JohnR66 wrote:

I'm looking for a medium large shade tree for my back yard. I am in
SW Ohio and prefer a tree that doesn't make a mess (other than the
leaves) and is trouble free to grow. My back yard is devoid of
vegitation, so this tree would get full sunlight. The back yard is 75
x 60 feet and the tree would be near the middle. I would like to
start from a seed. I looked on a tree website and there is a vast
amount of possiblilities that I'd like to narrow down. I know I can't
have trees that can be attacked by EAB and oaks seem to have problems
of their own. What do you suggest? Thanks, John

I have a couple of maple trees in my back yard that are beautiful.
They grow quickly I believe and make great climbing trees for kids if
you care about that.

badgolferman wrote:
....
I have a couple of maple trees in my back yard that are beautiful.
They grow quickly I believe and make great climbing trees for kids if
you care about that.

"Fast-growing" maple would almost certainly be a silver maple. While
they are fast-growing, that comes at a price of being soft and easily
broken in storms and prone to shedding branches, etc. As someone else
noted, the "helicopter blade" maple seeds can be a nuisance, too.

If choose a maple, look carefully at the _particular_ variety of maple.

I'd iterate the other advice--either local extension office or a good
(not HD/WallyMart or the corner hardware) garden/landscape supply will
have suitable recommendations for the area. You'll be far better off
starting w/ small sapling in general than the seed route as well, not to
mention far more choices as trees are simply not sold by seed.

Also, remember in selecting that what looks like a very large are now
while empty will fill in w/ this tree and anything in neighbors lawn
that may now be small will also be growing as well. That suggested
maple or many oaks could easily overgrow that area.

--