Leptospermum scoparium
New Zealand Tea Tree
Oakland, CA
August, 2012
The clients’ primary concern with this tree was that the branches were overhanging the driveway and the blossoms were adhering to their car. Correcting this would involve opening up the front of the tree to a very high degree, as the offending branches did not have much in the way of foliage or minor branches to cut back to, except at the exterior and would have to be removed at the trunk. I was initially worried that this would be too extreme and have a flattening effect on one side of the overall shape.
When I examined the interior structure, however, I found enough interesting branches that I felt highlighting those, in addition to the attractive peeling bark, could become the main focal point of the tree. Also, since the view behind the tree was the fairly plain but not unattractive front yard of their neighbor’s house, I decided opening up the tree on all sides would allow the eye to better see the branchwork as well as avoid the feeling that the tree was pruned on only one side.
The overall canopy shape was a little square so I rounded it off a little but kept the outline slightly ragged and wild in keeping with my feelings on the nature of New Zealand Tea Trees. The resulting effect is that of a calm center of multiple trunks, leading to interesting lines created by the curvy branches, leading to a burst of energy created by the billowing foliage and bright ruby-red blossoms.
When I examined the interior structure, however, I found enough interesting branches that I felt highlighting those, in addition to the attractive peeling bark, could become the main focal point of the tree. Also, since the view behind the tree was the fairly plain but not unattractive front yard of their neighbor’s house, I decided opening up the tree on all sides would allow the eye to better see the branchwork as well as avoid the feeling that the tree was pruned on only one side.
The overall canopy shape was a little square so I rounded it off a little but kept the outline slightly ragged and wild in keeping with my feelings on the nature of New Zealand Tea Trees. The resulting effect is that of a calm center of multiple trunks, leading to interesting lines created by the curvy branches, leading to a burst of energy created by the billowing foliage and bright ruby-red blossoms.
