I was wondering if someone could suggest a tree that would go well with the following description. Ideally, I would like something that flowers. I am looking to plant a tree, which will be located at a corner of my house, about 4-5 feet from the foundation. I live in a ranch style house, so ultimately I would not want the tree to grow bigger than 12 feet or so. Also, the power lines into my house are a factor in the overall height.... It seems pretty limited with what I have to choose from.... I was thinking of a flowering dogwood. I have heard that they are slow growers. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Please see attached illustration. Very much appreciated! qman
If you go with a dogwood, you might consider a kousa (Asian) dogwood, which tends to be smaller than the ordinary flowering dogwood and has fewer disease problems. A cornus kousa species tree would outgrow that space eventually, but there are cultivars like 'lustgarten weeping' and 'gold star' that are more compact. There is also the red-twig dogwood, which is more of a large shrub than a tree. (Mine is about 7' tall after 8 years in the landscape.) It has bright red bark that looks great in winter. Another possibility is a flowering crabapple. There are some cultivars, like 'red jewel' that are compact and have the added feature of showy, red fruits that add color to the winter landscape. A Japanese maple (acer palmatum - there are many cultivars that would stay within your size specification) is a good possibility if the spot is not in full sun. It would not have showy flowers, but the colorful foliage (a variety of colors are available) makes up for it. My favorite flowering tree is Japanese stewartia (stewartia pseudocamellia). Its ultimate size is greater than you are seeking, but it is slow growing and would take many years to outgrow its space. You could also keep it smaller by growing it in a pot. I hope that you find these suggestions useful. Regards, Jim
Hi Jim, thank you very much for the informative reply. Your suggestions are a big help! Thanks again. Paul
The Kousa, stewartia etc are far too large-growing for this location. We have Kousa around here (Seattle area) more than 40' tall or wide. One of the dwarf Japanese maples would be a better bet, as long as it does not arrive infected with verticillium and die back. Or some other erect shrub that will stay below 12' indefinitely. Also consider losing the matching pair of box at the door, they do not go with the rest of the planting, which has no matching pairs. Formal balance is not called for unless your house has a symmetric facade, in which case the entire planting should be symmetric, if it is to appear coordinated with the house, and not just the two box by the door. To break up the formal balance move one of the box to another part of the planting and replace with a different kind of shrub. An example of asymmetic balance is a small shrub and a medium shrub on one side, with a large shrub on the other-each a different kind. Balanced, but not symmetric.
I thought of another interesting possibility - Chinese redbud. It flowers in spring and is said to grow no more than 12' tall. See, for example, this description: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/cercis_chinensis.html It is only hardy to zone 6, but in Southeastern MA that should be fine. I don't have any experience with this tree, so I can't give it my personal recommendation. Maybe some of the experts in the forum can.
Oh, I was going to suggest Cercis chinensis. I am very enamoured of redbuds and the C. chinensis I have seen are gorgeous. I have a red buckeye, of which I also am enamoured. Hummingbird food, interesting leaves. It may be a little too woodsy for your tastes, but at least it is getting away from monoculture trees. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=J210 I also have a bladdernut (http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=87) and a pair of pawpaws, which are short trees. THe bladder nut, when established, produces white lanterns that hang on for quite a while. The pawpaws have maroon flowers and tasty fruit, eventually (mine are too young). Japanese maples -- well, they are all the rage, aren't they? The coral bark varieties are eye-catching at the nursery. Here is a pix: http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=11527
I'd plant a broadleaf evergreen shrub at the corner anyway, to tie down the building and maintain the flow of the planting. (I'd also reshape the bed so it was flowing instead of fluttering). A small tree should be put in the widest part of the bed (there isn't a wide part the way you have the bed drawn now) in a spot that would be compatible with the layout of the front of the house (something you have not shown us here). For more on balance, planting design, bed shapes and choosing trees that are right for the setting see Grant, GARDEN DESIGN ILLUSTRATED (apparently not in print but reprinted many times, seen several times at a used bookstore near me).
Ron seems more engaged in the plot design than in tree suggestions. However, if you planted another shrub under the power lines, perhaps another rhodie, and curved the bed out so a tree could be planted in front of the shrubs, you would avoid the power lines. More area for fill-in plants, too. Of course, only one of us knows what else is in the yard.
Ahh.. yes, Grasshopper. And pearls of wisdom, like pearls of the sea, can be an elegant response to an irritating stimulus.
