1. Quercus bicolor. Let me think about the rest.

Do you have space for white pine (pinus strobus)? Is salt an issue? White pine is immune to most of the diseases that afflict Austrian pine. I'd suggest American Holly (ilex opaca) for a screen but it might not tolerate the cold. What problems are you having with the hawthorn, maple, and black walnut?

What qualities do you want in a tree? Fall color, fruit, flowers, longevity?

unless it is standing water... i dont really think a moist soil is an issue ... please define better ...

there is nothing wrong with clay itself ...its all about you and PLANTING in clay.. so the new tree can survive long enough.. to deal with the clay itself ... see link belong in regard to clay and water in clay.. etc ...

there are big problems with strobus in MI ... i would stay away from them ...

why dont you CALL [or online if you are savvy enough]... your COUNTY extension office... and ask if they have a brochure or such for plants recommended in your state ... e.g. at second link below ... its much easier for this geographical diverse group to talk about a given list.. rather than making suggestions that are out of bounds ....

surprised tom hasnt chimed in yet ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

at this link.. the first link almost looks spot on

https://www.google.com/search?q=WI+tree+recommendations&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Thanks for the replies so far.

@hairmetal - that sounds like a good suggestion. Do the acorns make it messy?

@edlicoln - The hawthorn appear to have a leaf fungus and hollowing trunks. Think it is an old tree. Most of the branches are barren and drops early in late summer. The maple has been described as general "maple decline" due to a number of issues including root girdling. Black walnut is fine, was listing it as a canopy layer for the hawthorn. Would like replacements with 1) nice shape and shade 2) longevity, and 3) fall color. Would like one flowering tree in the backyard - maybe a serviceberry to replace the hawthorn? No room for white pine - holly is an interesting idea.

@ken adrian - thanks for the links and suggestion. I have looked at some of those types of resources, but I find they don't give pros and cons that a forum does in many cases. For the wet yard issue - I have a hill in the back that runs down to the house with a 2-3 foot retaining wall. Below that the grade slopes back from the house and deck toward the wall so that area will be pretty soggy in the spring and does occasionally have standing water during heavy rains. The squishiness often lasts for a few days after a heavy rain in the summer and can be for weeks in the spring. The ash was planted just below the retaining wall in raised planter ring/bed so the root flare is generally dry, but the spreading roots will be in the squishy area.

What about tupelo (nyssa sylvatica)? Great Fall color, long lived and pretty tolerant of wet soil. Sweetbay magnolia likes wet soils and has flowers, but might be marginal in that cold an environment.

Sugar maple would do better with your temperatures and has great Fall color, but wouldn't like the wet spots. Also doesn't like road salt.

I tend to think nothing beats a beech for shade and form, but it is difficult to get estanlished.

Serviceberry is a good idea. If you want something flowering, there is always tulip tree. (But that might be too big...)As far as the evergreen screen, wisconsitom would be the person to talk to.

White Spruce (Picea glauca)? Much as I hate them, arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) make a good screen and tolerate wet soil.

I find this site useful:
University of Illinois Tree Finder

By the way, I asked about the black walnut and hawthorn because I recently planted a row of black walnut and am thinking of planting hawthorn...I was wondering if the hawthorn were falling prey to jugalone, and was curious if the two trees played well/looked good together.

Hawthorn is known to be vulnerable to cedar-apple rust. I don't know about your area, but in my area Austrian Pine is afflicted with a number of pests and diseases...including nematodes and fungi spread by turpentine beetles.

Arborvitae does well in our area, but I really don't want to use it just because it so overused around here. They are everywhere. I do like the form though as part of the reason to keep the screen is our neighbors to that side are unstable people, They don't like our trees encroaching into their lot line and will actively cut off branches from our trees and throw them in our yard, never mind their junky silver maples they have planted everywhere crapping all over our yard. So the trees can't get too wide. They Austrians aren't in a wet area as they are above the retaining wall. The arborist did say they are very afflicted in our area too due to over planting and thus rapid disease spread so the state recommends staying away from them.

I don't think the jugalone has is hurting the hawthornes as there are a number of them in the tree line mixed with the black walnuts, but most of them do have cedar-apple rust after googling that. I knew they had some disease, but I am not as versed as you so I didn't know that was is what it was. They do pair well though from a looks perspective though.

Austrian pine don't do well many places anymore, but people persist in planting the things.

If you like the arborvitae form, you could planteastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Be warned most people think of them as a "weed tree" and they aren't pretty...but they have the narrow thuja form with blue gray berries. They also spread cedar-apple rust. Indestructible...about the only thing that kills them is swampy soil.

If a neighbor cutting down branches is going to be a problem, maybe something that tolerates pruning? American Holly would tolerate pruning better then most conifers. Catch is, you have to look into how well it survives the cold up there.

There are many conifers of course, but I don't now conifers that well. And ones with a conical form look silly if branches get knocked off.

Took a few photos today for illustration.

