I heard many complaints about being too deep.
Shade Tree Recommendation
- Thread starter BillBrasky4Cy
- Start date
We have these all over our neighborhood. Cool trees.
I've been using this on my Raspberry bushes for 5 year when the Japanese beetles show up. Works well and only need to reapply after it rains. Plus Its all natural so you don't have to worry about residue. My bed is about 25 feet long and a bottle lasts me several years.
https://www.earlmay.com/earth-rx-insect-control
Hackberry is an underappreciated, solid choice. Interesting bark, very strong wood, attractive branching form, very little litter, the leaves basically dissolve after falling, put out tiny fruits that birds like, hardy, very easy to grow, long-lived, pretty fast growing, low maintenance.
Some uncommon possible choices: tulip tree, cucumber magnolia, bitternut hickory, blackgum, sweetgum, sycamore/planetree, yellow birch, quaking aspen. I have all of these growing in So. Minn., so if you're in Iowa they should make it.
Some uncommon possible choices: tulip tree, cucumber magnolia, bitternut hickory, blackgum, sweetgum, sycamore/planetree, yellow birch, quaking aspen. I have all of these growing in So. Minn., so if you're in Iowa they should make it.
Catalpa is interesting, showy flowers for an overstory tree, but very dirty ie prolific production of beans resulting in seedlings everywhere.
Ash MIGHT be saved by continuous, perpetual treatment but do you want the expense, time and risk.
Red maples and pin oak frequently suffer from chlorosis in Iowa, depends on soil conditions. If there are others thriving in your neighborhood they may be OK. Can be treated, but doesn't always work well.
Red oaks are the most most suspectible to oak wilt.
Little leaf linens are prone to Japanese beetles, American linens generally aren't, IF you can find them in a nursery.
Aspen won't do well in Iowa, MAYBE in the far north edges.
Swamp white oak do well, although grow kind of slow.
London planetree (sycamore) are most likely to be found in a nursery of any syca, do well BUT get huge, and have dinnerplate sized leaves, if either of those are an issue it's not a good choice for you.
Bur oak grows pretty fast when young, very slow when old so they have a reputation for slow growth. Lots of acorns, largest of oaks in Iowa, if you don't like dealing with those it's not a good choice for you.
Hackberry does well, grows moderately fast.
European larch is unique, looks like an evergreen but is deciduous.
There are a million varieties of thornless honeylocust, compound leaf almost disappears in the fall. Very very commonly planted, is the biggest negative.
Silver maples grow fast, fall down in the wind fast. Helicopter seeds produce seedlings everywhere.
Ash MIGHT be saved by continuous, perpetual treatment but do you want the expense, time and risk.
Red maples and pin oak frequently suffer from chlorosis in Iowa, depends on soil conditions. If there are others thriving in your neighborhood they may be OK. Can be treated, but doesn't always work well.
Red oaks are the most most suspectible to oak wilt.
Little leaf linens are prone to Japanese beetles, American linens generally aren't, IF you can find them in a nursery.
Aspen won't do well in Iowa, MAYBE in the far north edges.
Swamp white oak do well, although grow kind of slow.
London planetree (sycamore) are most likely to be found in a nursery of any syca, do well BUT get huge, and have dinnerplate sized leaves, if either of those are an issue it's not a good choice for you.
Bur oak grows pretty fast when young, very slow when old so they have a reputation for slow growth. Lots of acorns, largest of oaks in Iowa, if you don't like dealing with those it's not a good choice for you.
Hackberry does well, grows moderately fast.
European larch is unique, looks like an evergreen but is deciduous.
There are a million varieties of thornless honeylocust, compound leaf almost disappears in the fall. Very very commonly planted, is the biggest negative.
Silver maples grow fast, fall down in the wind fast. Helicopter seeds produce seedlings everywhere.
The best thing about planting trees in a rural/woodlot area is that you can give zero ***** if the tree has pods or beans. God forbid an animal eats something on your property.
Second the autumn blaze maples. They're relatively clean and one of mine has grown nearly 20' tall in about 4-5 years.
Not that I'd recommend it as a yard tree, though growing up the neighbors did have a couple, aspen are natively relatively common to the state.
Landscape architect here. The cool thing about Iowa is that you actually have a lot of flexibility, and the majority of what’s been posted here are good options. All maple options (sugar, autumn blaze, silver) are great options, although I admit I was/am unaware of the DNR’s recommendation not to plant them (I live out of state now). I would probably still stick with a Maple if you want to be safe, because they will DOMINATE any root competition and provide fantastic fall color. My favorite shade tree, though, is the honey locust.
I've managed to get an American Beech growing here in So. Minn., on like my 3rd try over the years. It is around 3' tall after 4 years. Only marginally hardy here. The range map for the species shows that the native range extends along the western shore of Lake Michigan well up into Wisconsin. And sure enough, if you drive through the beautiful Milwaukee burbs right near the shore in the winter, where the ravines slope to the shore, you can spot beech in the woods, hanging onto their leaves, which turn peach colored in winter. But here in So. Minn. near the 4/5 line, I don't think my beech will ever be very vigorous.
By the way, there's an excellent native plant seller up your way, north of Hastings near the St. Croix, call Out Back Nursery. They carry just about all of the 50-some tree species native to MN. Such as bitternut hickory. Great tree, brilliant fall yellow, yet almost no one plants it.
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Swamp white oak is the tree I've had my eyes on. Both spots in our front yard are the "low" spots in the yard and hold water the longest. I thought a swamp oak would do well in that type of environment. We are debating about putting in a rain garden in one of the spots and directing our runoff there though so need to figure that out before we plant a tree. I don't want a collection point to be in the shade
Do you recommend the podless varieties?
We have a few of these in our neighborhood, that are not podless, and they are really messy.
I had a "sunburst" honey locust at my old place, it was great. Grew fast, tiny leaves, lots of shade but still airy. It had no pods at all. The only problem was you had to trim it pretty much every spring- it would get a lot of downward growing branches on branches. So had to nip those off or you would be driving the mower thru them all summer.
This pdf from the DNR is the resource I usually use when I need to specify a tree.
Cross-check with the local jurisdiction forestry department (assuming there is one) and try to find something on the DNR's list that the local forester likes. And I try to get a nice variety so not 5 of the same in a row (just a personal preference).
If I was choosing a tree today for my yard, it'd be a Sugar Maple.
Cross-check with the local jurisdiction forestry department (assuming there is one) and try to find something on the DNR's list that the local forester likes. And I try to get a nice variety so not 5 of the same in a row (just a personal preference).
If I was choosing a tree today for my yard, it'd be a Sugar Maple.
