Drought-Suited Tree Giveaways by HBT

Committed to improving the environment and people’s quality of life, Hollywood Beautification Team (now known as Hollywood /Los Angeles Beautification Team) has been an active presence in Southern California since the early 1990s. One of the team’s ongoing programs that benefits local residents is its tree giveaway for the yard.

Among the types of drought-tolerant trees provided at no cost to Los Angeles residents who plant on private property they own or have access to are African Sumac, Chinese Flame, Australian Willow, and Fruitless Olive.

Fruitless Olive trees are originally from Europe and feature unique trunks that twist and contort. Their distinctive leaves are gray-green on the top and silvery on the underside, and yield tubular, yellowish-white blooms each spring. Among the advantages of this pest-resistant tree, which grows to about 30 feet in height, is that it bears no pavement-staining olives and poses no issue to those with allergies.

A medium-size evergreen, the Australian Willow features pale and narrow green leaves that hang down for a” weeping” effect. Blooming occurs in the late autumn or winter, with flowers creamy-white and inconspicuous. Native to drought-prone interior parts of Australia, the willow offers excellent shade and thrives in dry and sandy to heavy loam soils that are well-drained.