The wife and I are looking to fancy up our landscaping. I'm looking into possibly getting one or two small ornamental trees. Nothing over 6'.

I live in SW PA, outside of Pittsburgh.

Look at some of the red leaf Japanese maples.Here are a few http://www.sunnysidenursery.ne...leaf-japanese-maples

Sorry I couldn't resist....

Also a fan of Japanese maples.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/69iB-xy0u4A

i'm a fan of any Japanese Maple. For putting in the yard I would not go with a dwarf type as they tend to be better for a large pot to get them up off the ground. They tend to grow down from the trunk. In a pot they can be nice. In the yard, not so much, imho.

Jap maples do better if they get full or partial sun until early afternoon - 1:00 o'clock or so, then are in the shade in the afternoon as they will burn in the hot afternoon sun. Their color tends to be better if they don't get overdone on the sun as well. They grow slow - I have 2 Coral Bark maples that are 5-6 years old that are just now about 6-7 feet tall. Deer killed a third CB using the trunk for a scraping post during the rut so be aware if you have deer. around.

Another vote for Japanese Maple here. This is a dwarf type planted direct into the ground. Appears almost as a shrub.

About a hundred years ago I was in the landscape and garden center business.

I suppose it can't hurt to get suggestions from forum members, but, honestly there are several factors to consider... light exposure, soil type and drainage, climate, pH, known insect or disease problems in the area etc...to say nothing of what you are trying to accomplish landscape design wise and whether your selection will integrate into and compliment your existing landscape or not.

I'm guessing you are in Zone 8. My suggestion would be to 1) drive through local neighborhoods and parks and get an idea of what trees you like, what they look like when mature, and how they are doing health wise (Pro Tip: take pics of the trees you like- both distant and close-up to help recall and also to research). If there are any nearby botanical gardens make the time to visit them, try and visit them during different seasons to get an idea of what trees/ shrubs look like at different times of year and 2) Go visit some of your local garden centers and landscape outfits...walk through their property and check out what they sell and talk to the professionals in your area that know what trees/ shrubs are available (or can be ordered) that work well in your area. It really is worth your time and money to talk to professionals that know plants and what works in your specific landscape zone. In some cases there are cultivars that might work better than the typical familiar classic Species.

Big fan of Japanese Maples in general, but only in the right conditions. Harsh Winters can sometimes take a toll on them so I'm a bit concerned about how they would do in your area.

There is a Japanse maple across the street that towers over the three-story house.

You should be careful what variety you plant.

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
I'm guessing you are in Zone 8.

I looked up Pittsburgh and it looks like Zone 6a.

My first home was in Zone 6a in the Upper Midwest. Being a first time home owner money was pretty tight so my landscaping was all "sweat equity."

One of the cool things I planted was a weeping cherry tree and it was at the recommendation of the owner of the nursery (it was the highest dollar plant/bush/tree so it was the focal point). It was a dwarf variety so it was targeted for 8 feet full size and it was the first time in my life I had ever seen a graft (tree grafting is a really cool worm-hole in YouTube).

It's in my home town so every year or two I drive by and the tree looks awesome. Here is a stock photo of a weeping cherry:

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, very slow growing.





Dwarf Hinoki False Cypress

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
I'm guessing you are in Zone 8.

I looked up Pittsburgh and it looks like Zone 6a.

My first home was in Zone 6a in the Upper Midwest. Being a first time home owner money was pretty tight so my landscaping was all "sweat equity."

Doh! Most of my professional experience was right on the 5/6 line, but I couldn't recall how far the zone extended North, quickly referenced to an online zone map but between the poor map resolution and my tiny phone screen I mis-read the zone numbers...thanks for the correction!

Weeping Cherries can be spectacular in the Spring...but, can sometimes leave a void in the landscape in the Winter...landscape location and what the desired effect/ goal is really come into play.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
There is a Japanse maple across the street that towers over the three-story house.

You should be careful what variety you plant.

Exactly. Years ago we planted one in front of the house. It was supposed to be "ornamental". Now it is over the roof of our single-story house. My opinion is that many nursery workers don't really know anything and just want to sell.

quote:

Exactly. Years ago we planted one in front of the house. It was supposed to be "ornamental". Now it is over the roof of our single-story house. My opinion is that many nursery workers don't really know anything and just want to sell.

^^^^^^^
This is typical of the big box stores. Nurseries here are pretty good. There is ALWAYS FREE advice from the local County agent. I use his services frequently.

Maybe a bristlecone pine

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:


Another vote for Japanese Maple here. This is a dwarf type planted direct into the ground. Appears almost as a shrub.

Which variety is that specifically? It looks perfect for a spot I'm going to be landscaping. I know some varieties like shade, do you have any issues with it out in the open like that?

A small native tree that is beautiful in the spring and grows in the East is the dogwood. After the white flowers are gone, it’s still attractive and doesn’t grow too large.

Here’s a link from HGTV: Dogwood Tree

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by PHPaul:

Which variety is that specifically? It looks perfect for a spot I'm going to be landscaping. I know some varieties like shade, do you have any issues with it out in the open like that?

That looks just like mine.Mine is a Lace Leaf and I think it is a Crimson Queen.Lots of different varieties https://mendocinomaples.com/la...eaf-japanese-maples/. Lots of trimming instructions available to get the look you want.

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:

Which variety is that specifically? It looks perfect for a spot I'm going to be landscaping. I know some varieties like shade, do you have any issues with it out in the open like that?

Sorry, I don't remember and didn't keep records.

We've had some seriously cold Winters since we planted that and no issues at all. We do prune it a bit to keep it from overwhelming the steps it's planted next to and if I had it to do over I'd have planted it a bit further away. Other than that, it's been care free.

Edit: Triggertreat is most likely correct. It does have "lacy" leaves.

Another vote for Dogwood. We have several and at something like 20 years old they are less than 20’ tall.

Another nice tree is a Flowering Plum. Again, 20 years old, trunk is about 6” in diameter, probably 15’ tall. Pretty pink little flowers in Spring, then maroon leaves through the summer.

A reminder, because I see it ALL the time - small trees remain small because SOMEONE TRIMS THEM. Too often I see shrubbery that was supposed to be a small accent become an overgrown house hider. People think “plant it and forget it”.

You have to care for it, trim annually if possible. The smallest limbs, trimmed when small and sprouting in the wrong place, cause the least stress to the tree. We heal from our wounds. Trees heal from theirs too, only it may take YEARS. How careful would we be if we knew a small cut on our hand would take 6 months to heal? Be that careful when trimming. Cut so the wound is as small as possible. Final though - be careful too with the lawn mower -“how close can I get to the trunk so I don’t have to trim?”. This can scrape bark off at the ground level, being another wound to heal.

I have trimmed and cut down a lot of trees in the past 30+ years. I actually don’t like killing trees. They have taken years, decades to get where they are. Here comes wild man Chris with his chainsaw. Not a happy thought for the tree.
One thought I have is if I am a doctor and my only acceptable technique is amputation - how can I do the least damage?

the birds have taken a very big hit in the U.S.

Am hoping you would consider a tree that the birds / bee's will enjoy as well/

We have a Tokyo Tower tree that we've been really happy with. It's a variety of Chinese fringetree and it grows in a compact column shape. It has very pretty white flowers when it blooms.