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| The though happened to cross my mind that it might be beneficial for those that come to this site looking for tree ideals, if we list our most favored trees. It can be a specific cultivar (i.e. Ogon Dawns Redwood) or rather generic (i.e. Flowering Dogwoods). Since it seems rather pointless for most people here to keep this to a "top 5", something I would have a hard time doing, how about we keep it to a max of 10. You may, or may not state reason's for your choices. However please do name the one tree (ignore soil/space requirements) you would plant, if you could plant ONLY ONE. I will post my list later, after I have worked it out. ;-)
Arktrees |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Hei arktrees, here is my list 1. cedrus libani honorable mention |
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| Hard to put aside site selection. I'm with lcadem in that it is difficult to limit oneself to ONE tree, given that to do best they can vary greatly in their environmental requirements. However, his #7, Quercus macrocarpa would have to be my choice because of its longevity and general toughness. Also makes my retriever happy because those giant acorns attract squirrels for her to chase. hortster  |
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| My choices are based on each species growing in the species ideal conditions. All Around Deciduous - Quercus alba Potentially huge, attractive form and foliage, strong wooded, and nice fall color on some trees. Fall color - Acer saccharum The best and brightest for the full spectrum of fall color. Flowering - Catalpa speciosa and Cornus florida 50' covered in white in the middle of a yard is hard to beat but some of the dogwood cultivars are jaw dropping. Symmetry - Tilia cordata and Taxodium distichum Mirror symmetry at its best. Broadleaf Evergreen - Quercus virginiana (with moss) So picturesque it is almost cliche. Conifer - Sequoia sempervirens How can I not pick the tallest tree in the US. #1 if I could plant anything - Eucalyptus deglupta No words necessary...
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Here is a link that might be useful: Image credit to Divine Caroline by Vickit Santillano
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| I'm thinking of turning my yard into a redwood grove. Something to leave behind, that future users of the site might keep at least partly intact. There's already one next door that is probably over 60' tall. It seeds into my back yard. |
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- Posted by plantingman 6a (SC KS climate) (samnsarah620@yahoo.com) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 18:07
| I will use the common names, and these are in no particular order. Bald Cypress |
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| Hard one. Well, let's try this. 1.) Red Maple - medium-large tree, beautiful canopy, fast-growing, readily available, faster-growing than a sugar maple, said to be broadly adaptable. But also said to be thin-barked so somewhat susceptible to trunk injury while young, leaves can be poisonous to horses at least part of the year, the shallow fibrous root system can be trouble for septic tanks & leach fields. And Ken would point out if you garden under a tree, maples are hard to do this with (I don't, though). Stronger wooded than a silver maple. 2.) Sugar Maple - majestic mature adults with nice form, beautiful fall color, and very nice to see. I get the impression from reading they're not as broadly adaptable or as fast growing as red maple; they do get larger. 3.) Red Oak (& related, such as Shumard Oak) - fairly fast growing, long-lived, strong wood, attractive trees, faster growing than white oak, produce acorns for wild life. At least some (e.g.: Shumard Oak) hold onto their dead leaves over much of winter, which I happen to like since the tree still has some 'body' instead of that skeletal winter look). What I think are a pair of Pin Oaks are on our property; they hold their leaves during winter, & can get very large, but have a rep. for being prone to iron chlorosis, for persistently trying to grow limbs angling down low toward the ground, and for being over-planted, so despite fast growth I wouldn't recommend Pin Oak readily. 3.) White Oak - Quercus alba - impressively huge, can be beautiful, acorn-producing, fall color can be nice & better than the related burr oak. Strong wood. But slower growing, said to be more difficult to transplant (tap root often mentioned), can run into trouble with compacted soil. I get the impression this is the tree you wish your grandparents planted in your yard so you could enjoy the massive, long-lived giant today. 4.) Red Japanese Maple (e.g.: Bloodgood, Emperor I) - nice medium-size, beautiful trees that in essence give us fall color all summer long. Fairly hardy. 5.) Paperbark Maple - medium-size, peeling bark, seem very popular on the forum but not common so distinctive, can be a bit pricy but not bad. I've got 2 small ones in the yard now, and hope to see large size over time. Soil is sometimes saturated for days, though, and wondering how the littlest is going to do. 6.) Ginkgo - very long-lived, tough, disease-resistance, fall color is a striking yellow, and large specimens can have nice form. Neat, unique leaves. All that said, can take a couple of years to really grow after transplant and maybe a moderate grower even then, looks like a malformed hat rack until pretty large, and if you get a female tree that fruit is going to stink. 