Common areas are required to look great at all times, and factors such as safety, sunset garden climate zones, and drought tolerance must always be accommodated. In this sense, opting for reliably aesthetic, resilient, and site-suitable species will provide bountiful rewards.

When the time comes to choose the right trees, many variables must be considered as part of an HOA landscape service that is brought to life.

For example, aspirations such as screening, wind breaks, and shading should be anticipated; as must space for structural companions such as walkways and planters.

High traffic landscaping for pedestrian pathways, visitor parking areas, recreational areas and swimming pools each add a new facet for consideration.

Allowing not only for public vehicle traffic and foot traffic, but delivery vehicles is a must; as is assessing soil type, location aspect, and future maintenance needs.

YOUR TRUSTED HOA LANDSCAPING ADVISOR

Of course, alongside advising you on the right design strategies, an all-inclusive HOA landscape maintenance service will dedicate a portion of its scope to tree maintenance.

They will understand that for HOA common interest developments, tree maintenance necessitates a comprehensive awareness. How often should trees be watered and how often will they need to be pruned?

Might tree roots eventually compromise the surrounding walk ways and structures? What will maintenance requirements look like 5, 10, or 20 years into the future?

When the type of tree is carefully selected, trees are good, not only can this full spectrum of factors be accommodated, but expectations can be exceeded!

With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the top seven trending trees—and rightly so—that can help to bring your HOA landscape service to life.

READ ON TO DISCOVER THESE 7 TRENDING TREES

1. Cercis Occidentalis: ‘Western Redbud’
   This small but charmingly formed deciduous tree specimen grows to about 10ft x 10ft. It is a prized winner for its prolific spring flowers, brilliantly colored fall foliage and its drought tolerance.

The Western Redbud tolerates full sun, and has low watering requirements. Within a HOA landscape design it offers the additional bonus of attracting pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

2. Agonis Flexuosa: ‘After Dark Peppermint Willow’
   As a vivacious feature specimen, this excellent small tree is well suited for use in containers, informal hedges, or as a landscape accent.

This evergreen tree boasts a striking semi-sweeping habit, with dark burgundy foliage. After Dark Peppermint Willow is adorned with white, burgundy-centered flowers in spring and summer.

It tolerates windy and seaside conditions well, and can abide some drought in coastal regions when established.

3. Hymenosporum Flavum: ‘Sweet Shade’
   Here we find a glorious and slender evergreen tree that grows to 40ft tall and half as wide, with light gray bark and shiny green leaves that form attractive clusters at the ends of its branches.

The fragrant flowers bloom from spring into early summer, peaking in May, and emerge a pale yellow to almost cream, before darkening to deep yellow with age.

Sweet Shade will thrive in full sun to light shade with deep, infrequent watering, while being hardy to around 20°F.

4. Magnolia Grandiflora: ‘Little Gem Tree’
   This stylish specimen serves HOA landscape design brilliantly as an evergreen screen to block views, increase privacy and block sound.

It's striking aesthetic and pretty flowers also makes it a fantastic accent tree for small spaces—ideal for condominiums and town homes.

Although it is labeled as dwarf, this very columnar evergreen will reach over 25ft tall at maturity. The Little Gem Tree is perfect for separating multistory city homes on narrow lots without crowding them.

5. Laurus Nobilis: ‘Saratoga Bay Laurel’
   As the source of culinary bay and the famous laurels of Greek antiquity, this fantastic medium size evergreen tree grows to about 25ft x 25ft. It is often planted in matched pairs for symmetrical compositions, while three or more are charming and formal when lined up orchard-style in beds and borders.
   It is highly adaptable, thriving in sun to light shade, with medium water needs.

The Saratoga Bay Laurel can be enjoyed in its natural form as a screen, or standing alone within Mediterranean-inspired landscapes.

Alternatively, it also suits a neatly clipped aesthetic, performing well as a standard patio tree or in topiary form—perhaps in classical Greco-Roman terra-cotta pots! It fits very well into small gardens and city courtyards.

6. Tristania Laurina, Elegant Tristaniopsis: ‘Elegant Water Gum’
   According with Monrovia, trees make up a landscape that solve problems. Water Gum is a slow growing upright evergreen of 20ft x 15ft with a dense crown, that can be trained as a standard or multi-trunked tree.

The reddish-brown bark peels off revealing smooth light grey new bark. Lightly scented yellow flowers appear in clusters in late spring to early summer.

Its slow growth rate makes it a good choice for smaller gardens or street plantings. The 'Elegant' is earned not by blossoms, but by this variety's exceptional foliage, which features much brighter red new growth, and much larger and darker mature leaves.

7. Osmanthus Fragrans: “Sweet Olive”
   This much-beloved and old-fashioned specimen can be grown as a small tree or shrub, reaching 10ft x 8ft, and is prized for its sweetly fragrant flowers.

Treat it as a background for the perennial border or group with more spectacular deciduous flowering shrubs.

Your HOA landscape service may suggest Sweet Olive as an excellent choice for foundation planting and property lines.

It thrives in partial shade areas, where summer's heat is not too overbearing. Consider it a requirement within any country or Victorian-style garden. It also makes a healthy, dense and wonderfully scented screen or privacy hedge.

AN HOA LANDSCAPING SERVICE GIVING BACK WITH LONG LASTING REWARDS

As any high-caliber HOA landscaping service is structured, trees should be considered a highly desirable element that is worthy of a portion of your home owners association's budget.

Investments made in tree maintenance should be weighed with the exceptional longevity and presence that such specimens provide in mind.

As such, making informed and strategic choices now is the best route to a wonderfully beneficial long-term result.

Well selected and placed trees will be capable of not only withstanding drought conditions, but also the particular nuances of your common interest developments. While the information provided here offers helpful guidelines, there are other factors, conditions and variables that your HOA landscape service will be able to advise on.

Call 408. 275.1200 or Click Here to connect with a Certified Arborist!

ABOUT OUR HOA LANDSCAPE COMPANY IN SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA 94065

FloraTerra and its affiliates are based in San Mateo County, Ca. As a leading HOA landscape company, we specialize in multi-family developments, since its origin the company and its partners have installed and maintain some of the most prestigious communities throughout the surrounding middle peninsula area.

AREAS WE SERVICE: