Reasonable Roots and Drought Adaptation:
Trees to Consider for Planting in the San Francisco Bay Area
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Large Deciduous Trees
Local Genetic Strain Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) (Select for upright branch angles for best results)
‘Sterling Silver’ Silver Linden Tilia tomentosa Oregon
'Forest Green' Hungarian Oak Quercus frainetto 'Forest Green' Oregon
Columbia London Plane (Platanus x hispanica/acerifolia ‘Columbia’)
Turkish Tree Hazel Corylus colurna Oregon
Large Evergreen or Semi-Evergreen Trees
Engelman Oak (Quercus engelmanii)
Southern Live Oak Quercus virginiana 'Cathedral'/Upright forms
Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica (straight species)
Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana)
Cork Oak (Quercus suber) (Requires good soil drainage, great near ocean/bay)
Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) (Short-lived/disease-prone with lawn/heavy summer irrigation)
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
'Drake' Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia 'Drake' (Pendulous growth=high maintenance needs)
Small to Medium Deciduous Trees
Persian Ironwood Parrotia persica Oregon
California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
Chinese Pistache Pistachia chinensis (Not for lawns in clay soil - induces verticillium wilt)
'Natchez' Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia x 'Natchez' (Spreading, best multi-stem, moderate drought)
'Tuscarora' Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia x 'Tuscarora' (Upright, best single-stem, moderate drought)
Small to Medium Evergreen Trees
Fruitless European Olive Olea europaea 'Majestic Beauty'/'Wilsonii'/”Fruitless” (‘Swan Hill pendulous)
Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana)
Marina Madrone (Arbutus x ‘Marina’) (Best with supplemental irrigation - only moderate drought tolerance)
African Olive Olea africana San Marcos Growers (Abundant small olives - very tough)