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Tell me about what trees tat you love in your yard


Dirtyhip

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24 minutes ago, Airehead said:

I love the graceful weeping willow that holds its leaves long into fall and breaks into new growth early in the spring. Keep them away from house and septic. 
 

hate the Naples with their piles of leaves to take. 

They are greedy for water.  I do not think one would do very well.  I would have to water it a ton.

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Your climate is so different I don’t know what will grow there. I love our white pines. I planted 100 seedlings for privacy all around the property. They grow fast and tall. All the birds love them too. They are bird condominiums. We planted a red leaf maple, it’s a really nice shade tree. The leaves are a deep red all summer. After the first freeze in the fall the leaves turn green. I guess they like doing their own thing. I have a catalpa tree that my dad gave me, they are really pretty. Some people don’t like their giant leaves, say the kill the grass if you don’t rake them up. I’ve never had a problem, I mow over them and it chops them up enough to not be a problem. I have some black walnut trees, I like them And the squirrels love them.

I had some weeping willows. They are very pretty for a number of years. They drop branches like crazy over winter and a lot of picking up before you can mow. When they get too big they don’t weep anymore. It’s a big job to take one down after it’s overgrown. I don’t recommend them but they like wet areas you probably couldn’t grow them anyway. 
I have some apple trees. If you want nice apples you need to do a lot of pruning and spraying. I gave up on having nice apples years ago. The animals enjoy the apples and I find some nice ones when I mow. I don’t recommend them unless you really want to work at them.

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My peach trees are the ones that I love...., because the peaches fresh off the tree are to die for.

We had two holly trees that I cut down this year.  They are dirty trees in that they shed a lot of very prickly, stiff leaves that are a pain in the ass.

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13 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Your climate is so different I don’t know what will grow there. I love our white pines. I planted 100 seedlings for privacy all around the property. They grow fast and tall. All the birds love them too. They are bird condominiums. We planted a red leaf maple, it’s a really nice shade tree. The leaves are a deep red all summer. After the first freeze in the fall the leaves turn green. I guess they like doing their own thing. I have a catalpa tree that my dad gave me, they are really pretty. Some people don’t like their giant leaves, say the kill the grass if you don’t rake them up. I’ve never had a problem, I mow over them and it chops them up enough to not be a problem. I have some black walnut trees, I like them And the squirrels love them.

I had some weeping willows. They are very pretty for a number of years. They drop branches like crazy over winter and a lot of picking up before you can mow. When they get too big they don’t weep anymore. It’s a big job to take one down after it’s overgrown. I don’t recommend them but they like wet areas you probably couldn’t grow them anyway. 
I have some apple trees. If you want nice apples you need to do a lot of pruning and spraying. I gave up on having nice apples years ago. The animals enjoy the apples and I find some nice ones when I mow. I don’t recommend them unless you really want to work at them.

Zone 6b

Cold, but not Maine.  300 days of sun.  Dry climate.

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We have 6 big sugar maples in tge yard. There are a few oaks i planted but they arent too big, maybe 15’. We also have an 85 acre sugar bush beyond the yard. 

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I have a sweet gum that I have mixed feelings about, it is a pretty tree, but it drops about a ton of spiky seed pods, about an inch and a quarter in diameter, the spikes are sharp and strong, I wouldn't want to step on one in bare feet, and they don't rot, you have to rake them up. I'd cut it down but I would really miss the shade. 

Have a black poplar that I really like.

Some huge silver maples, I like the shade, and the size is impressive, but it is a weak wood and drops branches constantly, and the helicopter seeds are a royal pain in the ass.

A couple hemlocks that I like.

Lilac tree I like.

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38 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

I love them too.  They do not fare well here.  

Oaks and Pecans thrive here.   Slow growing trees are generally hardwood and sturdy.

 

Fast growing trees seem to be shorter lived and have more disease and insect problems 

 

Consult with a local nurseryman or arborist for your region for what trees best meet your needs

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13 minutes ago, Further said:

I have a sweet gum that I have mixed feelings about, it is a pretty tree, but it drops about a ton of spiky seed pods, about an inch and a quarter in diameter, the spikes are sharp and strong, I wouldn't want to step on one in bare feet, and they don't rot, you have to rake them up. I'd cut it down but I would really miss the shade. 

