Tree question. What should I plant in front of my house?
Asked by
Elfman (
452
)
March 15th, 2010
Here are the details:
- I live in Portland, Oregon.
– Tree(s) will be planted in the strip (3 ft. wide) between sidewalk and city street.
– Looking for a great-looking tree that will grow to 25–45 feet.
– Would like a tree with smaller leaves that both/either flowers in the spring and has great fall colors.
– Would like to create some privacy between street and house so would prefer a tree that is dense with branches and leaves.
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19 Answers
Money trees are awesome, but it wouldn’t be dense since everyone would be taking your monies : (
Smoke tree…forgot the sciency name. lol
They are fairly fast growing, awesome maroonish foilage and in spring they explode with blooms that look like clouds of smoke. They like full sun to part shade and are very hardy, drought resistant after being established. I love my smoke trees.
For privacy, I have used Leyland Cypress. They’re fast growing.
Gingko trees are pretty cool :)
They don’t offer much of what you’re looking for except height—I just read the rest of your q—lol!
Aspen trees. They are relatively inexpensive, and available at most tree farms/garden stores, and will grow great in Oregon. They will eventually grow to the height you need them, and don’t require too much maintenance. They have smaller leaves, that will have beautiful fall colors. They sound like a perfect fit for what you want.
American Holly have bright red berries against deep green foliage during the winter months. Creamy white flowers bloom in the springtime, giving you a variety of color over the seasons. New growth will have a reddish tint, but will quickly turn green. A slow grower, reaches to heights of 20–30 ft.
Maple. Plant the tree from seeds. They’ll be healthier than store or nursery bought trees. They’ll also grow faster. Plus, the seeds are free!
I have maple in the front and the back of my house. Consider having them in a row, they’ll be terrible in providing privacy, a royal pain to clean-up in the fall and it’ll do a number on your allergy at spring time.
Mountain ash, maybe. Bright berries in summer, deep leaf color in fall.
Most cities – and Portland would very likely be one – have a city forester. In our smaller town we can be given trees from their nursery. How about that?
What about crepe myrtles? They come in many sizes, including full tree size that are 20+ feet. They flower, have small leaves, interesting bark, and some have nice fall colors. This website seems to do a good job of summarizing the characteristics of the different varieties.
@Elfman
I’m with @susanc contact the city. The 3 foot width does not give you enough root and trunk room for a large tree. But California Bay or Laurel maybe a tree for you.
Please consider planting something native. I am no expert on the matter, but here is a good place to start: Bringing Nature Home
Whatever you do, do not plant a Norway maple. They are pretty and hardy and highly invasive.
For brilliant fall colors, the sweet gum can’t be beat. The leaves turn a lovely bright red. Ginkos are very pretty, too, and if I remember correctly, they turn yellow in the fall.
If you’re looking for small-ish leaves and pretty blossoms, dogwoods are very nice, as well.
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