what tree to plant?

[*mrgrizz*]

want to plant a tree(native) in the front lawn. to provide shade.

what is a fast growing, non limb dropping reasonably litter free tree? 

[polksaladallie]

But if it falls over, you can make a lot of $ by selling the wood.

[zanadoo_56]

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@am*3 wrote:

Some trees are more work than others. Gum trees drop sticks/branches all the time, leaves, bark flies of the trunk, had one in front lawn at last house, always picking stuff off the lawn from around it. Plus neighbour had one in backyard and all the sticks/leaves from that one ended up in our pool

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Very true.  In Canberra in the early 60s suburban blocks were allocated one or two oak trees for the front gardens.  It didn't take long for my parents to curse having to maintain theirs.  The acorns were a pain but not as much as the annual dropping of the leaves.  They blew everywhere and were mushy and revolting in prolonged wet weather.  Definitely don't plant any oak trees!

What about the Corymbia ficifolia (red flowering gum)?  They are native to WA but they grow well in a lot of places.  I've seen them in Frankston Vic.  They don't seem to grow too big either.  I don't know what they are like for dropping branches and I understand it can be difficult to get one that is a true red (unless it is grafted?) but if you have a bright red one flowering in the garden it will look fantastic.

[katymatey*]

Lol all this is why I had a treeless front yard for 20 years. The 'small' growing gum tree we asked for at the nursery grew into a huge ironbark. We had it taken down because it was dangerous, then couldn't decide what to plant to replace it. Xmas before last I asked for a silver birch as my gift. It is going ok, but struggling a bit in the heat. It will be ok in the end though I think.

[lal-au0]

casuarinas make lots of runners and will clog up your sewer pipes. very bad idea.

where do you live?

how much rainfall do you get there and what soil type?

i would recommend a native willow acacia salicina. needs 350 mm rain/annum, dense foliage lovely pale yellow flowers. fast growing and does not shed bark lie gum trees do.

BUT it depends on where you live.

[lal-au0]

birches come from NORTHERN europe. they need water. lots of it. i know cos they grew like weeds where i come from. the soil there never dries out and you can be in the sun all day without sunscreen even if you are the white-as-a-sheet freckly type.

i have never seen a full size birch here, only half dead ones.

also birche pollem is one of the worst allergens in the world. when trees are stressed the pollem becomes more agressive. very bad idea cos some people get hay fewer. even if you don't your neighbours might.

[chameleon54]

The wife and I had a nursery and landscaping business for fifteen years. One of my favourate, fast growing ornamental trees is the Golden and pink Robinias. I have planted a Golden Robinia four Metres from my office window and another in the lawn as a centre piece. . They can sometimes spread quite wide if allowed, but I will prune the lateral branches in winter once it has dropped its leaves. I have pruned side shoots off so that it has a tall single trunk to two metres and the canopy offers nice shade in summer and lets the light in winter time.  They do drop a few flowers and all of their leaves, but I only spend a few hours a year maintaining it. Often they dont spread too much and can grow up instead of out . One of the fastest growing trees and very pretty. If you are definate about a native, the Callistermon Kings Park special could suit. Most of the time these retain their moderate size and spread, but like all trees there are exceptions, which can take over. These would suit the Southern half of Australia. 

There is no way in the world I would be planting a Grevillia Robusta ( Silky Oak ) anywhere near my house. The pollin is well known for causing asthma, they drop leaves, flowers and pods all of the time , but worst of all they can grow to an enormous size and the roots can be very aggressive, lifting paths and damaging foundations. ( I,ve seen it happen ) The same applies to peepercorn trees.

The silver birches should not cause too many problems, but can be rather sparse in the foliage. They can look effective if tightly planted as a small grove a metre or two apart. ( maybe five or six trees )

A Manchurian pear might also be worth considering

[lal-au0]

OP asked for a NATIVE.

good on ya btw!

callistemons are nice but they are not as hardy as melaleucas.

eucalypts usually shed bark, but not all of them do so.

wattles grow fast but can be short lived.

it is important to know where you live (not the adress, just the area will do for the climate) and how old you are. also if you know what sort of soil you have (sandy/loam/clay) how well drained it is (is there a puddle of water after rain?).

mmhhh just thinking: lagunaria petersonii might be just what you want.

it looks like a big pear tree with lovely flowers. it's a norfolk island hibiscus.

very drought hardy (surprisingly given the climate it comes from) but grows faster if you water it, rainbow parrots love it, never saw one drop a limb. dense foliage, no fuss tree.

the seed pods can, if you touch them cause irritation.

there are natives who seem to be suicidal, this one is not. plant it, water it a bit and it will  grow.

[cherry*135]

Golden Robinia trees are nice. I have had them before. I just googled them and it said the suckers ( from root stock) popping up at the base are a problem.

We had silver birch trees when I lived in NZ, they grew huge.  One house we had 3 in a row in a small piece of lawn near the house, had to cut them out, and they were still fairly small size then.

[lal-au0]

robinias are a pest and so are birch trees. they are foreign and shouldn't be planted here.

i suffer from  hay fever and i hate the sight of our neighbours half dead birch trees.

they give me the bleeps AND i have seen how they grow where they belong. they are real trees over there. 20 m high, no dead branches at all. here they look like a zombie version of the real thing. dead branches, brown burnt leaves it's a pity to see them suffer like that.

they grow well in scandinavia NOT in a desert.

[lal-au0]

syzygium (lilly pillies) are lovely but slow growing. i have seen parrots getting **bleep** on the dropped onto the footpath fermented berries. great fun. if i remember correct they grow along streams inside woods in nsw/victoria which means they do not like to grow in dry full sun desert. i have one but i have a hard time to keep it alive in SA. they are a bit messy with the berries, if you want one get an "australis" or "smithii" one as they are hardier (unless you live in tasmania which is a different story).