A Non-native Tree

If you were thinking I had no more room in my small courtyard to plant a tree, you'd be right. Nevertheless, I have planted a new tree. 

When it is taller and fuller it will be the focal point from inside the living room, framed by the sliding doors and providing something to look at other than a green wall of vine covered fence. 

It's a 'Vanessa' Persian ironwood, the same variety I planted six years ago in the alley next to the guest room window, and that little tree turned out to be a beautiful, narrow, upright specimen. So, building on one of my rare horticultural successes in this difficult garden, I planted another one.

I have struggled with what to put in front of the fence in that spot that is seen from inside the house, especially now that the neighbor's tall aspen on the other side of the fence is gone. It's a six foot high fence, it's a forbidding wall of green in summer and a barrier of brown in winter. 

Even though this tree will grow into a tall graceful shape, it won't hide the fence. It simply brings the eye forward toward the patio and offers some contrast to the fence, and that's all I needed. It will be too narrow to walk under or provide much shade, but it will be lovely to look at. 

It's native to the mountains of Iran, not from here. No local nursery carries it or has ever heard of it. But in my limited experience it has done much better in an urban Santa Fe lot than our native aspens or native oaks. 

It's adapted to high altitude and I think that's the key feature that allows it to thrive here. Not drought endurance, not alkaline tolerance, although it's okay with both. But high altitude, strong UV rays, and cold nights don't phase it.

It's not native, but this tree likes it here.