The perfect tree matures to a manageable size and won’t heave your sidewalk, burrow into the foundation of your residence or deposit a mess. It remains attractive annually and provides shade for your lawn. Such perfect trees do exist and they create amazing long-lived additions to your landscape. With a minimum of maintenance, these low-maintenance trees can grace your garden for decades.
Olive Tree
Several cultivars of olive trees (Olea europaea) supply the evergreen shade of other olive trees, however, do not to produce fruit. “Majestic Beauty” thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10, reaching 25 feet tall at maturity and alive up to 150 decades. It provides moderate to dense shade and bears tiny fragrant blooms in the spring, but little or no fruit. “Majestic Beauty” grows best in full sun and tolerates drought, isn’t fussy about soil and grows nicely planted in clay, loam or sand. Resistant to Texas root rot, it is vulnerable to scales, anthracnose, oak root phytophthora, sooty mould and verticillium. Other fruitless olive trees comprise “Swan Hill,” “Seviland,” “Small Ollie” and “Skylark.”
Fraser Photinia
Growing in USDA zones 8 to 9, the Fraser photinia, or crimson tip ((Photonia x fraseri), reaches 15 to 20 feet tall and wide at maturity. Its leaves emerge bronze to glowing red and turn dark green. The crimson tip tree grows to an oval shape, provides dense shade and bears small white blooms in mid- to late spring, however, no fruit. It tolerates heat and dryness, adapts to clay, loam or sand and grows equally well in alkaline or acidic soil. Fraser photinia trees live up to 150 decades and are resistant to contamination, but susceptible to sooty mould and aphids.
Australian Willow
The Australian willow (Geijira parviflora) gets its name because of its weeping habit, though it isn’t a true willow. Growing in USDA zones 9 through 11, the tree offers moderate shade, reaching 25 to 35 feet tall and 20 feet wide at maturity. It bears tiny white blooms in the spring or fall and little, dry berries which provide food for animals and birds. This tree grows much better on the coast than inland, planted in full sunlight to partial shade, adapting to a variety of soil conditions tolerating drought. It resides 50 to 150 decades and is fire resistant and resistant to oak root fungus.
Language Holly
Male holly plants supply exactly the identical ornamental value as female hollies, but do not bear fruit. Meanwhile, the English holly (Ilex aquifolium “Big Bull”) thrives in USDA zones 7 through 9, reaching 35 to 40 feet tall and 25 feet wide at maturity. “Big Bull” provides dense shade with shiny oval evergreen leaves. This holly thrives in full sunlight to partial shade and requires moist soil, but tolerates highly acidic to slightly alkaline clay, loam or sand. It’s resistant to oak root fungus and is vulnerable to leaf miner and scales.
Bronze Loquat
The bronze loquat (Eriobotrya deflexa) grows to 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide in USDA zones 9 through 10, providing moderate shade. Its leaves emerge copper-colored and mature to green. Evergreen leaves and peeling bark keep this tree attractive annually, with little white flowers blooming in the spring. Bronze loquat grows well in full sun and moist in clay, loam or sandy soil and tolerates highly acidic to highly alkaline soil. It preserves its shape greatest when it is pruned on top. If the plant puts fruit, which is uncommon, it is yellow or green about one-half inch to 1 and one-half inch in diameter.