Acer negundo - Box Elder

The Box Elder is a small to medium sized deciduous tree native to CA and other areas in the US. It can be found natively growing in riparian areas, generally as an understory tree.  Very fast growing, to a fault actually, to 40-50' tall and as wide, usually with multiple stems forming a broadly spreading habit of mostly impenetrable stems and low hanging branches. Rarely cultivated except in North Dakota, sorry its an old joke.  This is a grove in the Capitola village.

Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound with 3 - 5 leaflets. Leaf is 6-8" long, with 2-3" long leaflets. Leaflets are not symmetrical, in fact if you try to hold them together removing the space between the leaflets they look like a simple leaved maple. Lateral leaflets have a larger tooth or lobe on the base edge while the terminal leaflet is larger and symmetrical with lobes of equal sizes.

Stems are thin, green with a distinctive waxy coating (glaucous bloom). You can see in the first picture how the wax has rubbed off.

Flowers are in long chains in early spring. Pretty and with interesting pinkish filaments holding the anthers.

Fruit are winged samaras, 1-1.5" long at about 60 degrees. Lots of fruit. Turn brown in winter and may be retained will into the following spring.

This is a newer more popular variegated cultivar 'Flamingo' with a reddish cast to the new growth in the spring.

Not sure why any of them are planted, and the variegated ones always have strong reversions of the variegated stems back to green which soon dominate the tree.

Misidentification:
Look at the opposite, pinnately compound leaves and its location, not likely planted.

Locations:
anywhere native riparian plants are found, along soquel creek, Aptos creek

Three poor variegated specimens are located on Soquel Drive at the intersection with Calabria St across from the fire station. (5/24/24 - Variegation almost gone.)

Morus alba - Fruitless Mulberry

The fruitless mulberry is a very fast growing deciduous tree to 30 - 40' forming a rounded crown. It is not a great tree for landscapes as it has surface roots and the canopy needs constant pruning. It does have decent fall color and is of course fruitless. It also has so many water sprouts in the canopy that it is impossible to keep shaped without constant pruning.

The deciduous leaves are alternate, simple, 2-4" long and variable in shape being oval to lobed. Margins can be slightly serrated to deeply lobed. Leaf base is unequal. Leaves are glossy green, medium to dark and turing yellow in the fall. 

The flowers are small, greenish yellow, with males and females appearing on separate trees and yes, this one is the male.

Bark is smooth when young, turning to a brown color with light furrows.  

You can see the large surface roots in the lawn.

This cultivar is a weeping fruited variety which they should have named Cousin It of course. 

Morus alba 'Pendula' is one of several weeping cultivars that does produce fruit, but they all do not produce fruit.

Misidentification: not sure, look at the variable leaves and the water sprouts (aerial suckers) in the canopy.

Locations:

Aptos, Cabrillo College

Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman' - Ray Hartman Ceanothus

The Ray Hartman ceanothus (Wild Lilac is another common name for Ceanothus) is a beautiful small evergreen tree. Fast growing mounded large shrub or smaller tree to 20'. Drought tolerant, beautiful flowers, long lived, attracts butterflies, what else do you want? 

Leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple,  ovate to elliptical, lightly serrated and slightly revolute margins,  2-3" long, dark shiny green, with 3 deeply set veins starting at the base that curve towards the tip. Leaves feel rough to the touch. 

Young stems are green with shallow grooves. 

Flowers emerge late winter - early spring. Medium blue flowers on 6" long clusters, tiny individual flowers,  attracting lots of flying insects. Wow, really pretty plant in bloom.

Fruit is a small capsule.

The Ray Hartman Ceanothus a hybrid of 2 species of Ceanothus native to CA. C. arboreus and C. thrysiflorus griseus

Misidentification: Not sure, other Ceanothus perhaps?

Location: 

Aptos

Cabrillo Hort Center

Capitola

Corner of El Salto and Hollister (Depot Hill)

Santa Cruz

Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' - Columnar Hornbeam

The columnar hornbeam is narrow upright deciduous tree 30' by about 15' but not really "columnar" in shape. Shape is usually more upright oval being much wider at the base but still pretty narrow and good for parking lots and other areas with limited head space. Develops a short trunk with multiple leaders. Fall color is a pretty yellow.

