Recommendation for a friendly 'shade' tree
Jimmy Alba
7 years ago
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Comments (11)
kentrees12
7 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Recommendations for shade tree in zone 7
Comments (8)Guys, as much as you favor your conifers, they are not considered shade trees :-) Shade trees are typically defined as deciduous trees with a large, spreading canopy grown specifically for the shade they cast. And while native species are great, they are not the only ones to consider. If one is going more for the privacy screening and less for the shade factor, then the conifers are perfectly suitable. Here is a listing prepared by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources of trees recommended for that area. Not all are shade trees and some can/will get much larger than you need. The katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) could certainly be included on that list but that tends to grow into a large tree. Japanese maples are another possibility. And I would not be overly concerned about growth rates. Trees that grow fast also tend to grow very large as well and often have structural issues that result in weak wood and breakage in winds and storms. Pick for features you favor - spring flowers, fall color, mature size - rather than rate of growth....See MoreShade tree recommendations..30 feet-ish...evergreen..Central Florida??
Comments (5)Little Gem southern Magnolia: This cultivar of Southern Magnolia has a compact, upright growth habit more typical of a multistemmed shrub than a single-trunked tree. It grows at a slow rate to a height of perhaps 30 to 35 feet with an 8 to 12-foot spread and flowers at two or three years old. It is surprising to see a Magnolia flower when it is only three or four feet tall. `Little Gem' Southern Magnolia forms a dense, dark green oval or pyramidal shape, making it suited for screen or hedge planting. Of for something even smaller, a Red Bottlebrush: The common name "bottlebrush", perfectly describes this evergreen plant's bright red flower spikes. Hummingbirds love the flowers, and the plant is hardier than most bottlebrushes. The flowers are followed by small, woody capsules that look like bead bracelets on the bark, and which last for years. Offered as a shrub, bottlebrush can be trained as a tree to 15-feet or espaliered as a quick wall cover. It makes a nice screen or tall unclipped hedge. Pruning to develop several trunks and removing some lower branches can create a fine small specimen tree....See MoreShade Tree Recommendation: Outdoor Dining
Comments (7)Gosh. This site has become so argumentative. I'm simply trying to be helpful. The last two times I've posted, some other person, not even the original poster (OP) has wanted to argue with me about my comments. Even just ONE mesquite tree grows a large canopy, my research at the time said it can grow up to a 40' canopy. To pacify you Embothrium, I've spent some time putting together a progression of one of the trees: Oct 2008, shortly after planting: Mid-June 2011: (odd angle, I was taking the photo from the roof of the house, must have been morning by the shadow.) Oct 2012 - 4 years after planting: Today: Done. Joseph, I hope you find this information helpful. Notice all those yellow flowers - those will be mesquite beans, all of which will fall to the ground eventually. I think in the fall. Some folks lay a tarp under the tree when it's dropping and collect the beans then grind into flour. It's supposed to be very good but we've never gone to the trouble. Embothrium, carry on your conversation with Joseph if you like, I'm uninterested in any continued criticism....See MoreFast growing shade tree recommendations
Comments (29)Agree with the suggestion that you should install camera(s), perhaps on the fascia of your boathouse. As I understand it, there are solar powered and motion sensor kinds available. A row of trees that will give you privacy where you want it and block the view of your property from the road -- that your neighbor cannot see through, such as cedar trees -- will be the opposite of what your neighbor that cut your tree would like. Just be sure you don't plant trees in a right of way -- road or utility -- or they'll be chopped back (not a good look) or chopped down. Know your property lines and know any easements on /across your property. Don't plant anything you will later find to be "in the way" for your intended uses of the property. Unless it is against some building code or whatever, do put a fence on the two sides of your property and start a green fence to your liking inside that -- perhaps shrubs that bloom and/or keep their leaves year round. Then keep your property mowed/maintained so no neighbor will have anything resembling a good reason to trespass. The sharp leaves of a holly bush or holly tree can discourage trespassers but can also stick your own family members. A locked gate or even just a pair of metal posts with a metal cable (locked) across your driveway to prevent vehicles from entering could discourage trespassers and make it less likely your neighbor could successfully hire someone to enter on your property to do any "landscaping". If your land could be entered with a vehicle from any point alongside the road other than your driveway, posts and cable there would be worth considering. Again, do get a copy of any survey on record for your property showing its boundaries and easements from the county courthouse. Find out what the road right of way is for your community. Have a survey of the property prepared if there isn't one. This is a reasonable expense to protect your family's investment. Once you can document your property lines, seriously consider talking with a lawyer about sending the offending neighbor a cease and desist letter to stop the trespassing. Your neighbor sounds like one of those people that, " if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile" so you do want to take steps to define and take back control of you land; otherwise, any work you do to restore the wooded lot or to make it what you want it to be could well be wasted. floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK I'm certainly not a pro on the subject of growing things but I do know that after the neighbor's goats destroyed my rose bushes, each of which had been planted above a 2' deep hole of well fertilized top soil, the oak tree that came up where one of the rose bushes had been that we let grow actually grew twice as fast as another volunteer about a dozen feet away in native soil ... in large part Georgia red clay with a not very deep layer of top soil over it. With that head start, it is still the larger of the two oaks trees....See Moreedlincoln
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoSara Malone (Zone 9b)
7 years agoToronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
7 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
7 years agoJimmy Alba
7 years agoedlincoln
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK