Ideas for a new tree in my front yard

[Preas76]

I’m about to remove a 30-ish Ft tall elm tree that was fatally damaged in a recent storm in North Texas (see pic).

Any recommendations on a tree that gets big and has edible or medicinal characteristics? I’m not worried about the time frame for bearing fruit or nuts, more about the scientific and biological interest. Also, I’m only mildly concerned with the value added to home cost as it pertains to aesthetics. I’m more of a function before form guy, but I am a lover of a good story. For example, I have a prickly ash ( aka toothache tree or tickle tongue tree) in my backyard and think that it has a cool story and history. That’s not appropriate for the front yard though cause of the prickly part and kids walking up and down the sidewalk all day. But, it’s medicinal so that’s cool. I tried looking tree possibilities up online but ran into lots of conflicting ideas and thoughts. Pecan would be neat, but I don’t know if the roots would rip up the driveway 10-15 feet away. I don’t mind a mess in the front yard if I have to pickup fallen nuts or seeds or fruit….that’s part of the game when trying to go outside the box. Willow (for the pain killer characteristics) would be neat as well. I guess, if other things being equal, I might prefer one that grows somewhat faster than slowly. Any thoughts? No idea is a bad one unless it will damage any thing like driveways, sidewalks, or people .

 

[Raintree]

https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/... trees are small, easy,inches of water a year.

 

[irhunter]

Mulberry would be interesting.

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/morus/rubra.htm
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/mulberries#benefits
Roy

 

[dboyd351]

Would not do willow. Weeping willow, at least, is one of the messiest trees you can find. Pecan, on the other hand, would be great, in my opinion, Get the paper shell variety - they are far easier to shuck. Might need to do some squirrel control if you want to eat most of the pecans.
By the way, some years are very good for pecan crops, others are not. Don't know if they have figured out why.

 

[Del_]

By the way, some years are very good for pecan crops, others are not. Don't know if they have figured out why.

It has an evolutionary survival advantage.

 

[dboyd351]

It has an evolutionary survival advantage.

So having poor reproductive success some years is a survival advantage?

 

[irhunter]

Beech is the same...nuts every other, more or less, year.

 

[Del_]

So having poor reproductive success some years is a survival advantage?

Remember that creatures eat the seeds of your tree and come to depend on them. Years of low seed production throw a monkey wrench into the survival of these creatures and their populations vary accordingly. Years of high seed production usually means more seeds that the creatures can consume so for instance a squirrel may bury many more seed than it uses thus it is planting a future crop.

This web is vastly more complicated than it appears on the surface, and yes, this sentence is a pun.

 

[Seachaser]

Would not do willow. Weeping willow, at least, is one of the messiest trees you can find. Pecan, on the other hand, would be great, in my opinion, Get the paper shell variety - they are far easier to shuck. Might need to do some squirrel control if you want to eat most of the pecans.
By the way, some years are very good for pecan crops, others are not. Don't know if they have figured out why.

Make sure you get a pollinator. Or have one nearby.

 

[POGuy]

Mulberry would be interesting.

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/morus/rubra.htm
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/mulberries#benefits
Roy

Purple poop....everywhere !!!!, so unless you hate your neighbors, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I’m about to remove a 30-ish Ft tall elm tree that was fatally damaged in a recent storm in North Texas (see pic).

Any recommendations on a tree that gets big and has edible or medicinal characteristics? I’m not worried about the time frame for bearing fruit or nuts, more about the scientific and biological interest. Also, I’m only mildly concerned with the value added to home cost as it pertains to aesthetics. I’m more of a function before form guy, but I am a lover of a good story. For example, I have a prickly ash ( aka toothache tree or tickle tongue tree) in my backyard and think that it has a cool story and history. That’s not appropriate for the front yard though cause of the prickly part and kids walking up and down the sidewalk all day. But, it’s medicinal so that’s cool. I tried looking tree possibilities up online but ran into lots of conflicting ideas and thoughts. Pecan would be neat, but I don’t know if the roots would rip up the driveway 10-15 feet away. I don’t mind a mess in the front yard if I have to pickup fallen nuts or seeds or fruit….that’s part of the game when trying to go outside the box. Willow (for the pain killer characteristics) would be neat as well. I guess, if other things being equal, I might prefer one that grows somewhat faster than slowly. Any thoughts? No idea is a bad one unless it will damage any thing like driveways, sidewalks, or people . View attachment 1094110View attachment 1094111View attachment 1094112

https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/edible-gardens-for-austin/fruits-and-nuts-for-austin/persimmons-in-austin-a-fruit-tree-for-everyone/#:~:text=Persimmon trees are small, easy,inches of water a year.

https://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/viewalltrees.aspx
best of luck... many good choices for a Texas front yard!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

https://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/viewalltrees.aspx
best of luck... many good choices for a Texas front yard!

and....

https://pondinformer.com/small-trees-for-texas/

 

[cookies]

american chestnut

 

[dboyd351]

american chestnut

Did Texas ban the blight?

 

[dboyd351]

https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/edible-gardens-for-austin/fruits-and-nuts-for-austin/persimmons-in-austin-a-fruit-tree-for-everyone/#:~:text=Persimmon trees are small, easy,inches of water a year.

Persimmons are cool trees and are one of the few native fruit bearing trees.
Keep in mind that, at least in the variety native to Virginia, there are male and female trees. Only the females bear fruit, I believe they need a male nearby and I am not certain how you tell a male from a female tree before they mature.

In other words, if you plant a single tree you may not get any fruit.

 

[Section VIII]

Purple poop....everywhere !!!!, so unless you hate your neighbors, I wouldn't do it.

I recently pruned a mulberry for a friend and the only reason be didn't ask me to take it down completely is because his neighbor refused to remove her lights from the branches over her fenced in property.

He had me leave the branches over her property and the trunk so he could still hook his hammock to it. His plan is to eventually remove all of it except the trunk.