I need your help; tree selection

We had a mulberry tree removed the other day and now I need to choose a replacement tree. We know we're going to spend mucho bucks, so I really want to make sure it's a tree I like and the tree likes this zone. A flowering tree would be nice, but not a deal breaker if it's not a flowering tree. No more than 40-50 feet mature height, no less than 15, deciduous. We know it will be expensive because we want it fairly large upon purchasing it. It will provide privacy between our deck and the neighbors so we need to start at 10 foot minimum. If anyone can offer suggestions on what works or, more importantly, what doesn't work, it would be appreciated. I'm leaning toward Forest Pansy Redbud right now, but I read that it is weak limbed. HELP! ^_^

ps.....any tree that drips berries is out, out, out of the question!!

Did you try the Arbor day Foundation search? http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/advancedSearch.cfm
I do that first to give me some ideas...I am so not good at suggesting trees.

I do love redbuds.

Sun, shade area??

Yes - my Forest Pansy did split a limb last year and it's still fairly young.

Will 10 ft give you the screen immediately?

do you have a picture of the area? there are a couple jm's that get that big although i doubt you could find them that big to start - what about a sugar maple? good tree and grows fast. there are also some korean maples that are very nice and get large.

Hi Weez, was just reading an article about picking a tree for all seasons. Here's the link, might give you some ideas.
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Trees/seasons.htm

I'd buy a Katsura.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/34775/

wc katsura is a great tree - it does not get anywhere near tall enough to be a screne

You may be thinking of the weeping one, Bill.

I think it grows to over 40', if she needs it taller than that then there's always the California Redwoods!

this is what i was referring too - http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/88756/

i was thinking of this one - http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/88756/

strange did not see my original post the first time

Get your mind off JM's!!

Like really! - That's not a tree that's a twig, (lol), I meant this one...
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2254/

- the link is also on the photo page above ☺

How about a dogwood or a crabapple?

what about this - http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/YGLNews/YGLN-Sept1503.html#acer

I have a sugar maple behind the screened porch....it gives wonderful shade, but it's always shedding little branches & seeds......how about a large magnolia, or a London plane?

Or a Charlie Brown metallic tree??

How about this one?

From Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian

That's it!!! ^_^ (Cue the Schroeder music.)

Think the Smithsonian would let it go for $500?

Thanks for all the input (and laughs) I really like the Katsura, WC! I thought about a Sugar Maple, but I wasn't sure if it's as shallow rooted as many of it's cousins. I've had very bad luck with magnolias, regretfully, since I really love them but have managed to kill 3 of them already. The Russian Hawthorne looks very, very nice but it has berries. I was also thinking of a paperbark Birch, but there is some disease or bug that they are prone to. So right now, Katsura is out in front!

Full sun, Weeze? Love the kousa dogwoods.

It gets sun from dawn til about 3 or 4 in the summer, only til 1 in the winter. I have a Kousa, not wild about it for some reason. I like the floridas better.

Bronze Birch borer, I think the native birch are more resistant to it

Floridas are prone to the fungus.

How large does it need to be to provide the screen? Why deciduous?

- When I cut down my two 60' oaks I wanted something to replace one of them for privacy. The tree guy, (a young, yuppie, engineer turned tree guy who was uncannily smart), suggested either a Redbud or a Katsura, he particularly liked Katsuras because of the unusual leaves, great fall color, resiliency to disease and takes the winter punishment.

- Truth be told I went with the Redbud because I wanted huge color, but if I had to do it again I would go with a Katsura, they fill out more and are more 'shapable' since they can start branching at lower height, thus providing more privacy. Sugar maples are nice and grow fast but everybody's got them. I figure if you're a gardener you want something that works and is unique. - something people see and ask " Ooo! What is that! That's nice, where did you get it?" Rather than "Oh yeah, he just got a maple tree the other day". (lol)

- I have a big 20'x20' magnolia in the front and believe me you're not missing anything except a lot of cleanup, the flowers are very heavy when they fall and I figure I have about 200lbs of flower petals that I have to clean up after every spring in addition to the Fall clean-up. Beautiful Yes/ practical NO.

- Paperback birch? - This neighborhood was full of them, my neighbor had 7 of them. - All wiped out in one season due to some sort of disease...

Whatever choice you make I hope you're happy with it, that's what's important. ☺

Katsura is very nice - I have the weeping one. For uniqueness, cannot go wrong with Stewartia pseudocamellia, Oxydendrum (sourwood) or Franklinia, but good luck finding a large one without breaking the bank.

We're figuring $500, maybe $700 if the market ticks up by March, one can hope :)

Here is where the mulberry was. The fence is 6 foot so the tree needs to be at least 4 foot higher. It's a narrow part of the yard which is why I opted for a deciduous canopy tree rather than a wide bottom fir. The mulberry was perfect but for those *^*&%^* berries! Purple berry stains everywhere and drunken flies.

WC, I still have one Magnolia in the front, but by the time it drops a couple hundred lbs of petals I'll be too old to care ^_^

sounds like the katsura would be a good choice - think i might get a korean maple if they can take wet feet - a local nursery has them at about 10ft. tall and not real expensive. winter decisions.

My Winter King hawthorn has a great shape that would work there. Berries, yes - but they remain on the tree. I never recall having to deal with them.

How about thorns? Some of the hawthorns have wicked looking ones! I would go with a tree that has interesting winter bark, like paperbark maple.

This one has some but is one of the least thorny ones.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/60287/

Oh, it's very nice!

It sure is, and a perfect shape for that space. So now I have Katsura, Stewartia and Hawthorne neck and neck heading for the finish line!

Should we have a pool??

That hawthorn is resistant to rust, but it can still get it if you have the host (cedar) nearby. I've had to spray.

what no korean maple in the race!!!!

I have a large cedar in the back right among the apple trees....very dumb, but I love the cedar too much to cut it down.

Weeze, Winter King has great exfoliating bark too.