexico (the greatest diversity of pines in any region of the world), the Montezuma pine is one of the most Page 14 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden beautiful. Needles may be 12” or more in length, in bundles of 5. Cones are 6” long. Generally a tall oval tree, up to 70’or so in height. Found in the moist highlands of Mexico. Quite tolerant of heat and drought; survived our big freeze with no problems. Pinus sylvestris Scotch Pine Map Location 62 Bed N (JJ-17) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Eurasia Height: 30-70 ft. Has stiff 2-inch blue-green needles and small oval cones. Popular for use as a Christmas tree. Pinus sylvestris var. fastigiata Scotch Pine Map Location 34 Bed 7 (Y-20) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Europe Height: 25-40 m. Tree is spreading and pyramidal when young becoming round-topped and irregular when old. Bark is red or red-brown and rather thin and smooth on the upper part of the trunk and darker fissured below. Two needles per leaf, rigid and usually twisted with bluish green color. Cone is short-stalked, reflexed and symmetrical about 3-6 cm. long. An important timber tree in Europe Pinus torreyana Torrey Pine, Soledad Pine Map Location 45 Bed D (L-6) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Calif. Native Height: 15 m. (30-40 ft.) This relic species is one of the three big cone pines, all of which are native to California. The needles (leaves) are in fascicles of 5, and are between 7 and 10 in. long. They are stiff and dark green in color. Nice open tree that provides filtered shade to this area of the Garden. The cones are ovoid and about 6 in. long with edible seeds. Pinus wallichiana Himalayan White Pine Map Location 12 Bed B (L-16) Family: Pinaceae Origin: Himalayas Height: 50 m. A handsome pine of broad and open pyramidal habitat with grayish brown bark, fissured into small plates. Long needles of grayish or bluish green color. It has cylindric, tawny-yellow cones from 15 to 25 cm long on stalks. It is an Asian analog to our Western White Pine. Podocarpus totara Totara Pine, Mahogany Pine Map Location 65 Bed R (JJ-21) Family: Podocarpaceae Origin: New Zealand Height: 32 m. (100 ft.) This tree grows quite tall and is a valuable timber tree in New Zealand. It features silvery-gray bark with dull green leathery needle-like leaves about 1 in. long. The leaves are spirally arranged around the branches. Cones are yellow and consist of 2-4 scales. Seeds are drupe-like, red, about ½ in. long. Page 15 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Prosopis glandulosa Texas Honey Mesquite Map Location 23 Yucca Flat (S-28); Bed 10 (N-22) Family: Fabaceae Origin: SW US, N Mexico Height: 10 m. (30 ft.) Native to New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California, this tree (like other mesquites) is important as a bee plant and as range food. The seeds and young shoots are eaten by cattle. Native Americans and early settlers ground the seeds into flour. The leaves are pinnately compound with 10 – 15 pairs of leaflets spaced about ¼ in. apart. Its finger-like spikes of creamy-yellow flowers are produced abundantly in summer. The tree is very drought tolerant and hardy. Prosopis glandulosa ‘Maverick’ Family: Fabaceae Thornless Texas Honey Mesquite Origin: Texas Map Location 80 Height: 30 ft. North Fence (H-44) This is a thornless selection of the Texas honey mesquite. Prosopis glandulosa is the most reliably cold-hardy mesquite, tolerating temperatures down to 0°F. It has a wide spreading form to about 30’ tall by 30 – 35’ wide. The leaves are bright green, with widely-spaced leaflets. The leaves look very similar to those of California Pepper (Schinus molle). The smooth gray bark provides a wonderful contrast to the green foliage. Texas honey mesquite is completely deciduous. USDA Zone 7 (Mountain States Wholesale Nursery website: http://www.mswn.com/index2.htm). Quercus lobata Valley Oak Map Location 64 Bed L (KK-13) Family: Fagaceae Origin: Calif. Native Height: 30 m. A large tree with wide spreading branches forming a round or oblong head with drooping branchlets. Native to the deep soils of the valleys of California, its acorns were a major food source for Native Americans. Provides great shade with dark green obovate leaves featuring 7 - 11 deep lobes. It is deciduous, and its crooked branches are quite striking in winter. Quercus robur English Oak Map Location 8 Bed B (J-20) Family: Fagaceae Origin: Europe Height: 25 m. (80 ft.) Stately tree with short thick trunk featuring deeply furrowed bark and wide-spreading stout limbs forming an open broad head. Leaves remain green until late fall. This is a highly variable species with over 40 known cultivars. Leaves are obovate to obovate-oblong with 3 to 7 pairs of rounded lobes. They are dark green above and pale bluish green beneath. The tree along the driveway by the Folly was selected by Lester Hawkins as part of the original design. This