You have so many options in the Pacific Northwest.

What is your USDA zone? How many feet would this be from the house? How many feet from the road? Will they be under power lines? What is your soil like? Does the spot ever flood? Is it compacted construction fill?

American Persimmon is a relatively large, low maintenance fruit tree native to North America. You need a male and a female for fruit.

The picture could be deceptive, but it doesn't look like you have space for everything you describe.

I'd also recommend that you visit an arboretum to see what the trees people suggest look like in the real world and your climate.

there is also a fruit forum ... and those peeps might have more ideas for the dwarf fruit trees you might need ...

i would also not plant anything of height that would block the views of traffic on the corner .... else.. as soon as it looks perfect.. the city will come along and demand removal for traffic purposes ....

ken

My favorite can-only-grow-in-the-PNW tree is Eucryphia. Good for a smaller lot as they have an upright shape and are slow growing.

Have fun....but remember...for a harmonious landscape composition, some repetition is a good thing. Otherwise, what you end up with is less a landscape and more a plant collection. Maybe doesn't matter to you.....and that's OK too!

"for a harmonious landscape composition, some repetition is a good thing.
Otherwise, what you end up with is less a landscape and more a plant
collection."

That might apply for perennials in a bed or border but I don't really think it applies to trees on a small lot.

By "street trees", I assume you mean to plant them in the parking strip planting areas (aka hell strips) ? If so, this is city-owned property and like Seattle, Portland has a rather well established street tree regulation process that requires permitting and selection only from approved specified tree lists. Typically, any fruit trees - other than crabapples - are excluded from these lists as the fruits are considered a nuisance factor.

I've linked to a couple of the city's websites that provide the appropriate information: Street Tree Planting Standards and Approved Street Tree Planting Lists.

Of course, planting withing the limits of your own garden is up to you but on that sized lot, you are going to be somewhat restricted as to the number and size of the trees you select.

There is nothing inherently different about trees within a landscape compared to other plant elements. Do you look at a forest, a thing of great beauty and a certain kind of power, and see 100s of different tree species, maybe one of each-scattered across the landscape? Of course not-you see vast repetition, with some elements of variation within that basic repetition. And hence, a harmonious and engaging scene.

And yes to g-gal-the municipality should have sway over what goes on on that terrace. I was under the impression these trees were all to be packed on that smallish lot.

What is your USDA hardiness zone? I wouldn't recommend fruit trees (even ornamentals) unless you are open to starting a spraying program. I would personally just stay away from fruit completely except for certain natives. Linden would probably get too big for the spot, grow into the power lines.I like mimosa tree (albizia julibrissin) but its invasive roots would probably crack the sidewalk.

right corner: quercus robur 'fastigiata'

left corner: Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' (if your climate permits, mimosa is z6 so not sure) or Cercis Canadensis/Cercis Canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

others: asimina triloba (paw-paw), american persimmon, autumn blaze maple

and american hornbeam
You may be able to grow a linden, but it would have to be kept pollarded because they can be massive trees.

sorry tom I think you're making a value judgment based on a pre-conceived notion or constructs of what nature is.

"Do you look at a forest, a thing of great beauty and a certain kind of
power, and see 100s of different tree species, maybe one of
each-scattered across the landscape?"

But some tropical rainforests would be exactly like this...in a given, say, acre, you could have not a single duplicated tree species. Comfortable monocultures are more common in the temperate zone forests with which most of us are familiar, from Pinus taeda in the south to Betula papyrifera in your neck of the woods.

What I will grant you is that most western architecture is based on symmetry, and so obviously a certain degree of symmetry within landscape compositions will complement that architecture in a way that a random composition could not. But in the house above for example, putting a hedge of a single species along one side and 3 trees of the same species along the other side might look more complementary to the architecture, but it wouldn't look more "natural"; because the functional symmetry of the architecture is obvious as would be the symmetrical construct of the landscape design.

As I understand it a lot of "modern" landscape design is a reaction to symmetry and order. And it varies in the degree to which it does use repetition of a few species varies from proponent to proponent...with say, Oehme and Von Sweden being one extreme.

