Rocky Mountain Gardening: What is your favorite deciduous specimen tree?, 1 by skiekitty

skiekitty wrote:
Snowline - OK, since you're not against size, go with the N. Catalpa. WONDERFUL tree, beautiful heart-shaped leaves, long-lasting flower, interesting seed pod (but not very mower-friendly). Tulip trees are also nice, but I like Catalpas better. But, they are slow growing and have odd shapes. You can also go with a red oak (nice fall foliage), PrarieFire crabapple (wonderful spring flowers), European Mountain Ash (nice white spring flowers, interesting orange berries that are attractive in the fall), Lindentree (wonderful pyramid shape, wonderfully fragrant), Golden Rain tree (summertime blossoms w/interesting "chinese lantern" seedpods), Golden Chain Tree (beautiful wisteria-like yellow flowers in spring), chancellor pear tree (beautiful spring flowers, gorgeous fall foliage, but very columnar in shape). You can also try a Purple Robe Locust tree (purple flowers in spring/fall), or a pansy forest redbud (a personal favorite, smaller, heart-shaped red leaves that stay red all year). Hawthorns are great trees that have awesome little berries in the fall and some have beautiful flowers that last forever - Crimson Cloud is my favorite. Of course, Canadian Red Chokecherry is an old staple with foliage that starts green & turns red and smells WONDERFUL for weeks on end in the spring. Also, I'd love to have a horse chestnut as they have spectacular flowers in the spring. Buckeyes have interesting fall fruits that are good for wild life. Autumn Purple Ash is wonderfully fast growing tree that has gorgeous fall foliage, but no flowers. An Accolade Elm is a very sturdy, very strong, "can't kill it" tree, but is good only for shade, no interesting features. Same goes for a Kentucky Coffee tree.. good for shade & interesting seeds, but no flowers or foliage to write home about.

Of all these trees, I have most of them personally. I have:
Swedish Columnar Aspen - do NOT advise to get, fast growing, but SHORT lifespan and horrible root system!
European Mountain Ash
Golden Rain Tree
Autumn Purple Ash
Prarie Fire Crabapple
Wate's Gold Pine
Crimson Cloud Hawthorn
Hillside Gold Pine
Autumn Serviceberry
Amur Flame Maple
Golden Chain Tree
"Hotwings" Tatariun Maple
Brandywine Maple
Chancellor Pear
Silver Maple - do NOT advise to get.. they are horribly fragile trees!! They tolerate a wide range of soils, FAST growing, but their limbs snap at the slightest snow!!
Coralburst Crabapple

This pic is of my catalpa that I had a few years ago before I killed it. I overwatered it and drowned the poor thing. :(