My first choice would be Arbutus Marina, but it is a relative of Arbutus unedo the strawberry tree, the only thing they have in common is to produce SOME strawberries which may be objectionable. The Marina is larger and broader with a beautiful shaped, slick red trunk. Al

Craig, I don't know what part of SD you're in, but you might be interested in Cape Chesnut (Calodendrum capense). They are listed as deciduous/evergreen, they tend to be evergreen in areas that don't receive temps below freezing. If you're near Balboa Park, there are several at the entrance of Morley Field that when in bloom are amazing! (I think they should be blooming within the next couple of months)

William

When reading your post, the first thing that popped into my mind was the California Bay Laurel, Umbellularia californica. They are abundant up here in the Bay Area, and apparently they range down to San Diego County as well (though I've never seen any down there myself). Naturally, they are deer and drought resistant, and are exceptionally beautiful when grown as specimen plants. They eventually form a large, domed canopy with foliage that hangs down a bit like a willow. They can be single- or multi-trunked. Eventually, they will probably outgrow a spot of the size you listed, however.

thanks for the suggestions, i like them all. i'll let you know what we decide to do

I believe there is an Arbutus Marina at my workplace, and I admire it every time I pass. Would love to have a place for it.

You're smart for not wanting a carrotwood tree. I bet the seeds have a 100% germination rate, and produce a thick forest of seedlings beneath the tree.

Tipuana tipu gets to be quite wide, and blooms. Jacaranda might combine well with the other trees you already have, but it is briefly deciduous. The Calodendron capensis is a fabulous tree in bloom, but I haven't seen it get all that wide canopied. Arbutus 'Marina' is a beautiful tree, but it is messy over pavement, as would be the Umbellularia californica, which almost always attracts aphids and scale and creates a sticky mess below the tree. Maytenus boaria can get quite wide with age, but it is a slower growing tree than most of the above.

You might also consider the Tristania laurina, a small slowing tree needing no water after establishing. It looks good year around, is not too messy, and will not outgrow your space. Several varieties are available. Al

bahia - Jacaranda drops its blooms, creating a very beautiful but very messy mess.

Jean, you state the obvious about Jacaranda trees. The OP said nothing about the tree having to be non-messy, just that it should be a wide canopy and complement the other trees he mentioned. Fallen flowers are much less of a problem over a driveway or street than they are on a sidewalk, where they could pose a slipping hazard. I wish Jacaranda trees bloomed as heavily and the trees got as large here in the SF Bay Area, for the 2 month max the effect lasts, I've gladly live with the mess. Having had a large Marina Madrone tree over my front entry stairs, I know that this tree drops either leaves, flowers or fruit almost all year round, and isn't really practical over pavement where it can get so easily tracked into the house, or will stain pavement. Umbellularia californica is even worse, as it also creates a sticky mess over pavement and cars due to the insect attacks.

i really like the cape chestnut. i am in rancho bernardo. do you think it would stay evergreen?

here is my climate info according to another post on the site:
USDA zone 10
Sunset zone 24
Heat zone 6-7

You don't want a native Oak? They grow faster than most people think, and are spectacularly beautiful. A true specimen.

The trees mostly likely to have the form you desire are to be found in the legume family -- Fabacae -- and in the subfamily Mimosaceae in particular.

Samanea saman is the archetype for trees with wide-spreading crowns, but like Delonix regia, another theoretical candidate, the San Diego area isn't quite close enough to tropical for it. There are some beautiful African albizias, some acacias and some cassias that would be quite suitable. Desert fern -- Lysiloma watsonii -- has a beautiful spreading form and would have the advantage of drought tolerance as well. A number of other trees have the potential to develop umbrella tops with great age, but will be more upright for several decades first. Yet others can be made to attain this form earlier in life with the right kind of training. If you like the tropical look, Ficus dammaropsis trained with an umbrella crown makes a very dramatic statement, and should be well adapted there.

Craig, sorry I'm not certain of how the Cape Chestnut will perform in your micro-climate. Below I've typed out the description from the book "Ornamental Trees For Mediterranean Climates: The Trees of San Diego." (Don't worry, I type fast.)

Calodendrum capense
(kal-oh-DEN-drum kuh-PENCE)
Cape Chestnut
Rutaceae
Southern and Eastern Africa

Magnificent is the word for a mature Cape Chestnut in bloom, and it is certainly a tree that once planted will entertain generations to come. Unrelated to the true chestnuts, this African tree is famous in Kenya for a large specimen that forms part of the structure of the Tree Tops Hotel. In Southern California, the Cape Chestnut is a slow-growing evergreen or briefly deciduous tree to 25-40' tall and wide whose dense, gradually spreading crown deserves the space it needs to show off its handsome dark green floiage and showy flowers. Flowering usually occurs in late spring or early summer, when the whole tree is covered with candelabra-like basketball-sized flower clusters composed of many individual 3" rosy-lilac blooms. Although this tree seldom blooms when young, a mature specimen will often rebloom in the fall. Seed pods are produced on mature trees and when ripe split open to reveal shiny black seeds.
The Cape Chestnut is somewhat frost-tender when young, but mature trees will withstand temperatures as low as 15�F. It prefers a deep soil in full sun, and will usually lose most of its leaves for a brief time following cold winter temperatures.

Quail Botanical Gardens is indicated as a place where this specimen can be viewed.

thanks for the info william. i saw some cape chestnuts yesterday at balboa park and they are great trees. looking into getting one now.