The opposite? To also use an extreme example the display gardens at Plant Delights are certainly _that_; they are display gardens designed to maximize the display of a huge variety of botanical species. There aren't many huge swaths of a single species but it certainly looks and appeals to the average person as a harmonious design.

So to some degree I am actually agreeing with you but not for the same reason. Yes it is easier to make a pleasant looking planting - in a case like this with a house like this, especially because a corner lot even has an extra sort of symmetry - that has some symmetry and repetition, I don't believe it's an absolute prerequisite.

Thanks for the suggestion, davidrt28! I'm looking into eucryphia. From a local nursery description:

Eucryphia lucida Zn7b (5º to 10ºF) Eucryphiaceae

Why do we grow Eucryphias? Because they are beautiful trees and because they thrive in the PNW climate and VERY few other places besides their native Chile/Argentina and Tasmania. And so for those gardeners who cannot grow Eucryphias in the rest of the country we are obligated to pick up the slack.

Yeah but I would wait for more specific recommendations from our PNW luminaries like gardengal & embothrium (itself the name of a very showy maritime climate tree, which is probably a tad more tricky to grow). This is why I didn't make a specific recommendation about species or cultivar. The ones I've seen in the British Isles were probably mostly 'Nymansay', and in full bloom the effect of them is heart stopping.

I am zone 8a, I believe.

I am getting familiar with the trees here. We lived next to Laurelhurst park, with a nice tree collection. I have been going to arboretums for years, but mostly I've walked the streets and take notes of what street trees I love.

Thats where I came up with linden, mimosa and magnolia. I am an absolute sucker for their scents! And I like they way they look.

Are power lines above the area? What is your USDA zone? The answers to these two questions radically change what your options are. There are a couple zones in the Pacific Northwest.

I really appreciate all your suggestions and advice. I'll respond more once I don't have a toddler crawling all over me.

Hey davidrt-not to bend this out of all recognition-so I'll leave it at this; I wasn't really talking about a symmetrical, or for that matter,a formal composition, or any particular landscape style for that matter. Just simply, that some degree of repetition-of species, not placement necessarily-can be a unifying effect within a landscape. Ceila's working with a fairly small space here I think, so it may not mean as much here.

In any case, I don't want to derail this convo any further, for what amount to poorly explained concepts (on my part) that while probably enjoyable enough discussions in and of themselves, can't really be sufficiently addressed here to reach solid conclusions. But I could, lol!

Ceila, maybe this was addressed already above, but what about removing the two blobby shrubs at porch and one at side window? At least from this view, they look to not be contributing much to me. Would free up a bit more space for your rather ambitious ideas. At least to me, the inclusion of a range of fruit trees within that space constraint seems ambitious, though certainly not in a bad way.

Except when planted in groves of one kind trees are accent points in the landscape. In a typical informal setting of modest size generally the best plan is a small number of trees, each one a different kind, with all of them spaced well apart from one another. Otherwise the trees will become too dominating, both visually and physically.

This page may be of interest.

http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2013/08/trees_of_greater_portland_seco.html

I would also recommend a visit to this place.

http://www.cistus.com/

And looking at this related page.

Q: Why broad-leaved evergreens?

A: When I came back to Portland from Berkeley, I was
struck by the number of deciduous plants here. I realized later we had a
really strong nursery industry that sold deciduous trees to the East
Coast, where it's much colder in winter and more humid in summer. So
that's what was available here and what we planted.

But now the gap has closed and everyone is striving to plant more
plants that will survive summer drought and that you don't have to cover
with a bucket when it gets too cold.

With street trees, it's imperative that they are drought tolerant.
Portland is trying very hard to be perceived as green and is actually
taking action. I'm really excited about beginning a palette of
drought-tolerant trees.

http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2009/01/sean_hogan_devotes_his_new_boo.html

tom, no problem, I was just playing devil's advocate as you know I am prone to do!