Have a black poplar that I really like.

Some huge silver maples, I like the shade, and the size is impressive, but it is a weak wood and drops branches constantly, and the helicopter seeds are a royal pain in the ass.

A couple hemlocks that I like.

Lilac tree I like.

I have a lot of those.  I can't take them.

I plan to plant some of these.  But, really it's a bush.

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We have more than a few trees.   That's why we built our home at this location.   We love the trees...   They protect our home from the wind and the sun.  After 1:00 PM you can sit out on the patio on the west side of the home and be in the shade.

image.thumb.png.0c51027b0143577e96b0ccefeaa65c42.png

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

We have more than a few trees.   That's why we built our home at this location.   We love the trees...   They protect our home from the wind and the sun.  After 1:00 PM you can sit out on the patio on the west side of the home and be in the shade.

image.thumb.png.0c51027b0143577e96b0ccefeaa65c42.png

 

 

Looks very nice.  

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We have about a dozen 60 yo oak trees in our yard.  They are all 90 ft tall.  4 of them are too close to the house and are coming down this fall.  We had 3 of them removed 2 years ago.  I love the trees and the shade.  I hate the PILES of leaves in late fall.

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I love the big pine trees except when there is an ice storm or rain storm.  I don't love the ones that have fallen and just barely missed my house..  I like the wild bush cranberry that's grown as a big as a small tree, and the lilac bushes. 

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12 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

We have about a dozen 60 yo oak trees in our yard.  They are all 90 ft tall.  4 of them are too close to the house and are coming down this fall.  We had 3 of them removed 2 years ago.  I love the trees and the shade.  I hate the PILES of leaves in late fall.

LOL we joked that we are fleeing out elm tree.  My husband wanted t cut it down, I balked at that idea.

It's a terrible tree and is a little close to the house.  It has to be close to 100 years old.  I think it has seeded many of the other crappy smaller  elms in our hood.

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I agree with @Further on the love/hate relationship with silver maples for the same reasons. 
I have a tree of unknown species that is dying. I would not recommend to anyone. It drops little twigs all the time. 
I hope to replace with a locust tree. Fast growing. Moderate shade. It doesn’t drop branches in the wind. The one at our old house did not produce seed pods. 
Be wary on cedars. Around here they seem to produce a lot of unwanted volunteers. 

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16 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

I like the arborvitaes and false cypress. Douglas firs were a mistake. They are great when small but turn into pretty ugly trees.  I loved the Japanese dogwood that got killed by a storm. Purple leaf plum “thundercloud” was great but only lived aboot 20-25 years. 

I like Doug firs.  Cedars are better.  They small amazing.  They get huge too.

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26 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Our city maps the trees. Tiny part of city here. Urban forest canopy is taken seriously. Unfortunately this yr. due to covid and lack of enough taxes, capital budget for new tree planting (several thousand) won't occur. :(  

image.thumb.png.099545d5240a3a0393d422fbc6957ac4.png

 

This is a really cool map.  I wonder if we have one for our town.

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7 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

20 plants!  I can’t imagine!  I grumble aboot one or two. :D

 

I move the best of my hanging planters into the spa room every winter. It looks like a jungle in there all winter. I always feel sad about the ones that I don’t have room for and leave outside to freeze to death.

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8 hours ago, Dirtyhip said:

This is a really cool map.  I wonder if we have one for our town.

It helps them also see trends if any, for disease/rot.  We also had a major river flood that gouged out river bed/walls and river water overflowed the little natural park islands, 1 of them you might see there. So all this digital mapping (which would be tied to all the documentation on inspection, care, removal/planting) is important to our city.

Part of my job is helping depts., confirm  how long to keep documentation and what it is. Which records are considered vital..so those dots are tied to a particular record file..that is vital. There is federal legislation controlling import/export of trees and shrubs which affects local nurseries across Canada.  We have a little tree nursery for tree replanting purposes.

