Chinese Pistachio (Pistacia chinensis 'Keith Davey')
Persian Ironwood (Persica parrotia 'Vanessa')
Western Soapberry (Sapindus drummondii)
Chitalpa (ÃÂ Chitalpa tashkentensis)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Fragrant Epaulette Tree (Pterostyrax hispida)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Purple Robe Locust (Robinia 'Purple Robe')

Mosquito,
Try live oak.
They are evergreen too.

You might have something for the higher height listings. There is also a good amount of variability. For an.extreme example not every or even the average coast redwood is going to be 350foot tall but you better plan on 250 feet lol.

Nyssa is a pretty polite tree. I would expect fifty or sixty feet from one. Maybe some berries (I think there are male and female). Nyssa has been a difficult transplant for me. It dies back the first winter then does fine following years. Maybe down south you won't have that problem.

i have no clue for choices .... for your zone ...

but let me mention two things ....

first.. no tree really stops growing... at some mystical height ...

take the latin names to google.. and add ANNUAL GROWTH RATE ... and you will understand.. how fast it grows... and using a little handy math.. figure out.. how much it will grow per decade ...

the point being.. to not choose on any given single variable... if you pick some lesser tree.. for height alone.. is it really going to be a wise choice .. in say.. 50 years????

which BTW .. i dont know about a 50 foot tree.. 15 feet from your house ????? i might suggest much lesser trees... especially if you are in any known storm paths ....

secondly .... see link .. no matter what option you choose... its all about planting ... especially in regard to clay .... size planted [try to avoid instant gratification with a large transplant] .... and perfecting two years of watering ... read the link a couple hundred times... and just before the time comes.. lets discuss anything that confuses you ...

and most important in the link.. is TIMING .... no tree ... will appreciate planting in the high heat of summer... there are very specific planting times for your area ..... which make the whole process.. and the odds of success.. skyrocket ... its probably fall or winter for you.. so you have plenty of time to figure this all out.. [ i will defer to anyone south of MI ... on the timing aspect]

i wish you luck ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Mosquito,
You are neglecting how long it will take to get that size. Will you even be there in 25 years? Point being I would not worry so much of possible ultimate size unless it was an extremely fast growing tree. Some worry about what might be someday, which of course has validity. But if I'm the one planting, and have no shade, I'm concerned about the next 10 years. The next person who ends up in this house may hate the tree your planting and have it removed. Many people are all about the grass after all. So IMO, within certain limits (i.e. Cottonwood/Tree of Heaven aren't likely to be good choices at all), choose what you like and let the chips fall.

Just an FYI Ken, due to sun angle in the south, and really south, if like the OP Zone 8 in the SE US, a large tree has to be that close to provide effective shade. Mature housing areas almost always have large trees overhanging the house. In this case 15" from the house actually seems better than is often the case.

Arktrees

Ark, you're right on about trees close to the house. I could use a little help with the summer A/C bill. I'm not near the coast so out of the hurricane zone, and a tornado will level the house anyways. It's not uncommon here for a house to be fully shaded by trees overhanging the house. But of course it has to be trees that are strong and that play nice next to the home's foundation.

I personally love both trees you mentioned, but the Nuttall is more likely to give you significant shade sooner IMHO. Another options would be a smaller really fast tree closer while you wait on another species further out from your house. Something that You know you can remove easily when the time comes, or perhaps that would be happy as an understory tree as well. Just a thought.

Arktrees

I decided to go with the Nuttall oak. Hopefully it does not outgrow it's home, but if it does and I'm still here in 30+ years when that happens, I can always take it down and plant a new tree. Thanks for the advice all.

A beautiful choice and much better looking than the Shumard oak that was pushed so hard in recent years. Looks nice.

even though you already got a tree, Another fast growing shade tree to consider is the fast growing water oak tree. Mine is about 65 feet tall and about 60 feet wide. Altough it is fast growing, it will most likely not live over 100 years.
They grow about 4 feet a year. Mine is about 50 years old and the trunk is 3 1/2 feet in diameter. It provides shade and its branches cover half of the roof keeping it cool.

I guess I should ask, any thoughts to whether or not I should stake this tree? It's somewhat sheltered from prevailing winds by the house, but sometimes thunderstorms blow through with winds out of the east perpendicular against the wall in the picture. Location is middle Georgia (if anyone is familiar with our weather).

Staking is no longer a standard practice. It is thought that the slight rocking of the tree from the wind encourages trees to better ground themselves by sending out anchor roots.

Linda