Reccomendation for Tree to Plant?

10 years ago

So, I'm looking for a tree to plant in a special area in my backyard. I have a pictured of it attached. Basically, it's a low area at the edge of a woods and a stream. The low area is probably 15x20 feet that is essentially mud. It is barren of any weeds and there are only a couple sassafras saplings growing in it at this time (that I will probably remove). There isn't much direct sunlight here. It's surrounded by a number of mature trees, though a large old cherry recently fell and has opened up some more light. I would call this area a microwetland. It floods with a few inches of water during heavy rains and it is always damp. For about 20 years it is where I have thrown all of my compost so it should be extremely fertile. I want to plant a deciduous tree with the ability to grow very large. I know that I want to plant a Dawn Redwood somewhere on my property, and I think this would be a good place because I have read that they can even thrive in standing water (although this area would only have standing water an inch or two very sparsely). ALSO I want to note that this is an EXTREMELY iron rich area. The stream (which is about ten feet away) is ground fed from an old old mine shaft and is so rich in iron that the mud in the stream bed is bright orange. So, perhaps a tree that is particularly prone to iron chlorosis would be good here? Any recommendations are welcome! thanks!

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Comments (14)

arktrees
10 years ago
I have to wonder if there is iron toxicity with it being orange like that. Could be why there is little to nothing growing there. Probable would be wise to get a soil test done to determine true nutrient levels, pH, and maybe check for heavy metals. When talking about any kind of mine discharge, I immediate think of the pH, and heavy metals.

JMHO,
Arktrees
edlincoln
10 years ago
When I hear of a shade area, I first think of Paw Paw. They like shade when they are young, and produce fruit. Not that big, though. Speckled Alder likes wet soil and fixes nitrogen. Honeylocust fixes nitrogen to.
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Welcome to the forum and to the joys and frustrations of home ownership, LOL. :) Please post often as you develop your garden (and feel free to comment on other folk's posts too of course). I've got a similar bed right at the base of the north side of my house and I've had great luck for years with Aloe vera plants. So good in fact, they got a little TOO fat/wide/happy there that they were reaching out into the little walkway from my driveway to my front door. Eventually I ripped them out and replanted them elsewhere and replaced them with less-wide-growing Aloe saponaria (aka "Aloe maculata"). Those have done awesome too and don't get quite as wide. Your idea about cast iron plants is good, alhtough they'll need a bit more water and if we have a HARD freeze they will look awful for months, but it's not a bad choice at all. :) Sago "palms' would be good choices too, just keep in mind they are very wide so might not fit the space, but otherwise are good choices too. Good ol' portulacaria (not Portulaca) is good too, it's sometimes called "dinosaur food" or "elephant's food". It's a relative of the jade plant but with much smaller leaves, more branches, AND it survives our weather just fine. Let us know what you select and how it works out. Even an empty small bed with nice smooth river rock is better than bare hardpan, LOL, so you're on the right track. Take care and keep us posted! Grant Here is a link that might be useful: Grant's garden pics so far Feb 2012
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GiantSycamore
Original Author
10 years ago
I should've mentioned that I live in southern Indiana, right about in the middle of zone 6.

Also, I'm not too worried about the soil being toxic. There are trees growing all along the stream including a huge sycamore and an even bigger oak that are both less than 5 feet from the water. the reason this area is so clear presently is because it was covered with tons of limbs that I had deposited there for years and recently hauled off.
Iris GW
10 years ago
Seems like sycamore would be a good fit if it is native to the area. They love wet areas.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
there is PROBABLY not enough light for any transplant to grow with any vigor.. at any speed ...

and for me.. thats is evidenced by the scraggly undergrowth trees...

i SUSPECT .. you simply are not going to see your transplant get huge.. in your life time... unless you fell more of the trees already there ...

most.. if not all LARGE trees are full blinding sun ... rather than light dappled shade ....

ken
bengz6westmd
10 years ago
Ken's right -- a whole lotta shade there. Too much for any but the most shade-tolerant trees/shrubs.
SirSibs
10 years ago
Have you considered a london plane tree (Platanus ÃÂ hispanica)? It can tolerate filtered shade, wet soil, and grow pretty large, and is susceptible to Iron Chlorosis.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
(Platanus ÃÂ hispanica)? It can tolerate filtered shade,

==>> no..no..no...

you can not compare a fully established long growing trees sun requirements.. with a fresh transplant...

a young babe.. will take decades to get established and thrive.. if ever ....

what i mean is.... go for it ... just dont set the bar of expectations too high ...

if that were my spot.. i would be looking at hosta.. rhodies.. azalea.. etc.. not TREES ...

ken
bengz6westmd
10 years ago
Ken -- hemlock, beech, sugar maple, maybe common basswood (and some others) could grow there. Slowly but surely.
jcalhoun
10 years ago
Iron is acidic. I'd imagine the soil has a low pH.
GiantSycamore
Original Author
10 years ago
This area is much less shady than it appears in this picture. The side I took the picture from (the east) is completely free of trees, so for about half of the day the sun shines right into it. I took this in the evening when the sun was in the west and there's only spotty sunlight. there's open canopy from the top as well.

I do like the idea of a beech tree!

Also, when I said I want a tree with the potential to grow large that's exactly what I meant. I understand that trees may be slow to grow here but I'm just not looking to plant a shrubby tree here.
jcalhoun
10 years ago
Some of the wetlands trees will get rather large.

Look at bald cypress, tupelo, and sweet bay magnolia (my favorite).

I'd do a soil test first.
GiantSycamore
Original Author
10 years ago
When you say a tupelo, do you mean a water tupelo or a blackgum? Could either of these survive in my zone 6 (almost zone 7) climate?
jcalhoun
10 years ago
Either should work.

In my area the black gum doesn't grow as tall but they are quick growers. They are also more prone to wind damage. The water tupelo is a bit larger and stronger.

Reccomendation for Tree to Plant?

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arktrees

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