Sorry but your requirements are too restrictive - no such tree exists.

tree never really stop growing .....anything the will grow fast to 20 feet ... will will be 40 feet soon enough ... in your words.. fast ...

there is no real way to restrict width other than severe pruning....

i would be curious.. what all the trees are.. that i see in your pic ... one of the best ways to ID good options.. is to ID whats local ...

if you see something you like.. get a pic of the plant.. and some leaves ... and it can be IDd here or in the name that plant forum ...

an awning is probably your best.. fastest ... solution ...

ken

ps: nice truck ...

Hi, thanks to you both. Yes i figured it was probably too restrictive. I was actually thinking of spliting up the list into two sections, "must have" and "would be nice".. that might make it easier.

There is a crape myrtle a few doors down from me, it is really beautiful in the summer time. here is a pic..

I sent some pics back then to a local nursery and they told me it was a crape myrtle. They also said thats about as big as they should get and that it was utility friendly. However a small one in a pot is about $40 and im on a budget here.

And thanks for the kind words on the truck. When i was shopping for a truck as soon as i saw the truck i knew its what i wanted. I never knew i was a fan of yellow until then. But its a different kind of yellow and i like it. People cant believe its a 2008 its in such good shape and does not burn a drop of oil, as a matter of fact it has about 4000 miles since the last oil change and the oil is still just as clear and clean as when they put it it. Everyone seems to know me by that truck rather than my name lol :)

Anyway, yes if i can i think ill edit my list into two sections.

Since i cant edit my original post here are my must haves:

1. Utility friendly - it cant be so agressive that it messes with the current utility pipes in the ground.

2. I dont want to have to pick up its leaves.

8. Something that is green all the time would be nice.

13. Affordable, i wont spend alot of money on a tree.

15. Grows rather quick, would like some benefit from the tree in just a few years.

thanks

PS.. i did think about a cypress tree but those kinds of trees are known for being huge spider collectors.

This last summer i mowed the whole lot using a weed eater, its only a 50x30 foot lot. I know that is not good for grass because it tears the grass blads. So i am getting a new rotary style push mower as its not big enough to justify a regular mower. Im not sure that i could mow leaves with rotary style mower it would be too hard to push through them i think.

Loquat tree. It's non-native, but a nice evergreen tree that tops out around 25'. The only caveat is that they can only survive down to 12° F...in case you ever get down that low where you're at?

Otherwise, this would be a better choice than another overused Crape Myrtle - which is also non-native - but deciduous and very flowery.

I like the shape, and the look of the loquat. I just need to find a non bearing one because i would hate to have that fruit all over the yard.

The only thing I can think of that might meet most of your needs is a columnar juniper such as blue point, hetzi columnar, or wichita blue, assuming your yard has decent drainage and doesn't turn into a lake during the rainy season. They are cheap, easy to find, and pretty bomb-proof if planted correctly. This website describes my preferred method.

Thanks so much i really like the blue spruce and i suppose i could just spray it 2x a year to keep the spiders out of it. I checked lowes, they show a colorado blue, is that the same as a wichita blue?

PS. it does say that it grows slow, i wonder how slow... right now its a 2.25 gal whatever that means. Also says min spacing feet 30 ft... does that mean i need 30 feet all the way around the tree?

Colorado blue spruce is a spruce, not a juniper, so not at all the same as Wichita Blue juniper :-) And may not do very well in your climate, depending on where you are located.....tends not to like mild winter areas.

OK thanks i guess i thought juniper and spruce were about the same. Thanks for the clarification. :)

Yaupon Holly fits most of your list.

Yes i see the difference now thanks, lowes has a 3 gal wichita blue for 25 bucks, i can handle that. But can i handle the tree by myself with a bad back. I wonder how heavy it is... I suppose if i am able to dig the hole i can move the tree. I will have a very hard time if its more than about 40 lbs.

Thanks for the holly tip, the downside is that those red berries would be all over the yard and getting tracked inside..

A 3G containered plant is not that heavy.....you should be able to manage it easily. Hollies tend to hold on to their berries until removed by birds or wildlife.......I have never encountered much of an issue with them. And if you get a male holly, no worries - they don't produce any berries!!

