Author Topic: Which tree for a tree lined drive? (Read 5725 times)

Jeb · « **on:** February 14, 2010, 01:09:06 pm »

I'm getting ready to buy the farm in south-central Virginia. This farm has a nice gravel driveway from a hard suface road to the house. The first section runs about 200 ft. from the road until it bottoms out at a creek (which crosses under the drive). I want to plant trees on both sides of the drive along this section. I want it to look great AND give me a product to harvest. I'm thinking of planting pecan trees in pairs on either side of the drive. Does anyone out there have any suggestions on what type of pecan trees? Or, on what other nut or fruit tree might be good to consider?

Thanks for your help.

--Jeb

fishpharmer · « **Reply #1 on:** February 14, 2010, 05:14:47 pm »

Jeb, welcome to forestry forum. This is a great place. Congrats on the new property (to be). You might want to look and ask around the area to find the best type of pecan tree to plant. A local nursery may give good advise on variety or an ag or horticulture dept of a local college. It seems like folks plant all types of trees along a driveway depending upon preference. Loblolly Pines seem prevelant in MS but I wouldn't want them myself if you have the chance of hurricane force winds or ice storms. I've seen many old plantation homes with live oak trees lining the drives. I am sure there are exceptions. I have seen many pecan tree lined drives as well. Also, cypress make an attractive lane. Keep us posted.

pineywoods · « **Reply #2 on:** February 14, 2010, 05:30:23 pm »

The only drawback to pecan trees is they are messy. They tend to drop dead limbs just big enough to raise hob with a mower. If you do go with pecan, I'd get more than one variety. Most of them will self-pollinate, but yields are better with cross pollination. They are also somewhat picky about soil types. Check with a nursery in the area...

Jasperfield · « **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2010, 09:15:23 pm »

I'm in agreement with Pineywoods. The Pecan is a high maintenance tree. If you're going to keep the drive/entrance neat & clean you'll be stopping to pick up limbs about every trip in and out.

If you want nuts; How about the Chinese Chestnut.

Personally, I'd set out Apple trees.

Ironwood · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2010, 09:40:34 pm »

I have thought about this topic for years. For me, I would go w/ diversity in uniform patterns. Seems there is always a new parasite, blight, or what have you. I would design a sequencing that if say your maples get hit and killed by something the character of the overall impact you create would be left intact. You may end up w/ some "holes", but generally the view would be pretty consistant. Oaks, maples, hickories, Sassafrass (bendy trunks), cherries, on and on. Like the other folks said check w/ your local extension officer.

Ironwood (letting my "wild" trees line the drive and selectively cutting out ones I dont like)

Jeb · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2010, 02:33:50 am »

Thanks for the input. I'll let you know what I do complete with pictures (probably this coming fall).

--Jeb

WDH · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2010, 08:23:35 am »

I agree with the comments on pecan. The sun rises in the east, the ocean is salty, and pecan limbs fall. These are a few things that one can count on

.

DanG · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2010, 09:34:50 am »

What about Sycamore? I know they're messy in the fall, but they grow fast and they sure are pretty.

In the past, Magnolia was the tree of choice for lining a lane down this way. You don't see much of that anymore though. I don't know if you can grow them in Virginia.

Magicman · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2010, 11:13:09 am »

Quote from: Jeb on February 14, 2010, 01:09:06 pm

I want it to look great AND give me a product to harvest. I'm thinking of planting pecan trees in pairs on either side of the drive. Does anyone out there have any suggestions on what type of pecan trees? Or, on what other nut or fruit tree might be good to consider? Thanks for your help. --Jeb

Your OP indicates that you also want a cash crop. Personally, I would go with different varieties of Pecan. Yes, they drop limbs, you need to fertilize, but the reward is worth it. Different varieties, because they seem to pollinate a few days or weeks apart. Rains during this time can/will wipe out the potential crop from a few trees, but usually not all of them.

I have several young trees coming on. For the last couple of years, my youngest trees (10"-15" diameter) have been my best producers.

I'll be at my Cabin/Tree Farm Friday, and will try to remember to take pictures of my entrance. All volunteer (old fence row) Pecan trees.

Wudman · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2010, 10:30:28 pm »

A few thoughts:

1) Pecan (since you mentioned it) - stately tree, nice form and size - will drop lots of branches - minor damage from worms - everybody likes pecans

2) Cherry - Beautiful tree when blooming - Nice form - You will fight with birds and squirrels for the fruit

3) Apple - Various varieties - Pretty when blooming - Nice form - Squirrels a problem

4) Crab Apple - Pretty tree - small frame - Fruit can be used for jams and jellies - not the best for eating raw - Fire Blight (fungus) may be a problem - Messy when dropping fruit in fall - Birds and Squirrels will readily eat

5) Pear - Beautiful when blooming - Nice form

6) Peach - Pretty when blooming - Not as nice in form as other fruit trees (my opinion) - small tree

7) Chinese Chestnut or Chinquapin - Edible nuts - Burs are a problem for bare feet - Messy in fall when dropping burs

8.) Black Walnut - Stately tree - larger form - drops leaves early in year - messy when walnuts are falling

A few other considerations (nothing to harvest foodwise though)

1) Bradford (ornamental) pear - pretty tree with nice form - short lifespan in this area
2) Yellow poplar - Nice tree, very majestic
3) White Oak - Nice large tree, very majestic
4) Southern Magnolia - Beautiful tree - slow growing

For aesthetics, I would lean toward the cherries. I have one in my yard that is beautiful when blooming and has very nice foliage the remainder of the year.

Wudman

Big Timber · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2010, 07:44:09 am »

Lombardy Poplar- I'm sure I misspelled that

bill m · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2010, 09:32:49 pm »

Star burst Locust.

Jasperfield · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2010, 10:17:27 pm »

The Southern Magnolia is also high maintenance, but it's fragrance is arguably without equal. I do not know of a better smellin' tree.

Here in WNC we have no naturally occuring Southern Magnolias. All here are specimens.

They are VERY slow growers; but the fragrance is worth it and lasts many weeks.

The Bradford pear will self-destruct in a medium high wind. About the time the tree has really taken-hold along your drive and begun to increase it's girth, along comes a medium snow or a little bit of really stiff wind...and it's chipper fodder. It's a pretty tree, but it's a loser. It looks out of place in most plantings.

The Yoshino Cherry is a real good tree. Good form, shape, and bloom. Beautiful. It prunes well, too. And, it grows easily.

Magicman · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2010, 05:50:03 pm »

Here's a picture looking away from the cabin. I forgot to take one this morning looking toward the cabin when the sun would not have been in my face....

These are mature volunteer "fence row" Pecan trees

Jeb · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2010, 08:40:59 am »

Thanks for the pics Magicman and the very helpful advice from everyone else. I'll probably be in touch with you Wudman as time for planting comes 'round. Here's a pic of the driveway in question. Thanks again all!

PS. This is my first pic posting. Took a while to figure it out but I'm learning!

Magicman · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2010, 09:01:04 am »

Whatever you plant, remember that trees grow. Too many folks tend to plant too close to the road/drive. Mine are probably 15' away from the road.

WDH · « **Reply #16 on:** February 21, 2010, 11:55:07 am »

Jeb,

That is a nice tree-lined driveway to be! Keep us posted.

zopi · « **Reply #17 on:** February 21, 2010, 02:50:03 pm »

Easy answer...Notsweetgum..

Me, I'd probably go with pines, and realise that I will have to prune..

Maybe cedar...I have some hoooge cedars...love 'em.

If you go with apples, the rust blight is bad, get ahold of the ag extension in Winchester,
they are the state tree gurus..can privide guidance in that light..

fishpharmer · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2010, 04:11:15 pm »

Jeb, good job on the pic posting. You have a nice blank slate to start with. Something occured to me that you may or may not have considered. How long will it take for the species of tree to bear fruit or nuts? Or even attain a size of your desire in a reasonable amount of time. Just something to consider, if your not planting for your grandkids?

Tom · « **Reply #19 on:** February 21, 2010, 04:20:28 pm »

Whether planting for market or home use, I've always been one that liked to see people plant stuff to eat. I know that Eastern Red Cedar might make a roadway tree, as will pecan. Pear, plum and apple might be maintenance intensive, especially when it comes to fruit that drops to the ground. One other thing that can make a fine driveway border is grapes. grow them on a horizontal cable-fence.

If it's just for looks, and you want the things to be there for your great-great grandchildren, plant Live Oaks.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2010, 06:17:03 am »

This is one of those topics that is wide open to personal preferences.

Up my way folks plant sugar maple along drive ways and most farm fence rows will have maple come up on their own. Sugar maple was planted because of beautiful fall colors with every variant of orange you could imagine and folks at one time looked forward to gathering sap in the spring time.

Many of the old maples have been suffering the last few years mostly from snow removal and road work damage. They heal slow, and rot takes a hold before they heal over. But, you will rarely see a sugar maple blown over in the wind, even a rotten one. They just slowly die from the top down and drop limb sections. People hate to even cut a sugar maple yard or drive tree if it has any life at all in it.

thecfarm · « **Reply #21 on:** February 22, 2010, 07:26:41 am »

That's how alot of the old farm houses driveways are around here too,SwampDockey.I would prefer to see just about all the same kind of tree.But that's how it is in my area.Never seen how it's done in VA.I have seen it done in poplar.Sure did not look like the maple drives.I have oak and a few white maple that I drive under.Want some more white maple on the end,but need to build a stone wall there first.The deer and the turkeys really like the acorns.

