Be like a tree and leave the planting to the hive mind!

April 7, 2007 6:08 AM

What tree should I plant for my kid?

Commemorative tree for my baby born this year. Location, Zone 5B, Pennsylvania. Lots of shady and sunny spots to select from. Am considering heirloom apple tree, but would also like a great treehouse tree. Problem is, I don't know much about trees or orchard stuff. Any suggestions or things to look out for?

posted by DenOfSizer to home & garden (18 comments total)

We planted a red dogwood (called a "Cherokee Chief) for our son Henry last summer.
It'll grow between 15 and 30 feet, with about a 20 foot spread. Gonna have beeeeyoootiful reddish-bronze foliage!
This is a perfect zone 5-9 tree.
Expect to pay about $25 USD for a healthy 2-3 foot "starter-tree" at a reputable local nursery.
(And I'm so glad you're chosen this way of honoring of your baby!)
posted by Dizzy at 6:53 AM on April 7, 2007

I'm partial to Elms. I love the Drake elm, but it may not be the best choice. Drake elms are considered invasive in some states.

The American Elm is beautiful and easy to grow in my opinion. American Elms have suffered from Dutch Elm disease. If you like the tree, you can feel good about replenishing the American Elm. There are disease resistant cultivars available. I don't know if it's an ideal tree for a tree house. Congrats on your new baby.
posted by LoriFLA at 6:58 AM on April 7, 2007

I planted a 'Bloodgood' Japanese Maple for my son.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55472/

Not exactly tree house material, but it sure is purty.
posted by ducktape at 7:11 AM on April 7, 2007

Fruit trees are certainly pretty, but they usually require a lot more maintenance. Apple trees in particular can get apple scab, cedar-apple rust, powdery mildew, and infestations of apple maggot, codling moth, and plum curculio. Also, apples on the ground left to rot attract wasps. You would also need to learn how to prune properly and make sure there is a pollinator in the area (although with the drop in bee populations this might not help.)

Instead of a fruit tree, I would plan for a tree house tree. The problem is that most deciduous trees grow an average of about 10 feet in 10 years, so planting now means by the time your son is ready for a tree house, his tree will still be too young. The trees that would be a wonderful legacy: Oak, Beech, Sycamore, Ash would all be tree house trees in about 20 to 30 years.

I can tell you what NOT to plant. Don't plant a sweet gum! They have a wonderful shape, they are fast growers and are famous for their stunning autumn color, but they have woody gumballs that take 15 years or more to break down. This house has two trees and every time I go out to mow with the mulching mower I end up with at least one bruise from a gumball missile.

Other things to consider: Are there any power lines close? What about root invasion? How much water is available?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:09 AM on April 7, 2007

I can't tell you which tree to plant, but I can suggest that you research tree longevity and disease-resistance very thoroughly. For example, many fruit trees are relatively short-lived and disease-susceptible. The last thing you'd want is to have the tree die on you (I'd think). A nut tree, perhaps? A walnut? An oak tree (what a wonderful symbol for your little "acorn")? Those are sturdy as hell, for your treehouse-building pleasure.

A cedar (traditionally thought of as a "tree of life")? Stately, beautiful year round, and various cultivars to choose from to suit your site.

'Course, when I was a child, I loved birch trees. So beautiful in every season, and such a graceful habit (aka shape of growth). I was taken with the idea that the Native Americans used the white bark for writing and canoes, and I fancied the "eyes" were watching over me as I walked.
posted by ROTFL at 8:16 AM on April 7, 2007

(Seconding) The tree won't be big enough for a treehouse when your child is of treehouse age. I gave out cigar-shaped Douglas fir plugs when my son was born. They're growing all over the country now.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:41 AM on April 7, 2007

Maple seeds were always fun to throw in the air and watch helicopter back to the ground, and it should be treehouse sturdy by the time it can be used for such.
posted by buzzman at 9:35 AM on April 7, 2007

Maple. Reasonably fast growth, no debris from fruiting, appropriate for your area, accomodates a variety of soil moisture conditions, not a lot of domestic pathogens (though there are some evil imported ones afoot!), appropriate height for a neighborhood, about 100 year life.

If you want super fast growth, poplar. The tend to be rather vertical and I have seen examples in the deep woods 48" in diameter and 80 feet tall. I have seen 25 year old poplar 16" in diameter.

