Need tree suggestions

brendonv

brendonv

New member
Location
CT
Im losing a large, say 40" + bdh oak in my front yard. Previous owners had horse run, and driveway to close.

Im in need of suggestions. I want something to look at. There are hemlocks in front of this area, i am keeping them shaped, say ten feet tall. I want a specimen to pop out the top, possible blue or yellow accents to pop against my weeping copper beech in the background. Faster growing, if thats such a thing.

I liked the eskimo sunset maple, thought about a variegated sweet gum or honey locust. Just looking for ideas.
 
Glenn, I've heard that before but I was under the impression it was the Siberian elm, which is mistakenly called Chinese Elm. You're certain it was parvifolia? If so, good to know. Thanks. They definitely throw out some seedlings.
 
Without seeing and evaluating the planting site (sun exposure, soil type, pH, drainage, etc...), it's problematic to make recommendations, but if given the right conditions, white oak is a wonderful choice. Quercus alba supports many species of Lepidoptera, i.e. bird food, and of course the acorns are a staple for many birds and mammals. It's not a fast grower, but I think growth rate is overrated as a consideration.

Depending on how close the driveway is, you may be able to solve that problem with a root barrier.
 
Full sun, well drained soil. Been using wood chip mulch for the last two years. No soil test. Its a big old red oak currently. The driveway is crushed stone. Too much compaction over the years, plus they scraped top soil from the side and put down stone dust for the horses. Currently i planted spruce, hemlock, and a few kousas in The surrounding area. All started from seedlings, approx five to seven feet tall at the moment. They are flourishing. I believe the site will sustain any native tree, just looking for an eye catcher. White oak is my favorite tree, though i do have one thirty six inch dbh on the other side of the house.

Excuse the punc mistakes, these buttons are tiny.
 
How about a Ginkgo tree? They are great to look at, grow tall, have a beautiful yellow color in the fall, and handle poor conditions quite well.
 
Ginkgo is a nice yellow tree in the fall. Stay away from the females though. The fruit can make a stinky mess. Good call Treezy.
 
Hickories and Maples have some pretty yellows in the fall. So do Chinese Tallow, but that would be an invasive for sure. They're taking over the planet in my area. Never seen Ulmus parvifolia anywhere they weren't planted, except small seedlings under the tree itself. Though I'm not doubting it can happen in the right area.
 
When trying to figure out which Carya spp. would do best, why not just look at their native ranges and narrow your choices to those?

Natives to Oxford, CT would include C. alba, C. cordiformis, C. glabra, C. ovalis, C. ovata.

Yellowwood has a home and it doesn't include the New England states. I'm not always opposed to using non-natives, but why not use natives whenever possible?

In the United States, we have altered over 95% of all the land in the lower 48 states. This has seriously reduced wildlife habitat. We must redesign our landscapes to accommodate native wildlife, otherwise we will lose the vast majority of species forever. This is not idle speculation. It's happening faster than I can type.

Brendonv,

Could you plant scarlet oak? It's native to your area, it prefers full sun, it grows rapidly for an oak, and it has spectacular, eye-catching fall color. Does scarlet oak have any serious insect or disease problems in Connecticut?
 
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