7.) Redbud - yeah, they're said to be fairly short-lived, but they make a nice, small to medium bush/tree, are really beautiful in the spring, and some have a nice multi-trunk form reminiscent of some Japanese maples I've seen. 8.) Yellow Poplar a.k.a. Tulip Tree/Poplar (which isn't a Poplar) - said to be long-lived, fast-growing but evidently stronger/more durable than some fast-growing trees, leaves are rather neat, and the canopy on those I see (not huge & mature) is a bit more pyramidal than the rounded canopy I see on sugar maples). It's my understanding they're not as broadly adaptable as red maple, for example, though - not entirely sure about that. The flowers are neat if you know where to look & the tree is small enough some are low enough to see. 9.) Swamp White Oak - my wife & I like the leaves, and the bark on the one we picked out. A tree with some tolerate for often saturated soil that was a good-looking oak was desired. Our tree didn't hold it's leaves over the winter. 10.) Pecan Trees - my grandmother had a couple. I'm not big into eating pecans, and I don't like them in my brownies nor do I like pecan pie. But it is a food-producing tree, including for wildlife, gets quite large and can live (& produce) a long time. The last big tree I planted for ornamental purposes was probably a swamp white oak. I don't know that's it's my 'favorite.' In an area less prone to saturation for a few days (we live part-way down a hill, so when it's rainy a few days, the drainage keeps us pretty wet), I might've planted a Shumard Oak. Richard. |
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- Posted by lou_midlothian_tx z8 DFW, Tx (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 20:11
| So far, I am fond of this Montezuma cypress that I grew from a seed collected from college campus where I graduated a long time ago. I planted it last year and grew pretty good. Let's see how it does this year. I also have a couple Bald-Montezuma cypress from China. I planted somewhat weepy Bald seedling from Midlothian Cypress last year and I'm really curious to see how it'd turn out this year. I have so many Shantung maples... Fire Dragon, Orange Dragon, Super Dragon (yellow-lime green leaves), Blaine's, Baby plus a couple regular ones. I have a seed grown Japanese maple that looks pretty good right now. I also have Seiryu and Tamukeyama. It's going to be a forest here in 10 years...
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- Posted by lou_midlothian_tx z8 DFW, Tx (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 20:13
| Oh yeah, that Paperbark Maple I planted last winter. Hope that will do well here. Time will tell but I've been wanting to plant one for a while. |
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| Lou, what are you doing with those trees?lol? Acer griseum is my #1 species tree. Cornus kousa 'Samzam' is my #1 cultivar. |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 23:04
| Well, I love trees, so if box elder was the only kind of tree, I'd love box elders. But given that's not the case, a big, healthy Norway spruce is about as impressive to me as anything. +oM |
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- Posted by dutchess12545 Z5b (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 23:36
| only from trees on my property.......no particular order Willow Oak Shagbark Hickory Zelkova serrata Yellowood Corylus colurna White Oak American Persimmon Sugar Maple Red Oak River Birch |
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| First, let me thank you all for participating. It's a nice change from our usual topics, and hopefully will continue to draw people in to post (yes luckers, that includes you. ;-) Since I was the one that started this thread, then it's only fitting I answer my own question before the day is out. I've thought about it off and on all day, and as stated above by others, it wasn't easy. For my list, I have several co-listed. In those cases, I consider them essentially equal and rather interchangeable. For example, I have one Oak, but two species listed. They are very similar in physical traits, however one is better adapted to dry, while the other to wetter environments. So for what it's worth, here is my list in no particular order. Nyssa sylvatica-Blackgum: Acer saccharum-Sugar Maple/Acer leucoderme-Chalk Maple: Acer griseum-Paperbark Maple/Acer triflorum-Triflorum or Three flowered Maple: Quercus coccinea-Scarlet Oak/Quercus texana-Nuttall Oak: Cornus florida/Cornus kousa-Dogwoods: Malus species-Crabapples: Ginkgo biloba: Picea pungens- Colorado Blue Spruce: Cotinus obovatus-American Smoke Tree: Cercis reniformis-Oklahoma Redbud: There is disagreement on the classification as to whether this is a distinct species or not. I will treat as a species here for sake of clarity. I love Redbuds. Grew up with a large one next to my house that was covered with bees every year. However, there are a couple of traits that set the Oklahoma Redbud apart. First and foremost, is the flower color. This tree has the most beautiful magenta purple flowers, that literally cover the tree in spring. Must be seen to appreciated fully. After the flowers are gone, then the next trait becomes more visible as you move toward summer. Thick shiny glossy dark green leaves. This glossiness attracts attention throughout the summer, while others trees have settle in for the summer and are mainly just green. Lastly, these trees are very very heat and drought tolerant, thereby little care is needed. So there you have my top ten. Others strongly considered but I ultimately did not make it as I rant out of room include: So what would be my one choice........ not sure yet. But either Sugar/Chalk Maple, or Paperbark/Triflorum Maple. Luckily, we have all four of them. :-D Arktrees |
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| Only southeastern natives make my list cause those are the only ones that I'm interested in planting. Native deciduous magnolias - Magnolia macrophylla would probably be the favorite of that group. Big, unusual leaves with gorgeous fragrant flowers. Not a bad winter form either. Native oaks - probably Quercus alba is the favorite but Quercus coccinea is fast catching up! And lately, Quercus georgiana has caught my eye. Buckeyes - the small shrub-like forms of Aesculus pavia and Aesculus parviflora are the southeastern ones. Sassafras - an elusive find but well worth it. Hickories - so many to discover lately, I'm still trying to figure out what species of Carya might be my "fav". And hemlock (Tsuga) - currently under attack by the wooly adelgid, I wonder how many will be left to show my grandchildren one day. A beautiful graceful tree that contributes so much to it's natural environment. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 24, 12 at 9:13
| this is like asking me.. which is my favorite child ... ken |
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| hortster, your burr oak is splendid. They look vigorous even in dry spells. Mine looks similar, but not quite as big. In your pic you can see the big acorns at branch-ends. Since I've been looking out my window all winter at them, I'm currently enamored by my Wate's Golden virginia pine & the Table mnt pine behind. The yellow w/a dark green background is a wonderful contrast. On a windy day I can smell the fragrance of the Table mnt pine 30 ft downwind. arktrees, when I was in Virginia I found some 40' Sugar maple-like trees in the oak mid-story that had unusually smooth, creamy-white bark & very emerald-green leaves. There were no other "regular" S maples nearby at all. Finally I figured out they were Chalk maples! Very handsome. j0nd03, unfortunately the native Sugar maples here (there are many) don't put on an autumn show -- mostly just yellow-brown w/a hint of dull orange (the best years produce reasonable color). Still, they are handsome, durable trees & are aggressively invading the lower elevations of the oak forests. drrich2, Swamp white oak does has wonderful foliage -- mine has thick, leathery leaves & a whitish coating of soft felt on the bottoms that persist the whole season. At times during the year I'll become enamored w/some other species. |
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- Posted by georgeinbandonoregon z9 OR (My Page) on Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 0:40
| some very interesting responses with lovely trees on their lists. FWIW, this is my roll call of faves based on ONLY on trees growing in the ground here at my place on the oregon coast: eucalyptus scoparia---smooth pale cream bark with evergreen "weeping willow" foliage extremely fast growth. my favorite tree. quercus greggii---a fast growing mexican oak with lush evergreen leaves. fast growing (30' in 10 years) with a strong pyramidal shape. quercus sartorii---another evergreen mexican oak with foliage kind of like the native q. muhlenbergii. quercus tomentella---still another evergreen oak from the channel islands of southern california with lush shiny leaves fast growing just like the other 2. pinus patula---mexican weeping pine with finely textured long drooping needles another fast grower. araucaria angustifolia---monkey puzzle relative from brazil with seriously spiny branches and trunk, faster growing than standard aruacaria auracana. eucryphia x nymansensis "mt. usher"---fast growing evergreen tree with shiny dark green leaves and huge amts. of flowers like single white roses in august and early sept. crataegus pubescens (aka c. mexicana)---an evergreen hawthorn with the usual white flowers but large yellow fruit that look like small lemons that hold on to the tree until early spring. luma apiculata---a relative of the true myrtle from chile with smooth cinnamon and sugar colored bark (on mature trees),small dark green leaves, masses of white flowers followed by tons of black berry fruits. arbutus menziesii (madrone)---a native tree with smooth peeling reddish bark, shiny evergreen leaves kind of like a magnolias, heather like white flowers and reddish fruit. i could go on with lots of other favorites but those are the 10 that i love most right now.
