Trees for homeowners

[Guru]

I talk to a lot of homeowners and have read several posts here about trees for homeowners.
Most of the people are looking for something they can actually have near their house and everybody wants a good shade tree.
Everybody is worried about wind storms and house damage since Katrina.

I've got something for you and it's practical experience too:

River Birch
1- I've never seen one get blown over from a storm unless they were on the banks of a creek or river and the embankment gave way.
2- They mature as a medium size base with a small branched whip top and will blow around in a storm but the top will not break out and the limbs that are there do not break off when green.
3- They are native to us.
4- They grow fast so they will become a shade tree very soon, mostly in a few short years, especially if you buy one that is in the tall section of the gardening lot. This will help give a finished look to your home since they don't stay sprigs for long. I've seen these grow as much as 4' a year and that includes outward shade spread.
5- They have tiny leaves which are no problem when they change and fall.
6- These are the trees with the cool looking flaky bark, very appealing.
7- Any little limbs that fall off as the natural growth process are small and easy to deal with.
8- They are not likely to become victim to blights as some of our other trees are. Ex: Sycamore, Lombardi Poplar, etc.
9- They don't have any messy "Fruit" like some other trees. Ex: China Berry, Gums, etc.
10- Mild occasional fertilizing is all that is required to get them going correctly. This is not a high maintenance tree. Just train the tree by trimming the limbs at least high enough to clear your roof line as it's growing up and let it go.
11- I don't find these trees to have much of a root problem. Most roots for these go down and not out. I don't hold with the exposed root-ball style of planting you find in most tree books. I set-out all my trees and cover the root-ball at least a couple of inches and then mulch heavily. It seems to lead the roots underground where you want them to be.
12- You will love the color of the leaves during the year, the color as they are changing in the Fall and you will love the outline of the trunk and the limbs in the Winter.

That's about it. Just helping out.

[amanda]

I love River Birches! My mom has two in her yard and they are wonderful. They did indeed grow fast and their bark is beautiful.

Another tree great for landscaping around your house is the Crepe Myrtle. I have one right in the front of my house and it gives a very nice shade. I haven't cut it and found one with several trunks at the base so it shaped up very well and has grown tall, at least 9 ft.

[Guru]

I love Crepe Myrtles and other ornamentals.
Here in the South there are two approaches and I've seen both and to both extremes.
The head level crop prune in February to make them spread and hang while blooming.
Some people never prune them at all. I know of two places in near vicinity to me that have Crepe Myrtles over 25' tall. One grouping I peddled my bike under going to school in the first grade. That's a tall Crepe Myrtle there PawPaw (kicks tire).

[Guru]

Silver Maples grow fast too and did not blow down in Katrina, sitting up on this high hill. It's about 40-something feet tall.

[Hermione]

What about magnolias? Didn't see them come down in the storm either? Have a great Japanese maple in the back, just planted a few Leland cypress between me and the rental house next door.

[Maggie-Doodle]

Silver Maples grow fast too and did not blow down in Katrina, sitting up on this high hill. It's about 40-something feet tall.


I like the maples but I find the roots tend to stay close to the top of the ground. I have had several different kinds of maples and they all have toe stubbing roots! I do like the magnolias and the birches...they have some beautiful birch trees planted in front of Elam Arms.

[Bamboo]

I agree the river birch is a beautiful tree. One down side I experienced is having one border a patio...we owned a home with a large aggregate patio flanked by river birches, crepe myrtles and juniper. The river birch shedded something year round...bark, little tiny leaves, limbs, something that looked like popcorn husk (that was in the spring), etc...anyway, it was no fun trying to sweep or blow that stuff from the patio. I was excited to move so someone else could clean up after the river birch.

We have been looking for trees to add to our yard and I would consider one...away from the house a bit.

[bpitt]

Oh, c'mon guys, just plant a bunch of pines around your house, c'mon.......

[Hermione]

Oh, c'mon guys, just plant a bunch of pines around your house, c'mon.......

I had a bunch of pines around the house, then a bunch ON the house. Then a bunch cut down . . . no more pine trees, thankyouverymuch! Wish my neighbors would get rid of their leaning one.

[Guru]

Maggie if somebody didn't plant those toe-stubbing trees deep enough to keep the roots off ground level you may as well go ahead and do a mulch bed around them. Saves your toes and save the tree from somebody getting too close with a weedeater.

[Maggie-Doodle]

Maggie if somebody didn't plant those toe-stubbing trees deep enough to keep the roots off ground level you may as well go ahead and do a mulch bed around them. Saves your toes and save the tree from somebody getting too close with a weedeater.

