I have 4 California Peppers along one side of my long driveway. They were put in about 8 years ago and are at least 30-40 feet tall now. The roots have spread a bit and are visible above the ground, but there hasn’t been any issue with the adjacent low wall or the driveway itself. I have 2 more elsewhere in the front yard. It doesn’t seem too messy to me. But then again, I also have a huge beautiful jacaranda in my front yard that I love. Right now it drops a tons of purple flowers on my lawn and I think it looks very pretty.

I also have 4 fruitless olives. They are beautiful trees, but don’t really provide much shade. I have a couple of mature ficus trees that do provide quite a bit of shade. They are not messy and don’t require frequent pruning.

Crape Myrtle are nice if you want a deciduous tree. This is good if you want to shade a southern exposure in the summer, but want the light and heat in the winter.

I love trees. We have more than an acre and more than 20 mature trees. Most trees don’t require a lot of water once they are well established.