Acer palmatum dissectum 'Seiryu' - Seiryu Japanese Maple

The Japanese maple cultivar 'Seiryu' is considered the only upright growing dissected maple available although my guess with such variety in the species there are others. Growing to about 15' they are usually a bit more open than the one shown below, which has been pruned over the years. These are fast growing maples with great dissected leaves and nice fall color.

Leaves are opposite and maple like though deeply dissected and each lobe is deeply serrated. Medium to light green in color, about 2" long. Fall color is nice gold though you might see some red depending on the site and the environment.

Flowers and fruit identical to other Japanese maples.

Misidentification: Doubt it.

Location:
Aptos
524 Humes, just recently planted.

505 Encino Dr and 2 great trees.

Seacliff
421 Hillcrest Dr. See above, pruned into a ball but still nice.

Pittosporum eugenoioides 'Variegatum' - Variegated Lemonwood Tree

The variegated Lemonwood tree is an unusual cultivar seen in Santa Cruz county. This one shown here was a surprise to me walking in this neighborhood. There are other Lemonwood trees but this is the only variegated one. I wonder if it was a mistake, not a bad one, likely not intentional. My guess is this tree will grow about 2/3 the height of the species. You can see in this image its brighter green, and smaller.

Leaves are evergreen, simple, alternate, oblong to elliptical. 1-4" long with undulated margins, these being white rather than green.

Misidentification
If you looked quickly at the foliage you might think its a variegated ficus.

Location
Santa Cruz
133 Jenne St

Schefflera pueckleri - Mallet Flower

The Schefflera tree, known by many as Tupidanthus calyptratus is a tropical house plant that manages to grow nicely in some of our more mild areas. Grows 15-20' or larger depending on where you live, or it lives. Generally pretty narrow in cultivation. More than likely planted out front when it was too large for the living room or someone was moving out and could not take it with them.

Leaves are alternate, palmately compound, 7-9 leaflets, each leaflet 6-8" long, elliptical, to obovate, or oblong-lanceolate, margins undulated. Leaves bright green. Leaf base usually swollen and wrapping around the stem part way.

Fruit are pretty odd, really, looking sort of like little animal faces with smiles. Seems there are two fused together on a green stalk.

Flower buds in August, they are stalked and resemble a mallet, hence the common name.

Misidentification
Schefflera actinophylla I guess, but this is more coarse in texture, and the flowers are very different.

Location:
Santa Cruz
505 Lembrandt Ave

Erythrina crista-galli - Cockspur Coral Tree

The Cockspur Coral Tree is a small deciduous tree with an umbrella shaped canopy reaching 15-20' in Santa Cruz, but you may find them smaller than that. The most obvious one in town is at city hall. Not a great specimen, was not sure why, but I looked at google street view history and the space was dominated by a Hollywood Juniper and this tree was being crowded out. When in full bloom it looks pretty nice. Waiting for the fall color… supposed to be yellow….

Leaves are deciduous, alternate, trifoliate, leaflets narrowly elliptical 3-5" long, margins slightly less than smooth, and spines on the lower portion of the main veins. Distinct swollen area at the base of the petiole, the pulvinus.

Flowers in the spring occasionally in summer and into fall, fragrant, showy bright red or pinkish-red, in long drooping panicles. Individual flowers are "pea-like" with a distinct elongated lower petal shaped like the keel of a boat. This is taken in December, winter here, but you can see the elongated lower petal. Looks like thrip damage maybe.

These are the flowers about to open.

Fruit is a brown pod, with constrictions between the seeds. Ripening in the fall. This is summer. You can see the constrictions.

Interesting seeds if you take the time to look at them.

Stems are green, stout, with nasty prickles. You can even see the tell tale pulvinus on the petiole of the leaf.

Bark is usually attractive, potentially deeply furrowed.

Tree is also known as the Coral Tree, Crybabytree, Christ's Tears.