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| George I realized after the fact that I had neglected putting Madrone on my list of trees. I have been to your part of the world a couple times. The last time was in the San Juan Islands about 100 miles north of Seattle, and there were Madrone trees everywhere. LOVED THEM. Alas there is absolutely no chance of growing them here. Arktrees |
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- Posted by georgeinbandonoregon z9 OR (My Page) on Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 12:22
| Arktrees, madrones are very cool trees with very exacting requirements---even in their native range. many "tidy gardeners" hate madrones because they are seemingly constantly dropping leaves, bark, flowers, and berries on their landscapes. would imagine that the nearest hardy trees that might do well in your climate that at least have similar smooth and pealing bark would be crepe myrtles, stewartias, and sycamore/buttonwood (or maybe the "paper bark" maples(acer tegmentosum, triflorum, griseum). if you wanted to provide periodic protection in cold winters you MIGHT try a dwarf farm of the related species arbutus unedon/"strawberry tree" but it would certainly appreciate either a raised gravel bed (like you might plant desert plants in) or planting on a hill side to provide super drainage. George |
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| George, Thanks for the feedback. I am aware of the "requirements" of Madrone trees. I looked into them a couple years ago out of curiosity. Most of your native plants western coastal areas simply aren't happy with the climate conditions of Northwestern Arkansas. Summers too humid, too wet (most years), temps fluctuate too much during the years, too cold in winter. It is what it is. As for your other suggestions, we have planted 2 griseum (with another seedling in a pot), and 1 triflorum, both species appear very happy. Sycamore's are native and very abundant. Saw one yesterday with about a 4-5' diameter trunk. There are plenty of crepes around, but most people don't seem to try stewartia's, though there is a native species. River birch is also very common. So exfoliating trees are fairly common here. Anyway, Madrones are just exceptional to me for whatever reason. They can be a favorite tree that just doesn't live here. Much like the Monkey Puzzle Tree, and John's Rainbow Eucalyptus. :-) Arktrees |
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- Posted by georgeinbandonoregon z9 OR (My Page) on Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 13:04
| Arktrees, i'd like to have a full sized and thriving rainblow euc but will probably have to reconcile myself to all the neat stuff i am currently growing and all the other plants i might have a reasonable chance growing in the place i am with the climate i have. good luck with your trees---exfoliating bark and otherwise. |
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| For me it's some of the local stuff. Cyrilla I think I would like aspens and bristle cone pines but I've never seen one in person. |
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 Surely this thread cannot fade away without mentioning Franklinia alatamaha or Franklin Tree. It must have been one of J.J. Audubon's favorites as seen here in his print and a real jewel in the North American garden. |
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| ______________ Bald Cypress positively primordial! |
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| I've never been out west, so there are alot of trees that won't come to mind, but most oaks are at the top of the list, Quercus Virginiana and Quercus Fusiformis especially, Comptons oak was evergreen on the tree closest to the house this past (mild) winter,so I'm happy I have it where it is. Norway spruce, Magnolia grandifolia, Magnolia Brackens brown beauty, there were tons of them in Florida and they looked nice to me. Podocarpus were blooming (some were, some not) too tender to grow here though. Some palms started to grow on me too. Southern live oak will probably always be my favorite tree, with Texas live oak being my attainable in my yard # 2. |
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| In no particular order--- Weeping willow |
