HI James, I'm practically a neighbor, here in Spokane. All of the choices
you listed are grown here with success. The Norway Maple, while weedy, is
hardy to our cold and drought, and sturdy through storms, etc. The sycamore
(plane tree) is also very drought-tolerant and a majestic tree - many people
are sensitive to the minute fibers it releases in spring. Sycamores also
release their hard, plasticky leaves over a VERY long time - sometimes from
September through January, making it a messy tree to keep up with during the
late fall and winter. I like catalpas, but they are prone to breakage their
first few years in summer rain and wind-storms. After that, they are good
sturdy trees here.However, they have no fall color. The leaves turn a sickly
green and drop very quickly. (Which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Oaks are
slow growing, although the red oaks are not as slow as the white, and I
think pin oaks have some very nice fall color. I think lindens would
probably make the best choice though as street trees. They have a pretty
shape, they have wonderfully fragrant blossoms, and they color a nice yellow
in the fall. Both the American (large-leaved) and European (small-leaved)
lindens would be work fine as street trees. You didn't mention other maple
species, but red maple and sugar maple would both do well in Wallace, and I
think are more attractive than Norway maples, especially in fall.
"James McMillan" wrote in message
...
I have a house which faces South, in full sun, and I would like to plant a
couple of street trees in the boulevard strip, between the sidewalk and
street, for some much-needed shade. I have narrowed it down to several
species, and I was wondering which would be the best choice:

Norway Maple: Pros: Free (I have some in pots I have dug out of the
flower beds last summer),
Fast growing
Good fall colour
Cons: Excessive surface roots
Seedlings take up flower beds, and
neglected areas
Prone to aphids, which drop
honeydew

English Oak: Pros: Unique
Long-Lived
Cons: Slow growing (this is a major drawback
to
most oaks).

Catalpa: Pros: Nice flowers
Fast Growing
There are already 2 across the street and
up
the block (step toward uniformity)
Cons: Drops seed pods
Irregular shape not necessarily best for
street trees

Sycamore / Planetree: Pros: Decorative Bark
Fast growing
Cons: I'm not all that familiar
with this species, so I would like to know some of its downsides.

Basswood/Linden: Pros: Nice form
Family history (my
Great-Grandparents planted a pair on their farm in Wisconsin in 1901,
which,
to my knowledge, are still standing).
Cons: Again, I'm not really that
sure,
so I would like know, before making a decision.

Elm, actually, would be ideal, but I'm not really willing to pay $50 per
tree for disease resistant cultivars, and the non-resistant varieties are
not readily available.

A little about the neighbourhood:
It is located in Wallace, Idaho, which is in the cold end of Zone 6 / Warm
end of Zone 5. Most of the houses are rather modest, located on standard
city lots, and were built in the early 1900's (my particular house is 1
and
1/2 storeys, built in 1910). I recently found a book in my library from
1911, called "Shade Trees for Cities" (or something to that effect), and
all
of the trees above are listed, though the authors seem to favour Red Oak,
Pin Oak, and Norway Maple. I would like to plant something that would've
been available during that period (i.e, not a new cultivar or import that
was introduced in the 1950's).
I heard that, years ago, Cottonwoods were used as street trees, but, I
think
we are all agreed that these would be poor choices (apparently, the one's
that were there have been gone for many years).
We have asked about any ordinances dealing with planting in the tree lawn,
and the City's response was: "it's your property, plant whatever you
want",
so, anything goes (which makes for an interesting drive around town, but
that's another story).

Also, some additional questions:
There is a street light directly in front of the house. I was thinking of
planting one of trees about 6 feet away from it (extension of front path
to
curb is about 10 feet one side, and the tree-hating neighbour's lot is the
same distance on the other. How close can I safely plant to this?
The water service is also located on the tree lawn. Would there be any
danger of damage from roots, or would the pressurized water protect it
from
damage?

Sorry for the long post, but, since trees are a long-term investment, I
would like to do this right.

James McMillan