is the tree of Robin Hood and the source of English oak. The specimen may be a cultivar known as “fastigiata” as it is much more vertical than is typical. Page 16 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Rhus lancea African Sumac; Willow Rhus Map Location 10 Bed B (J-18), Bed E (U-10) Family: Anacardiaceae Origin: South Africa Height: 8 m. Slow growing tree with open, spreading habit, graceful weeping outer branchlets. Leaves divided into 3 willow-like, dark green leaflets about 4 inches long. Pea-sized, yellow or red berrylike fruit in clusters on female tree such as the one in the Garden. Popular tree in desert areas because it can take high summer heat and is drought resistant when established. It will also do well in lawns. Hardy to 12 degrees. Makes an attractive, airy tree with an interesting branch pattern and dark red, rough bark Rhus ovata Sugar Bush Map Location 71 Bed N (GG-16) Family: Anacardiaceae Origin: Calif. Native Height: 5 m. (15 ft.) Usually a large shrub, it may be a small tree. The specimen in the Garden reaches over 10 feet. It is evergreen with simple ovate leaves about 3 in. long. The flowers are light yellow in short dense spikes, producing dark red hairy fruits. Quite drought tolerant. Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ False Acacia Map Location 11 Bed B (K-17) Family: Fabaceae Origin: Eastern US Height: 25 m. An ornamental tree with deeply furrowed brown bark, often planted for its fragrant flowers and deep shade. The compound leaves are yellow in this cultivar and provide spectacular fall color and nice year round contrast to the dark green foliage of the surrounding trees. Flowers are very fragrant and white, hanging in dense racemes. Seedpods are 5-10 cm long and smooth. Tabebuia chrysotricha Family: Bignoniaceae Golden Trumpet Tree Origin: Columbia, Brazil Map Location 4 Height: 16 m. (50 ft.) North Fence (G-35, D-19, F-29) This yellow-flowered member of the trumpet-vine family is a smaller and less vigorous tree than the pinkflowered species (T. impetiginosa.) Several specimens are planted along the driveway, opposite the Folly. The flowers are larger and appear a month or so earlier than the pink one, usually completely finished by the time its own leaves reappear and the other species begins to flower. Leaves are similar, but inclined to be covered with brownish hairs as they open up in the spring. More likely to be damaged by temperatures in the low 20’s. Best with some summer irrigation. Page 17 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Tabebuia impetiginosa ‘Pink Cloud’ NCN Map Location 6 North Fence (E-25) Family: Bignoniaceae Origin: N. Mexico to Argentina Height: 6 m. (20 ft.) Deciduous tree on north side of drive, opposite the Folly. Extremely showy tree in flower in late April and early May, when it is covered with clusters of pinkish-purple, trumpet-shaped flowers. Their yellow throats help guide bees and hummingbirds to the nectar, then change to pink after the flowers have been pollinated. Loses its leaves for only a short period just before flowering; leaves are palmately compound with 5 leaflets. Fruits are bean-like pods typical of the family. Best adapted to interior climates with hot summers, but needs protection from temperatures below about 24 degrees F. Likes good drainage, and is fairly drought tolerant when well established. This specimen is the cultivar “Pink Cloud”. Tamarix aphylla Tamarisk Map Location 88 Bed C Family: Tamaricaceae Origin: NE Africa & W Asia Height: 10 m Tall shrub or tree. The true leaves are tiny, but the slender green branchlets carry out photosynthesis. Very tolerant of wind, drought and salty soils. It is invasive in some parts of the Southwest. Pale pink flowers on terminal racemes to 6cm in spring. Tilia tomentosa Linden, Basswood Map Location 13 Bed B (J-15) Family: Tiliaceae Origin: E. US Height: 20 m Straight trunk and dense, compact, narrow crown. Dull, dark green leaves 4-6 in. long, 3-4 in. wide, sometimes larger, heart shaped. Loose clusters of fragrant yellowish-white flowers in June-July. You can smell the delightful perfume of this tree all over the garden, and visitors often ask about the source of the scent when it blooms. Provides deep shade, and in the fall the leaves turn yellow and make a spectacular pattern on the ground. Torreya californica California Nutmeg-Yew Map Location 91 Bed K Family: Cephalotaxaceae Origin: California Height: 20 m Evergreen coniferous tree with broad conic crown and pendulous shoots. Bark is red-brown in color and finely scaling or shredding. Leaves in 2 sparse pectinate ranks (like the teeth of a comb), flattened and hard. Leaves are fragrant when crushed. Trithrinax campestris NCN Map Location 76 West Pool (W-21, U-21) Family: Arecaceae Origin: Argentina, Uruguay Height: 3 m. (10 feet) Page 18 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden From the Greek tri, three and thrinax, trident; probably alluding to the leaf division; and