On Aug 29, 3:29 pm, Court wrote:

It's my pool, it's about 12 feet from the location the tree would be
planted. I also would like to keep cleanup for neighbors

Try looking in the pages at the front of Sunset plants to use
near swimming pools. In my book its on page130 'Treelike Plants

fastigate! A word i have been searching for to describe this.
Thanks! i feel oner word smarter and farther down the path of finding
the right tree, or other space-filling idea. I was planning to build
a roof over my deck next spring, so maybe i can extend it and have a
matching pergola over there. I'll get back at them with a wisteria fed
on miracle-gro. (kidding!) Thanks for the advice!

Here are a couple of ideas to look up in Sunset or your nursery:
both are evergreen, moderate growth, small leaves when they drop
are not a big mess, and both are grown as hedges so they don't
mind pruning. Both grow well here in Butte County which has a similar
climate.
Pittosporum tobira (has very fragrant flowers... better for front than
around a pool, attracts bees during bloom)
Podocarpus macrophyllus

Emilie
NorCal

-Court