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shade tree/small area

16 years ago

We have a very narrow lot and I would like to put a shade tree on the roughly SW corner of our house, both for shade and privacy from the house next door while we're in the back yard. Ideally, it would be where the truck is in this pic but we'll have to settle for near the front corner of this concrete parking pad that the boat is on. We will re-do the asphalt and concrete eventually but it will be in the same place. Question is...can I put in what will eventually be a big shade tree (ginkgo would be my first choice) without worrying about the roots heaving the driveway surface? Would a medium-size tree be safer? And how far away from the driveway should it be?

Thanks.

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Comments (4)

bullthistle
16 years ago
It looks as if you have plenty of shade so are you just looking for a screen? A good redbud would do that for you, one that has horizontal branching. A shade tree will get too tall and will give you no privacy. Gingko is too narrow. What about a Sorbus/ash or a honey locust?

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
bungalow_house
Original Author
16 years ago
We have shade at the rear of the yard, but none on the house itself. That photo was taken facing west, and it must have been relatively early in the morning while the sun was on the other side of the house. The driveway side and rear of the house gets blasted with sun later in the day.

The local nursery estimate for the ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' (the only ginkgo they sell) is 65h x 45w in our area.
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I agree with you and the others that an ash tree and a Ficus would be far too large for that area. I'd get rid of it and replace it with something much smaller growing. Texas ebonies don't get nearly so large and tolerate pruning very well and they have nice bright green evergreen foliage. Chaste tree (Vitex) is deciduous so it drops its leaves in winter and is a very modest growing tree that also tolerate pruning really well. Plus it makes beautiful spikes of blue flowers in summer. The foliage/blooms/seeds can be a bit messy so if you want lower maintenance then the Texas ebony is probably a better choice. Large shrubs trained as mini trees might work too. I love the idea of a pergola with Lady Banks rose trained on it for shade. Let us know what you do and how it works out! Take care, Grant Here is a link that might be useful: Texas ebony
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I agree that it would help to know where you are - zone 9? CA or the South? (Huge difference in humidity). Anyway, I garden in zone 9 in No California. I have lots of shade because it is a 106 year old garden. Soil is clay, although since it has been gardened for so long it is pretty good. I have had tremendous success planting hellebores in the most shady beds. There is a hellebore forum here in GW if you want to learn more. The plants grow to about 1 ft high and 18 inches across. They bloom here in Jan, and mine still all have their flowers - they last for months & months. They flowers come in white, green, purple, pink, & all shades in between. They used to be very expensive, but I get them by mail order now for about $5. Another plant I love for shade is corydalis. It is sort of ferny, although not a fern. It has delicate foliage, and grows maybe 1-2 feet high. I have them in yellow, white, and purple flowers. Jackie
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bungalow_house
Original Author
16 years ago
Honey locust is second on my list. It's probably most appropriate (size, filtered light so I can still have some plants), but in my head it has an unforunate association with mall parking lots.

I will look into ash.
radagast
16 years ago
Except Ash trees are being struck down by the Emerald Ash Borer, an imported pest that will probably exterminate all ash trees on this continent in much the same way DED wiped out the Elms, Chestnut Blight killed off the Chestnuts, etc.

Now, admittedly Maine is cold and the Borer may not be there - yet. But it is living in the upper Midwest, which is also cold, so who knows...

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