Embo:

The funny thing though, is Portland & Seattle seemed to have plenty of BLEs to my eyes. I'd say people there are better at planting for the climate than they are here. There are far too many hideous yards here with nothing but a sickly Picea pungens, a pepto pink crape myrtle which at least grows but looks incongruous, some forsythia and a sickly lilac or two. Oh I forgot a diseased hedge of leylandii. It's all relative, obviously. It's hard to compare Berkeley & Portland for a host of other reasons, regardless. You aren't going to see 12' tall Brugsmania 'Charles Grimaldi', Phoenix palms, or huge Aloes in Portland, either!

Celia said she liked the urban jungle look. Thankfully, there goes any sense of formality and a lot of repetition too. Personally, I like the urban jungle look, but for most customers I'd design something a bit more organized and suited to their level of involvement.

Mike

Eucryphias are great plants but I would very reluctantly call them "trees" - most are relatively narrow growing but tallish shrubs. Part of that might be due to borderline hardiness here in the PNW - they can be easily damaged (sometimes killed back to the roots) by our brief but intense Arctic blasts. A 10 y.o. one in my old Shoreline garden was killed during a rather severe winter in 2008. And Portland often suffers more intense winters than we do here in the Puget Sound area. The Kitsap area seems to see more of them but much of that is very water-oriented and I'm sure that has a significant moderating influence. In fact, the largest eucryphia I've seen - perhaps 25' - is located on the Bremerton campus of Olympic College.

They might be appropriate in a more protected area within the garden but I would not guarantee hardiness. And for sure not listed as recommended street tree :-)

I don't want to harp on that aspect of this question but if at least a few of these trees are intended for the parking strips (city owned property) rather than in the garden itself, the permitting, approval process and specific tree selection listings must be adhered to!!

Thanks gardengal. I take it the deciduous E. glutinosa is not as spectacular as some of the hybrids? The funny thing is I remember seeing spectacular Eucryphias in Scotland after they'd had a cold winter which killed huge cordylines back to the stumps, so I'm surprised that big ones are rare in the PNW. In fact they had some foliar burn but were still blooming their heads off as I was going back to the states in late August. I thought the hardier ones were at least solidly zn 8, I know quite a few places sell E. glutinosa as zn 7. 'Nymansay' will actually kinda survive a milder summer here - hybrid vigor perhaps - but definitely not even a mild winter. OTOH, E. glutinosa simply cannot make it through even a few weeks of humid summer weather! I'm sure there must be one at Cistus of some type and Celia should definitely avail herself of a trip there. LOTS to see.

I've never looked at the entry in NALT because it is not a genus that will grow here, but Herr Jacobson says there was a 53' tall 'Nymansay' in Bremerton! Definitely a tree according to my definition!

"I don't want to harp on that aspect of this question but if at least a
few of these trees are intended for the parking strips (city owned
property) rather than in the garden itself, the permitting, approval
process and specific tree selection listings must be adhered to!!"

I agree and did not realize she was specifically asking about those areas.

You will be able to grow crepe myrtle! why not plant several different cultivars.

Black Diamond (any color) near power lines (they only grow 10-12ft)

'Natchez' on the left (like I already suggested)

'Miami' in the back corner

Just an FYI but crape myrtles are very reluctant bloomers here in the PNW. It typically takes far more heat than a PNW summer can generate to encourage blooming. Siting them where they receive considerable reflected heat will help but no guarantees. They are not widely sold up here for that reason.......what's the point of growing them if they hardly ever bloom?? And it would be a very rare occurrence to see any crape taller than 10' around here!!

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)? Stunning trees. I was researching them, but discovered they were finicky in my area. I'm told they do well in the Pacific Northwest.
I already mentioned American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) as a tough, low maintenance fruit tree.

Repettition in street trees combined with trees planted close to the road can create a tunnel of trees look that is beutiful. Your lot is too small to do that alone without coordinating with neighbors. (Which no one really does).

I had a beautiful sourwood, until the former neighbors "topped" it. Right when it got back to a good size they "topped" it again and killed it.

There were plenty of crape myrtles around Lake Maggiore, which is not nearly as hot as the US SE in summer, but warmer than England and Seattle. Pretty close to the summer temps you get in Portland, OR, or Nashua, NH. Portland seems to have anomalously warm nights for a PNW location; both Seattle's AND Eugene's are cooler. Eugene's day temps in summer are similar though.

