Ok, so before I take down my elm tree, I really want a plan in place for a new one

[Baltimike]

I live in zone 7a, very near the Chesapeake Bay (so brackish salt water) My house faces N/NE. My elm is now about 65 to 70 feet tall, and I don't know if I can use some of the wood when it comes down, or do they recycle that, or is there something I should do about it? Anyway...

Some recs were the sweet gum tree, but they do a bit better a little more south of me, and they drop little prickly thingies that aren't going to cut it.

I don't want a sycamore tree, because I don't want to deal with those whirling things.

I don't want to go from a 65ft tall something to a fifteen foot tall crepe myrtle, so I want something substantial, and maybe one with more of a Spring show than a fall one, but both would be amazing.

Let me know what you think...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Catalpa. They get big pretty fast and they have orchid-like flowers in the spring.

[luvallpeeps]

2. I've never even heard of that.

I looked it up, and wow. What a beaute! The flowers are indeed orchid-like! Nice.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I have one in my front yard.

Flowers from last spring:

[Glorfindel]

3. Excellent idea.

I have an enormous one in my yard that my uncle planted about 65 years ago. It's a real beauty.
Tulip poplar might also be a good choice.

[Kali]

5. we have a really neat native tree out here (AZ)

that has pretty orchid-like flowers called a black or desert willow )because the leaves are long and string-like and they look like willows. always been a favorite since childhood. come to find out they are related to catalpas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilopsis

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Who knew? But the flowers do look similar, only pink.

[Kali]

7. in the last couple of decades

breeders have been domesticating these and selecting for white, pink, and more violet colors. I can see variations just in the wild trees around me. they also make the same long skinny seed pods as the "real" Catalpa trees.

[jxl]

8. an oak

Look at oaks as a possibility. The are big, long lived, and, most importantly, produce caterpillars that birds feed to their babies. (Chickadees need 6-9,000 caterpillars to raise a brood of nestlings.)

Dr. Doug Tallamy, from the U. of Delaware, writes a lot about how trees are important for birds. Just google his name and you will find out about books he's written, studies he and his students have conducted, and other recommendations about how to manage your yard to benefit wildlife.

Good luck.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Elm wood is very good for certain purposes -- it has a 'tangled' grain, so is very tough.

The traditional use is in chair bottoms, and some other furniture.

Try googling "sawmill" and the name of your county; look for "local buyer" within their Web pages. Mature elms are scarce now, so you could get a pretty good price. Don't pay to have it removed until you get a quote from a lumber buyer -- they will likely want to fell it themselves, to get the highest recovery of useful wood (which means the best price for you). If it's too far to travel, they won't be interested, though -- profit margins are thin.

If nothing else, notify any blacksmiths in your area that you will have an elm stump available -- it's the traditional support for anvils.

[Baltimike]

16. My goodness, THANK YOU for all of this. :) nt

[eppur_se_muova]

19. No biggie -- I've just watched too many episodes of The Woodwright's Shop. ;)

OK, I did read some of St. Roy's books, too, but it's been mostly book larnin' on my part.

[Baltimike]

20. It's very impressive, and I am very grateful. They want 3.5k to take it down

and that doesn't include stump grinding

[Botany]

10. Black gum not a sweet gum

n/t

[Baltimike]

11. I stand corrected...you did say that. nt

[Botany]

12. I am really an expert on this stuff

Plant a native tree that is on its own root stock .... not a graft.

Do not plant a tree > 2" in caliper ... 1 1/2 is the best. Bigger trees go into shock
in many cases and the smaller ones will catch up and out grow larger ones.

If you want a smaller tree Pagoda Dogwood is a great tree or a blackhaw viburnum

You also have some hardy native evergreen magnolia that grow in your area.

Don't forget the oaks too.

[Baltimike]

13. I want something like 50ft, maybe 60 in maturity.

am googling "caliper"...

[Botany]

14. Caliper inches is the width of the tree 6" up from its root collar

Don't worry about about the tree's size a maturity. It will not be a problem.
Planted right a tree should live @ least 100 + years.

BTW stay away from "fast growing" trees. They tend to be weak and break up in the wind.

In a perfect world I would suggest planting 2 trees about 8 to 10' apart so you can make
a bed that connects the 2.

[Baltimike]

15. My yard is long, but narrow, so I might be able to plant

one in front of the other, but my recently replaced water pipes are also there. They's pvc now, but still a concern

[UserNotFound]

17. I married into

SEVEN large (>50 ft) sweet gum trees. You DO NOT want even one...

I love mimosa trees. Many folks down here in the South hate them, but I grew up climbing around in them. I think they are beautiful, but I doubt they are something that would fit your needs... A humorous article from Southern Living...

https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/mimosa-the-wonderful-weed

[Baltimike]

18. I must stand corrected that it was a BLACK gum tree, not a sweet gum. nt