Honest, specific tree advice from 20+ years of Northern California homeownership, grounded in real arborist sources.
Tree Planting GuideA staged walkthrough, from soil prep to the two years that decide if it lives.Start the guide → 
Fast-Growing TreesThe fastest growers ranked, plus the four you should never plant.See the rankings → 
Tree FinderAnswer a few questions, match your yard to the right species.Find my tree → 
The best fertilizer for apple trees is nitrogen, timed to early spring. What NPK to use for young vs. bearing trees, how much per tree, and the tape-measure test that tells you if your tree needs feeding at all.
White felt crust on your crape myrtle's bark and black sooty mold below it means crape myrtle bark scale. How to identify it, tell it apart from aphids, and treat it with the right timing and products.
Eight evergreen trees that stay green all year and survive a dry summer once established. Zones, mature size, and which ones work for privacy screens, shade, and desert yards.
Twenty drought-tolerant shrubs for privacy, foundations, and low-water beds, sorted by use. Zones, mature size, bloom, deer resistance, and the ones to buy only as sterile cultivars.
Twenty-one drought-tolerant trees that survive a dry summer once established, sorted by shade, flowering, evergreen, and desert use. Zones, mature size, growth rate, water needs, and the establishment schedule that gets them there.
The best drought-tolerant trees for California, sorted by region: coastal, Central Valley, Southern California and desert, and the foothills. Natives and Mediterranean imports that survive a dry summer with little or no irrigation.
Which trees to buy and why
74 articlesWhere and how to plant
18 articlesKeep your trees healthy
76 articlesWhen and how to trim
11 articlesGarden projects with trees
12 articlesPruners, saws, and gear for tree work
21 articlesBrowse everything on the site
212 articlesThe trees worth planting, based on real experience.
What to avoid, and why.
Get it right the first time.
When, how, and what not to cut.
11 reasons your yard needs them.
9 things to know before you dig.