Need suggestions for tree variety

[jsm]

All,
I am wanting to plant some medium to large long-lived trees with a moderate to rapid growth rate. I have considered liveoak, but understand the growth rate is very slow.

Soil type is acidic (pH=5.5, sandy). Does anyone have a recommendation? Would Ash be a good choice? I have also considered sweetgum, as this is along a gravel driveway, and the balls wouldn't be such a problem, I wouldn't think, as it is just pasture. Everyone I told that I was considering sweetgum laughs at me and tells me it is a trash tree, though.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Joseph

 

[skyhightree1]

Gum trees are trash... What is your reasoning behind the tree planting? What are you trying to achieve ? Windbreak? Shade? Privacy ? or just simply plant a tree ?

 

[slick4591]

This might be helpful:

http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup.cfm

 

[1982vett]

Just about any tree will grow slow if it doesn't get enough moisture and nourishment....

Some do grow faster but they also have a shorter life span.

As Skyhightree asked, knowing your purpose for the tree(s) would aid in a recommendation.

 

[Jogeephus]

The faster the growth rate of the tree the quicker it dies so I would suggest either using a companion planting system where you plant a fast growing temporary tree beside a slower growing more longer lived tree.

Another thing you should take into consideration is the traffic around the tree. Will cattle be around it and such as that. Live oaks can't take hooves around their bases. With that in mind, I have found a good tree that can take a lot of traffic and isn't exceptionally tall is the elms like lacebark. These seem to do real well around cattle and are not real tall - being lightning rods - but spread out in a nice mushroom crown and offer a lot of shade for very little space needs. Another tree that really perked my interest is the Chinese pistache tree. This can take a lot of traffic, poor soil aeration and have a pretty shape like the elm.

If its in a high traffic area with poor soil aeration take a look at trees suggested in urban landscapes and see what shape and size you like.

 

[ga.prime]

I'd plant the live oaks. They grow fast enough and live for centuries. Sweet gum is crap. I like ash and maybe it grows faster where you are but it (along with white oak) is the slowest growing thing there is here where I am.

 

[greybeard]

Chinese Tallow. A super fast grower, full sun, that will survive any drought or flood, and will live as long as you.

:lol:
No one can have just one....or even just 100.

The Chinese Pistache is also on the Texas Invasives list.
https://webapps1.sanantonio.gov/dsddocu ... /invasives[1].pdf

 

[Fred]

A live oak can be pretty fast growing if it gets enough water and fertilizer. It cost more, but you can buy some nice size container trees that don't take that long to make a nice tree.

 

[jsm]

All, thanks for the replies. These purpose of these trees is a visual break I guess, so the driveway isn't so barren. Just had a fence dozed out that was all horseapple trees and mustang grape vines (the previous owner did a good job neglecting things the last 20 years).

Funny post on the chinese tallow. I think that would certainly top the sweetgum with people telling me I have lost it. :lol:

These trees will see cattle traffic around them, although I plan on putting small barbed wire triangles around them.

Joseph

 

[Kingfisher]

You might look at ( I think this is what they are ) ornamental pear trees. They plant them along the roads leading into developments. They grow fast and have some really nice flowers in the spring and fall. They would look nice along a drive way and you could companion them with some slower growing oaks.

 

[ga.prime]

Pears do have nice booms in the spring and good fall color but they're disease prone and weak and fall apart at the slightest provocation. However, they do pull out of the ground pretty easy with a tractor and chain.

 

[skyhightree1]

I lined alot of my customers driveways with dogwoods or thuja evergreen giants but I wouldn't have it inside a pasture fence where the cattle are.

 

[ga.prime]

I wouldn't try to grow any tree where cattle are.

 

[skyhightree1]

I wouldn't try to grow any tree where cattle are.

Excellent point

 

[ga.prime]

I'm not suggesting jsm should plant pine trees on his drive but I planted these 12 years ago and at the time had a barbed wire fence there. The cows would push over the wire to graze on the trees and I had to put that hot wire there. The hot wire doesn't show up too good in the pic but theres one there- 4 strands up to about 48 inches high. I also tried planting a couple of magnolias inside triangles within the pasture. I made the triangles out of deck boards nailed to creosote posts. I didn't make them big enough. I really didn't think a cow would eat a stinking magnolia and I put the triangles there just to keep the trees from being rubbed and stomped to death. The cows ate every limb off the trees. So, if using the triangle method, just make sure they're big enough that cows can't reach what's inside.

 

[skyhightree1]

I'm not suggesting jsm should plant pine trees on his drive but I planted these 12 years ago and at the time had a barbed wire fence there. The cows would push over the wire to graze on the trees and I had to put that hot wire there. The hot wire doesn't show up too good in the pic but theres one there- 4 strands up to about 48 inches high. I also tried planting a couple of magnolias inside triangles within the pasture. I made the triangles out of deck boards nailed to creosote posts. I didn't make them big enough. I really didn't think a cow would eat a stinking magnolia and I put the triangles there just to keep the trees from being rubbed and stomped to death. The cows ate every limb off the trees. So, if using the triangle method, just make sure they're big enough that cows can't reach what's inside.

Looks good ga. alot of people around here do the same to their driveways.

 

[jsm]

All,
Thanks for all the replies. I have been doing quite a bit of researching. It seems like the Lacebark Elm (suggested earlier) might be a good fit for me. The Texas A&M website shows it to be a good choice for my county.

I need to see where I can buy some of those. Maybe stagger in a liveoak here and there. I think I do need to figure out how to protect them from the cows - a robust solution, that is.

Joseph

 

[ga.prime]

Lacebark elms, that's what's planted at the walmart parking lot.

 

[lynnmcmahan]

A live oak can be pretty fast growing if it gets enough water and fertilizer. It cost more, but you can buy some nice size container trees that don't take that long to make a nice tree.

You might be surprised how fast live oak can be grown from seed. Also, bald cypress do good in or out of water. Pecan trees do well in the southeast in pastures if protected for about five years.

 

[ga.prime]

Lacebark elms, formerly known as Chinese elms.