Zelkova for Backyard shade & climbing?

10 years ago

Hi:

Zone 6b, southwestern KY near border with TN. Hot summers (some mid. 90's to 100 or slightly over), humid, but fairly cold winters (often lows in the 20's, some in the teens).

Considering medium to large long-lived shade tree in backyard. The area gets strong winds part of the year, so don't want a weak-wooded tree. Fast growing would be nice, though; we've got an infant daughter, and maybe if she could climb on it some (or get shade from it) in a decade or so, that'd be nice. The shade part may be more practical, but a tree with long-term climbing potential for a future generation would be nice. Would be planted beside a large wooden swing/play set.

I know of an American Elm, and can see where a 'vase-shaped' form where the trunk splits into large branches/sub-trunks not too high up could make a climbing tree. But Dutch Elm Disease rules that out.

I see a couple of potential problems with Zelkova.

1.) Dutch Elm Disease resistant, but not wholly immune. So, what am I to make of that?

2.) Foliage eaten by Japanese beetles. That could be very bad. Around here, some plants they damage but not real badly (e.g.: crape myrtle, roses, plum trees, blackberry vines) & some they will annihilate (e.g.: purpleleaf sandcherry). While a plant is young Bayer Advanced can solve the problem, but not so much when the tree is large.

Our total lot is 1.4 acres, & other trees at varied places include 2 ginkgos, 1 swamp white oak, 1 nutall oak, 2 pecan trees, 1 wildfire blackgum, 1 tulip poplar, 1 (green?) ash (I did not plant it!), some maples (red or sugar out front; some root girdling, here when we moved in), 1 Golden Hinoki False Cypress and some smaller plants but I've listed the big ones.

So we've got some oak, maple & ginkgo. Is Zelkova a good choice, or should I be looking at something else?

Richard.

P.S.: Was considering a Golden Raintree, but the Zelkova would get more the size I'd prefer, and I can put the GRT elsewhere.

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Comments (6)

lcadem
10 years ago
I love zelkovas. Try to have a look at zelkova carpinifolia. A true gem of a tree! You can find it at forest farm. It is a fairly common tree in parks in britain and europe
viburnumvalley
10 years ago
I'd reject the Japanese Zelkova out of hand, as the branching structure is wholly incompatible with what I'd consider a climbing tree. Don't get me wrong - it is a fine species to use for many situations, just not the function you describe as your goal. Most plants you will find to buy will have a cluster of stems emerging from a single point, almost like a brush head. That's not climbing material.

I'd think you'd want a plant with a branching structure more like an oak, maple, or even sycamore. In fact, those would make up into a good climbing and shade-producing tree faster than a Zelkova serrata anyway.

In my never-to-be-humble opinion, GRT is a weed. My parents had one in their yard for 40 years. Us ten kids never climbed it - ever - and it is thankfully now DEAD. Its zillions of progeny live on, however, much to my mom's chagrin as she continually fights the weeding battle to eliminate them from her garden.
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Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
10 years ago
liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree) do well over there?

It grows reasonably quickly and individuals in parks here have plenty of LARGE low branches.

Metasequoia is fast as can be given adequate moisture. Long lived too and fairly wind resistant. Not exactly a climbing shaped tree but that is 20 years off anyway.

Weeping willows are about the only thing I can think of that you can climb in a decade or so. You might have a large enough lot where one can be used! Weak wooded but don't worry, it will grow a new one lol. My neighbor has one my 3 year old loves for what it is worth.
drrich2
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the input, guys. Good food for thought.

A tulip poplar maybe 30 feet tall is near one end of the property. Pretty. There was another in the back yard, but for some reason it 'died,' though a sucker put out. I wasn't enthused at the prospect of such a potentially huge tree based on a sucker out of the side of a stump, so I replaced it with the nutall oak. This tree would be fairly near the house (maybe 30 feet away from the garage?).

I'm not sure how strong-wooded tulip poplars are. They don't seem to have the bad rep. silver maples do.

Richard.
hamburglar1
10 years ago
If you are looking for something that will be good for climbing in 10 years, you might try a large redbud or crab apple variety. They tend to have abundant, horizontal branches that are strong enough. We have a 25x35' wild apple in our yard that the kids are always in. Also see kids climbing up the interior of large conifers in our neighbor's yard. Having low branches is a key to getting the kids thinking about climbing. We have a lot of natural ash, maple, and elm of various sizes in our neighborhood and it is rare to see kids climbing in any of them.
lucky_p
10 years ago
rich,
I'm in your area- hoptown.

If you're not anal-retentive about kids eating 'wild' berries or purple stains, it'd be hard to beat a GOOD mulberry, like 'Illinois Everbearing'. Rapid growth, good branch structure for climbing - with minimal pruning to foster such - and pretty nice shade. But - they will produce large amounts of TASTY, staining fruits. Don't be surprised if the daughter comes in with hands & lips stained purple during fruiting season.
My wife had pleasant childhood memories of climbing up into the big mulberry in her yard, eating berries along with the birds, so mulberries were some of the first trees we planted when we moved here - and our kids did enjoy the berries, though none were all that keen on climbing - other than to shake out more berries to eat.
I'm an oak enthusiast at heart, but for the traits you listed, mulberry - either M.rubra or a hybrid like IE - not M.alba! - would be hard to beat.