best tree

[hage1]

Hurricane Ike came thru western PA, and I have a new backyard. About 12 trees, some large, came down. One tree that was damaged, is a 70' wild cherry that grows thru my deck. The previous owner had the deck built around this tree. The tree will have to go. It was very dirty dropping little messy berries every fall. It made the deck unusable in the fall. We would like to put a new tree here. We want something medium sized that won't drop messy stuff in the fall, or at any time if possible. Any suggestions from the landscapers out there. BTW if you are in the area, we are looking for purchase and installation.
thanks,
Bob Hage

[Marcos]

Hurricane Ike came thru western PA, and I have a new backyard. About 12 trees, some large, came down. One tree that was damaged, is a 70' wild cherry that grows thru my deck. The previous owner had the deck built around this tree. The tree will have to go. It was very dirty dropping little messy berries every fall. It made the deck unusable in the fall. We would like to put a new tree here. We want something medium sized that won't drop messy stuff in the fall, or at any time if possible. Any suggestions from the landscapers out there. BTW if you are in the area, we are looking for purchase and installation.
thanks,
Bob Hage

1st of all, Mr Hage, my sympathies go out to you! :waving:

We are about 35 miles northeast of Cincy, and Ike took out a 35' tall, 20 year old beautiful Bradford Pear right in front of our house.
I had been trying to keep the center of it opened up & cleaned out for 8-10 years now, so that it wouldn't be as susceptible to wind-shear, but it indeed was an absolutely huge Bradford, and I suppose now was just it's 'time'...;)
The bright side is...I won't have leaves to mess with anymore after Thanksgiving!


You're taking out a 70' wild cherry, and would like a "clean", attractive replacement that will grow relatively fast, huh?

I can envision a London Planetree working out very nicely in a "custom" deck situation.

http://www.nysite.com/nature/flora/sycamore.htm

In my opinion, the peeling bark of a London Planetree ( like it's 'parent' tree, the American Sycamore) is absolutely striking.
These trees DO drop their relatively large leaves in the later months of the summer, but usually only sporadically.
The fruit (little balls) aren't "messy" like cherry trees are, and they'll fall in late winter before you're likely to be using the deck too much.

One thing to check, though, would be the soil pH in the spot where the tree is to be planted.

London Planetrees (and sycamores) generally prefer the soil pH toward the extreme ACID side of the scale, ranging somewhere between 4.0 and 6.5 ideally.

Sycamores are notorious for their rampant anthracnose at times!
Look for the "Bloodgood" cultivar (or... 'brand') of London Planetree in your local nurseries, to avoid much of this problem, and to maximize growth of this tree in a comparatively short amount of time.

:waving:

[hage1]

thanks, we will consider it.

[LarryF]

Hurricane Ike came thru western PA, and I have a new backyard. About 12 trees, some large, came down. One tree that was damaged, is a 70' wild cherry that grows thru my deck. The previous owner had the deck built around this tree. The tree will have to go. It was very dirty dropping little messy berries every fall. It made the deck unusable in the fall. We would like to put a new tree here. We want something medium sized that won't drop messy stuff in the fall, or at any time if possible. Any suggestions from the landscapers out there. BTW if you are in the area, we are looking for purchase and installation.
thanks,
Bob Hage

:confused: I'm a bit surprised that anyone would want a 70' tree growing close to the house, and if it was growing through the middle of an attached deck, that seems like an even worse scenario. It's obviously a potential hazard to the house, but if that doesn't worry you, Bob, why don't you at least think of getting a seedless tree. The Autumn Puple Ash is an example. I don't have one, myself, but I've been told it's a very nice shade tree. I have no association with this company, but its website shows a photo of an example.

http://gurneys.com/product.asp?pn=08744&bhcd2=1221829487

[hage1]

Actually, we are looking to downsize to a 30' to 40' tree. This tree does look interesting. By the time it reaches anywhere near 60' it will be a new owner's problem. We will look into it. Thanks

[jkingrph]

Take a look at Autum Blaze Maple

[Marcos]

[QUOTE=LarryF;2520635]:confused: I'm a bit surprised that anyone would want a 70' tree growing close to the house, and if it was growing through the middle of an attached deck, that seems like an even worse scenario. It's obviously a potential hazard to the house, but if that doesn't worry you, Bob, why don't you at least think of getting a seedless tree. The Autumn Puple Ash is an example. I don't have one, myself, but I've been told it's a very nice shade tree. I have no association with this company, but its website shows a photo of an example.

Uhhh...with all due respect to LarryF's good intentions...

Mr. Hage, you may want to read into the southward march of the Emerald Ash Borer, before you go out and buy any ash tree!

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/fpm_invasives_EAB.aspx

Where we are in Warren Co Ohio, ALL ashes are currently quarantined, and someone getting caught moving ash wood across the county line, dead OR alive, could get fined up to $4000 fine!!! No Joke!!

In fact...I'd be somewhat surprised if anyone could even locate, and still buy a balled & burlapped ash tree of any species or variety, in EAB quarantined areas, or areas immediately adjacent to them.


Oh well...
At least the GOOD NEWS is...
We're only about one human generation away from getting something pretty durn close to the American Chestnut back!

:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping:

http://www.patacf.org/bc_pgm.htm

My grandpa once showed me pictures of these HUGE white ghostly-looking trees that were all dying up and down the mountain ridges, when he was in New York state in the military years ago in the 1920's.

That really left quite an impression on me.........to look forward to the American Chestnut coming back someday, hopefully before I die.

[LarryF]

Marcos' point is a good one, and I have to admit I wasn't aware of that disaster. But getting an ash wasn't really my main recommendation; getting a tree that won't be dropping seeds of any kind on your deck was. The seedless ash was only an example.

[joshua]

take a look at tri-color beach leaves are purple, red, and pink. light grey bark. height 20-35' are the tallest i've seen. i never seen a london plane at any nurseries. personly i would go with a tree with slower growth because of location. maple for example are faster growing and also have more chance of branches braking in storms.

[LarryF]

take a look at tri-color beach leaves are purple, red, and pink. light grey bark. height 20-35' are the tallest i've seen. i never seen a london plane at any nurseries. personly i would go with a tree with slower growth because of location. maple for example are faster growing and also have more chance of branches braking in storms.

That "london plane" comment eluded me.:confused: I have no idea what it means.

The one about going for a slow-growing tree that would be stronger than some fast-growing ones is reasonable, and the Tri-color Beech is indeed that. But you might have to wait 10-to-15 years before you would be able to enjoy some shade. Would that be acceptable to you, Bob? The nuts it will drop wouldn't be as messy as the wild cherries, but you may not like them dropping on the deck either, especially if someone ever got hit on the head with one. That was the thought behind the suggestion to look for something without seeds.

[Marcos]

That "london plane" comment eluded me.:confused: I have no idea what it means.




Here is the London Plane Tree (as posted on blog #2):

http://www.nysite.com/nature/flora/sycamore.htm

They're superior to sycamores in many ways, and they're sold in virtually every wholesale nursery in southern Ohio.

[LarryF]

Thanks, Marcos! I should have re-read post 2 before asking. Strange name for a tree!

[joshua]

i don't have any problem with london plane its one of a few trees that has a interesting look because of the bark. i wasn't recommending a tree for shade, but for show. what Bob should do is go to the local nursey and see what selection they have and if he wants to ask opinions on what trees they have. remember you might landscape the house but the customer is the one you looks at it daily.