Tree Advice Needed

The redbud is one my favorites. It's a beautiful lavender in the spring. And I don't think they get too big.

Dwarf Magnolia
Look it up online to 'see' it and read about it.

We have one.
It is a small 'tree'... and the roots are not huge or bad.
Very nice. Easy. Never had problems with ours.
But it is a magnolia, so it has dark green leaves with the underside brown.
Don't know if it goes well in Chicago.

Do a Google Search on "dwarf trees."
or "dwarf ornamental trees."

You need to specify "DWARF" trees.... in your search.

Or, go to a garden nursery... and ask them.

OR... look into 'shrubs.' Some shrubs grow like 'trees' but are less huge.
One is the "Butterfly Bush"
Look it up online to 'see' it and read about it.
Its very nice and has nice flowers and is very pretty.

There are also dwarf apple trees.... or dwarf fruit trees etc.

good luck,
Susan

Talk to your local nursery and ask them what grows well in your neighborhood. I don't know how it is in Chicago, but around here some trees grow well in the eastern part of the city and not the western part, and vice versa! Your local experts should be able to help you determine what trees will make you happy for the next forty or so years.

All your possible choices are nice trees. Consider how deep you'd like the shade to be; birches tend to have delicate shade. They are a bit fragile and can drop branches. Maples tend to have deeper shade. They also tend to produce lots of seedlings.

Not to add to your confusion, but have you considered dogwoods? Kousa dogwoods are small, disease resistant, glorious when in flower (pink or white), and usually grow into beautiful, tiered shapes. They will need regular water for the first three or four years to become well established.

There is a lot to consider.
Besides what will grow well in your grow zone, what sort of soil you have, is it wet or dry, sunny or shady, are there utility lines above or below all factor in to picking a tree that will work best for the area you have in mind.
Have you thought of Birch? The white bark will look nice against a dark house, but it might get too tall (it can grow to 75') at maturity).
I use the info at the Arbor Day site and it really helps me get through the various options:
http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeGuide/advancedSearch.cfm

We just got a weaping cherry, it is small and very pretty. We are in Ohio, so it is hearty.
M.

I would call the Morton Arboretum in Lisle for suggestions. They know what trees are hardy in our area and they also have the full grown trees on their grounds so you can check to see how they will look years down the road. They have volunteers there who have extensive experience and if they don't have the answers, they can always check with the Morton staff.

Good luck choosing a tree. There are so many varieties out there that it can be daunting.

We just purchased a couple of trees, and, yes it can be quite confusing!! However, you can make it easier by deciding on the shape and size of the tree first...

First determine what type of general shape you prefer the tree to have for the space. (i.e. round like a lollipop, wide but low, skinny and high, cylindrical, etc.) Then, take a guess of how large (height AND width) you want the tree to grow at it's maximum growth (i.e. not to exceed the height of a one-story house, etc.)

Once you have this determined, head to your nearest high-quality nursery and ask the tree specialist what they have that fits your requirements and has certain colored fall foliage. This will narrow your choices considerably!!

Good luck!

I love birch trees but don't plant it! In wind storms the branches break off and leave a mess in your lawn, roof your neighbors roof, etc... We sadly just removed a large river birch which we used the wood in our fire place and replaced it with a red bud. What a beautiful tree in the spring, the summer it grows upright and has heart shaped leaves and in the fall the leaves turn yellow which contrasts nicely with the burning bush next to it. It's hardy up to zone 4. In the strong winds we had this Spring/Summer we didn't lose a branch. Good luck. It is a tough decision.

Two small hardy trees I like are the Redbud (Cercis canadensis) and the Serviceberry (Amelanchier ). Some amelanchier are more shrubby so check that with your nursery.

I really don't know, but we have a good nursery in our area. If you do too, write down all your requirements (size, shape, color, height etc) and bring it to the nursery. The folks who work there can show you exactly what you are looking for. It's totally overwhelming - there are so many choices!

I see you are from Bartlett (I'm in the NW suburbs) and Platt Hill Nursery has a complete listing of their trees and shrubs. If you know size you can look at the list to narrow your search.

http://www.platthillnursery.com/pdf/PlattHill2010_Final.pdf