One of the best perspectives from which to appreciate trees is lying on a hammock under one. Looking up into the canopy, the scaffold of strong branches tapers skyward, the leaves forming patterns against the blue. As you gaze contentedly into the canopy, a breeze stirs the foliage, a mockingbird opens a melodic conversation, and the world seems quite a magnanimous place. Trees are one of our planet’s most undervalued treasures. Along with garden walls and paving, they are the greatest investment you can make in your garden.

Because trees share space above and below ground with all of the plants around them, their selection profoundly influences the character of a garden. Trees mature in a range of sizes, from 100-foot-tall giants that swallow the average residential lot in a gulp to more modest shade producers 25 to 40 feet tall and ornamental trees less than 25 feet tall. The larger the tree, the greater its impact on the space it occupies.

Arid climates are not kind to large trees. Just when they should be hitting their prime, they hit the wall instead—quite literally a wall of dry soil that halts root growth and begins a spiral of decline. The larger a tree grows, the more exposed it is to the drying effect of wind. Poorly adapted species are unable to balance the amount of water they can absorb with the amount of moisture lost from their leaf surfaces. It pays to seek out the right trees for the spaces they will serve.

Luckily there are a number of medium to small trees that thrive without breaking water budgets and buckling sidewalks, that arch their canopies above dry-climate gardens, making the spaces beneath them cooler and more inviting. The easiest trees to live with are those that root deeply and give dappled shade so that ground covers prosper in their shadow and the surrounding landscape contributes to their success.

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