Leaves are ovate to oblong 2-5" long. Margins are doubly serrated and the tip is sharply pointed. Leaf has a quilted look with the veins impressed into the leaf.

Buds are long brown and appressed against the stems.

Male flowers overwinter in catkins, 1-1.5". Female develop large conspicuous bracts that are easily seen when the plant is in fruit.

This is what they look like in mass on the tree. 

Fruit in a small nut inside the large brown bracts.

Misidentification: other hornbeams maybe.

Location:
Santa Cruz: 701 Pacific Ave, Just off Pacific across from CVS and Trader Joes is a small alley next to a parking lot. Follow the alley. Some of the nicest ones around.

Quercus rubra - Red Oak

The beautiful red oak, so variable, yet so distinct in appearance. Beautiful rounded shape, beautiful fall colors and handsome foliage. The red oak is one of a half dozen  "red oaks" that you might encounter so we will look at several of the common ones here in Santa Cruz.

The red oak is a large deciduous tree, 60-75', often with multiple leaders developing a rounded crown. However in youth it may be rounded or pyramidal with a central leader, as I mentioned, quite variable especially when young.

Leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, obovate, deeply lobed, with bristle tipped lobes. Lobes extend about half way to the midrib. Leaves are 6-8" long. 

Fruit is an acorn, 3/4-1" long, with a small cap. Seem to produce large quantities of acorns around here.

Male flowers are in catkins. Females are found in small clusters further back from the tip. Male catkins are not seen in the winter like Birches.

Stems are stout, reddish to green color, glabrous. Buds are clustered, imbricate, 1/4-1/3" long and sharp pointed.

Fall color is beautiful. Reds followed by browns.

Misidentification: Just about any other pinnately lobed oak. Especially one you dont know is around. Leaf size is important, so is the shallow lobes, and the longish more rounded buds. The tree shape is also important as they tend to be more rounded than other oaks.

Locations:
Santa Cruz, Corner of Cedar and Walnut
511 Caledonia St
541 Buena Vista Ave on the Pine St side of the house.

Quercus palustris - Pin Oak

The Pin Oak is a great oak (aren't they all?). They are large, deciduous, upright, strongly pyramidal, with a distinct cental leader growing quickly to 50' or so. Lateral branches are horizontal near the middle of the tree and somewhat weeping near the base. In soils with a near basic pH or higher it usually develops some leaf chlorosis.

Leaves are alternate, simple, 3-5" long, deeply lobed with bristle tipped lobes. Main lobes form a "U". Dark green in summer and bright red in fall. Looks like several other oaks (Q. coccinea, Q. nigra and Q. schumardii, and Q. ellipsoidalis) and can be hard to differentiate.

Fruit is an acorn. Cap is small. Fruit matures in second year.

Male flowers are borne in catkins.

Stems are thin, green-brown in color. Buds are imbricate, pretty sharp tipped, smallish for an oak.

Misidentification: Other bristle tipped oaks. Red Oak leaves are not as deeply lobed nor are the trees pyramidal in shape. Terminal buds are also smaller and sharply pointed.

Location:
Cabrillo just planted a bunch along the road between the football field and the new art and performing center.

Santa Cruz: Pacific Blvd close to SC book shop

Syzygium australe - Brush Cherry

The brush cherry has the potential of being a medium to large tree but they are almost always planted to be sheared as a hedge, and they make a pretty good one at that. When I see a tree form it always catches my eye because it has a nice habit and when in fruit it makes a pretty good show. 

As a tree it can reach 50 feet but is more likely to be about 35 x 20' wide, with an upright somewhat spreading habit and lateral branches that weep at the ends. Usually multi-stemmed as a tree form. Some specimens seem to be shaped very different, like tall columns but they grow into this shape if allowed.

The evergreen foliage emerges in the spring with a pretty reddish - bronze color but changes to a medium dark green soon after obtaining full size. Leaves are opposite, simple, elliptical to ovate shaped, 1 - 3" long, glossy green with a lighter lower surface and entire margins.

Flowers are white and all the showy bits are, like so many from the southern hemisphere, male parts.

