Triadica sebifera - Chinese Tallow Tree

The Chinese Tallow tree is a medium sized deciduous tree with mixed reviews. Considered very invasive in some areas, its also popular because of its nice shape and wonderful fall color. Growing to 35 feet, they form a rounded to oval habit. Specimens grow as a single stem or multi-stemmed. Has a reputation for being weedy, and is listed on many sites as being invasive.

Foliage is deciduous, simple, alternately arranged, rhomboid to ovate to cordate shaped, 2-3" long, light green in color, often developing a long accumulate tip.

Plants are monoecious, flowers small, yellow in weeping elongated racemes. These are upright to begin, and weep when open.

Fruit is a three lobed dry capsule about 3/4" long. Maturing white or light tan.

Bark on mature trees lightly furrowed. 

Reported to have great fall color, I can't say I have noticed it yet. Reds, oranges, yellows, sounds nice.

Synonyms:
You may know this tree as Sapium sebiferum but is has been renamed.

Misidentification:
Bark looks like an older Mayten tree, and the foliage looks like a lilac bush, but other than that I am not sure what else it looks like.

Location
Aptos
220 Baltusrol Dr.

Santa Cruz
211 High St
142 Hammond Ave
427 Grant St.
528 Windham (very nice specimen)

Schinus terebinthifolius - Brazilian Peppertree

The Brazilian Peppertree is a small evergreen tree or large shrub, generally single stemmed to about 25-30' tall and rounded, quite symmetrical in shape, often domed. This is an attractive small tree but considered to be somewhat invasive.

The evergreen leaves are alternate, odd-pinnately compound, usually 7 leaflets but 3-11 or so possible. Leaves about 5- 8" long. Leaflets about  1-2" long elliptical with sparsely serrated margins. Rachis is often winged. New foliage often reddish, and having a red midrib and red petioles. Peppery smell when crushed.

Here is the winged rachis. You can also see the serrations on the margins.

Flowers are small, white, in panicles about 6" across, blooming early winter here.

Here is a typical cluster on a tree, in January.

Small red drupes in clusters, in the fall, persisting till the birds eat them. 

Stems are neither stout or thin, just normal width. Smooth when young, can have some red color. notice the red petioles. Small buds as  you can barely see.

Older trees develop a nice furrowed bark and often have a very congested branching pattern if pruned heavily.

Misidentification:
not sure, look for the winged rachis, dont confuse it with S. molle just because it has little red/pink fruit.

Location: Lots around town,

These are from Depot hill on El Salto,
top picture is on Willowbrook Lane in Aptos across from the tennis courts.

Santa Cruz:
1116 King St.