why will they cost that much ....

most of us would suggest.. that smaller trees eventually outgrow larger trees ... see link

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Ken, my subdivision has HOA rules that require that any tree planted must be at least a 3" caliper tree. I don't have the luxury of being able to plant a twig and watch it grow. Hence why I am looking for advice regarding shummard red oaks and oak wilt as I don't want to waste my money.

I would also consider a fire dragon maple. Are these available in larger sizes?

In general, oak wilt isn't as widespread as, say Dutch Elm Disease. If reasonably isolated from nearby oaks (to where their roots aren't likely to touch and "graft" enabling spread of disease, you should be OK.

Shumards are worth it, IMHO, GREAT trees, my favorite among the Red oak group.

Joeschmoe, does oak wilt only spread through roots? If so, I would be fine. I don't think I've even seen another oak in my subdivision. The builder put cedar elms in every house.

Interesting name, Cedar Elm. I was trying to get my mind around the name, and the reason somebody would come up with that. Is it the bark?
Looks like your oak will outlast those Cedar Elms (Ulmus crassifolia). Those Elms are devastated by Dutch Elm Disease and other wilts. The developer needed some cheap trees and found somebody who wanted to unload them.

Congrats on your choice and for wanting something different. Oaks are great, I'm awaiting some Quercus lyrata for a wet place. Got my recommendation from this forum.

In Texas it mostly spreads through roots. Above ground transmission is more common further north, but does occur occasionally in TX.

Shumard Oak should be a good choice for an oak. The wilt is reported to spread by root and insect infestation. Shumards don't seem to be as affected by it as Live Oaks.

Another good oak choice would be a Bur Oak. Better Wilt and drought resistance than Shumard or Live Oak. However they do not have the pretty fall red color that the Shumards have.

Just a note on Cedar Elms : Their name comes from the fact that they are frequently found growing with Ashe Juniper (cedar). DED has had little affect on the elm tree population in Texas. Cedar Elms are very dependable/ adaptable trees and will last for 70-100 yrs or so. Disease and drought resistant, they are also one of the few trees down here to reliable produce a muted fall color.
They are an excellent choice for landscaping down here.

Aggie,
IMHO, Shumard Oak of local (i.e. Texas) province, and therefore alkaline soil tolerant would be an excellent choice. However, I would plant one, and then choose something else from another family for the other location. Fire Dragon may not be widely available yet of that size (it takes time for them to grow), but it shouldn't be much longer as ours adds 1" caliper/year. Still your best bet would be to contract the originator of FD. If nothing else, he MIGHT grow out a tree for you (at the price he would normally charge for that large a FD of course) and be ready for next fall. Of course other trees would work for you as well.

Arktrees

Thanks Arktrees. I think I will go ahead and plant at least one Shumard in my front yard. I feel better about it now since I know how the disease is transmitted and with the knowledge that there aren't any other oaks in my subdivision I feel like the risk of it getting oak wilt are much lower. I may also plant a fire dragon maple. I found one today that is about a 2 inch caliper and about 12 feet tall. I think I could get away with that with my HOA. At least I hope they have better things to do them actually measuring the width of my tree trunks!

Sounds like you have things well in hand. I wouldn't think they would notice trunk size if the tree is already 12'. Even if they do, you could claim that you measured 6" off the ground, in which case that 2" FD may be very close to 3" at that point. Bet they wouldn't know the difference. I learned from a professor years ago, when something is borderline such as that but doesn't really matter in the big picture, that "it is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission".

Beyond that, all the usual's apply. Root flare at the surface, circling roots, mulching, watering etc.

Be sure to come back and brag/post pics. :-)

Arktrees