Ideas for really nice looking, unique or interesting trees? z5

12 years ago

Want to plant a couple trees, maybe 15-30 ft max height. Looking for something that looks really nice or interesting, or something that a lot of people dont have. I dont know trees very well any ideas?

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Comments (7)

Embothrium
12 years ago
Define really nice or interesting.
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
12 years ago
Hello mdo,

Tell us more about where you are putting this, sun, shade, wet, dry, right up against your house?

Something I want to try is Cornus florida cherokee sunset.

Here is a link that might be useful: Type Cornus Florida Cherokee Sunset into Google and hit Images
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flowering tree for z5PA
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I am very sorry for your loss, and my unintentional faux pas. I love your idea of bloom time coinciding with birth time. I can't speak knowledgeably to zone 5, but in April we have fringe tree (chionanthus) and snowbell (styrax) in bloom here. In addition to the great suggestions above, you might consider the styrax, which is a much nicer tree than the name sounds. In fact, it is sadly underused. It typically has beautiful bell-like white blooms in mid-spring that can be fragrant. It tolerates different soils well, full sun to light shade, and is fairly pest-free (unlike our pink cornus floridas!). The styrax japonicus is the nursery standard and a fine tree; styrax obassia is more fragrant with bigger blooms. A native choice that is shrubbier in general is styrax officinalus. 'Emerald Pagoda' is a japonicus that's highly recommended by those in the know. There are also 'rosea' varieties for pink flowers. Snowbells are well-behaved and easy to garden under also (deep roots). In fact, they would be a very fitting tribute to your grandchildren. All of the suggestions in this thread are excellent. Whatever you choose, God bless you for choosing this way to honor your family! I wish more people would follow this example.
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z5 Kagiri Nishiki and Chishio
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Comments (4)
I fully understand what you are saying about Family Tree. They have a 'Peaches and Cream' that I would like to have, but they have it marked $100. That's insane for a 1gallon tree that may be 12" tall. I have been to Heartland and actually went after work today and they did have some 1 gallon JMaples, but nothing of real interest to me. I'll have to check back with them from time to time. I have had several nurseries tell me that they get most of their smaller jMaples in around the end of may or beginning of June. The only jMaple that I have in the ground is a Bloodgood. I also have a Viridis that is left outside in the winter since it is in too big of a pot to move inside in the fall. The other JMaples that I currently have include: 'Aureum', 'Okushimo', 'Sango Kaku', 'Shishigashira', 'Wilson's Pink Dwarf', 'Fullmoon Maple'. Some of these are very small, but at least three of them would be big enough for a cutting or two. Feel free to email me.
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Clueless and looking for a unique tree to plant
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Comments (9)
I live in alkaline dryER Texas and I would plant a fringe tree in a heart beat if I could. There are some witch hazels that are nice for east Texas. Swamp Chesnut Oak, Black gum, white oak, Bald cypress for large shade tree. Wax myrtle,snowdrop tree, parsley hawthorn tree, Hop hornbeam and the American hornbeam (AKA musclewood), Devils walking stick for smaller understory or specimen tree.There is alway the ubiquitous Magnolia or Crepe mirtle. I find "Native Texas Plant: landcaping region by region" by Sally and Andy Wasowski a great refrense with beautiful native alternatives. I have gone through two of these books through the years.
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Looking for large shrub for pond embankment (z5)
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Comments (8)
Stolen from Penn State. Shrubs Red chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia 4-9 Black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa 3-8 Sweetshrub, Calycanthus floridus 4-9 Button Bush, Cephalanthus occidentalis 6-9 Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia 4-9 Siberian dogwood, Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ 3-7 Silky dogwood, Cornus amomum 4-8 Gray dogwood, Cornus racemosa 3-8 Redosier dogwood, Cornus sericea 2-7 Possumhaw, Ilex decidua 5-9 *Inkberry, Ilex glabra 5-9 Winterberry, Ilex verticillata cultivars and hybrids 3-9 Virginia sweetspire, Itea virginica 5-9 *Laurel, Kalmia species 4-9 *Drooping Leucothoe, Leucothoe fontanesiana 5-8 Spice bush, Lindera benzoin 4-9 Northern bayberry, Myrica pensylvanica 3-6 Pinksterbloom azalea, Rhododendron periclymenoides 4-8 Swamp azalea, Rhododendron viscosum 4-9 American elder, Sambucus canadensis 4-9 Highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum 3-7 Arrowwood viburnum, Viburnum dentatum 3-8 European Cranberrybush, Viburnum opulus 3-8 American Cranberrybush, Viburnum trilobum 2-7
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arktrees
12 years ago
Acer triflorum if climate is suitable. Define Zone 5. Zone 5 rockies, west coast, new england, plains?

Arktrees
mdo003
Original Author
12 years ago
mostly sunny, about 15-20 ft from house. zone 5 plains. by nice looking, my wife really looks colorful stuff like redbuds everyone in my neighborhood has one already, was just looking for ideas for anything else with nice colors, leaves, etc that you dont see often
arktrees
12 years ago
IF the site if fairly dry and drains WELL, then American Smoke Tree - Cotinus obovatusmight work. Chalk Maple - Acer luecoderme. BTW wind exposure is a concern as well. How exposed is the site to dry NW wind. How much precipitation do you get per year? Plains can range for somewhere in between about 12"-35" per year, but that is a BIG range.

Arktrees
poaky1
12 years ago
Corkscrew willow is interesting, I saw one recently in what seemed like a well drained site, although I'm sure they will take wet soil also. I'm not sure about longevity though, I would check that before getting one. They look like Harry Potteresque trees.
denninmi
12 years ago
Seven Sons Tree might fit the bill. They planted one at the campus of the university I used to attend, and it was gorgeous in Sept/October when it bloomed, and fragrant. I've seen them sold as both multi-trunked shrubs and pruned into standards.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seven Sons

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Ideas for really nice looking, unique or interesting trees? z5

Comments (7)

Embothrium

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

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arktrees

mdo003
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Ideas for really nice looking, unique or interesting trees? z5

Comments (7)

Embothrium

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

Related Discussions

arktrees

mdo003Original Author

arktrees

poaky1

denninmi

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mdo003
Original Author