9.01.2007

Which should I choose?

The electric company has a list of trees it recommends for planting near power lines. I have a good incentive to pick one from their list because if I buy one from a certain local nursery, we get a discount. So, here's the list.

Beech, weeping purple
Cherry, flowering
Columnar Spruce
Dogwood
Dwarf Plum
Galaxy Magnolia
Globe Maple
Goldenchain Tree
Halesia
Hinoki Cypress
Japanese Maple
Japanese Snowball
Lilac
Photinia
Redbud
Rhododendron
Royal Galaxy Magnolia
Smoke Tree, purple
Snowball Bush
Stewartia
Weeping Hornbeam
Weeping Spruce

A few are out of the running right off the bat. We already have too many rhododendrons. We also have a couple lilacs; they're nice but I'd like a real tree, and lilacs just seem like a bush to me. We already have two cherry trees. And the plum is out for sure. Too messy!

I think my favorite without researching them is the dogwood. I've always loved them, and by the looks of the trees around the neighborhood, they do really well here. But I still want to explore our other options.

1 comment:

creative side said...

Dogwoods are a slow growing tree. Grandma's dogwood is older than you are, for example. Redbud's are spring blooming, have beautiful middle green heart shaped leaves and get larger a little faster. Also, the leaves are a bit larger than dogwood and would provide more shade. I'd get a good sized one. Also they have a nice winter architecture. A dogwood could be planted in another bare area. Japanese maple is glorious, but slower growing unless you choose a variety known for faster growth. Goldenchain tree is fussy and dies easily.