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| 1) Sycamore (The American version, platanus occidentalis, although I also like plane trees) There are great stands of them here and they are stately in summer, and the bark is beautiful in winter. Standing alone in a cornfield, they look as if they are holding up the sky. 2) Hedge Maple (acer campestre) A most tidy and well behaved little maple with lovely leaves. One is a back-drop in a garden nook and it's totally care-free and provides an amazing backdrop to other plantings 3) Red Buckeye (aesculus pavia) Another care-free little tree with astounding flowers and beautiful symmetry without the help of a pruner. 4) Magnolia of any ilk, I have nine of them and not enough to sate my thirst for them. My favs are the southern grandiflora, Leonard Messel, and the macrophyla. 5) Crabapples..........a size, shape and bloom for every taste. 6) Black Locust........messy, thorny, large and weedy. But when they bloom, I forgive them. 7) American Chestnut..........I have one. If I were a kid, I'd spend a lot of time nestled up in it's low branches. 8) Sugar Maple 9) Tupelo..........if for no other reason than to see it in fall 10) European Beech |
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| I'm a sucker for natives, but I have a few non-native favorites as well. Quercus rubra |
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| Probably my most favorite is London Plane. Big, tough and wind resistant. After much research it became my number one choice for a big decidous tree because I needed big shade in the summer -big enough to shade my yard and the asphalt of the street to cut down on the heat island effect. Not big enough to do the job yet but my trees are growing fast and getting handsomer by the year. My trees also give decent fall color if we get a cold snap. Another favorite is Deodar cedar. They bring some foresty, conifery beauty to hot dry So Cal. In shape they are a lot like a number of species I see in the mountains that won't grow down on the flat. Crape myrtles are my favorite flowering tree. They offer a riot of flowers when it's scorching hot and everything else is hunkering down for the summer. Many cultivars also have brilliant fall foliage and if you can refrain from pruning them they have beautiful winter form. Hollywood Juniper (aka twisting juniper. I've also seen it called Kaizuka) This one is not planted much anymore in Cali but there are some old beautiful ones still around. I like how they look like green flames. I have one I planted 15 years ago that I can pretty much ignore and it still looks good. Tecate cypress is a newcomer to my plant menagerie. I got one that was taller than myself last year and plopped it in the ground. It's grown some. It just looks kinda wild. I like it. Arizona cypress. Don't have this one yet. I like their bluish color and they seem to grow fairly quickly. I wanna get some for a privacy screen. Mondell pine (aka Eldarica). After a few years getting established they can get by on So Cal's rain. They make lots of pretty pinecones. Canary Island Date Palm is a Cali classic. When enough fronds are left on so that they form a complete sphere, they're beautiful. When pruned up to look like pinapples they're hideous. Trees left with full heads make nice roosts for barn owls. Queen Palms are hideous with the way most people prune them but vigorous, well-grown trees with full heads are spectacular. I love the way they whisper and sparkle in the breeze. Oaks -any kind are favorites with me. Canyon oak is probably my favorite. Its form looks like trees in old paintings. Up close, its leaves and acorns are lovely. If I could plant any tree and I had the space, I would plant a Valley Oak. |
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- Posted by jimbobfeeny 5a IN (My Page) on Fri, Apr 6, 12 at 10:23