Male Yaupons don’t have berries, but most nurseries sell females. I’ve had them at every house I’ve ever lived ... the only time berries were annoying was when planted next to my driveway (fell on concrete). When they’re planted over grass, I never even notice them. As gardengal said, they don’t drop constantly or create a big mess. Mockingbirds love the berries. :)

They're pretty much the perfect tree for us here in Texas ... definitely the easiest and hardiest to grow. Much preferable to junipers (I’ve had many types — lots of browning in our harsh sun, and insects).

Lizards like Yaupons, too. :)

He should be pretty effective in keeping down spider populations !! What a handsome fellow!

Have you considered shrubs instead of trees? Some get quite large (small tree size), and many are evergreen. You'll have a much better selection that meets your requirements.

Yaupons look like they would be a good shade tree as well if i can find a male somewhere. But im gonna guess that a male would be pretty expensive since they sound rare. And yes that is a handsom fellow for sure, must be a grandfather as he is pretty big.

I have not considered strubs yet but that is also an option if they get tall enough to at least shade my back window. The only think about strubs is that i dont want to totally block off the back side, which would give criminals a place to hide, we have had some crime around here lately.

By the way Texas residents, i am up at lake fork if you know where that is in east texas. I got a great deal on this lot annually that i could not turn down.

UPDATE: well ill def have to get a male, i just read that the berries can be poisoness, the owner would never go for that around here, so ill have to get a male somehow.

As I believe was brought up earlier you're not going to get significant shade from a tree planting for many years, you will have to do something else to get relief anytime soon.

OK thanks, my plan is to be here for about 4 years (maybe more) so i figure ill do some improvements and then be able to kick back, fish and enjoy the lot fully.

So far i have my walkway done minus a few blocks for the middle.

I am doing a patio out of pallets as well, just need some dry and warm weather to paint the plywood and allow it to dry. The plan is once the OSB is laid down then cover it with green grass like carpet and then use some 1x4 to trim it out. Then ill make a panter around the outside edge to help keep the water from getting under it and getting stagnent (mesquitos). Then ill build some wooden stairs as it is very hard for me to get up and down the rv stairs. Then i may put a few mini ornamental strubs at the outter corners. Something that stay very small and stay green.

The way its raining right now i would love to toss down my texas bermuda seed now and let it grow but i dont have any topsoil to cover it and im afraid the birds will get to it. But it might be alittle early. Does it have to be 70+ every day for texas bermuda?

"But can i handle the tree by myself with a bad back." Again I would point you to this website where the first picture you will see is a guy holding a 10 foot tall tree in one hand after washing its roots of all the potting medium and pruning out any problematic circling or upward-growing roots. Potted trees are much lighter without the "soil" they are sold in, and it's best to remove as much of this stuff as you can in my opinion. I like to put them in a big tub full of water to wash them so there's no way the roots will dry out before planting. Just be careful not to dig your hole too deep-I usually dig a hole about half as deep as the pot is or even create a mound of dirt for evergreen conifers if it's a flat area.

Well, Loquat flowers die off at around 19° F - 26° F, which is probably pretty common in Zone 8. And no flowers = no fruit. So, probably most years there wouldn't be any fruit, anyways...

But, perhaps an even better idea would be a Texas Persimmon tree. It's an evergreen NATIVE, with a sculpted trunk that highly resembles those of Crape Myrtles and small Live Oak-like leaves. It can grow up to 20' tall, has very hard, fine wood, is extremely heat/drought-resistant, and yet can also withstand temperatures down to 5° F! AND it also has DELICIOUS, quarter-sized, black fruits...but if you really don't want those - you can always just get a male one (as they are dioecious).

"It is extremely drought-tolerant and disease-resistant and is ideal for small spaces in full sun."

OK, so what more could you ask for??? There's your ideal pet tree right there!!!

The Texas Persimmon resembles the mesquite which we have alot of in my old state of NM. Both have purpose but neither is very eye catching. I am certainly not looking for something elegant but in my mind im thinking "if i am going to plant something why would i want to plant something like a mesquite" lol.....

