Red oak might be an alternativ but linden is also a good choice

I would suggest a Katsura tree. They have gorgeous fall color but take several years to establish. Either that or an Aspen tree.

silver maples are very pretty, but a horrible yard tree unless you have an acreage.
What characteristics are you looking for? How much room do you have? How far away from buildings? Would this be full sun? And are there any odd site characteristics? (on a hill? bad soil?)

PS: where in MN? I am in the TC!

We're currently in the market for a new tree to replace the linden that we lost in a bad storm back in June. Lindens are beautiful and their scent is one of the best things about spring, but they are the messiest trees I've ever seen. They shed three times a year, and we've always had a tough time growing grass underneath them because of the shedding and buildup, even with good pruning and cleanup. From what I gather, they also are very risky during windstorms, which is exactly what happened with ours. Finally, there is pretty much no fall color.

The pros to a linden are the amazing scent, and the fact that the growth pattern in ours provided the best shade of any tree I've ever had.

We're looking at a red or burr oak or a purple ash to replace the linden.

Read up on Emerald ash borer before you plant any Fraxinus family ash trees. A shame, white ash are one of my favorites.

If you made it through a silver maple without damaging structure it would be safe to grow another maple such as a red or sugar if you like maples. Silver's are hideous.

If you made it through a silver maple without damaging structure it would be safe to grow another maple such as a red or sugar if you like maples. Silver's are hideous.

Unless you want little aspens sprouting all over your yard, don't plant an aspen. Sugar Maple and Red Oak are both good choices. Lindens are nice trees but a bit slower in growth than the oak or maple. They are also popular with bees. If speed of growth is not an issue, you may want to consider a Beech. Perhaps a Gingko. The picture is of an American Beech in the wild.

Thanks for all the replies. I am in the twin cities. We have several maples on our property, so I was looking for something different. I really like the look of lindens, but I am a little concerned about the mess. Is it any worse than the mess the silver maples make?

We also had an aspen which we have removed. You are right, they have suckers everywhere. The spot is in full sun, right in the middle of the yard, so no worries about how close it is to the house.