Thank you both! I actually had that in my notes, but the leaves in the photo I was checking mine against (in Pojar and MacKinnon) didn't look as round as mine. But Carol23, your link fit perfectly. Thanks again.

Planting distance for long term development is the same as estimated crown spread - no need to make it more complicated. If they all grow 30' wide, plant them 30' apart. One grows 20' wide, another 15' - picture each as a circle that wide on a piece of paper and space accordingly. That's if you are planting a sort of border of shrubby trees. Tree-like specimens with elevated crowns register as accent points in the landscape and should be widely spaced as otherwise a cluttered effect may result. When all the trees are the same kind they can be grouped closely together to form a grove or clump. 'Forest Pansy' does fade in hot weather, so that you end up with only the newest leaves being purple later in the season. One on a Seattle (USDA 8) street had an average crown spread of more than 30' some years ago. Native pretty consistently to hot summer climates only, redbuds need a warm situation with good drainage; many plantings have problems with dieback if not well sited.

Hey, thanks for noticing, Candogal! Now, forest succession/regeneration is indeed one of my key interests and IMO, one of the more fascinating aspects of nature, and I do like to see this process in action. In your case, you really have one major issue, which you've already identified.....keeping your house safe. I know the type of forest you describe. We've got lots of it around here too. And while the northern hardwood/mixed forest has been called "the asbestos forest", fires still can occur, albeit, rarely. So I'd pay attention to not having lots of flammable stuff too near the house. This doesn't necessarily even mean tree removal but it could indicate the need for some judicious pruning. Particularly, the pine-family members can burn even when green and growing. So I'd not have too many lower limbs hanging over and onto the house. Use good pruning techniques (ie. ISA-guidelines) if you're unfamiliar with the method to properly remove limbs from trees. No sense starting a bunch of decay process by sloppy technique. Then beyond that....an acre is a nice-sized yard but it's not exactly a "timber stand". Nevertheless, I applaud your intent to do right by your little patch of woods. First, are any serious invasive species present? Buckthorn? Garlic mustard? That would be my first goal-to be sure my property is rid of such destructive species,species which really can ruin the whole thing. Beyond that, it comes down to what you want. Some folks with an ax to grind (Buh-dum-bum) will state that forests must be managed, or some similar bit of half-fiction. It really just depends on how you want things to proceed. Do you like songbirds and rare wildlife? Leave your stand to go to maturity. Do you favor deer, grouse, and other "game" birds and animals? Then do some cutting and felling so that young regeneration occurs, since most of those beasts tend to need young stock to feed on. Can you do something in the middle? Yes, of course you can. Need a little firewood? Go ahead and make some wood, but don't forget, many birds and other forms of wildlife like dead trees, also known as den trees or 'snags', to remain. As far as sources, I like the USDA Forest Service Silvics pages here on the interwebz. Highly technical stuff-maybe beyond your needs-but it'w a great place to have your eyes opened to all the info that is out there regarding such things. I don't even really know how exactly it is that I've come to know so much about this process, but I do. Probably just been interested in it myself....for all my life. Do some poking around, see if anything I've said here helps to get you started, and then get back to us. Maybe others will know some good sources of info as well. +oM

We have our RFG now for a month. It's smooth and shiny, but there are duller lines along some of the veins. No stains, scratches etc. Would you stand on any counter? I'm not going to stand on this one for sure. And I don't think I would stand on granite either. RFG is so gorgeous. We keep looking at it and finding new colors and veins. Today my sister found a tiger next to a stream. I have one spot that is a tornado. There are lots of tree tops and just odd color spots. As you saw in the photos, my kitchen is very plain. Slab doors and drawers, wood floor etc. I think RFG would clash with a fussy kitchen. Regarding price, we paid about $4000 for 62 sf, including fabrication and installation. We didn't pay extra for a fancy edge. Saturday is backsplash day. The tile is 3x6 glass subway in a very light green. I'll post photos when it's done. I hope you will keep RFG as a possibility. We are so happy with it and everyone who sees the kitchen is blown away.