campestris, growing in the fields. The genus Trithrinax consists of about five species occurring in southern South America. Most species grow in open habitats. They are solitary or clumping, with palmate fronds, either dark green or glaucous gray. T. campestris can be single or a multi-trunked compact clump approximately 10 feet in height when mature. The rigid palmate fronds are generally gray-green and tipped with vicious terminal spines. The trunks are covered with a woven web of what looks like heavy burlap embedded with a network of long spines. In spite of their formidable armament, they are beautiful small palms, at least when viewed from a distance. T. campestris is very rare in cultivation. We have two specimens of T. campestris. One has silvery blue foliage and is multi-stemmed, while the other is green and single-stemmed. Both produce creamy spikes of flowers each year in the fall. Washingtonia filifera California Fan Palm Map Location 27 Bed 10 (O-22, O-23) Family: Arecaceae Origin: S. California Height: 20 m. (60 ft.) After George Washington, and filifera, bearing filaments or threads. California’s only native palm, found in oases in the deserts of S California, western Arizona, and northern Mexico. This is the tree that gave Palm Springs it name. The palms grow naturally in the southwestern desert, usually in canyons near springs or water seeps. In the wild, they usually have a “skirt” of dead leaves hanging from the top of the trunk; these are often cut off in cultivation. Slow growth, usually with very straight, thick trunks, topped by an open mass of fan-shaped leaves 4-6’ across with filaments on the margins; petioles edged with hooked spines. The threads implied in the species name are found between the leaf segments. White flowers on 9-12’ narrowly branched clusters among the lower leaves in mid-summer, followed by tiny edible, black oval fruits. W. filifera can attain 50’ or more in 30 years. The genus Washingtonia contains only two species: the slender-trunked W. robusta (the Mexican fan palm), and W. filifera. W. filifera is noted for its massive gray trunk, large crown of gray-green palmate fronds, and the persistent petticoat of dead fronds that clothe the trunk, sometimes for decades. They are very cold hardy and drought tolerant, and do well in all Mediterranean climates. They seem to suffer during periods of excessive rainfall, which is more of a problem in the southeastern US than here in California. Fungal and bacterial infections can attack the emerging spear and sometimes kill the tree if left unattended. W. filifera and its close cousin W. robusta are the most commonly planted palms in California. We have a grove of three mature W. filifera south of the plant sales house, and one seedling that is very small. Yucca filifera Spanish Bayonet/Palma China Map Location 9 Yucca Flat (Q-26) Family: Agavaceae Origin: Mexico Height: 9 m. (30 ft.) Olive green sharp-tipped leaves, with pendulous panicles of cream-white flowers. Needs a sunny location with well drained soil. Becomes quite large in time, and one of the few yuccas with pendulous flowers. Yucca potosina Palm Soapwort Map Location 89 Family: Agavaceae Origin: Mexico Height: to 15 m. Page 19 Trees of The Ruth Bancroft Garden Bed B (I-16) Closely related to Y. filifera, this tree yucca also has pendant clusters of creamy-white flowers. It is the tallest of all yuccas, reaching heights of nearly 50 feet. It often remains single, though it may put out a few branches. Native to San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Yucca treculeana Family: Agavaceae NCN Origin: Texas and N Mexico Map Location 44 Height: 7.5 m. (25 ft.) Bed D (O-10), Bed L, Bed 1, Bed 2N This large Yucca is normally the first to flower each year at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, coming into bloom in March. The inflorescence of white flowers is especially dense and showy. It occurs in nature in southern Texas, and also in northern Mexico. Glossary of Terms mallee – a eucalypt with several stems arising from a lignotuber lignotuber – a swollen woody mass at the base of the stem and usually just below the soil surface, containing numerous dormant buds NCN – no common name Bibliography Bailey, Liberty Hyde and Bailey, Ethel Zoe. Hortus Third, New York, Macmillan Publishing Company 1976. Dunmire, John, Sunset Western Garden Book, Menlo Park, Lane Magazine & Book Company, 1973. Griffiths, Mark, The Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants, Portland, Timber Press, 1994. Hickman, James, The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, Berkeley, University of California Press 1993. Kelly, Stan. Eucalypts Volume One. New Your, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1983. Kelly, Stan. Eucalypts Volume Two. New Your, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1983. Wilson, Ralph, Illustrated Fundamentals of Tree Identification, Pocatello, Idaho State University, 1964. Page 20