One other thing to consider is whether you have any Junipers (Juniperus sp.) planted in your yard. Planting an apple (Malus) will provide the alternate host needed for Cedar/Apple rust, which would probably not be a good idea. I believe that Amelanchier is also in the Rose family so Amelanchier also provides the alternate host as well. I have an Acer triflorum, the three-flowered maple, and this tree may fit your wants: ornamental peeling bark, beautiful red to yellow fall color (buy in the fall as color is variable) grows well in either sun or shade, tolerant of many soil conditions and very nice leaves. Here is a photo of my Acer triflorum in fall color: My tree no longer has/gets the scortched leaves, as shown in the photo. The first few years after planting, the leaves may scortch, but once the tree is established, this no longer occurres. Two other trees you may want to consider are Acer pseudosieboldianum, the Korean maple and Stewartia pseudocamellia var Koreana, the Korean Stewartia. The Korean maple is zone 4a hardy and looks very much like a Japanese maple. I had one, but had to remove it since I had it planted way too close to some conifers. My tree had beautiful green bark and extraordinary fall color. I will post a photo of the fall color on my Korean maple after I get home from work. I don't have access to the photo here. The other tree is Stewartia pseudocamellia var. koreana, The Korean Stewartia. I've had a Korean Stewartia growing in my zone 4a garden since 2001 and I have never had any hardiness issues. Stewartia is sometimes called "The Perfect Tree" since it has so many ornamental features. Stewartia has probably THE most ornamental bark of any tree. Here is a photo of Stewartia bark: The next feature is the flowers; Stewartia blooms during mid to late June and early July, when there are few trees in bloom. The species name of this tree, pseudocamellia, means false camellia, and you can see where that name comes from when you look at the flowers. Here is a flower from my tree: Fall color is EXTRAORDINARY! Here is a photo my my Stewartia in fall color in the fall of 2005: During the summer Korean Stewartia has very clean, beautiful green leaves and a nice upright, oval form. There are so many cool trees available now via mail order. You may want to visit a local botanical garden/Arboretum to take a look at some of the other ornamental trees that do well in your area. Since you're a whole zone warmer than I am, Korean Stewartia will do very well for you. Good luck, Mike

I've been researching verticillium wilt, and I don't think it is that. The leaves aren't wilting and the branches aren't drooping. I did some research on rapid growth cracks, which sometimes occur during periods of wet weather immediately following hot, dry weather. I don't know if the spotted leaves and the ctracked bark are related or not. It's now dormant and has shed its leaves, so its hard to determine anyhting else. I'll probably just wait until Spring and see what happens. If the symptoms continue to worsen next summer, I may replace it.

