I live in Riverside. I've found, over the years, that soil and water quality, in addition to zone, have a lot to do with success of certain fruit trees. I'm blessed to live where I do,near Fairmount Park and the Santa Ana River.....the soil is good and everything thrives. I guess that's why Riverside (not Orange County) was the premier citrus growing region in the early years. I would encourage you to plant an Oro Blanco Grapefruit. It was developed right her at UCR. And, it has no bitterness typically found in grapefruit. That's because it was crossed with a pummelo, the largest citrus fruit. Plus, the blossoms are gigantic, and will perfume your entire yard over a long time. I don't like grapefruit....I LOVE Oro Blanco! I'd also go with a blood orange. I can't recall at the moment which one I prefer,but one has the most delightful raspberry tinged flavor, and when fully ripe, has totally blood red juice! Gosh I love it! And, it makes the most wonderful Blood Orange Martini!

Andrew,I have 3 lemon tree and and an orange tree and they both grow like weeds.I think weather has something to do with it.I have orange tree and lemon tree now holding on to ripe fruit and at the same time has new fruits on it.I did buy a dwarf honey tangerine last july and it is also growing like weed.I fertelized them with good avocado and citrus fertilizer every 3 months except winter time.I will take pictures of my valencia orange and lemon tree..

Baci, thank you for the recommendations. I have several mature queen palms around our pool. They are beautiful (and messy).I guess you have to give a little to get a little. I have heard bamboo might be messy too, so I haven't given them much thought. Are there any you would recommend? We get a steady wind every afternoon at 4:00. Orchids are on my list of filler plants, but I have zero experience. We have one in a pot that has been doing well, and has flowered for the past 2yrs. Also regarding Fullerton Arboretum, they are really bad about labeling plants! I would like to go there again when they have a docent guided tour. Gary, thank you for your input. We seldom get under 60 degrees here accept for the occaissional early morning in the high 40's. I am hoping that the Dwarf Jamaicans will be happy in a funky microclimate in the SW corner. Is there anything I can do to increase my possibility of success? When I bought the allamanda it was labeled "Mandevilla", but I knew it wasn't, but the Mrs. liked it. I am hoping it will do well on a west facing wall. With the heliconia 'Gaudalupe'I am taking the shotgun approach. I have 7, that will be planted in different places, and I am hoping a few will survive. I have been buying most of my plants online and have tried to research their preferences before buying, but sometimes I just take a gamble.

Your picture did not show up. How tall is the tree? One climber I would recommend if the tree is 25 feet or shorter is Cl Caroline Testout, an old HT - it is the one they planted thousands of in Portland 100 years ago. There is one in my neighborhood which survived 10+ years growing in the garden of a vacant house. It climbed up a plum tree. No additional water, no nothing. I could see it blooming from the second story of our house. When that house sold I went over there, and the lady was unpacking dozens of potted roses out of a truck (good sign!). I told her about her old old rose, and she said there were no roses in the old, neglected garden (yet). We went to look, and found not one, but 2 Cl Caroline Testout plants, both with their lower halves completely covered by a blackberry thicket. Their upper halves were still climbing up the plum tree and blooming. We cleaned out the blackberries. This was 15 years ago, and both of those bushes are still doing well. I took a cutting and rooted it - here is a picture of my bush, and a closer one of the blooms. They are very double, and very round and sort of blowsy - I love them. I am in No Cal, and we get plenty hot - it was 100 degrees three days last week.