Also... sycamore. Nice urban tree with unusual bark, long life, native to North America, great shade tree in the 50 year time frame.
posted by FauxScot at 10:48 AM on April 7, 2007

I would not plant a poplar anywhere near a house or hardscape. They are extremely messy and have very invasive roots that will crack concrete and destroy your sewer line. Ask your local nursery for tree appropriate to your site. Keep in mind that a very fast growing tree will be a very tall growing tree. Trees with moderate to slow growth require less frequent pruning.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:29 AM on April 7, 2007

About elms: I don't know much about what varieties are availible, but I have some that dump seeds everywhere. These grow into thousands of little baby elms that need to be pulled up, especially if they are in danger of splitting apart parts of the driveway, house, etc. (I guess that's what makes them 'invasive') Elms also seems to drop a lot of branches in the wind. YMMV, of course.

Since you have several spots to pick from, why not plant several trees, with a variety of growth rates and other characteristics? You can designate one to be his tree, and if it dies you can have another tree inherit the title.
posted by yohko at 2:32 PM on April 7, 2007

To note my personal bias, I spent about 2 hours yesterday pulling up little elms in my yard, and I can see a bunch more from where I am sitting now. This may be giving me an overly negative attitude towards them at the moment. I certainly like them better than a bare yard.
posted by yohko at 2:34 PM on April 7, 2007

When an ancient sugar maple on my lot had to be taken down, I spoke to a tree warden who recommended a Linden tree. They grow very quickly, are great shade trees, and are road salt and pollution resistant.

You might consider getting your trees from Fedco especially if you're considering fruit trees. Great company, fabulous varieties.

I put in a Smokehouse apple tree when my daughter was born.
posted by plinth at 2:51 PM on April 7, 2007 [1 favorite]

Perhaps a (male) ginkgo? Not a tree house tree (but any tree that grows fast enough really won't be strong enough), but a symbol of longevity and good fortune.
posted by vers at 3:05 PM on April 7, 2007

when I was a child a neighbor had a sumac tree/large bush (the ones with red berries that you can make lemonade from). it grows fast and all gnarly and small kids can climb all over them. we called it "the monkey tree." you'd want to buy a 2 or three year old one to start with to be climbable when your child is 5 or 6.

and don't grow it near a house because it might grow out of control. grow it at the edge of a yard. in a corner.

oh, and probably not for allergy-prone type families.

ask your local plant store about red sumac.
posted by cda at 4:04 PM on April 7, 2007

Not sumac! Sumac is a total weed. Or let's put it this way - if you want sumac, some to my place and you can have as much as you can dig up. I'll pay you too.
posted by plinth at 5:51 PM on April 7, 2007

Something native to the area. Be environmentally friendly.
posted by sarahw at 6:02 PM on April 7, 2007

Some general tree buying advice: pull the tree out of the bed, step back and look at her. Does she have a pleasing shape? Any signs of disease, insect, or mechanical damage? Are the roots a tangled, pot-bound mess?

As for what to buy… Oaks are a classic choice for a legacy tree. They’re slow growers but sturdy and long-lived. The oak will be around when your kid is having kids.

Another nice large tree is the zelkova (Zelkova serrata). It has a mod-fast rate of growth, gorgeous red-purp fall color and a vase-like shape. Zelkovas are insanely tough. They take drought, heat and compacted soil. If you want a tree that will thrive without much babying, plant a zelkova.

For a kid-tree w/multi-season interest, how about a flowering tree? The flowering dogwood or the Kousa dogwood are pretty when they bloom, when fruiting & in the fall when the leaves turn.

There’s also the native fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) and the Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus). Don’t know if the Chinese fringe tree is totally hardy in your area - check with your local nursery. It’s a great tree if you can grow it – beautiful white spring bloom, yellow fall color, small blue-gry fruit (not a litter issue), twisty-turny canopy for bird nests, drought tolerant, good rate of growth, and no major disease problems.

This is getting long, but I’ll offer one more bit of advice: buy your tree from a local nursery with knowledgeable staff (try an independent, nonbox store). We strangers on the internet don’t know much about the pathogens at your place. Locals should. Before buying the tree, ask the nursery staff if the tree tends to get any particular diseases/insects (in your area).

For example, in my neck of the woods, river birch get aphids in the summer, Japanese cherry trees suffer pest damage at 15-25 years, and anthracnose hits a host of trees if the weather is right. I still grow Japanese cherry trees (because I love them) but I know what’s down the road…a chainsaw & a new bit of sky. You’ll want to be likewise informed, particularly if this tree is your child’s forever tree. (And yay you for planting a tree!)
posted by podocarpus at 8:09 PM on April 7, 2007

Maybe a Japanese Maple? They're gorgeous and also if you get one of those dwarf ones, your child, when s/he moves away to their own home, can plant the tree in their yard. I have a neighbor who has taken their Japanese maple from two different homes. It's become a part of their home identity.

My parents have been taking their persimmon and fig trees with them (by carefully uprooting and replanting) every time they have moved. A tree with longevity and "portability" would be ideal IMO.
posted by loquat at 10:31 PM on April 7, 2007