Hi Dax, Abies alba (Good I assume) - yep, should be reasonably OK Abies balsamea (Not Bad, Good) ? - yep, suffers from heat/dry soil Abies beshanzuensis (never heard of it) - probably zone 7 Abies borisii-regis (of the better) - yep, should be good Abies bracteata (don't know anything) - zone 8 Abies cephalonica (seen some good ones around here) - yep, should be good Abies chengii (know nothing) - dubious, but maybe worth a try. Probably a natural hybrid between Abies forrestii and A. chensiensis Abies chensiensis ssp. chensiensis (Asian species - but good I imagine) - worth a try, with hardiest northern origins Abies chensiensis other subsps - not hardy in zone 5 Abies cilicica (good - zone 6 though I think) - agree likely zone 6, but might be worth trying Abies concolor (real good - they're everywhere) - yep Abies concolor subsp. lowiana (decent I presume?) - dubious, probably zone 6/7 Abies delavayi (and its' subspecies - zone 5 - ???) - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies densa (don't know anything) - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies durangensis (?) - zone 7 Abies durangensis var. coahuilensis (?) - zone 7 Abies durangensis var. durangensis (?) - zone 7 Abies fabri (?) - no, zone 7, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies fabri ssp. fabri ? Abies fabri ssp. minensis ? Abies fanjingshanensis ? - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies fargesii - zone 5, but needs cool, wet summers Abies fargesii var. fargesii Abies fargesii var. faxoniana Abies fargesii var. sutchuenensis Abies firma (I think this would be good but zone 6 which really doesn't mean anything to me anymore - whatcha think) - might be worth a try, but don't be surprised if it gets winter killed Abies forrestii - no, zone 7, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies forrestii var. ferreana Abies forrestii var. georgei Abies forrestii var. smithii Abies fraseri (should do decenty well I presume) - short-lived, needs cool summers Abies georgei (Zone 6 - ??? croak or not) = A. forrestii Abies grandis ("I don't think so") - interior (Idaho, eastern WA) origins should do well; avoid coastal origins Abies guatemalensis - zone 8/9 Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis - zone 8/9 Abies guatemalensis var. jaliscana - zone 8/9 Abies hickelii - zone 8/9 Abies hickelii var. hickelii - zone 8/9 Abies hickelii var. oaxacana - zone 8/9 Abies hidalgensis - zone 7/8 Abies holophylla - yep, should be good Abies homolepis (Good one) - probably good, though likes fairly cool summers Abies homolepis var. homolepis - probably good, though likes fairly cool summers Abies homolepis var.umbellata - probably good, though likes fairly cool summers Abies kawakamii - zone 7/8 Abies koraiensis (Good ?) - typo for A. koreana, delete from database!! Abies koreana (Does well) - but probably fairly short-lived Abies lasiocarpa (ok?) - but probably fairly short-lived Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica (does very well) - yep, though may be short-lived Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa - short-lived, needs cool summers Abies magnifica - very dubious, needs cool summers Abies mariesii - very dubious, needs cool summers Abies nebrodensis (recent topic) I forget though.. - maybe zone 6, but worth a try Abies nephrolepis (Good) - but probably fairly short-lived Abies nordmanniana (The Best) - agreed Abies numidica (Zone 6 - whatcha think) - agree likely zone 6, but might be worth trying Abies pindrow seen em in protected Illinois zone 5 gardens) - doubt it, those will be wrongly labelled! Zone 7/8. Abies polita (Good one - Growing in an arboretum in Iowa) - duh?? Abies polita = Picea polita. Did you mean Abies pinsapo? - if yes, likely zone 6, but might be worth trying Abies procera (?) - very dubious, needs cool summers Abies recurvata - perhaps zone 6, but well worth trying, particularly northern origins Abies recurvata var. ernestii - perhaps zone 6, but well worth trying, particularly northern origins Abies recurvata var. recurvata - perhaps zone 6, but well worth trying, particularly northern origins Abies religiosa - zone 8/9 Abies sachalinensis - may be good but probably fairly short-lived (close relative of A. nephrolepis) Abies sachalinensis var. gracilis - ditto Abies sachalinensis var. mayriana - ditto Abies sachalinensis var. nemorensis - ditto Abies sachalinensis var. sachalinensis - ditto Abies sibirica - southern origins may do well, but perhaps short-lived. Northern origins will succumb to summer heat Abies sibirica ssp. semenovii - well worth trying (if you can find it!!) Abies sibirica ssp. sibirica - as species Abies spectabilis - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, wet monsoon summers Abies squamata - needs very cool summers (grows at up to 4700m altitude in Tibet!!) Abies veitchii - worth a try, but probably fairly short-lived Abies vejarii - zone 7 Abies vejarii ssp. vejarii var. macrocarpa - zone 7 Abies vejarii ssp. vejarii var. vejarii - zone 7 Abies yuanbaoshanensis - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, wet monsoon summers Abies ziyuanensis - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, wet monsoon summers Hybrids . . . should be more or less intermediate between parents Abies x arnoldiana = A. koreana x A. veitchii Abies x insignis = A. pinsapo x A. nordmanniana Abies x phanerolepis (Good One) = A. balsamea var. phanerolepis - the most heat-tolerant form of A. balsamea Abies x shastensis = A. magnifica var. shastensis Abies x sibiriconephrolepis = A. sibirica x A. nephrolepis Abies x umbellata = A. homolepis var. umbellata Abies x vasconcellosiana = A. pindrow x A. pinsapo (though parentage unconfirmed) Abies x vilmorinii = A. pinsapo x A. cephalonica Resin

Agree on the joshua tree. They rot here in Albuquerque even sometimes. No chance in MO. You should try yucca schotti (available at Yucca-Do nursery). Yucca baccatta may make it. High country gardens (not my favorite vendor) has Mora, county NM ecotypes that see temps colder than St. Louis and may seen even more snow. The Moreno valley is the coldest in NM - they saw -40 twice 2 years back further up in Angel Fire. Angel Fire, NM nearby was the coldest place in the nation a couple of weeks ago (in June!). They also have some cacti from Taos, NM that may make it. There are native MO yuccas and cacti. Do a web search. You have some right in your backyard! They can probably take your wet if you duplicate their MO environment. Opuntia imbracatta also may be worth a shot. Find CO seed or plants. Good luck.