Recommend Shade Tree for diversity

[whitenack]

No, we don't have a race problem.

My parents have a big yard full of trees. They have a few bur oaks, a few red maples, many silver (water) maples, a few Tulip Poplars, ginkgos, apples, pine, holy and dogwood.

One of their silver maples finally bit the dust and had to be taken out. This has left a hole on the western side of the house that needs to be filled.

They want a good sized shade tree that either has a nice spring or fall color. Seeing as how we have several trees of the same variety, we'd like to find something different.

We live in zone 7

Any thoughts?

 

[Thillmaine]

Diversity

Beech, Sugar Maple? Autumnalis Flowering CHerry?> Just a few to start...

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Beech, Sugar Maple? Autumnalis Flowering CHerry?> Just a few to start...

I just planted 3 beech for myself at our new home.

3 purple beech. I also like Tricolor beech.

 

[stihl sawing]

No, we don't have a race problem.

My parents have a big yard full of trees. They have a few bur oaks, a few red maples, many silver (water) maples, a few Tulip Poplars, ginkgos, apples, pine, holy and dogwood.

One of their silver maples finally bit the dust and had to be taken out. This has left a hole on the western side of the house that needs to be filled.

They want a good sized shade tree that either has a nice spring or fall color. Seeing as how we have several trees of the same variety, we'd like to find something different.

We live in zone 7

Any thoughts?

It would be neat to have one of those burr oaks in the yard. You wouldn't want to sit under it when the acorns are falling though.LOL I planted several different kind of oak trees several years ago in the yard and they are priceless for their shade. Sorry i can't help you on the selection, but some of these guys know trees like the back of their hand and they will know what's best.

 

[treeseer]

Liriodendron tulipifera, fast shade, looks good, easy keeper (generally not real drought tolerant)

 

[ClimbinArbor]

depending on your soil, i would suggest a pecan or walnut, if you dont mond cleaning the fruit. either one would fill that hole quite well. pecans like moister rich soil, the only time ive seen one on a hilltop it was grafted to a hickory.

 

[Mr. Plisken]

Chinese Pistachio

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Paulownia tomentosa (Royal Paulownia)....... Honest! tough tree, neat flowers in the spring, considered invasive by some folks (Connecticut I believe) and fast growing.

I don't think it is easily or readily available but it is certainly different. I heard some folks say it is weak wooded but have yet to see one with a broken leader or other major injury as the result of weather.

 

[Rtom45]

I think sweetgum may be considered a junk tree in your part of the country, but in many other locations (PA.) they're grown and sold as landscape trees. You may also want to consider zelkova which is a nice tree, but not especially fast growing and mature size is smaller than most maples. How about honeylocust?

 

[BayouTree]

Shumard oak and white oak both are great trees with really nice fall color. Shumard will grow a little faster and give you something from the red oak family.

 

[mimilkman1]

I really like the look of crimson maples myself, adds some color to the yard all summer.

Kyle