White ash

austrian pines

Hawthorns

Front maple

Checking in to see if there are any other suggestions. I like the swamp oak suggestion to replace the ash. I think the american holly won't quite tolerate the cold here for the pine replacement. Possibly too much of spread as well. I think I need something that is 10'-15' wide max. I am also thinking I will probably replace the maple with a maple in the front. Any suggestions for the type?

What's killing the existing maple? What about sugar maple? Best fall color. Also, red maple likes wet soil.

Eastern Red Cedar "Taylor" to replace the pine? (If you don't like thuja)

Not sure what is the exact problem with the maple, but about 4 of them on my street have the exact same thinning and die-back starting on one side. One neighbor already replaced his. The arborist said it was a combination of issues. Unfortunately I wasn't home to talk to him so I didn't get the details.

I was considering a cedar for the pine replacements. Is there are variety a bit fuller than the virginiana?

My list for replacements would be as follows:

1). Redpointe Maple for rapid growth and great fall color as well as tolerance of heavy clay soils. Sugar Maple would also be nice and cultivars such as Autumn Fest and Fall Fiesta grow decently (about 18" to 2' a year).

2.) Would use Swamp White Oak, Exclamation Plane Tree, or Kentucky Coffetree (male clone) alongside the street. Going for diversity alongside the street just in case your neighbors plant a bunch more maples.

3.) Arborvitae are a great choice- cultivars such as Brabant or Hetz Wintergreen will do very well and grow very rapidly. If deer are an issue I would choose spruce instead. Serbian Spruce or Blue Spruce cultivars will both do well. You could also choose an upright growing Norway Spruce like 'Royal Splendor' for rapid growth with narrower canopy. Serbian Spruce would be a perfect fit for the site and offers something different than your typical landscape evergreen.

4.) Consider redbuds for this area. Native and look great all year- flowers, foliage, fall color. They are quite tolerant of juglone but would do best if spring planted. If you are a cold zone 5 go for Minnesota strain or if you can find someone selling those from a locally based seed source that would work. In warmer parts of zone 5 (particularly 5b) you should be fine.

Hope you can make up your mind given all the choices!

Silver maple is vulnerable to jagalone, a chemical produced by walnut trees. Most other common kinds of maple aren't.

Most Eastern Red Cedar is wider then "Taylor"...I suggested that one because you seemed so concerned about spread.

I'm not that much of an expert on conifers...I wish that wisconsitom would chime in...but I've heard good things aboutBlue Atlas Cedar, Alaskan Cedar, and Incense Cedar.

Hello! I usually don't hang here on weekends, and these days, most weekends for me start on Fridays! So, for OP, what I recommend as the starting point is never this species or that. I start by asking the question-what size and shape of tree do I want in "that" area? So, is a tall-growing, widespreading "shade tree" called for? A narrow, conical conifer of some type? See where I'm going? don't focus on the species, or even genus at first. Instead, think about landscape function. Shade needed? Screening? Just what are you trying to accomplish? then, after these seminal ideas are formed, there are many tree types to choose from.

+oM

I knew if I said your name three times you'd appear.

Right! Thanks Ed.

+oM

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far. I have visited a few nurseries to get some ideas and see what is available in the area, but the selection right now if quite limited. I am thinking I will probably leave the existing trees until the spring and then cut and replace.

Right now I am leaning toward the following:

1) Not sure yet. quercus bicolor, tilia tomentosa 'sterling', acer freemanii autumn blaze?

(I know this is probably the wrong forum to take this position, but I don't want to clean up a lot of tree debris. Swamp oak is probably the most suited, but don't want to deal with the acorns. I do enough picking up from my river birch branches and black walnuts.)

2) Acer Saccharum Fall Fiesta in the front by the road

3) 2-3 Hetzii Junipers with a flowering crab at the end, farthest up the hill. Want a pyramid shape with some interest and cedar apple rust resistance in the evergreens. Need to investigate the crabs.

4) Clumped Redbud

Anyway, my current plan is to decide over the winter so I have time to research.

It depends to a great extent on where you live, some trees do better in different geographic regions of the country.

Too bad about that Elm, they can be very attractive trees but prone to disease problems, especially if there are many other Elms around the neighborhood. If you do want to plant a new Elm, I would rip the current one out if it has disease and wait a few years before planting the new one. (and be careful you do not use the same tools on the new one you used on the old one, or be sure to thoroughly sterilize them)

Mulberry, European Oak, European Beech, Douglas Fir

Another unusual option, you could go with a sweet cherry variety that is growing on its own roots (i.e. not grafted). These can take up to 12-15 years to begin producing fruit (which is why you rarely ever see them) but the trees can grow to be quite large. See if you can find pictures of the Tartarian cherry tree in the Owen Rose Garden (Oregon), it's well over 150 years old. Cherry trees grow fast in first years of their life and then start growing at a much slower rate once they reach close to maximum size, great for quickly filling in when you do not have a lot of patience. Unfortunately cherries are also prone to a cornucopia of different problems, much of this depending on the exact climate. The falling leaves can also poison pet animals if they eat too many of them (livestock think the leaves are tasty). Cherry trees can be beautiful yard specimens though, and the fruit they [will eventually] produce is just an added plus.