Gardening
Related: About this forumI live in zone 7 and need to find some trees appropriate for near the house
Right now, there is an Evergreen that needs to come down. The people who lived here before trimmed the bottom branches off of it and it looks weird. Now it's dead or dying, and needs to go. Trouble is, I *love* the shade it provides. I have never once lost power in my years in this home, despite Hurricane Isabel and Hurricane Sandy (Sandy took some roof shingles, but we never once lost power)
I was thinking of a crepe myrtle, but I am not sure. Any suggestions?
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)Crepe Myrtles are really pretty, but they don't get very big.
Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)When up-lit, they look very stunning.
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)grow fast, have a nice form, and are a bit bigger.
Denninmi
(6,581 posts)Davidia 'Sonoma' an exquisite small to medium tree, enormous white "flag" flowers in spring, nice bark, clean foliage. Rare, a real collector's tree.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)to provide your house shade or protection, although I always liked them too.
I would keep looking if this is what you are wanting. Magnolias can be really nice, and some can get big. There are some species that would be suitable for zone 7.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)Let me know if you hear of any more.
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)I would suggest a native tree and if I knew where you are, I'd give you a slew of suggestions. I love flowering, fruiting trees.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)that are native to your area and will feed wildlife in addition to being beautiful and likely to be more pest free. I don't know the size of the area you're trying to fill so here are also varying sizes of small trees.
DOGWOOD, AMERICAN FLOWERING (Cornus florida)
Height: 20', Spread: 15'-20'. Small tree with flat topped crown. Place in well drained soil. Full sun to partial shade. Has character in all four seasons. Excellent as specimen tree or used on the corner of a house. Bright red berries are an important food source for songbirds including evening grosbeak, cardinals, robins and cedar waxwings.
HOPHORNBEAM/IRONWOOD (Ostrya virginiana)
Height: 30-50, Spread: 25 Hophornbeam has a lovely yellow fall color, and the small nutlets, which ripen in summer and fall, are used by birds and mammals during the winter. Bark is an attractive orange or grayish brown peeling off in longitudinal strips.
SERVICEBERRY or SHADBLOW (Amelanchier canadensis)
Height: 6'-20', Spread: 10'-15'. Erect stems, often clumped. These small trees have attractive bark, flowers, and fruit. White flower. Beautiful orange to red autumn color. Requires little or no maintenance. Important berry producer during the early summer months. Blue-black fruit is eaten by bluebirds, cardinals, and tanagers. Foliage is used by browsers.
SERVICEBERRY, ALLEGHENY (Amelanchier laevis)
Height: 30-40, Spread: 15-20. Multiple stems are upright and highly branched forming a dense shrub, or if properly pruned a small tree. The tree is short-lived, has a rapid growth rate, and can be used as a filler plant or to attract birds. The main ornamental feature is the white flowers borne in drooping clusters in mid spring. The purplish black berries are sweet and juicy but are soon eaten by birds. The fall color is yellow to red. It is well adapted for planting beneath power lines due to its small size.
SERVICEBERRY, DOWNY (Amelanchier arborea)
Height 15-25 Spread: up to 35 Typically multi-stemmed. A beautiful orange leaf in the fall. Flowers white and in upright clusters. Fruit is preferred by birds. Fruit is sweet and edible.
Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Sweetbay vegetation is used by a variety of wildlife species. Squirrels, other small mammals, song birds wild turkeys and Bobwhite Quail feed on sweetbay seeds. Deer browse sweetbay leaves and twigs throughout the year. Sweetbay leaves are also used in nest construction by several bird species such as Eastern Kingbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, American Robins, Wood Thrushes and Red-eyed Vireos.
For large spaces there are Oaks, Maples, Hickory are all native but here's one if you have unlimited space
Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
The tulip poplar is a fast-growing, tall North American hardwood tree that can reach a height of over 150 feet! Hummingbirds enjoy its nectar, while Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers enjoy its sap. Tulip poplars produce seeds, which are favorites of Northern Cardinals. Hollow spaces inside this tree provide homes for squirrels and raccoons, among other animals.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)I am not sure they are my favorite, but I will certainly check those out, and thank you
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)the Dogwood is my favorite. It also has great color in the fall and beautiful red berries that birds love in the winter.
kurtzapril4
(1,353 posts)A really nice tree with amazing fall colour.
Franklinia alatmaha: Ben Franklin tree-excellent tree with large white blooms in the summer.
TuxedoKat
(3,821 posts)Are nice fast-growing shade trees. They have beautiful leaves and pretty white flowers in the spring.