Tree selection - Close to the house but reasonably tall

mattwalker

Hi guys,

I need to plant a couple of trees to provide some shade etc on the north face of my house.

The house is 2 storey and I would like to get something fairly tall but with a small root system

Is there such a thing?

I just saw a US show with this tree in it: Columnar ('Fastigiata') hornbeams

They look nice. Can we get them here in Aus?

Any advice is appreciated!

Cheers,

Matt

jmcg.insight.gardens

Hi Matt,

if you want to plant something on the northern side of your house I'm assuming you might want to plant something deciduous to let in the winter sun. It's generally not prudent to give advice on species to plant without some form of site assessment, there are various things to consider, proximity to the house, services, etc.

Flemings Nursery have a good deciduous tree selection, many of them fastigiate, look up their website. Most local plant nurseries will order their stock for you. Research will help you with selection....

Brent Ferris

I agree with Julie. Also, don't think that just because the top is fastigate, that the roots grow the same way. You want to plant trees at least 10 feet from a building, and preferably install a root barrier, between the trees and the house, to a depth of about 3 feet..

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derwoodii

Consider Ulmus parvifolia Chinese Elm 'Burnley Select’
An upright form selected by Dr Peter May as a seedling taken from a mature tree at Burnley College. This budded elm will should be a narrow-spreading tree with good, upright branch attachment. The original tree, now 20 years old in Kyneton Victoria, is about 12m tall and 6m broad. Unlike many other upright selections of U. parvifolia, this tree seems to have little included bark. The trunk is starting to gain a handsome, russet colour.

Ulmus parvifolia

Or if your wish native non deciduous, try Acacia implexa Lightwood wattle very fast growing.

Lightwood is often mistaken for Blackwood, as the foliage is similar, and on young trees, the bark is almost identical. Lightwood is a summer-blooming tree, while Blackwood is winter-blooming. In Victoria, Lightwood is found in many locations, including the basalt country to the north and west of Melbourne. In these sites, Lightwood grows to a maximum size of 8m, and is an upright, small tree.
Acacia implexa