Oh, I don't have the toe-stubbers anymore...that was in Picayune...they were planted deep but the roots would still come to the top...I finally threw a little mulch on top and planted Kimberly Queen ferns...they grew like crazy...lots of shade for them and when I would backwash the pool they would get alot of water to boot. I just don't want any more maples unless I move to the woods where I can have a wild area...IMO they are a pain in the city. Beautiful but a pain!

[Guru]

I agree the river birch is a beautiful tree. One down side I experienced is having one border a patio...we owned a home with a large aggregate patio flanked by river birches, crepe myrtles and juniper. The river birch shedded something year round...bark, little tiny leaves, limbs, something that looked like popcorn husk (that was in the spring), etc...anyway, it was no fun trying to sweep or blow that stuff from the patio. I was excited to move so someone else could clean up after the river birch.

We have been looking for trees to add to our yard and I would consider one...away from the house a bit.

* You are most correct about that Baloo. The River Birch is not a great tree to have under a finished walkway or exposure. Although what they do shed during the year is no problem if the tree is in it's own bed or out in the yard they can put out more than you might want to deal with if they are over a walk way.

[countrygirl]

Silver nmaples are pretty shade trees, but they are not as durable as some of the other maples. We planted some at our house in Petal and they only lasted about 20 years. That's not a long life for a tree.

[countrygirl]

Hawkeye, I've been looking for an Amish bent rocker. Those are the most comfortable things I have ever sat in....I know where to but them up north, but is there anyone that sells them around here anywhere close? They aolso make gliders, which I would rather have as I could put it in my bedroom without worrying about it damaging my floor. I've about decided to order one online and have it shipped.

[Guru]

The kid that was on the Johnny Carson show (Mennonite {Amish}) that was/is that child prodigy for doing the cane wrap thing and making chairs lives about 2 miles from me.
I don't know exactly what he has been up to but if you ever want to take a country drive from Hattiesburg to see his shop with all kinds of things for sale these are the directions:
* come north up Hwy 49
* take the Collins exit, stay right, come through town on Hwy 84 East
* after you cross the railroad tracks and the bridge leaving town continue on 84 E
* take the second left, this is Salem School Road (the first exit is Salem Church Road)
* come about 8 miles or so, you will run into Hwy 532 to Hot Coffee at a Stop sign
* look left, you will see Martha's Kitchen, her son's shop is in the back section behind the restaurant and home

[Guru]

I'd like to introduce you to a nice little specimen tree which will live happily in our area.
Dawn Sequoia

It's a cousin to the giant Sequoias in California but in our area is what is termed a "Specimen Tree" meaning that it will grow hardy but will remain a very small variety normally no larger than a Ewe or Crepe Myrtle.
If you concentrate while looking at it you see the giant Sequoia, looks exactly the same except on a small scale.
Kind of a nice touch for you and especially for your kids to have seen the giants either in person, on a documentary or in books and can actually put their Mississippi hands on it's cousin in day to day life.
The bark is rustique' and the leaves feathery.
It requires little maintenance that I have seen and mine have been living in my front yard for about 15 years. Once established their drought resistance is wonderful and pests and animals seem to leave them alone.

[Fish-Bait]

While we are talkin' about tress here, I am fixin' to build on some land and right now it is about 95% pasture. The land is sloping from the front to the back. The back part of it stays pretty wet. I am wanting to plant hardwoods down in that part so as to maybe dry it out a little. Anyone got any ideas on what would be good to plant down there? Right now there are about 6 big Turkey Pines back there. I'm am gonna plant about 20 acres or so.

[Guru]

If I were doing it I would add in some Pin Oaks for acorns for squirrel watching.
You would also want an orchard and some Pears, Apples, Peaches, Figs, Pecans, etc. This is always a nice touch to a place and even though it's new it gives it that "old home place" look.
I like Live Oaks and they are pretty tough, look at the beach front on the coast after Katrina.
If you slip in a River Birch or so along you will get that great north look that you see when traveling up there.
No country place is correct without a Cedar or two along. Slip in some Birches and Poplars.
Three trees that you can't hardly find anymore because they are so slow growing: Long Leaf Pine, Black Jack Oak, Short Leaf Pine.
After talking with y'all the other night and already having this in my mind you are in a unique position, a chance to create a new home place from scratch. You get to lay it out like you like and even slip a little pond or lake in there if you want.
Don't forget the Red Oaks, every country boy would be lost without at least a few scattered around.
Hickory trees I found were more prone to get blown over than I had imagined, I was very surprised by this during Katrina but you would have many many years before you would have to be worried about that and the squirrels they attract are more than worth the effort. Think of all those crisp Fall afternoons you and Jr. will be sitting down there on the hillside squirrel hunting.

[RGDoherty]

Thanks Guru, I think I'll start some in the yard and start phazing out the pines.