Favorite tree of California
bahia
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (78)
Dick_Sonia
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agosandylighthouse
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Need fruit tree suggestions for Northern California
Comments (27)Planting with water rationing: Deep-rooted trees may help. You don't need a dwarfing rootstock to keep deciduous fruit trees small. Choose rootstocks suited to your soil. Prune when the trees are not dormant to limit growth. Prune apricots when rain is not expected for several weeks, to limit disease spread. When trees are just getting started, you can haul water out in a bucket if you need to, using water which you would otherwise waste (keep a bucket in the shower, etc.) Watering deeply, not too frequently, is preferable. Or, you can use drip irrigation which lowers your total water usage. Multi-grafting: You can purchase multi-grafted trees to increase the number of varieties in your yard, or plant trees close together and keep them small. Either option is especially appropriate for early-blooming trees which need cross-pollination before bees are very active, like many of the Pluots. Multi-grafted trees need care to keep the most vigorous variety from over-taking the others. Prune when the tree is dormant where you want to encourage tip growth, when the tree is not dormant where you do not want to encourage new growth. If you want to try grafting your own varieties, you can get some valuable instructions on this forum. See link below. If you love to cook, there are several possibilities among the plums, in addition to Santa Rosa and the European plums. Laroda was named by Sunset several years ago as the best Japanese plum for cooking. It resembles Santa Rosa, but is sweeter and hangs on the tree in good condition longer. Santa Rosa is still a classic for flavor (some may come from a wild California plum), as a pollenizer and for ease of care. Laroda is not self-pollenizing like Santa Rosa. Other Japanese cultivars recommended for cooking are Mariposa or Satsuma (for jam), Wickson (for sauce), Nubiana (turns red). Queen Anne is said to keep its shape when cooked. Flavor King Pluot is also recommended for cooking. As in cobblers and sauce for ice cream. And of course apricots and cane berries are great for cooking. Here is a link that might be useful: Grafting tips...See MoreYour favorite tree fruits?
Comments (97)apricots, cherries, raspberries grandparents used to have several shrub trees that produced the best tangerines ever, with very loose skin that easily came right off, virtually no seeds inside, and very fragrant and flavorful, nothing like the tangerines sold in stores. Imagine the best tasting orange but in a form you could easily snack on and keep popping into your mouth, that's kind of what these tangerines were like. favorite tropical fruit is probably longan (a relative of lychee) a freshly broken open young coconut is also good, but I do not think I would ever want to grow them myself, I'm not a big fan of palms trees in general I love other fruit, but I usually like eating it in processed forms, for example apple sauce or Valencia orange juice, or baked plum deserts, so I think it makes more sense to grow the fruit you like to eat whole fresh off the tree....See Moretop 10 trees for southern california backyard
Comments (19)I will add: Camphor Tree, if you have enough space, the roots can be expansive. The leaves smell aromatic. This can be a big tree and should not be planted too close to the house or sidewalks. Pepper Tree Spanish Cork Oak, they are drought tolerant and don't get too big, and have amazing squishy bark, this is where cork stoppers on wine bottles come from. Pomegranate grows exceptionally well in this climate. Even if you don't like eating them the fruits can be very decorative hanging from the tree, and the tree also produces pretty fiery orange blossoms. Pomegranate usually grows more like a giant bush-tree though, not really the best for shade. A lot of people have never tried a truly fresh pomegranate right off the tree, they taste much much better when really fresh. And a lot of people do not know the proper technique for cutting open a pomegranate and removing the arils, so they wrongly think eating pomegranate is too much work and too messy. When it comes to Mulberry trees, Persian Black is by far the best tasting variety. However, if you're in climate zone 10 Pakistan Mulberry will grow better and is also a good tasting variety, with larger fruit size too. If you go with a fruitless male Mulberry (as some people do to avoid all the messy berries falling), there could be pollen allergy issues (if not you, someone else in the neighborhood). The Black varieties are the best tasting, but the black berries can make a mess on the ground and stain the sidewalk, or get tracked indoors on your shoes on the carpet, so that's something that should be considered. Another little fact, mulberry leaves are not poisonous and can be fed to pigs or goats, a favorite food of silkworms too. Mulberry trees have beautiful shade foliage. If you're looking for some more exotic choices you might also see this thread: Sacred trees in India...See MoreLarge citrus trees in Southern California?