Misidentification:
Erythrina caffra, around here anyway, if you are in a more tropical area you are likely to become very confused. These have narrower elliptical leaflets and are smaller trees.

Location:
Aptos
Cabrillo College Hort Department has one in back garden area, its low growing.

Santa Cruz
City Hall along Center St.

114 Myrtle St.

Acer negundo 'Flamingo' - Flamingo Boxelder

The Flamingo boxelder is a popular variegated form of the common box elder. The tree is grown for its attractive pink and white new foliage in the spring. The pink is gone by summer and if you wait long enough, most of the variegation is over grown by green foliage. I have seen some really spectacular trees, but more likely than not they are weak growers. They do just jump out at you in the spring. This one did just that early June at Nobel Park at the intersection of Monterey and Bay Streets in Capitola.

Foliage is like the common boxelder but variegated white, showing pink in the spring, but that fads leaving only white and green in the summer and fall.

Misidentification:

In the summer you might not be able to tell this cultivar from 'Variegata'

It might look like some of the variegated Sambucus?

Location

Capitola

Nobel Park - Corner of Monterey and Bay St.

Leptospermum 'Dark Shadows' - Dark Shadows Leptospermum

Leptospermum 'Dark Shadows' is a nice compact small evergreen tree or large shrub with purple foliage reaching 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Another nice dark foliaged tree for contrast in the landscape. From my observations, the plants seem to be almost as wide as tall and multi-stemmed forming a upright spreading habit. 

Leaves are alternate, simple, narrowly lanceolate, about an inch long, mostly purplish color but those in the inner canopy are more green and new ones are more red. Leaves covered with long silver hairs.

Flowers are white, borne in summer, about 3/4" in diameter and contrast very nicely with the flush of new foliage.

Fruit is a small capsule with 5 valves when open.

Misidentification:

Agonis flexuosa 'Jervis After Dark' perhaps?

Location:

Aptos 

455 Sandlewood Dr

Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu' - Fuyu Persimmon

The 'Fuyu' Persimmon tree is much like the 'Hachiya' except the fruit are less pointed, and from an eating perspective, less astringent. Trees typically growto 25' with an equal spread forming a rounded, oval or umbrella habit.  While I have not read others mention the spring or summer color of the leaves, these trees all seem to have yellowish foliage. Trees will reliably develop wonderful fall color.

Leaves are deciduous, simple, 3-5" long, ovate to elliptical shaped, entire margins, dark glossy green with distinct veins with a slight leathery texture. Very attractive in summer.

Especially attractive in the fall as they turn to yellow and orange.

Trees are monoecious, male and female flowers blooming in the spring to summer.

Fruit is a large orange berry, 3" wide, but about 2" tall, looking like a squatty apple. Retains its large green calix.

Stems originally slightly hairy, eventually without hairs. Dark rich brown with large lenticels.

Bark is great on all the persimmons.


Misidentification:
As a persimmon I doubt it, but cultivars are another matter. Distinguishing between 'Fuyu' and 'Hachiya' is easy if you see fruit, otherwise you are on your own. There are lots of 'Fuyu' like cultivars available.

If you have a different cultivar in a public space I would be very interested in seeing them.

Location:

Aptos
7535 Soquel Dr.

Corralitos
Corralitos Rd close to the Market, across the street is a row of both cultivars.

Santa Cruz
1104 King St
935 High St

Hakea salicifolia 'Gold Medal' - Golden WIllow-Leaved Hakea

The first time I saw this tree I was walking around the UCSC arboretum in summer and it jumped out at me like it was lit up. I wandered over and spent 10 minutes looking for a name tag, nothing, man I hate that. Anyway, took a few photos and went on my way. Not sure how great they perform in the landscape. Taking with a few nurserymen I had decided not to buy one for school. Discovered in Australia, this evergreen tree/shrub grows 8-15' tall and wide forming a pretty dense screen. Known for its beautiful foliage, especially in the spring.

This is younger tree in the spring.