But yes you are right, it does serve the purpose quite well. So i guess i would need to decide utility over appearance. I do understand that nothing is going to be perfect as stated before, but i would want something i can smile about when im taking care of it. I would not feel that way about the persimmon because to me its just another version of the mesquite in my mind.

Maybe i need to rethink the leaf option, it would give me more choices and i was thinking today there are leaves on the ground now from the other big trees around here, alittle more leaves are not going to hurt.

Re: Bermuda ... yes, I’d wait until our temps are consistently warm. I’ve always seeded in May-June, 80+ temps are ideal.

Re: the issues with leaves or berries or even fruit.......there is this amazing invention called a 'rake'.........just saying :-))

Or...you could just question and shift your entire paradigm, save work, and the planet at the same time!!!

Why not forgo raking and just LEAVE the LEAVES???

• Fallen Leaves Provide Habitat to Creatures – All sorts of little animals rely on leaf cover to survive and build nests. These include salamanders, frogs, toads, box turtles, many terrestrial invertebrates, and other creatures.
• Leaves Provide Nutrients for Organisms – Leaves are a natural part of any ecosystem. “Every resident of the leaf litter—or visitor to it—is connected to the food web in some way,” says Elizabeth Johnson, a program manager at the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation.
• Reduce Waste – Throwing away leaves is very wasteful. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that in 2011, yard trimmings accounted for 13.5% of solid waste (approximately 33 million tons). Don’t let your leaves be wasted, they have critical benefits to wildlife and your garden.
• Increase Soil Fertility – Leaving leaves alone and letting them naturally decompose adds nutrients to the soil. Leaves also increase the soil’s water retention.
• Reduce Pollution – Leaf blowers and the trucks used to haul away leaves pollute. Artificial fertilizers also pollute. However, leaves are natural fertilizers that do not pollute and actually improve the soil.
• Saved Time – By not focusing on removing leaves, one can focus on other fun stuff to do during the fall. “That time could be spent on other projects, like building an amphibian house, or ice skating, or having The Best Day Ever outdoors. You do not have to ditch the rake completely; you can use it to move leaves onto your flower beds or a compost or leaf mold pile.”

Thank you sincerely for taking the time to post that information, some of that i knew and some i did not. What concerns me most about the leaves is that anything that is decaying draws gnats and we have quite enough of those here in east texas. This last summer i was not so much bothered by the mesquitos as much as i was by the tons of gnats that swarmed around day and night.

I was told at the time the main reason there were so many was because i had a outdoor rug over the grass by the front door and they were drawn to the decaying grass under it. And also because i did not pick up my grass clippings after i used the weedeater.

So with my medical conditions which there are many that really limit what i can do. I felt that adding leaves to the deal would just make it worse than it is already.

I do feel that i am back at square one again with tring to decide. I certainly dont want to add a bunch more work for me to do just to have a tree.

^ Sorry, I couldn't resist taking the podium, and thanks for being so receptive and voicing some of your limitations and concerns...

As far as "gnats," midges breed in water and are attracted to lights at night.

In natural and man-made aquatic habitats, gnats are one of the most
common and most abundant insects in nature. Gnats’ breeding sites include just about any body of water. Some examples of gnats’ breeding
sites include natural lakes, sewage oxidation and settling ponds,
residential lakes and ponds and slow moving shallow rivers.

Non-biting midges, or gnats, are often drawn to lights and can be swarming around outdoor lighting in the summer.

Now, East Texas is almost a wetland - neighboring Louisiana's swampland. Even after just a heavy drizzle, there will be standing water and puddles everywhere. So, I'm guessing there is some standing water around your RV park? In that case, the puddles are probably where the "gnats" are all originating from - not so much lawn clippings.

BTW, another good option would be compact, evergreen Magnolia varieties like Star Magnolia 'Centennial' (25') or Magnolia 'Loebner' (15' - 30'), etc...

