small/ornamental tree for front yard

[Anonymous]

“When deciding on a tree, it’s important to choose native species that are resilient to disease and adapted to your region’s climate and soil. Native species support natural ecosystems by providing habitat and food for birds, wildlife, and insects. In fact, the survival of some species is closely linked to native trees….”
https://www.cbf.org/join-us/more-things-you-can-do/in-your-yard/17-native-trees-for-your-yard.html

If you are in the DC area here are some options:
https://www.nutsfornatives.com/amp/maryland-and-virginia-native-garden-building-blocks-best-small-trees

[Anonymous]

I’d avoid d crepe myrtles now bc scale has become such a nightmare. Ours were infest d young and it was really damaging

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d avoid d crepe myrtles now bc scale has become such a nightmare. Ours were infest d young and it was really damaging

Agree. They are also very messy trees. Pretty from afar, but a pain to have in the yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d avoid d crepe myrtles now bc scale has become such a nightmare. Ours were infest d young and it was really damaging

Agree. They are also very messy trees. Pretty from afar, but a pain to have in the yard.

And, they take forever to leaf out. We ended up ripping ours out b/c of the scale and the fact that they looked dead most of the year.

[Anonymous]

OP here, someone suggested a hibiscus/rose of sharon tree. Does anyone have experience with those? Not native, but seems to fit the size requirement.

I'm now seeing a bunch of dried up seed pods all over the eastern redbuds in our neighborhood. Not sure how long this phase lasts, but it's not super appealing

I think the current front runners are fringe tree and serviceberry, but curious about the hibiscus/rose of sharon tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, someone suggested a hibiscus/rose of sharon tree. Does anyone have experience with those? Not native, but seems to fit the size requirement.

I'm now seeing a bunch of dried up seed pods all over the eastern redbuds in our neighborhood. Not sure how long this phase lasts, but it's not super appealing

I think the current front runners are fringe tree and serviceberry, but curious about the hibiscus/rose of sharon tree.

My next door neighbors have a rose of sharon and I hate it - sheds dead buds for a long chunk of the late summer. Plus it's non-native (and considered invasive by some).

OP, I think the redbud pods are really lovely - a sign of new life in the tree! They hang on the tree for a long time and don't really create a mess, either.

[Anonymous]

Hibiscus die down to the ground every winter, and are really late to emerge. Mine are maybe 6" tall at this point. They will eventually get to be big and beautiful, but they are not appealing at all for a good 6 months out of the year.

Rose of Sharon is a non-native invasive. It's most definitely not a tree, more like a shrub. Also late to leaf out, and does not have the most appealing form, to be honest.

[Anonymous]

We have a serviceberry in our front yard which was planted to stay below our electric wires (and has).

[Anonymous]

Service berry or native dogwood or redbud are beautiful native choices. They're good for birds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hibiscus die down to the ground every winter, and are really late to emerge. Mine are maybe 6" tall at this point. They will eventually get to be big and beautiful, but they are not appealing at all for a good 6 months out of the year.

Rose of Sharon is a non-native invasive. It's most definitely not a tree, more like a shrub. Also late to leaf out, and does not have the most appealing form, to be honest.

I hate our neighbors Rose of Sharon because it gives us so many seedlings that I have to pull..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, someone suggested a hibiscus/rose of sharon tree. Does anyone have experience with those? Not native, but seems to fit the size requirement.

I'm now seeing a bunch of dried up seed pods all over the eastern redbuds in our neighborhood. Not sure how long this phase lasts, but it's not super appealing

I think the current front runners are fringe tree and serviceberry, but curious about the hibiscus/rose of sharon tree.

I've seen birds eating the redbud seeds out of the pods, which is cool.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks for the reality check on the rose of sharon. I hadn’t looked into it before posting and definitely don’t want invasive.

So I think we’re back to fringe tree or serviceberry. 😁

[Anonymous]

Something that flowers OP, yet does not drop messy fruit/berries

1-Flowering purple leaf thundercloud plum

2-Forest Pansy Redbud (dark purple leaves which I think are much prettier than the green ones on Eastern Redbud)

3-Crape Myrtle. Longer to flower late summer, but it's nice to have flowers at that time and their leaves are pretty in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for the reality check on the rose of sharon. I hadn’t looked into it before posting and definitely don’t want invasive.

So I think we’re back to fringe tree or serviceberry. 😁

They're terrific plants in their own right, and have the added benefit of being natives. You can't go wrong with them.

[Anonymous]

Japanese stewartia. Blooms in summer. Find at Merrifield Garden Center.