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4 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

I move the best of my hanging planters into the spa room every winter. It looks like a jungle in there all winter. I always feel sad about the ones that I don’t have room for and leave outside to freeze to death.

Yeah, potted plants make more sense. I used to dig up a hibiscus every year until it finally kicked the bucket. In hindsight that was dumb.  A mandevilla I left in a pot but it got killed during some cold spells this spring when I put it oot too darn early. :(

 

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3 minutes ago, BuffJim said:

I have these two in my front yard. The first one has beautiful purple-pink flowers, but has lost most of its leaves already. The other is a maple with maroon leaves. Seems healthy. In the back yard I have a tall pine. That’s about all. 

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Those maples are popular because of their ability to grow on very steep hills.

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We prefer green ash, a native to the area, but hardly ever available in nurseries. A neighbor told me of a spot, where you can dig small trees with a back hoe, and then plant these with some success. Big old poplars are often used in wind breaks. Lots of cedars (junipers) are available in your area, but they can spread if seedlings are not controlled. Several of my associates in Burns, OR, worked on the ecology of western juniper. Red cedar is the most common in the Nebraska and Oklahoma areas. We also like fruit trees, but they do not always survive.

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24 minutes ago, sheep_herder said:

We prefer green ash, a native to the area, but hardly ever available in nurseries. A neighbor told me of a spot, where you can dig small trees with a back hoe, and then plant these with some success. Big old poplars are often used in wind breaks. Lots of cedars (junipers) are available in your area, but they can spread if seedlings are not controlled. Several of my associates in Burns, OR, worked on the ecology of western juniper. Red cedar is the most common in the Nebraska and Oklahoma areas. We also like fruit trees, but they do not always survive.

You, @Philander Seabury, @Longjohn all said that fruit trees take a ton of care.  Thank you all for saying this.  I have had so many trees get sick.  The fruit is mediocre.  I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong.  I guess it is easy to fuck up.

Raspberries!  Not a tree, but good fruit and semi hardy bushes. I think plums do pretty well with minimal care.  The one across the street is amazing, and they don't do anything to it.  What are the hardy fruits?

 

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I got rid of the 3 Canadian Maple trees I hated, love the afternoon shade from a well-placed fourth one.  I may get an easy-care fruit tree/bush/vine for the back yard and two easy-care dwarf trees for the front yard: either two dwarf red Japanese Maples for each side of the front yard or else one dwarf red Japanese Maple and one dwarf flowering tree/shrub like a white dogwood (if I can find one that doesn't spread too wide on its own), which blooms white flowers from May thru June, then has dark green leaves that turn to a "fierce scarlet hue" in the fall.

Dwarf Japanese Maple (L) and Dwarf Dogwood (R): both require little care beyond once or twice a month watering in the summer.

Bloodgood Japanese Maples for Sale | BrighterBlooms.com White Dogwood

I live far enough south to grow Crepe Myrtle. Dwarf White Crepe Myrtle (Purple is pretty!), blooms in late May then 90-120 days, but it requires at least 6 hrs/day of sun, requires careful pruning in late Winter or early Spring (flowers bloom on new wood), and may need insect control.  I'm trying to avoid extra work!  There are ground-cover versions that may work well for me.

The Crape Myrtle Company - Rare Miniature, Dwarf, Medium and Tree ... image.png.7166ba170470f0410c5ee0dbecde0a1a.png

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43 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

You, @Philander Seabury, @Longjohn all said that fruit trees take a ton of care.  Thank you all for saying this.  I have had so many trees get sick.  The fruit is mediocre.  I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong.  I guess it is easy to fuck up.

I was intrigued that @Zephyr said he grows great peaches.  My grandfather had a peach tree but the bugs always got them because he didn't want to spray the amount it took to prevent that,and he was not afeared of chemicals!

The only froots I have grown successfully were strawberries and raspberries, but both petered oot after a few years.  Everbearing Heritage raspberries were great while they lasted.

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