Fifty years ago silver and norway maples were often recommended because they provided "quick shade" for people with new homes. Now the people who have inherited these homes are having real problems. The problem is that these trees grow quickly, but die just as quickly. They have shallow root systems that compete against lower growing plants, even grass has trouble growing under them. they have very weak branches that break off in the mildest of storms, causing much damage. and, as others have said, they set seed copiously, becoming a weed exceeded only by the filthy ailanthus for invasiveness. Because of their shallow roots, in high storm winds the whole tree can become uprooted and fall over, damaging houses, cars, and other property. And worse of all, many homeowners can not afford to pay the cost of removing a dangerous tree. It only cost about five dollars to plant those trees in 1960, but it costs several hundred dollars to cut one down now. Save your children a big headache. Don't let these trees get started on your property. ...And get rid of that mother plant, Your neighbors will thank you.

I haven’t visited these forums in some time and actually rediscovered this thread doing a google search on some rare plants (go figure). Since we have a lot of trees and not a lot of resources and time to protect them, most of my losses are due to deer/rodent herbivory. Instead of dwelling on all of the plants I haven’t been able to keep alive, I’ll mention the highlights and surprises here. I went go in depth on too many so ask if you want more details and I’ll try to keep an eye on this thread and respond back when I can. I have been in Arizona since May and I’m basing the updates from this past growing season on my mother’s observations. -Strongest growing maple is Acer lobelii by far; arrived as a stick broken in half during shipping en route from Colvos Creek Nursery in Washington state and has grown at least 3 feet a year. It towers over all of the other sticks in my maple collection at about 15 feet. -Acer davidii grosseri hersii (what a taxonomic mess!) is the strongest growing snakebark and a new addition since the original post I believe. I don’t give it any “help” nutrition-wise and it has grown 2 feet each year; excellent striped bark turns crimson with the onset of cold weather and the leaves are a mix of red, orange, and purple in the autumn. From Forestfarm and while they are awesome, I have not yet keyed this plant to confirm its identity; either way, doing awesome for a snakebark in a clay-dominated alkaline soil in an exposed area. -Acer rufinerve gets no fertilization either and has some years where it sits back and grows little, and other where it takes off. Apparently this year it grew over 2’, so it now stands about 8’. Bark is excellent, although it doesn’t change to crimson like some of the other snakebarks. Can occasionally develop minor signs of nutrient deficiency but not a big deal. Leaves are amazing both texturally (coarse) and by color in the autumn, a mix of red, orange and violet. -Acer henryi looks like a Boxelder and grows like one in upstate NY. After a rough time establishing and a nasty bout of sunscald, it now grows about 2’ a year and has excellent red and violet autumn colors, with violet usually dominating. -Acer longipes is notable because I was able to get one through a winter (low -13F) with the only damage due to herbivory. Supposedly sprouted up big time this past summer. Not many experts seem to place much faith in its hardiness and it may have been below the snowline at the time of the low temp. Time will tell. -Acer mandshuricum, Acer triflorum, and Acer maximowiczianum all suffer through chlorosis. A. triflorum does the worst, A. maximowiczianum the best. A hybrid from Forestfarm between A. pseudoplatanus and A. griseum has done very well, with violet-backed leaves and red fall color. Hybrid vigor and no cold or soil issues. -Acer oliverianum is starting to pick up steam and has yet to be damaged by temps as low as -16F. Might be benefiting from the protection of a nearby hedge. Fall color is usually reddish-orange; it is deeply shaded. -Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ is a huge success. Massive flowering in the second year and completely hardy. Grows very fast and gets leggy unless trimmed. Flowers are gorgeous and large, with virtually no scent. Numerous visitors that have seen the plants have subsequently scoured google for a dealer. The intense color has even drawn some hummingbirds. Seedless. Highly recommend. -Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ gets defoliated by about January when the truly consistent cold temperatures begin. This about the time that the soil freezes for good as well, limiting the plant’s ability to care for the leaves no doubt. At times, it looks like a fancy houseplant with shiny green leaves growing amongst the snow. No cold-dieback although it is not yet established and grows only about 6 inches a year max so far (haven’t got an update for this past season yet). It is late to leaf out in the spring. -Have a Stewartia malacodendron that apparently did very well in a shaded and very rich sand lens in a protected area that gets partial shade. It is big enough to be above the (likely) snow line and I will be very, VERY interested in seeing if it overwinters. Perhaps more updates later (and as I receive them!)

What do you mean by "brownstone garden"? My guess is that it means the builders stripped off all the topsoil and left you with a heavily compacted mess of builders' rubble for soil . . . if that is right, then that limits your choices of what will grow well, quite a lot. One tree that has a proven track record of doing well on such stuff is Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) - very fast growth, and good dense glossy dark green foliage (so plenty of shade and privacy). The downsides are that the bark is fairly dull grey, and it has no autumn colour at all, the leaves turn from green to black when they drop. Resin

Ooops...after getting your hopes up, 15 feet isn't much room. I hate to say it, but you may be stuck with those tiny decorative trees. You want a vertical accent, winter interest, and a "wooded" look as opposed to a decorative flower garden look? The reason I asked about bucket trucks is if a tree is near a road they can still be pruned when they are pretty tall. If they aren't within reach of a road, they become unpranable when they reach a certain size. The reason I asked who owned the land under the lines is the power company may own it, or may just have an easement. Depending on the exact terms of the easement, you may be able to plant the sort of shrubs that grow back from the roots when they get chopped down directly under the lines. Check with your power company or the County Registry of Deeds to find out the details. You could plant: Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) because it is the right size or Crataegus viridis 'Winter King' for the winter interest. You could get Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum.) You could get Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) because it is evergreen and close to the right size. (Warning...I'm not personally familiar with these two trees) You could go for a narrow cultivar or a naturally narrow tree like American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana ) or Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). (The latter is not super attractive and looks stupid if limbed up but is quite narrow, evergreen and wind resistant)