I'm looking for some suggestions for a tree to plant in my backyard.

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

It will be pretty much in full sun for most of the year, and we'd like
it to shade the yard from the summer midday sun.

I was thinking of liquid amber, but these grow way too big!

Thanks!
Adrian

Adrian wrote:

I'm looking for some suggestions for a tree to plant in my backyard.

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

It will be pretty much in full sun for most of the year, and we'd like
it to shade the yard from the summer midday sun.

I was thinking of liquid amber, but these grow way too big!

Thanks!
Adrian

Oooo! I think you can't go past a Ginkgo biloba for size, colour and general
gorgeousness! It's called 'the Maidenhair Tree' because it looks just like a
large maidenhair fern and the leaves go a rich golden buttery colour before
dropping in the autumn. My potted Ginkgo is just getting its spring foliage now
and this is a clear, light green - very attractive!

The tree I best recall is the one in the grounds of the University of New
England - it was about 5m high and had a spreading, ball-like shape (although
most other Ginkgos I've seen are more compressed in habit). People came from all
over to photograph this tree for its glorious golden autumn colour! I reckon
you'd love a Ginkgo!

Oh, one other thing! Gingko, being a dioecious living fossil, comes in both male
and female varieties. You want to get a male tree because the fallen fruit of
the female is a bit - ah - stinky in the summer time!

(Do a Google Image search and see what you think!)
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

"Adrian" ay@no-spam-liquisol-com wrote in message

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

5m high is a very small tree and really more like a large bush. A snawball
tree would fit that description (viburnum opulus sterile)

A smallish neat tree that I like and one which responds well to pruning and
is neither too dense nor too anything is the Chinese elm.

Trish Brown wrote:
Adrian wrote:


snip


Oh, one other thing! Gingko, being a dioecious living fossil, comes in both male
and female varieties. You want to get a male tree because the fallen fruit of
the female is a bit - ah - stinky in the summer time!

(Do a Google Image search and see what you think!)

Trish.. Newcastle? does the gingko do okay here? I am looking for
something like that too, but I am out at Maryland at the far end, with
no protection from the westerlies (in fact no protection from anything
much in the way of wind, at all... Can you recommend any other shade
trees for this area, gtiven the harsh conditions (soil is pretty crap,
too, clay and lots of it)

cheers
sue

On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 12:46:55 +1000, "Fran"
wrote:

"Adrian" ay@no-spam-liquisol-com wrote in message

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

5m high is a very small tree and really more like a large bush. A snawball
tree would fit that description (viburnum opulus sterile)

Hi Fran - thanks for the suggestion. I'm really after some more
'tree-shaped', so that there is room underneath for planting annuals,
etc... The snowball tree is a bit too low, and not quite high enough.


A smallish neat tree that I like and one which responds well to pruning and
is neither too dense nor too anything is the Chinese elm.


The Chinese Elm is a good candidate, although I've heard a few people
say they can be very invasive, and hard to get rid of...

kyte wrote:

Trish.. Newcastle? does the gingko do okay here? I am looking for
something like that too, but I am out at Maryland at the far end, with
no protection from the westerlies (in fact no protection from anything
much in the way of wind, at all... Can you recommend any other shade
trees for this area, gtiven the harsh conditions (soil is pretty crap,
too, clay and lots of it)

cheers
sue

G'day Sue!

I'm not far from you - at the Wallsend end of Minmi Road! My Ginkgo is potted
until I figure out where I'm going to be living For Good (it was a gift, see...)
Anyway, it does just fine, even in the hottest of hot summers! It helps, of
course, to keep the water up to it!

I've noticed the Silky Oaks are all doing really well this year (see the ones in
St Pat's Church yard). What about one of those? I know they can grow Really Big,
but they make a great shade tree, the flowers are gorgeous and they're a bird
magnet as well. Also the New Zealand Christmas Trees are a picture as well.
Another pretty one that seems to do OK in harsher conditions is the pretty
Robinia - see the ones in the Shortland Electricity park on N'cle Road! So long
as you dig over your soil well and use lots of organic matter in planting and
later mulching (to give it a good start), you ought to be able to get success
with any of these.