Foliage is alternate, evergreen, simple, narrowly lanceolate, often twisted or bent, 3-4" long, about 1/2" wide, creamy variegation is not uniform with large patches of green. Spring color is a beautiful pink.

The fruit of Hakea are pretty weird looking, spotted reddish turning brown.

Misidentification:
I really had no idea what it was the first time I saw it and without the odd fruit it looked something like an Acacia with phyllodes. My experience with Hakea was limited to noticing the flowers and not paying much attention to the foliage.

Location:
Santa Cruz
1045 N. Branciforte Ave.
UCSC arboretum

Acacia longifolia - Sydney Golden Wattle

Sydney Golden Wattle is more likely a large shrub but we will consider it a small tree commonly used as a utility tree along freeways. These evergreen trees grow really fast to 20' x 20' with a rounded habit, dense canopy with branches to the ground. The end result is nondescript evergreen screen. Trees become visible as soon as they bloom. Most commonly seen along the freeway.

Leaves are alternate, evergreen, simple, oblanceolate, thick, bright green, no distinct upper or lower surface, more or less 4" long, sometimes slightly curved. Like all simple Acacia leaves, these are phyllodes or flattened petioles.

Stems are thin, green with small rounded vegetative buds.

Older stems are sort of cool looking, nice color and lines on the stems from the buds.

Flowers in mid winter.  Flowers are small, yellow, rounded balls of flowers in elongated clusters, fragrant. Bright yellow.

Fruit is a pod, usually twisted.

Misidentification:
In bloom, not as likely, the flowers are super bright yellow on an elongated inflorescence.

Location:
Most commonly seen on the freeway.
Aptos
Just below the railroad overpass closest to Rio Del Mar Exit

Santa Cruz
Along the highway at the old drive in movies, now the swap meet. (Pulled out for more lanes)

Fremontodendron 'California Glory' - California Glory Flannel bush

California Glory Flannel Bush is a large evergreen rounded shrub or small tree native to California, potentially reaching 20' tall and wide. They are pretty stiff looking plants, with branches going off in various directions in mostly two dimensions or flattened herringbone pattern. 

Leaves are evergreen, simple, palmately lobed with 3 to sometimes 5 lobes. Leaves are dark green on the upper surface and covered with whitish stellate shaped hairs that are an irritant to many people. There is a tremendous variability in leaf shape in many specimens of flannel bush species and cultivars. The species has yellow hairs.

Flowers are yellow with 5 yellow petals and 5 orangish sepals. Produced in the spring and summer. This cultivar is very yellow and almost flat flowers and has more orangish coloring when viewed from behind. Large stamens are obvious. 

 Fruit is a capsule surrounded by bracts.

Stems are also covered with those nasty hairs. Be very careful working with these plants, the hairs get in your nose and are very uncomfortable to say the least. Stipules present as well.

This cultivar is a hybrid between Fremontodendron californium and F. mexicanum and introduced by Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in 1962. My guess is all the cultivars are hybrids. 'California Glory', 'Pacific Sunset' and 'San Gabriel' came from Rancho Santa Ana, while the others originally came from Saratoga Horticultural Foundation.

'Pacific Sunset' - Large plant, 30' and wider according to Nevin Smith (Native Treasures), Upright grower with stiff branches, flowers deep golden yellow with orange

'San Gabriel' - As large as 'Pacific Sunset' (Smith) Larger leaves and medium yellow flowers.

'Ken Taylor' - 5' tall and 8' wide, somewhat rounded and  mounded.

'Eldorado Gold' - Low spreading form, see below. Picture from Cal Poly I think.

Misidentification:

Other Fremontidendrons likely, this one has more white tomentum. Saw 'Butano Ridge' at the UCSC sale, the leaves are very dark.

Location

Aptos: 

Freedom Blvd at the intersection with Soquel Drive. Two specimens.

Moss Landing is not in our county but the nicest ones are at the Dolan Rd intersection around the power plant.