"JohnR66" wrote in message
...
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


If possible, consider planting nearer the perimeter than the center. You
can do that if you back up to a green area or a common area.. Putting the
tree in the middle of your back yard will make your yard seem much smaller,
and make it more difficult to mow. Putting the tree in the middle also makes
it more difficult for other activities, whether it's a new deck, a winter
ice rink, badminton net, croquet game, etc.

Also consider what you want to do in the yard -- do you want an
umbrella-shaped tree which lets you sit in the shade, like an oak or a
maple, or one that has branches all the way to the ground, like a magnolia.
Is the tree supposed to be a landscape focal point or a source of shade to
help other activities? Do you want to look AT the tree, or look beyond it
to the landscaping?

The tree should be a proportianate size with the house -- a small one-story
bungalow would look better with a purple-leaf plum than with a big sycamore,
and vice versa.

How soon do you want the tree to look like a part of the landscape? A
fast-growing tree is likely to be very weak-limbed and vulnerable to strong
winds or heavy snows. If you only think you'll be in the house a few years,
planting from seed is probably out of the picture, as are slow growers like
oaks and hickory.

Your extension service office should have a list of trees for your area,
along with pictures and characteristics that will help you decide. I agree
with the others who say don't try to grow it from seed. The time scale is
too long, plus you won't know for several years whether it's going to grow
the way you want it to. For example, you might plant a maple for quick
shade, and then see it grow as a multi-trunked specimen that doesn't match
the use you had planned.

Personal preference -- I would plant a tree as a backdrop at the rear of the
garden, with landscaping, rocks, perhaps a small pond, etc., in front of it.
My choices would be something to add color and shape to the setting, such as
white birch, japanese maple, purple-leaf plum, or black pine. If instead I
was just looking for shade so that I could use a deck, have cookouts, etc.,
I'd probably go with a sycamore, sugar maple, or something similar, but I'd
still try to move it as close to the property line as I could. Actually, if
I could only have one tree I'd be tempted to get a Bracken Brown Beauty
magnolia and put it in the corner of the lot, if I was sure it could handle
the winters in your area.

Let us know what you decide. --