Drought tolerant tree of the day

BBBTree

BBBTree

Location
CA
I have some folks with a few 25' Bottle Brush trees that I believe are at the permanent wilt point. We didn't get the rains this last winter, and lots of trees are dying off or dying back in this area. These people's BB trees are in solid clay with concrete landscaping all over the roots and no silt to be seen for miles likely. There is a clay slope right behind the fence that they are growing next to, and I'm sure the water can only run off away from the roots. I look down that hill, and I see trees dying back and already dead from water stress.

Anyway, these BB trees have to come out. They are 15' up to 20' from the house, and they were grown in a rock bed next to the concrete. These folks want some tree shade, and they don't want their concrete uprooted. They don't want to put in irrigation or anything. What species comes to your mind?
 
I believe EZ is referring to which USDA zone your customers house falls in
Northhardiness zones they are called

You are always better off when trying to plant something that may not be watered, to use a species that is native to your local hardiness zone
A
Native tree will always do better without reason than a species from another area
You can pm me when you figure out your hardiness zone I will be glad to help you, as will EZ I am sure
 
Our zone here is 10b.

I doubt many people here know a decent shade tree for the 10b zone off of the top of their heads. That's okay. I have some resources to check. I just wondered what the buzz folk might be able to tell me.
 
The issue is not so much finding a tree for 10b it is matching a tree to the heavy clay soils that you indicate. Remember that not only is clay a major (limiting?) factor in this landscape but you also have a slope and a landscape that is not conducive to trees.

Improve the site perhaps by pouring sharp sand into the cracks that form as the clay dries out, place "dams" along the elevation contours (i.e. perpendicular to the slope) to slow and catch water movement, work on the soil with mulch, compost, microbes etc. and when planting consider creating beds with trees and shrubs that will modify the soil environment more than a single tree will.

Anything you can do to get water into the soil will likely be an improvement.
 
These are great ideas, mrtree, and I'll run them by the client, but these folks are scrounging for money already as it is. I doubt they'll get very elaborately involved with any of it. I'd like to take on a project like your describing.

Some of the trees that are commonly grown around here like Eucs, Ficus, and Pepper Trees grow surprisingly well in clay with minimal water. I'm not sure how much better they would grow in better soil, or if they would. These species grow anywhere in this region, but these trees would bust some property up with their roots.
 
What about Tipuana tipu, Phytolaca dioaca, Celtus sp., or perhaps some sort of Ilex?

If you are in California than consult Trees and Shrubs of California by Stuart. I am sure it will have far more info than I can guess at.
 
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