Attractive and as you can see, they open before last years fruit has fallen.

The fruit is not a cherry, but a true berry. Rose colored and produced in large quantities. As a kid we used to write stuff on the sidewalks with the fruit and it stained the cement.

One of several problems, the plants are very susceptible to a psyllid that deforms the new growth.

This plant is usually called S. paniculatum or Eugenia  but was wrongly named years ago and the name is not likely to change.

Misidentification: not likely, can't think of anything,

Location:
Santa Cruz Great one at 1128 King St.

Watsonville:
800 Green Valley Rd

Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan' - Kwanzan Flowering Cherry

The Kwanzan cherry tree is one of the most popular of the many Japanese Flowering Cherries. It's distinct upright V shape also makes it easy to recognize and easy to use in landscapes. Growth is medium to 20-30' tall with a 15-20' spread. If you are lucky you bought one with Prunus serrula grafted as the interstock so you have a nice purplish exfoliating bark that adds interest year round. This cultivar is a good choice for streets as it has a form that allows it to be out of the way of pedestrians yet still be small and have great flowers.

The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to elliptical shaped, emerging with a nice bronze tinge in spring, changing to a medium green after growing to its final size. Margins are very finely serrated and the tip is long and pointed. Like all cherries, it has a gland on the petiole.

On rapidly growing stems you will see funny little leaf like structures called stipules. They look like an insect ate most of the leaf.

Cherries have obvious lenticels, on young and older stems. On young ones they are rounded and look like slightly raised glands. On older stems and trunks they form longitudinally arranged bands.

The flowers are why we plant Japanese cherries anyway, and these are especially nice. They are double, dark pink, about an inch in diameter and emerge before the foliage.

An added bonus is the beautiful fall color, usually a pretty yellow orange color.

There is a selection of this cultivar that retains its bronze colored leaves called 'Royal Burgundy'. There is a small one on Morrissey Blvd near Soquel Drive, actually next to the large canary island palm, corner of Melrose and Morrissey.

Misidentification: Double purple flowers, distinct V shape habit make it easily identifiable.

Location:
Santa Cruz : downtown on Pacific Ave.

Aptos: Cabrillo College along Soquel Drive.

Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood

The flowering dogwood trees are outstanding small trees for residential landscapes. Multi-seasonal tree if there ever was one. Layered horizontally tiered branches with great flowers and fall color. May not color up here in fall as well as other locations but its still a beautiful shape and the flowers are always nice.

Deciduous tree, slow grower for the most part to 20' and about as wide with a spreading flatted tiered habit, almost looking layered sometimes.

Leaves are opposite, simple, broadly elliptical to ovate to almost round, 2-4" long, Lower surface has a glaucous bloom. Dogwood veins are pinnate, but they look like they curve towards the tip of the leaf. Leaves look like dog ears, hanging down near the ends of the branches. 

This is one of many variegated cultivars, 'Cherokee Sunset' that shows off the dog ears better, assuming you don't have a german shepherd.

Flowers are really a mixture of small flowers and showy bracts. Plants bloom prior to leaf emergence. The bracts are usually white but many cultivars are pink to red. The bracts are usually rounded or slightly emarginate at the tip. Four "petals" and not 6 like the native dogwood. Stems are slightly hairy, sometimes with a bloom, eventually glabrous. Red or green color. Flower buds are very distinct. They look like flattened biscuits. You can see them in the picture with the fruit.

Fruit is a red drupe, not really showy but interesting. Many cultivars don't seem to produce many fruit.

Bark is very nice, alligator like bits and very attractive as well.

Fall color is spectacular, really. Reds are intense.

Too many cultivars to even discuss one but they come in different flower colors, red or whites and the foliage may have variegated white or yellow leaves. Hybrid exists with C. nutallii called 'Eddies Wonder'.

Misidentification: Other dogwoods most likely. Cornus kousa blooms after the foliage appears, C. capitata leaves are more narrow, almost elliptical and is evergreen.

Location:
Aptos
9053 Soquel Drive.  White and Red cultivars, The red one is close to the building.

Boulder Creek
Hiway 9

Felton
the 200 block of Lakeview Drive is a very nice one.