Brugmansia, how much maintenance are you going to be willing to do. They shed dead foliage and flowers constantly, grow big and fast, need cutting back a lot...lovely but what a mess. And they sucker.

What about another Bru...Brunfelsia. Quite showy indeed and morning sun followed by mostly shade is a good site. Sweet, sweet fragrance!

What about Star Jasmine on a trellis? Then you can make it the exact size you need...

Choisya ternata? Sweet fragrance there, too.

Michelia? Ditto.

Hoov - thanks for the suggestions. We have a Brunfelsia in a different part of the yard. Love it - easy care, loves our soil, and that scent!

In the subject I said "tall" tree, but I meant "small". I don't want a dense shrub in this spot, but something about as tall as the roof eave and open, showy ... scented is nice. Am I asking too much, LOL?

I think the Brugmansia would work nicely there, but they do shed a lot, and if this spot gets hot winds or strong winter winds, the plant will look beat up afterwards. They also need a lot of water in southern California to look good, in my opinion. If you do use a Brug, I think 'Charles Grimaldi' is one of the best landscape cultivars.

Would you consider something like Tecoma x smithii, virtually everblooming and tops out at about 12 feet tall. Agonis flexuosa 'After Dark' is also nice, vivid deep purple black foliage which is fragrant, a weeping foliage habit. Cantua buxifolia could also look nice in that spot, not fragrant, but vivid color to the flowers and the hummingbirds really like it. If you don't freeze where you are, I might also recommend another virtually everblooming shrubby/small tree, Metrosideros collina 'Springfire'. Of course, you could always plant something useful like one of the Dwarf Mandarins or a Tangerine or Meyer Lemon in this spot, and the flower fragrance is a bonus to the fruit.

Link to a photo of a large Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' in a northern California garden. If you do a search by name for the other plants I mentioned, on Flickr, you should easily find photos of the others I mentioned as well, on my photostream or others.

Here's the link, though I doubt it would look quite this big and lush in hotter/drier southern California unless well protected from Santa Ana winds.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/5585952531/

bahia - thank you for your many wonderful suggestions, I will research all of them.

The 'Charles Grimaldi' is beautiful and just the size I'm looking for. I might limb it up even more to form a more umbrella-like canopy for a more see-through structure.

I'm also considering a large Schefflera tree like the one we have in a similar spot elsewhere in our backyard. It doesn't flower (at least not yet). It did have some black leaves when our winter temps dipped to 26 degrees one year, but recovered nicely.

bahia -- I found Cantua buxifolia... what a gorgeous piece of eye candy!! How much shade can it tolerate?

The spot faces northeast and is getting a few hours of morning sun now. It will get more sun closer to Summer when the sun is higher and passes directly overhead (probably until early afternoon). In winter, it will get little (possibly no?) sun but bright shade.

At least here in northern California, Cantua blooms more profusely in full sun, but it will still bloom with just part day sun. For more shade, perhaps you should instead consider one of the Iochroma's or Cestrum newellii, they both have several different color forms, but if you are more inland/hot rather than coastal influence, it may be too dry for them to thrive.

I would think that the schefflera roots may pose problems for the foundation, walkways, pipes, etc. I would check into that more before planting schefflera where it can do damage.

Photo link to a 3 years in the ground Agonis flexuosa 'After Dark' I planted in my neighbor's front garden.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/5551852747/in/set-72157626094994549/

I gave my friend my Brugmansia and she sees it out her side window --- absolutely delightful! Its shape against the fence, its character ......................... it's got something going for it that many other shrubs don't.

Iris_gal: What direction does hers face (north, south, etc?)?

Bahia -- beautiful!!!!!

Sorry to take so long. Our town is not on a true N-S axis.

It's a southern exposure and since the big pine tree came down 2 years ago it now has all day sun. Before, filtered.

Eucryphia--blooms in the late summer or fall, evergreen, very tall narrow habit (at least the nymansis I have is.)

I don't see it planted often, but Thevetia thevetioides (Giant Thevetia) when in bloom is very showy. It won't tolerate temps below freezing though...