Thanks, yes the magnolia is a beautiful tree :) Regarding body of water yes there is a huge lake here :) I think i will take some time and let all this sink in. I am now working on my little tool shed (pic attached) and so that will keep me busy for a bit. I will update this when i decide something as i am sure i will have questions. Thanks so much everyone, you have been really great :)

It will be easier on the plant if you either plant relatively soon or else wait until fall or early next spring. Just suggesting the you don't wait until April or May since it will have a more difficult time adjusting if it has leafed out and the weather is heating up.

^^ Aha! You're by a big lake! Well there ya go...no escaping all the midges then - as that's where they're really coming from (not any lawn clippings)! So if leaf/fruit/flower "litter" is not really a concern anymore - you might actually want to choose a tree WITH such ornamental/edible attributes!

IN FACT, to help reduce midge populations around your RV, you might actually want to plant a lot of hummingbird-feeding FLOWERS - as hummingbirds eat nectar, AND small insects. Insects such as mosquitos, aphids, gnats, midges, and whiteflies are captured in mid-air and by foraging. So contrary to popular belief, such insects actually make up the MAJORITY of their diet (not nectar)!

Well i know its been awhile since i originally posted this. I have been waiting on the spring and summer selection of products to arrive at lowes.

But while i was visiting my family in New Mexico i happened upon a white Lilac and i thought it was perfect. Actually im strongly considering planting 3 of them and doing a red, white, and blue lilac planting.

But it appears that lilacs i have looked at seem to grow best in zone 3 and i am in zone 8a. So will lilacs prosper in the east texas sun, soil, and zone?

Also it appears that lowes carries mostly monrovia type lilacs, how far apart should i plant them?

Thanks Dave :)

Have you considered crape myrtles? Beautiful flowers in different colors and I think they grow well in Texas (check first though). Consider buying your plants at a local nursery rather than Lowe's or HD -- better selection of plants adapted to your area, hence a better chance of survival.

Lilacs don't bloom well in warm climates or so I'm told.

Crape myrtles would be my choice if they grew here. I think they bloom for a longer period during the summer.

Hi, yeah my neighbor here confirmed that lilacs wont do well here. She said if i could not find red, white, and blue crape myrtles then i should look at possiblyOleander or Plumbago as they both have all three colors.

But there is a texas lilac tree.

The reason i love the crape myrtles and lilac is because of the shape. I can plant them without worrying too much about them providing cover for criminals as they are bare from the bottom up for about 4-5ft or so. That is what im looking for - red, white, and blue options in a bare bottom to full top plant.

Even though it might be more expensive, i guess i need to go to a actual nursery and not rely on the advise of lowes or wallmart employees.

I decided on a red white and blue crape myrtle, i found the red and white one at lowes. But for the blue one the guy at lowes is going to call his old boss at a nursery to see if he has one or can get one, if so he will call me.

I got them planted, i hope i did it right, i just mixed some good top soil from the bag in with the soil i took out of the hole. And i put some water in the hole. Ii also loosended up the roots as they were both root bound and dry as a bone on the bottom. Then i planted them with the root ball even with the top of the ground. And then watered them 3 times each until the water started pooling. I will repeat 1x watering per day for about a week.

I guess thats how you do it??

I also got some annuals for the bottom of my flag pole, red white and blue also. And they were also root bound and dry as a bone on the bottom. I had to break away some of the roots off the bottom because my bed was not that deep. I hope they live.

I think lowes must water just the leaves but not the soil for sales.

Thanks all :)

Concentrate on plants that will produce desired results soon - 4-6 years isn't long enough to start seeing something happening like a tree making a shadow of very useful size.

Sounds like you did everything right, David. Baby them over the summer and you should be on your way to a lovely garden.

Thanks, well sadly i am not able to find a blue crape myrtle and from google i found an article that said that crape myrtle's cannot produce the blue pigment, only a dark purple.

So i guess that means ill have to choose something else that is like a crape myrtle but with real blue flowers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacaranda_mimosifolia  It does provide deep blue flowers.

now to find one !

Jacaranda is super cold sensitive. You probably need to be in 9b or higher for it to survive

Any other recommendations for zone 8?