One other thought: some of the native shrubs make decent windbreaks and are
pretty to boot. They belong in our crappy soil and so you could do worse than a
pretty Grevilliea (hookeriana is my favourite) or Banksia (ericifolia does well
around here). Let us know what you decide, eh?

Oh! Light bulb moment! Have you visited the Native Plant Nursery out on Lake
Road??? They're surprisingly good and have a great variety of advanced trees and
decent shrubs that will all grow well locally! Well worth a visit, I reckon!
They're a bit past the traffic lights on the uphill stretch of Lake Road (ie. on
the left as you're coming back from Glendale).

HTH, ;-D
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Adrian ay@no-spam-liquisol-com wrote:

On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 12:46:55 +1000, "Fran"
wrote:

"Adrian" ay@no-spam-liquisol-com wrote in message

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

5m high is a very small tree and really more like a large bush. A snawball
tree would fit that description (viburnum opulus sterile)

Hi Fran - thanks for the suggestion. I'm really after some more
'tree-shaped', so that there is room underneath for planting annuals,
etc... The snowball tree is a bit too low, and not quite high enough.


A smallish neat tree that I like and one which responds well to pruning and
is neither too dense nor too anything is the Chinese elm.


The Chinese Elm is a good candidate, although I've heard a few people
say they can be very invasive, and hard to get rid of...

I thought Chinese Elm were a declared noxious plant?

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 10:56:42 GMT, (Kevin
Jordan) wrote:


A smallish neat tree that I like and one which responds well to pruning and
is neither too dense nor too anything is the Chinese elm.


The Chinese Elm is a good candidate, although I've heard a few people
say they can be very invasive, and hard to get rid of...

I thought Chinese Elm were a declared noxious plant?

According to http://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/tree-ChineseElm.asp
they are still planted as street / verge trees in Vic.

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 10:56:42 GMT, (Kevin
Jordan) wrote:


A smallish neat tree that I like and one which responds well to pruning and
is neither too dense nor too anything is the Chinese elm.


The Chinese Elm is a good candidate, although I've heard a few people
say they can be very invasive, and hard to get rid of...

I thought Chinese Elm were a declared noxious plant?

According to http://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/tree-ChineseElm.asp
they are still planted as street / verge trees in Vic.

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 10:56:42 GMT, (Kevin
Jordan) wrote:


A smallish neat tree that I like and one which responds well to pruning and
is neither too dense nor too anything is the Chinese elm.


The Chinese Elm is a good candidate, although I've heard a few people
say they can be very invasive, and hard to get rid of...

I thought Chinese Elm were a declared noxious plant?

According to http://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/tree-ChineseElm.asp
they are still planted as street / verge trees in Vic.

Adrian ay@no-spam-liquisol-com wrote in message . ..
I'm looking for some suggestions for a tree to plant in my backyard.

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

It will be pretty much in full sun for most of the year, and we'd like
it to shade the yard from the summer midday sun.

I was thinking of liquid amber, but these grow way too big!

Thanks!
Adrian

Golden Ash that would probably suit your requirements.
I think the size is around 5 meters, but you should check this.
The bark is a magnificent golden colour, so it looks great even after
losing it's leaves. The black buds contrast really well with the bark
in spring also.

Adam

Adrian ay@no-spam-liquisol-com wrote in message . ..
I'm looking for some suggestions for a tree to plant in my backyard.

I'll be putting in a couple along the side fence, and would like
something that is deciduous, non-invasive, medium height (say up to
5m), and has attractive autumn colour.

It will be pretty much in full sun for most of the year, and we'd like
it to shade the yard from the summer midday sun.

I was thinking of liquid amber, but these grow way too big!

Thanks!
Adrian

Golden Ash that would probably suit your requirements.
I think the size is around 5 meters, but you should check this.
The bark is a magnificent golden colour, so it looks great even after
losing it's leaves. The black buds contrast really well with the bark
in spring also.

Adam