Norm · « **Reply #22 on:** February 22, 2010, 08:43:13 am »

Sugar maple would be my choice also.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #23 on:** February 22, 2010, 07:03:04 pm »

Mine too!

Magicman · « **Reply #24 on:** February 22, 2010, 08:02:59 pm »

Two gallons that I picked out today.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #25 on:** February 23, 2010, 06:57:39 am »

Love pecans, I eat'm every day.

Magicman · « **Reply #26 on:** February 23, 2010, 07:33:30 am »

And, you can only get them from Pecan Trees....

Growing up, that was our Christmas "cash crop". They bought clothes, shoes, and Santa.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #27 on:** February 23, 2010, 08:01:28 am »

Quote from: Magicman on February 23, 2010, 07:33:30 am

And, you can only get them from Pecan Trees....

Or we can take'm from unsuspecting pecan pickers.

Magicman · « **Reply #28 on:** February 23, 2010, 08:24:16 am »

DanG · « **Reply #29 on:** February 23, 2010, 08:50:07 am »

I'm leaning more and more toward a reccomendation of pecan. You can buy little bare-root trees pretty cheap and they should begin to bear nuts in seven to ten years. If you don't want to wait that long and don't mind dropping some coin, there is a nursery in Georgia that is currently advertising "ready to bear" trees that are supposed to begin bearing next season.

As far as the limb dropping problem is concerned, you won't have to worry about that for a long, long time. They don't start doing that until they get pretty old, so unless you're directly descended from Methuslah, you won't have to worry about it at all.

nas · « **Reply #30 on:** February 23, 2010, 10:24:39 pm »

Sugar maple is the only good choice here

Jeb · « **Reply #31 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:55:25 pm »

Thank you everyone for all your very helpful advice. Tremendous!!

With apologies to those advocating for the sugar maple but I'm pretty sure I'm going with pecan trees. Maybe I'll plant a sugar maple on the property in honor of those who love this tree

Now I have to make a decision about the precise type of pecan tree. So, which one should I go with? I think I'd like to see (or should I say, I'd like for my grandchildren to see) tall, stately trees with no limbs low enough to be hit by vehicles driving on the drive AND I'd like to taste good rich pecan meat. Can I have both?

Any suggestions?

Thanks again!

--Jeb

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #32 on:** February 24, 2010, 03:47:34 pm »

Nas are they sapping in your area yet? Some have began here recently and said it was running well. It's been March-April weather the last 3 weeks.

Magicman · « **Reply #33 on:** February 24, 2010, 04:26:02 pm »

I'd go to the nursery, see what they have, and then read up on those varieties. They will probably all be grafted trees. I would definitely plant several different varieties, to be more certain of having a crop each year. Good luck.

Dana · « **Reply #34 on:** February 24, 2010, 09:03:20 pm »

Quote from: SwampDonkey on February 22, 2010, 06:17:03 am

Many of the old maples have been suffering the last few years mostly from snow removal and road work damage. They heal slow, and rot takes a hold before they heal over. But, you will rarely see a sugar maple blown over in the wind, even a rotten one. They just slowly die from the top down and drop limb sections. People hate to even cut a sugar maple yard or drive tree if it has any life at all in it.

This maple is in our yard and is a good example of what SD has said of maples. Like he said people hate to cut them down.

Wudman · « **Reply #35 on:** February 24, 2010, 09:45:17 pm »

Sugar Maple is a pretty tree and is widely planted. However, it is non-native to this area. Red Maple is the only native maple here. It too makes a very nice yard tree.

Wudman

sjfarkas · « **Reply #36 on:** February 25, 2010, 12:38:10 am »

Apple and peach make great barbque wood. I don't like cherry. Apple when mature has a nice look to it when cut into. I'm a little partial to apple because I manage an apple ranch. With the right rootstock apple is fast growing and will bear fruit quickly.

LAZERDAN · « **Reply #37 on:** February 25, 2010, 10:12:16 pm »

I'd go with the jaw dropping Autum blaze maple

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HOME :: Home-Improvement / Landscaping-Outdoor-Decorating The Autumn Blaze Red Maple Tree
By Samantha Sons
Article Word Count: 485 [View Summary] Comments (0)

As the summer begins to end and autumn quickly approaches us everyone flocks to the mountains all across the East coast because of all the vast variety of colors that shine before us on the trees. Looking over the Blue Ridge parkway reminds you of a box of crayons freshly opened because of the array of colors red, orange and yellow are just a few. Wouldn't you like to have that same feeling when you look out into your yard? Now you can by planting some Blaze Red Maples.

This maple is a perfect choice for any yard. They are insect and disease free grows well in any kind of soil, drought tolerant and is a rapid shade producer just to name a few of the popular features. Many people love the Red Maple because of its vibrant red color that it produces in the fall months. They look good anywhere from lining a driveway to sporadically plant throughout the yard to give off some color.

