Evergreen or deciduous?

Why the height limit (is a tree taller than the house in the background a bad thing)? ie: do you want something small that won't endanger the adjacent properties cause there is already a pine leaning over the fence and you have another tree right against the fence

Are kids going to play around it?

Interested in a flowering tree?

There are about a bizillion small flowering trees that will meet the 18' req. Any idea on how narrow of a spread you want exactly?

Also NE Texas is zone 8! Is your soil alkaline there? Regal prince oak would be a nice non flowering selection for that spot but I don't know how it handles alkaline soil ph.

What metro area?

Aside from my standard 'more info needed', no tree should be planted in that yard until it is deeply rototilled and organic matter added. I hope you aren't going to slap sod down on that as it is now. You should also ask them what they are going to plant to gain some privacy from you as well. That will help you choose.

Dan

Clarified on the other post - Boston, MA. Apparently the "TX" meant "thanks". I read it as Texas also!

1) My neighbors actually just removed the trees/shrubs they came with the property. They have a very small backyard and 3 kids.
2) Are kids going to play around it? Not around but most likely under the brenches (as soon as it grows). There are other trees (maples) in the backyard for them :)
3) Interested in a flowering tree? Sure, we love flowers. We used to have a magnolia but it got damaged and needed to be removed. We were very sad :(
4) there are no limitation to height. There are plenty of high trees but nothing in between. I am not sure how wide I 'd like to go. If I think about cherries, dogwood, etc they are wide but you can always walk underneith...
4) we'd like to have it close to the fence to leave space for play
5) I am not in TX. I am in MA (North Eastern) close to Metro area BOston. My "TX" meant Thanks
6) The area will be cleaned up, and new soil will come in before the sod. We have a professional doing that. We will have mulch around the trees and flower beds.
Thanks so much for your advice.

Well that clears up alot!

Throwing the obvious dogwoods and crabapples aside, a variegated dogwood cultivar (like "Wolf Eyes") would look beautiful in that spot. I would also consider sweetgum "Rotundiloba" which is a seedless cultivar and also a Greenspire Linden. The last two have larger spread at maturity than you are going for and the linden has problems with beetles. If you are going to keep the lower branches trimmed, these spreads shouldn't affect much. It looks to me from pic at least that whatever you plant there will have a more upright growth habit initially while trying to find some sunlight unless it will get a lot of sun from the direction of your house because of the nearby trees. The Regal Prince Oak I mentioned earlier would also be a great fit.

Sounds like you are getting your soil in good shape before planting in the back. Have fun with it!

Thanks j0nd03. Just a quick note. There is plenty of sun in that spot. I love the idea of seadless. The maples we and the neighbors have are always seeding in the lawn or flower beds. Thanks again for the great suggestions.

How good is the drainage? Is it a dry site? It looks on the dry side in the picture, but that may be an illusion. IF it is on the dry side, then that may change you choices i.e. American Smoke Tree, Shantung Maple, Chalk Maple, Trident Maple, various Oaks and many others. If not dry, but well draining look at American Fringe Tree, Musclewood (Blue Beech another common name), John Pair/Autumn Splendor Sugar Maple (southern smaller Sugar Maple of the Caddo ecotype),and many others.

Arktrees

The site is dry because we finished some construction last Sept. Since then we had no grass, loon, anything...basically neglected. We just removed a hudge maple from the center of the backyard and you can still see wood chips from the grinding. We used to water the lawn in the back and the trees used to get watered as well. Maples have invasive seeds and I am looking for some focal point, flowers, etc...thanks for the second thought. :)

Take a look at American Fringe Tree, Sourwood, Yellowwood (a favorite), Venus Dogwood, many other dogwoods/crabapples, Oklahoma Redbud, 'Rising Sun' Redbud (must see it in person), or perhaps one of the yellow flowering magnolia's (some of those get large).

Arktrees