Seattle is on salt water, Eugene is at the bottom end of the Valley where cold air traveling down the Valley ends up. And the mountains are closer. Don't have specific knowledge of either of these accounting for cooler nights in Eugene, but I bet they do.

Even as long as it is from north to south in the Valley the climate there actually gets milder as you go north, with locations in the bottom end having record lows in the -14F to -17F range. Whereas last time I looked the record low for the Portland airport was -3F (and way up here the Sea-Tac low was 0F, the Montlake record inside Seattle proper 10F).

I know they're everywhere but I like Douglas Firs.

Coastal Redwoods can also grow in the PNW if you have a lot of room (the roots need 40 feet space out from the tree).

Elms are beautiful trees, but there are disease issues that need to be considered (although they have developed disease-resistant varieties). English oaks are also beautiful trees, but they will need a lot of space as they get older. Oaks are a little more drought tolerant than other trees, so they do better in the summer.

Cherry trees on their own roots, not grafted, can get to be very large, the size of oaks. They are also fast growing. Don't expect fruit anytime soon though because, on its own roots, all the tree's energy is going to be focused on growth, not fruit production, for the first 10 years.

For an ornamental tree, consider a double-flowered crabapple variety like 'Brandywine'. (click here for picture)

To reduce the likelihood of disease, plant all sorts of different tree species. A grove with 10 trees of the same vulnerable species is 10 times more likely to suffer disease because if one tree becomes infected, it will immediately spread to all the others that are right next to it.

Hey all, I am taking this all in and organizing my list of trees to look into. Thank you!

"But remember...for a harmonious landscape composition, some repetition is a good thing. Otherwise, what you end up with is less a landscape and more a plant collection. "

Thanks, wisconsitom, that is precisely what I needed to hear. I'm not going for an ordered or symmetrical look per se, but I DO want a direction, intention and theme.

I like so many type of landscapes, though! And I can't wait until I got it all figured out to start planting, otherwise it will never happen. Also I need to pace my yard expenditures.

I know nothing about garden or landscape design, but I am a plant person and have been gardening since I was a child, have worked on farms and as a gardener and done botanical internships, ect... Enough to know I don't know much ;) My husband is pretty good with edibles, like grapes.

My level of involvement is moderate now with a 1 year old in tow, but I would like it to be high. I like to spend at least 30-60 mins a day, all year, tending to plants, and much more when needed.

gardengal48 yes, I have gone through the assessment process with the city, and their selection of fruit trees is limited.

They've come and marked where our trees can be. At the end of September a group called Friends of Trees will reveal their available trees (which homeowners help plant). But If I want something different I must go get it myself and apply for the permit.

A neighbor down the street works for the urban forestry center, she said she'd fill me in and help me pick out so W trees. So nice!

About crepe myrtles, I see them all over Portland, blooming right now, often next to a house so their flowers peak in the windows, or even second story windows. They do seem to thrive in sun or protected courtyards.

Right now the idea is to put a plum in the northeast yard, a fig where the singular blob of a bush is on the south "yard" (the strip between the house and the sidewalk).

We will also remove the two camellias on the west side.

Still thinking about street trees. We got some time.

Parker25mv, I love all the trees you suggested (esp elm and redwood), but I think they might be bigger than what we are looking for.

Cherries tend to cause the sidewalks to buckle quite badly here.

Redwoods are not allowed in the parking strip - they get too big!

We can plant by the power lines, which still surprises me (I'm from Mn/WI, and you don't see that much back home -maybe related to heavy ice and snow breaking branches by lines?). There still are some regulations about it, though, that I don't know off the top of my head.

portland also treats a "front strip" different than a "side strip" as far as parking strips go. Not sure what is what, and why. But different trees are suggested for each area. Perhaps this has to do with the power lines.

These are the trees available right now through Friends of trees (super limited selection, end of season):

I like Black Hawthorn and Canada Red Chokecherry.

Douglas firs, Redwoods & Elms are beautiful trees, but WAY too big for those spaces. You have some other nice ideas, best of luck!