Comments (12)Okay, orange for juicing - the classic Valencia is our "juicing" orange. But, if you'd like a very delicious alternative, try the Page mandarin hybrid. Think of it as a "Minneola hybrid". It is 3/4 mandarin and 1/4 grapefruit, and it is out of this world good, especially for juicing. My favorite fruit for juicing. Or, if you're adventurous, try a blood orange, like a Moro, or the best tasting of of the blood oranges, a Tarocco (either a "Bream" or if you can find it, the best tasting of all the Tarocco's, the "Thermal"). And orange for eating out of hand would be any of the great navel varieties. You certainly can juice them, but drink the juice right away, as their juice contains a higher amount of a chemical, when exposed to air creates a second chemical that will make the juice become a little bitter. But, best eating out of hand type of orange. The classic of course is our wonderful Washington Navel. A great couple of alternatives would be the beautiful Cara Cara navel (a sport of the Washington), which is a bit sweeter, and has pretty pink flesh (lycopene), or the classic Minneola tangelo. I love my Cara Cara. Satsumas tend to grow in a more weeping fashion (very beautiful specimen trees for your yard, so maybe? a spot in your front yard to show it off), so, instead of a Satsuma (which really is not the best tasting mandarin, imho), I would suggest a Tango mandarin. More upright, and one of the very best tasting mandarins out there. Another excellent option, and the very BEST of all the mandarins (again, imho), is the Seedless Kishu. If you have small kiddos, this is the perfect mandarin for them - pint-sized, completely seedless, very zipper skin, melts in your mouth with a rich, complex, sweet flavor. Grapefruits. The best 100% grapefruit variety for us in the more coastal areas of S. California will be the Rio Red. Very pretty red flesh (lycopene, again). If you would prefer a little sweeter tasting grapefruit, I would definitely go with the Oro Blanco grapefruit hybrid (pummelo x grapefruit), or it's "sister", the Melogold (which I think is a wee bit better, sweeter, thinner skinned). And, if you really want a sweet grapefruit, the Cocktail grapefruit, which is not even a grapefruit, although marketed as such, but a pummelo x mandarin cross, and my favorite of all the "grapefruits". I believe Clausen's has all the varieties I've mentioned. But, that's a HOOF from Culver City, let me tell you. There are some great options up in your area for good nurseries: Armstrong Nurseries, and they can even special order for you. Also Burkard Nurseries in Pasadena: http://www.burkardnurseries.com/plant-lists/citrus-trees , And, Sperling Nursery in Calabasas an N. Hollywood (think they still have their N. Hollywood location): http://sperlingnursery.com/ Another option if you're in the Bakersfield area is buying directly from Willits & Newcomb. They are one of the best commercial tree growers (along with Clausen's), and they also should have all the varieties just about, that I've mentioned. Hopefully our Los Angeles area forum members can also offer up some suggestions. These options will be more expensive than either Clausen's or W&N (as they're getting their trees from folks like Clausen's or W&N), so bit of a trade off - price vs travel :-) Lastly, I would still recommend going with semi-dwarfing rootstocks. Either Troyer/Carrizo, or even C35. Your tree will top out at about 15' - still way too tall for me - but you'll be able to manage your trees much, much better than trying to get a tree that wants to be 20 or 30' down to 15'. Citrus are tip fruiting trees, so you have to be careful in how to prune them, or you can end up pruning away future fruit. You would need to be very good a drop-crotch pruning, and most folks aren't :-) Stick with semi-dwarf rootstock and you will only need to prune out dead wood every 3 to 5 years from the interior of the tree, as citrus have lovely growth habits, and semi-dwarf trees should give you the perfect height tree for your particular application. Most of the trees at the UCR Citrus Variety Collection are on semi-dwarfing rootstock, and they are huge. Patty S....See Morejoannacala
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agobahia
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agojoannacala
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agocaudex1
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoskrip
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoangelcub
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoyoureit
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agocarlsbadgardener
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agofruithack
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomlevie
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoangelcub
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agorosefolly
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoccroulet
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoarvind
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agotoyo2960
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoaquilachrysaetos
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoaquilachrysaetos
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoteajm_yahoo_com
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agomdvaden_of_oregon
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agocaflowerluver
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoironorchid
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agooriginaljiggy
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoparker25mv
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
7 years agoparker25mv
7 years agokittymoonbeam
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoaquilachrysaetos
7 years agoecholane
7 years agoEast Bay Wilds
6 years agoEast Bay Wilds
6 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agoEast Bay Wilds
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoecholane
6 years agoecholane
6 years agoEast Bay Wilds
6 years agoecholane
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
6 years ago
Related Stories
DREAM SPACESA Northern California Tree House Makes Memories
Designed with utmost respect for the tree cradling it, a cozy house gives overnighters an experience to cherish
Full StoryVACATION HOMESHouzz Tour: Reviving a Farmhouse in California’s Wine Country
A rickety 1800s home gets a more contemporary look and layout, becoming an ideal weekend retreat
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Tree: Australian Tea Tree
A living sculpture with an unmistakable appearance, this coastal native creates an intriguing landscape scene
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Sambucus Nigra Caerulea for the Birds
Blue elderberry is a favorite of birds and other wildlife in its native California
Full StoryRUSTIC STYLEHouzz Tour: A California Country Home With a French Accent
A new house mixes modern touches with the timeless beauty of stone walls, rustic doors, old olive trees — and vineyards all around
Full StoryTREESTop 5 Trees for Fall Color in California
Bring a glorious sight to the landscape this autumn with one of these beauties that thrive in mild climates
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES10 Top California Native Plants, Trees and Grasses
Enjoy a fuss-free, water-wise garden in the Golden State by growing plants naturally in tune with the climate and wildlife
Full StoryCALIFORNIA GARDENINGCalifornia Gardener's February Checklist
Celebrate 5 California classics: plants that defy winter with bright flowers, luscious fragrance and, for some, delicious taste
Full StoryWINTER GARDENINGCalifornia Gardener's January Checklist
Winter-defying blooms and pruning saws earn a cheer, while California-focused gardening design books get a well-deserved shout-out
Full StoryMY HOUZZMy Houzz: Color and Ceramics Brighten a Southern California Home
A family home becomes a sanctuary that honors the heritage of historic California
Full Story
East Bay Wilds