| A few favorite trees, not ranked in order of preference: 1)Sugar maple. This is an outstanding tree, with deep green, broad foliage and beautiful fall color. 2)Shellbark hickory. These are nice trees - not exceptionally colored in the fall, but the curious bark and huge, compound leaves are quite striking. The nuts are delicious, too! 3)White Pine. I love the soft, graceful look of mature white pines, and they are adaptable. 4)Yellow Birch. A bit unconventional, but I actually prefer yellow over white birch. There's nothing like a nice, healthy White birch, but I love the bronzy yellow bark and gigantic form of yellow birch. The wintergreen-scented twigs are nice, too. 5)Red Spruce. Most common North of the US, this spruce has a look similar to Norway spruce, but without the drooping branchlets. I actually prefer it to Norway - Much less adaptable, though (So I've heard) 6)Red Oak - Nothing like a huge, old Red oak. I particularly like the strains from Northern Illinois. 7)Flowering Dogwood. Beautiful flowers, striking fall foliage. Neat, layered branches. 8)Eastern Hemlock - I love the soft, wispy foliage and the spare, tall trunk. 9)Fraser Fir. Popular christmas tree, reportedly hard to grow. The aroma of the bruised needles is one of the greatest plant smells out there. 10)American Beech. The smooth, gray bark is quite appealing, and the glossy green leaves are nice in the summertime. Quite rugged. Sorry to bore everyone; I just like plants from the North and Appalachia. If there was just 1 tree I could grow, though, it would most certainly be Sugar Maple. I've peppered our property with sugar maple saplings! |
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| Doh! Meant to write Cedrus deodara, not Cedrus libani. |
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| For Z8 central Texas : Conifers : Eastern Red Cedar, Arizona Cypress, Bald Cypress. Deciduous : Cedar Elm, Pecan, Live Oak, Bur Oak, Shumard Oak, Texas Ash. These are trees that do well in this area and look good. |
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| Not boring JimBob. I love my natives! No doubt if I lived in China (or where ever), I would have a long list of favorite Chinese trees. Some favorites - Acer saccharum/sugar maple - in good years, the fall color on the trees around here is spectacular. I become a hazard on the road due to rubbernecking these trees. Acer saccharinum/silver maple - I know this tree is not in favor, but I love them, just not near human habitation! LOL There are some incredibly stately and beautiful specimens in my neighborhood. And the more I observe it, the more I see how frequently it is used by wildlife. Cornus florida/flowering dogwood - this tree has it all, beautiful flowers, interesting berries the birds like, and great fall color Sassafras albidum - love this tree for a lot of reasons, its interesting form, cool leaves, and because it's one of the primary host plants for the Spicebush Swallowtail Cladrastis kentukea/yellowwood - Attractive smooth grey bark, nice foliage, and incredible flowers when it blooms Tilia americana - fabulous fragrance on this tree! My back yard is perfumed when they are in bloom Crabapples - same reasons other posters listed above Magnolia soulangiana - gorgeous! Salix babylonica - not native, and lots of liabilities, but love the romantic weeping habit Tsuga canadensis, Catalpa speciosa, Platanus occidentalis, many Quercus species, etc. I love them all!
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| I think back to the trees I liked most as a kid because I loved to climb trees and build treehouses and play in the leaves! 1. Sugar maple-beautiful leaves, good to climb, tasty sap 2. Weeping willow-first to leaf out, grew fast and fun to climb 3. Horsechestnut--huge flattened branches on the ole grandaddy's, easy to walk on and find a branch to hold. Throwing conkers was a bonus 4. Standard apple tree: build a tree house or lookout platform, fragrant blooms, fruit to sample at all stages There's the kid in me! :-) |
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- Posted by krycek1984 6a/Cleveland (My Page) on Sun, Apr 8, 12 at 22:06
| Saw-tooth aspen. Just absolutely beautiful and they do so well here. I love them. There were some at the old house and they were breath taking. Next in line is tulip tree, love those as well. I find them so amazing. Norway Spruces have a way of becoming beautiful in an odd way once they have been around a while. Sweetgum - I love the shape of the trees, the monkeyballs are a pain but I can live with them. Red Maples & Oaks are honorable mentions. Not into Sugar Maples - I rarely see beautiful ones around here that aren't in an established forest. |
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