Tree suggestions wanted

[Big Sky]

Hopefully, the virus situation improves and we can get back to a more normal life.
Looking for a couple of trees for our yard. Hoping to get some recommendations that would work in the Calgary area.

Would like the tree to have a total width of about 15 feet and a height of 20 feet.
Full sun.
Trees that attract birds are ok.
Prefer deciduous.
Low maintenance is always better.

What works for you guys?
Thanks in advance.

[slough shark]

Any type of fruit tree likely fits the bill if you like having some fruit around, apple, pear, plum or Evans cherry would work, if you don’t want fruit perhaps a mountain ash.

[roper1]

The fruit trees grow slowly,elm & oak also, your fastest route to shade & appearance probably the lowly poplar.

[whitetail Junkie]

Spring Snow Tree

[CaberTosser]

My Evans cherry are growing slowly, and I doubt will reach the width noted. I'd really like some Burr Oaks but the things grow so slowly that a great result would take forever, on the other hand they'll last many generations, which to me is very cool. Plus those would ultimately grow well outside the noted size.

Love the sour cherries though, they make great jam.

[bsmitty27]

I love mountain ash, and the wax wings usually come in the spring and clean the berries up.
I have a friend who has a butternut tree in edmonton that is georgios, a little bigger than you are looking for , but beautiful tree.
I am trying to get a bunch of seedlings started from that tree this year. Hope they come!
Brad

[Greatwest]

Amur Maple is what I planted in our front yard last summer. Check them out it may be just what you’re looking for.

[CaberTosser]

By the size noted it sounds like some type of crab apple tree might fit the bill, they have the added bonus of lovely flowering in the spring.

[Zuludog]

Amur choke cherry.

Very beautiful and hardy trees and the cherries are small and not a pain to look after like some fruit trees.

[270person]

Mountain Ash or Rowans as some folks call them are pretty hardy and a nice looking tree. Attract waxwings like a bugger in winter too.

[Red Bullets]

The city of Calgary has a good guide for trees that do well around Calgary. Urrasian pear looks interesting.

https://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pa...r-Calgary.aspx

[bsmitty27]

I love mountain ash, and the wax wings usually come in the spring and clean the berries up.
I have a friend who has a butternut tree in edmonton that is georgios, a little bigger than you are looking for , but beautiful tree.
I am trying to get a bunch of seedlings started from that tree this year. Hope they come!
Brad

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Big Sky

Hopefully, the virus situation improves and we can get back to a more normal life.
Looking for a couple of trees for our yard. Hoping to get some recommendations that would work in the Calgary area.

Would like the tree to have a total width of about 15 feet and a height of 20 feet.
Full sun.
Trees that attract birds are ok.
Prefer deciduous.
Low maintenance is always better.

What works for you guys?
Thanks in advance.

Siberian elm if not going with an edible fruit tree.

[Justfishin73]

Elm tree. Stay away from the chokecherries unless you like purple feet or always wear shoes in the backyard.

[TreeGuy]

Originally Posted by Big Sky

Hopefully, the virus situation improves and we can get back to a more normal life.
Looking for a couple of trees for our yard. Hoping to get some recommendations that would work in the Calgary area.

Would like the tree to have a total width of about 15 feet and a height of 20 feet.
Full sun.
Trees that attract birds are ok.
Prefer deciduous.
Low maintenance is always better.

What works for you guys?
Thanks in advance.

Schubert Chokecherry. It meets all your specs and grows fairly quickly in the Calgary zone.

Mountain Ash varieties (I like the Showy) as well as Amur Cherries are ok but tend to suffer from sun scald.

Ornamental crabs are ok, but slow and wide.

Buy local and not the potted juiced up BC garbage that get trucked in every spring to the ‘Garden Centres’. Now Point Nurseries out in Springbank and Eagle Lake east of Strathmore are the two I recommend.

Good luck. Go with the Schubert.

Tree


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[TreeGuy]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Siberian elm if not going with an edible fruit tree.

You’re kidding, right? Or misidentifying. Siberian’s are a horrible choice. Horrible.


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[WillyOneStyle]

Pretty hard to follow a guy by the name of TreeGuy......

[tallieho]

Don't plant a Poplar tree.Especially if it's near ,your water line.Dug up some very nice yards,because the roots got into the sewer line.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Plant some spruce and pine trees around your home. The essential oils they give off will help build up your immune system and increase your family protection from Covid-19. Japanese did lots of medical studies on this, also lowered cortisol /stress.

[Big Sky]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Still not sure which way to go.
We like the idea of trees that attract birds, but that's not a necessity. Crabapple trees are beautiful, so that's a nice option.

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

Schubert Chokecherry. It meets all your specs and grows fairly quickly in the Calgary zone.

