If the dead trees left large open spaces, I'd plant groves of dawn redwood and baldcypress, but that's me. Although if you've read this forum for any time you know that lots on here are enamored of those two species. With the species you've got in situ, I'd say you have very good, productive soil, probably fertilized on occasion with the runoff from your neighbors fields.

If you like red Fall color, how about Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) and Sassafras? Tupelo thrives in swampy conditions and is a pollinator favorite.

Tupelo has good Fall color and some tolerance of flooding. Probably my main recommendation based on what you say you want.

Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) has good fall color, some tolerance of flooding, and a lot of tolerance for cold.

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) has decent Fall color, interesting structure and tolerates flooding. Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) has good fall color, drought tolerance and interesting bark. River birch tolerates flooding and certainly has interesting bark but not sure how well it can handle summer drought. Sycamore has interesting bark and tolerates flooding.

(If it were my property I'd go for Tupelo, Baldcypress and American Persimmon)

If you don't mind messy, there is Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua).

Evergreens are tricky in a colder climate. I hate them myself, but Thuja occidentalis is a swamp tolerant native evergreen.

My main suggestion is to plant a mix of long lived/slow growing/shade tolerant trees and fast growing ones. Trees for now and trees for later. Too many people plant just one kind of fast growing tree, then they all die off at once.

Metasequoia gets my vote also. Interesting tree with an interesting rediscovery story.

Nyssa sylvatica is a winner also.

Tulip tree, Lirondendron (spelled wrong). If u pick in the fall you can get good yellow fall colors. The flowers aren't show stoppers from a distance but sure look good close up.

Scarlet oak, Quercus coccenea (spelled right?)

White oak of course, Quercus alba.

......

I'd be trying some larch (tamarack) if there's enough full sun area. Of course, that's for up here and maybe where you are, the Taxodium or even Metasequoia might be better climatically.

I'm big on advance regeneration, or the purposeful use of the existing regeneration on a wooded site. Likely, you've already got some swamp white oak or one or more of those other species present, and it is those saplings already there that are the very best trees for the site going forward.

Bur oak will do well in moister sites too as will the naturally-occurring hybrid Scheuttes oak.

wisconsitom: He asked for trees that are evergreen or have red fall color. What, you are missing an opportunity to promote your belovedThuja occidentalis?

indianagardengirl: They say society prospers when old men plant oaks under who's shade they shall never sit. I applaud what you are doing. But you aren't an old man and red maple aren't oaks...
You could weed out the dull colored maple saplings in the Fall and select for trees with good red fall color. Some of them should have red color.
I'd also focus on preserving seedlings of trees that don't transplant well and are seldom seen at nurseries. Hickory and some kind of oaks. No one plants hickory.

Ed, thank you for the great link to the tree calculator. I will get good use out of it for sure.

For all you DR/BC lovers it was already on my short list. I was hooked after seeing the grove at Morris Arboretum. So is Nyssa sylvatica, Liriodendron, and Tamarack. Possibly a few more, because I'm looking for diversity.

Just to clarify, I do like fall yellow colors, but right now that's all I have. And Ed, I may not plant oaks but I am leaving all the oak seedlings - surely that counts. :-)

Just for giggles, here's a pic from last fall's project.

Got your helper waiting right there......

Yes, best help I could ask for!

So, do you think there are any evergreens I might be able to grow? As you can see its a bit bleak when the leaves are off.

The part of your question everyone ignored,

I really think arborvitae might work. American holly has some tolerance of wet soil but is marginal in zone 5.

I have learned when working in the woods, it's all about the trails. Enhancing them is the fun part.

Mike

Conifers and flooding: deciduous ones are great at flooding - dawn redwood and baldcypress. for evergreen, options are not as good. Arborvitae as someone mentioned - although that is deer crack. You could try white spruce (needs lots of sun) or hemlock (tsuga).

Red color: red maple (yours doesn't work - maybe a different strain?), black gum, sumac (small, needs some sun), amur maple (invasive), red oak

Maroon: white oak, burgandy Norway maple (not a fan)

orange: sugar maple, serviceberry, sassafras

red fall color:

acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze'

nyssa sylvatica

Nuttall Oak

rhus glabra

cornus florida

liquidambar styracflua (hate it, but good fall color)

orange:

acer saccharum

evergreens:

pinus taeda

picea abies

picea pungens

metsequoia

pinus parviflora

ligustrum sinese (cringe)

cupressus x leylandii 'golden river' (this is the only leyland cypress I would plant)

About Thuja, I have one of these
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=254005&isprofile=0&;
Thuja occidentalis 'Sunkist' planted in a fairly damp spot. It
survived a deer attack and bees love building hives in it for some
reason. Really its kinda neat, always looks healthy.

An even bigger challenge will be keeping non-native invasives from taking over those opened areas.

I wonder if some northern sourced (Missouri, Kentucky) Shortleaf pine would grow there? I planted some seedlings a few years ago and they're growing just fine in areas that get fairly wet during the winter.

Check out the missouri state nursery. I stumbled upon this and thought it would be great for mass plantings or for businesses to sell.

==>>>https://mdc6.mdc.mo.gov/Applications/TreeSeedling/

I would consider some native Persimmon as well, sometimes they'll have decent orange fall color, even down here in the South.

Just wondering... what is EAB?

Emerald Ash Borer