Hi esh, I'm a complete amateur concerning a southern climate, however here are "Plants for Hedges and Screens" listed by 'Sunset Western Garden Book (1997)'. You'll of course need to look them up to see if they can be used in your specific climate. Evergreen: Abelia grandiflora Arbutus unedo Bamboo (many) Berberis (some) Callistemon (some) Choisya ternata Cotoneaster (some) Cupressus Dodonaea viscosa Elaeagnus (some) Escallonia - one of my favorites. Euonymus (most) Feijoa sellowiana Garrya elliptica Heteromeles arbutifolia Ilex Juniperus (shrub, columnar) Leucophyllum frutescens Ligustrum (some) Myrica californica Nandina domestica Osmanthus (several) Photinia Pittosporum (several) Podocarpus Prunus (evergreen) Pyracantha Rhamnus alaternus Taxus Thevetia Thuja Umbellularia californica Vaccinium ovatum Viburnum (several) Deciduous: Berberis (some) Carpinus betulus Chaenomeles Crataegus monogyna Rhamnus frangula 'Columnaris' Rosa (shrub Salix purpurea 'Gracilis' Viburnum opulus 'Nanum' Weigelia ......... Dax

Here's some more good, smallish evergreen blooming trees: Acacia baileyana BAILEY ACACIA Acacia cognata/subporosa RIVER WATTLE Acacia podalyriifolia PEARL ACACIA Acca (Feijoa) sellowiana PINEAPPLE GUAVA Arbutus unedo STRAWBERRY TREE Bauhinia forficata BRAZILIAN ORCHID TREE Callistemon citrinus (standrad) LEMON BOTTLEBRUSH Ceanothus arboreus (standard) TREE CEANOTHUS Escallonia x exoniensis ÂBalfouri ESCALLONIA Escallonia laevis PINK ESCALLONIA Eucalyptus caesia GUNGURRU Eucalyptus torquata CORAL GUM Eucalyptus torquata CORAL GUM Garrya elliptica SILKTASSEL Leptospermum scoparium (larger cultivars) NEW ZEALAND TEA TREE Melaleuca nesophila PINK MELALEUCA Nerium oleander (standard) OLEANDER Pittosporum brevicalyx CHINESE PITTOSPORUM Psidium cattleianum STRAWBERRY GUAVA Rhaphiolepis ÂMajestic Beauty M. B. INDIAN HAWTHORNE Tecoma stans YELLOW BELLS By the way, a 15-25-foot tree is a TEENY-TINY. The above includes (mostly?) large shrubs that can be pruned up to look like a tree ("standards" and otherwise). Joe

There's really no such thing as a "10-foot tree". Your best bet is to get an upright shrub and "limb it up" to look like a "standard" or clean it up as a "multi" tree. Good candidates include: Acca (Feijoa) sellowiana PINEAPPLE GUAVA Arbutus unedo ÂCompacta STRAWBERRY TREE Cotinus coggygria SMOKETREE Escallonia laevis ESCALLONIA Juniperus chinensis torulosa HOLLYWOOD JUNIPER Melaleuca bracteata WHITE CLOUD TREE Melaleuca decussata LILAC MELALEUCA Melaleuca elliptica GRANITE BOTTLEBRUSH Melaleuca nesophila PINK MELALEUCA Osmanthus fragrans SWEET OLIVE Prunus illicifolia lyonii CATALINA CHERRY Psidium cattleianum STRAWBERRY GUAVA Punica granatum ÂLegrellei CALIFORNIA SUNSET POMEGRANATE Punica granatum ÂTanyosho TANYOSHO POMEGRANATE Rhaphiolepis ÂMajestic Beauty M. B. INDIAN HAWTHORNE Some of these will eventually get over 10 feet tall, if left to their own habit, but they can be pruned at just 10 feet high. Joe

There aren't a lot of truly "dwarf trees". You say you don't want a "bush or shrub" but your limit of 15 feet pretty much rules out true trees (which many botanists say start at 20 feet) and leaves you with the opportunity to take a tall-growing shrub and train it to look like a tree. Shrubs trained as such -- single trunk with a crown -- are called "standards". Usually marketed as "patio trees". Here's a few ideas: Acca (Feijoa) sellowiana PINEAPPLE GUAVA Banksia ashbyi ASHBY'S BANKSIA Banksia coccinea SCARLET BANKSIA Ceanothus arboreus 'Blue Mist', 'Cliff Schmidt', 'Thundercloud', 'Trewithen Blue' TREE CEANOTHUS Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Snow Flurry' SNOW FLURRY CEANOTHUS Cercocarpus betuloides MOUNTAIN IRONWOOD Comarostaphylis diversifolia SUMMER HOLLY Cotinus coggygria SMOKETREE Escallonia laevis PINK ESCALLONIA Escallonia x exoniensis 'Balfouri', 'Frades' HYBRID ESCALLONIA Grevillea 'Honeygem', 'Ivanhoe', 'Long John', 'Poorinda Blondie', 'Red Hooks' HYBRID GREVILLEA Leptospermum lanigerum WOOLY TEA TREE Leptospermum polygalifolium 'Yarra River' RED SPIRE TEA TREE Melaleuca decussata LILAC MELALEUCA Melaleuca elliptica GRANITE BOTTLEBRUSH Osmanthus fragrans SWEET OLIVE Pittosporum crassifolium KARO Pittosporum eugenioides TARATA Pittosporum tenuifolium KOHUHU, TAWHIWI Psidium cattleianum STRAWBERRY GUAVA Rhaphiolepis 'Majestic Beauty' M. B. INDIAN HAWTHORNE All of these need some work (pruning) to make them look like a tree (single trunk, crown). Some more than others (as already pointed out with Cercis occidentalis). You didn't say why you need it to top out at 15 feet. Are there utility wires or a view from the house or? Joe