Most Red Maples grow up to 40-50 feet tall with a width of 30-40 feet and take little to no maintenance. They don't have any blooms which allow them to thrive with color. Even without pruning this tree looks fresh and clean with an oval shape to it.

The Maple is easy to grow, no upkeep, thrives well anywhere, drought resistant and affordable. What more could you ask for? Rather you are a beginner at planting trees or a native with the Red Maple it is hard to go wrong.

This Maple can be found at any tree nursery, garden center or online. A good website that I have found them at is at a wholesale tree nursery,they have a wide selection and great prices which is hard to beat. Once it is ordered they will deliver them straight to your doorstep with the highest quality and provide superb customer service they are definitely hard to beat.

So if you are looking for a tree with little to no upkeep and easy to grow the Blaze Red Maple is the one for you! The Blaze Red Maple makes your yard look gorgeous and it's a tree that you can enjoy all year long. You can think of it as an investment because once its planted then you are done...it will thrive and be productive for many years to come.

The Blaze Red Maple is a good choice for any home or landscape to have because of the many rewards that can be reaped after you plant it. So if you are looking for a tree that has little upkeep and gives you a gorgeous ruby red color then the Blaze Red Maple is for you. Say Good-bye to spraying, pruning, constantly watering and only a few months out of the year to enjoy then the Blaze Red Maple is a great choice to give you just that.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Samantha_Sons

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SwampDonkey · « **Reply #38 on:** February 26, 2010, 05:15:32 am »

My favorite photo from the back yard.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #39 on:** February 26, 2010, 08:11:53 am »

Many of the sugar maple lined drives here now become a homeowner sugar bush this time of year.

DanG · « **Reply #40 on:** February 26, 2010, 11:33:40 am »

Jeb, I don't know if there is much difference in the form of the trees from one variety to the other. I also don't know if different varieties are "climate specific" or not. That is a question you will need to ask locally. IMO, your best bet is to consult with a local grower who has been producing nuts for a long time. They can tell you what varieties do best in your region. Wudman may well have some info about that too, but since Pecan is not typically a forest tree, I wouldn't hold it against him if he doesn't.

My favorite variety of pecan is the Stuart. It is one of the older hybrids, but is a dependable producer of heavy-shelled nuts that have more flavor than any other I know of. There are many other good varieties out there, and each has its own pros and cons. When I was researching the subject several years ago, I found the best info on the web in Texas, but can't recall if it was at UT or Texas A&M,s website. I do remember there was a bounty of info though.

nas · « **Reply #41 on:** February 26, 2010, 09:19:39 pm »

Quote from: SwampDonkey on February 24, 2010, 03:47:34 pm

Nas are they sapping in your area yet? Some have began here recently and said it was running well. It's been March-April weather the last 3 weeks.

It's been too cold here. It is supposed to stay below freezing for another week, so I plan to tap next week Saturday. It is late here. I usually tap around the last week of Feb.

Dana - I had a few trees that looked like that along the road. Two of them blew over in a storm in June and the other was removed by the town. They will keep me warm next winter.

Nick

Jeb · « **Reply #42 on:** February 27, 2010, 05:43:40 am »

Hey Dan G. Thanks for the tip about "Texas" and pecan trees. I did a quick search and land on http://texaspecantrees.com/ It would appear that this site has a wealth of information on the subject. Is this the site you are referring to?

Thanks again for all your help!

--Jeb

DanG · « **Reply #43 on:** February 27, 2010, 11:56:02 am »

You betcha, Jeb. That wouldn't be the site I was talking about as it would have been a ".edu" site from a University. That was about 10 years ago though, so it's probably a hundred pages deep in Google by now.

Good info is good info, and I'm sure there's a lot more out there now than there was then.

DirtForester · « **Reply #44 on:** March 31, 2010, 12:14:13 pm »

Quote from: Magicman on February 21, 2010, 09:01:04 am

Whatever you plant, remember that trees grow. Too many folks tend to plant too close to the road/drive. Mine are probably 15' away from the road.

This is the best advice yet.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #45 on:** March 31, 2010, 12:38:41 pm »

Yellow poplar, grow fast and majestic.

den · « **Reply #46 on:** May 16, 2010, 11:13:24 pm »

Tulip Poplar

Wick · « **Reply #47 on:** May 21, 2010, 05:26:28 am »

I planted Elliot pecan trees (Hybrid). There still young but supposed to be really great tasting. Medium sized nut. Oikos tree crops in Michigan,I believe, has a very large variety of trees including several pecans. They give a pretty good description of the trees including blight and disease resistant traits. Even if you don't order from them, it may help give an idea of what you may like.

News:

Author Topic: Which tree for a tree lined drive? (Read 5725 times)