Recommendations for tree?

[nanava]

Well darn it, now I'm not sure about locust. Tulip tree was my next choice, but I thought poplars were bad about dropping big heavy branches. And I was afraid the shade would be a little more dense than what I wanted.

We have two locusts in the back where they are also on a slope, and we don't have a root problem there, but they are 40' trees and still have a lot of growing yet to do.

Well, the locust sapling is free -- I'd have to go out and buy a tulip tree, so maybe I'll stick with my first instinct and deal with whatever problems may happen. Nothing could be as bad as those sweet gum balls, I'm convinced! I used to pick up all the ones I could by hand, and then use a chisel to pry the remaining ones out of the lawn, one by one...

Thanks again everyone! You're the best!

 

[nytreeman]

Poplars are bad for dropping limbs.Very weak trees. But a Tulip "poplar" isnt a poplar at all its in the magnolia family.
Liriodendron tulipifera,very pretty and quite fast growing,some around here are giants 100 ft or more,with huge trunks

 

[nytreeman]

heres a link for Tulip tree
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=TS0119

 

[ropensaddle]

mimosa pretty tree

 

[forestryworks]

i'd go with a green or white ash
case in point, my green ash was planted in feb28th of this year
and it grows 4inches a month

don't go with arizona ash

and never go with bradford pear

 

[nanava]

When our neighborhood was built, the builders lined our streets with Bradford Pears. Every storm, you can drive around our neighborhood and find 4 or 5 either severely damaged or completely downed. The crazy thing is many of these people then go out and buy another Bradford Pear!!! Thank goodness we don't have one.

I worry about Ash because of the Ash Borer, though I have thought about it a lot. I think I have definitely settled on Honey Locust and hubby likes the idea too. But I have another spot in mind for a paperbark maple, and trying to decide if I have room in my backyard for more.

I'm enjoying learning so much from all you guys! Learning about all these beautiful trees makes me want to have a few acres so I can have them all.

 

[forestryworks]

my bad, i just now saw that you are from indiana

good on you for being aware of EAB

 

[Dadatwins]

Honey locust I have dealt with have 3" thorns starting at the base and continuing up the trunk to the tips, not a very good shade tree either. Not sure if I would want that in front of my house. How about contacting your local extension office and get a list of viable candidates for your area? Bradford pear should not be on your list, Cleveland select pear or Hornbean better choice.

 

[whitenack]

Honey locust I have dealt with have 3" thorns ...

They make thornless varieties now.

 

[Elmore]

They make thornless varieties now.

Above ground ant farms...I don't care for them.

 

[whitenack]

Above ground ant farms...I don't care for them.

Interesting. Good to know.

 

[DGG]

Poplars are bad for dropping limbs.Very weak trees. But a Tulip "poplar" isnt a poplar at all its in the magnolia family.
Liriodendron tulipifera,very pretty and quite fast growing,some around here are giants 100 ft or more,with huge trunks

I have acres of Tulip Poplar (aka Yellow Poplar) and Beech behind my house and I can't recommend the poplar. They will get very large and they drop tulips (seed pods) all over the place, very messy. They also go over in big storms and frequently shed limbs. This is okay in the woods but I wouldn't ever put one just off my front door. The ones I look out at are easily 100' in height. The red-tail hawks like them for nest building. I have a continual war in my backyard between the crows and the hawks. Often I find big piles of black feathers in the back yard, heheh! Someone wasn't watching their backside.

I still like the small (ish) flowering cherry or dogwoods. They look good all year around and the colors in the fall and spring are awesome!