This past week I cut down a split trunk sugar maple that was leaning badly toward our house, around 20 degrees. I was loathe to remove it because we love our trees, but it had to go and I want to replace it.

Our yard currently has two maples on the south side around 40 feet apart, and a large red oak to the west. The crown on the red oak spreads out over the spot where the previous tree was, but fairly high, around 50' up. The tree that was removed was about 40' feet high with a 25'spread, and fit nicely in the spot it was in.

I want to plant the new tree further to the north and a few feet more to the east. This would allow me to plant a tree that would ultimately grow to 50' high with a spread of 40', although I'm sure it would adapt to the others if/when needed. It would be somthing of an understory.

The spot gets 6-7 hours of sun from April through September. It's around this time that the sun is lower than the crown of the two maples, allowing for 2-3 hours of direct sun after 9 am or so, then dappled sun until late afternoon when it gets some more direct sun as it sets in the west. I guess you would say it's medium soil, somewhat sandy. There's clay about 14-16 inches down. The PH runs around 6.5.

I would like to plant something that would be a fairly rapid grower, hence the red maple thought. I've been looking at different cultivars, and have multiple available in my area. October Glory, Autumn Blaze(Fremanii, am I correct?), Autumn Flame, and Somerset.

I also like the red maples for the potential for color, although I don't know if they would produce with less sun this time of year. I would also be open to suggestions. Just about anything with a medium-fast growth rate from 30-50 feet tall with a 20-40 foot spread.(Although I know there is no "set" final size)Deciduous, evergreen, no real preference.

Here is a picture of the yard as is, before I regained enough energy to move that stump.:-)

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The oak is around 30 feet to the right of where I have the red "X", just a few feet out of the picture.