Mountain Ash varieties (I like the Showy) as well as Amur Cherries are ok but tend to suffer from sun scald.

We like the Schuberts, but it seems that every second house on our street has one.
We were leaning towards some type of Mountain Ash. Liking the looks of the Showy. We were told by some other 'tree guy' to avoid Mountain Ash because we'd be planting in a full sun location. But we see Mountain Ash trees at a lot of houses and in a local park, so how bad is this sun scalding issue? Can a person plant some tall grass or shrubs to protect the trunk from the sun?

[owlhoot]

I planted a Horse Chestnut 15 years ago, Real nice tree, it grows fairly fast, it flowers and has nuts. They are similar to the Ohio Buckeye listed on the City of Calgary Top Trees. I get all kinds of comments on it, people stop and inquire the species,

[EZM]

I also love Mountain Ash, however, those berry clusters make a massive mess to rake up in the grass and on the driveway. They do, however, attract birds.

Maybe, as Tree Guy suggests, investigate a Shubert Cherry, we had one here that grew to that size you mentioned and was very nice (and allot less maintenance compared to a Ash).

There are other cherry's too that might be about the right size for you.

[raised by wolves]

The Amur Cherry is a great choice. Pretty tree, reasonably fast grower, low maintenance.

I would suggest avoiding the Mayday, Chokecherry, and Schubert hybrids due to the likelihood of the blight that destroys them as it is everywhere in the province. The berries make a mess and attract hornets.

The Ash are all pretty but there is more mess from the berries as they get bigger. Little shade as they tend to go straight up and remain spindly for the first 30 years.

The Amur Maple grows like a weed. They are often marketed and classified by greenhouses as a shrub but they are far from it. Fast growers and thick foliage. I have one and my only complaint is the amount of seeds taking root elsewhere in the yard.

The other Maples are gorgeous trees but are very slow growing. I have several in the yard and are sdespite buying large trees, they are still very spindly after 12 years.

I have a few different birch that are great. Fast growers, very thick and full trees. My columnar birch make a great privacy screen but do not suffer from cold die out like the columnar poplar.

[saskbooknut]

There are sterile cultivars of crabapple if you want blossom, but not apple litter.
The sterile cultivars tend to have shorter blossom period.

[Da'Newf]

Originally Posted by Greatwest

Amur Maple is what I planted in our front yard last summer. Check them out it may be just what you’re looking for.

X2
Planted a few of these maples around my acreage both for color and eventual shade. Want to guess about a foot growth per year since i planted them. Maybe a bit more.

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[TreeGuy]

Originally Posted by Big Sky

We were leaning towards some type of Mountain Ash. Liking the looks of the Showy. We were told by some other 'tree guy' to avoid Mountain Ash because we'd be planting in a full sun location. But we see Mountain Ash trees at a lot of houses and in a local park, so how bad is this sun scalding issue? Can a person plant some tall grass or shrubs to protect the trunk from the sun?

Regarding the bolded section, the answer is no. Seen many die from it due to neglect, seen many not be affected. It is what it is.

With that said, picking the right tree in a zone that historically only supports four native species is a bit of a crap shoot. Kinda like trying to buy the perfect truck. All have their pluses and minuses.

Given the parameters you listed, the three species I recommended (Schubert, Showy and Amur Cherry) best fit the bill. All are susceptible to their own unique issues. But, like a truck, proper TLC will have a greatly positive impact.

Now if you want to be unique, try to get your hands on a Manchurian Ash. One of my absolute favorites, also fits your size requirements. There used to be many in Calgary, but about 15 years ago a boring beetle arrived and decimated about 99.99% of them. In fact, I only know of two left in the city. Be nice to see them get restablished again.

Ohio Buckeye are cool, but slow to grow. For crabs, Royalty and Thunderchild are well suited here and spectacular in the spring bloom.

Whatever you decide upon though, please, PLEASE don't buy that cheap potted BC crap from a 'Garden Center'. Local nurseries are your best bet for getting a zone hardy tree.

Good luck!

Tree

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Siberian elm if not going with an edible fruit tree.

NO!!!!! The seed out all over the place. Crazy amounts of seed floating around in the spring, then little ones sprout up everywhere.

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Plant some spruce and pine trees around your home. The essential oils they give off will help build up your immune system and increase your family protection from Covid-19. Japanese did lots of medical studies on this, also lowered cortisol /stress.

Or you could huff natural turpentine. Not that petroleum distillate stuff. The stuff made from pine trees.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Amosfella, please do not talk nonsense when you know nothing about good science!

[caged]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Amosfella, please do not talk nonsense when you know nothing about good science!

:sHa_sarcastic lol::sHa_sarca sticlol::sHa_s arcasticlol::s Ha_sarcasticlol::sHa_sarcasticlo l::sHa_sarcast iclol: