Question

When we moved into our home, both trees on our tree lawn were dead. Working with city of Naperville to replace them.  They gave us a list of trees we can pick from and I don’t know anything about this stuff. ‍♀️ No green thumb here. Nada. Suggestions? What to avoid?  

Answer 1

Call The Growing Place and ask their advice

Answer 2

I think anything that the city offers will probably be fine, and you can't go wrong with a maple.  

Answer 3

We picked an October glory maple  when we got to do this at our last house in Naperville and we loved it

Answer 4

Avoid the cottonwood tree! It has beautiful leaves and makes a peaceful “rustling” sound when the breeze blows, but in the spring it produces cottony seeds that look like snow and leave a big huge mess in your yard.  

Comments

@adjourn this is exactly what I want to avoid. Anything that drops a mess all over our lawn. Thank you!  

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We had a huge one in the front yard of our old house. It was beautiful, provided a ton of shade, sounded so pleasant. but left “snow” in our front yard for 2 months. It can also bind to the house’s outdoor air conditioning unit, clog it, and ruin it (thankfully that never happened to us).  

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And God forbid you have a pool. That cotton crap clogs our filter so bad and the cottonwood trees are 6 houses away!  

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@overtax7 omg, but I believe it!  

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@adjourn just found out the neighbor's tree is a cottonwood. Can't wait to open the pool and have all that crap get in it.  

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@sheen648 oh no! Maybe you’ll be upwind?  

Answer 5

I’d recommend avoiding ones with really sticky berries. We have one that hangs over our driveway and the berries are awful when they fall! We’re trimmed half the tree to avoid the berries falling on the driveway/cars.  

Comments

We have one over our driveway too. The wind was blowing while we were pulling in and it sounded like a flock of birds pooped on the car. Actually, just berry guts everywhere.  

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@surveying it’s awful! And sometimes if they fall on the car, it’s so hard to get the guts off. even through a car wash.  

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Yes. we hate it but not enough to pay to cut it down and de-stump lol!  

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@surveying that’s definitely more work. We left half the tree. Just cut off all the driveway-side branches.  

Answer 6

Ginkgo trees have an awful smell. The male ones I think

Answer 7

Sorry it’s the female ones

Answer 8

Maples are great! Grow fast; not messy; beautiful fall color

Answer 9

Oaks are terrible. We had 16 on our lot and the fall clean up was awful and they don't break down. What are you looking for? Fall color, flowering, small large. If I had my druthers I'd plant a weeping cherry. They are gorgeous.  

Answer 10

If you can get an autumn blaze maple they are beautiful red color when they change

Answer 11

I have recently learned that maple trees make it difficult for grass to grow below them as their roots are shallow and take water from grass. They also make dense shade. Love them tho!  

Answer 12

Don't get a Sycamore. I have one and it just isnt a good tree for a yard. Its leaves are as big as dinner plates and it sheds bark. Messy! Our neighbor down the street had a Bald Cypress put in the tree belt. It is so beautiful and has grown at a good rate. I admire it everyday when i walk my dog.  

Answer 13

We got 2 Plane Trees, would’ve chosen a maple but they wouldn’t let us. They grow very fast.  

Comments

@algae Same, no maple for any of our choices either. Does the plane tree drop anything that makes a mess of your yard/sidewalk (besides leaves in the fall obvi) ?  

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@matchlock nope

Answer 14

We had the city put in one of those maples that turn red in the fall. It’s the cutest thing and had the tiniest nest in it when they put it in last spring.  

Answer 15

We have a tree with damn acorns. You can't walk on the grass and you can't pick them all up!  

Answer 16

Avoid Honey Locust. Tiny leaves that are difficult to rake. Very small tiny seeds everywhere in the early summer. For some reason Naperville loves these trees!  

Answer 17

I went through this process as well with the city and it was a great experience! We had a bunch cut down in the back and had several arborvitaes planted because we already get a TON of leaves. My only suggestion is to avoid doing an evergreen next to the driveway. We really hate it there because we can't park our cars in the first half of our driveway because of sap dripping down. Also, the needles get all over the driveway and gutters and they get tracked in one way or another with kids in and out! Other than by the driveway though I love evergreens. Adds green year round and no leaves.  

Answer 18

Elms will shed tons of helicopters- awful esp for your gutters. Acorns are a messy problem so think before deciding for oak! Fruit trees are beautiful flowered in the spring but fallen rotting fruit can attract wasps. Consider spacing so you will be able to maneuver tractor/ mower.  

Answer 19

What was the list of trees you were given to choose from?  

Answer 20

Ask fo an appointment with an arborist at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Don't think you have to be a member. Tell them your needs from a tree-wide canopy for shade?, tall, thin? Ornamental? Spring flowering? Pruning needs? Thankspe of care it needs throughout the year? They are very resourceful.  

Answer 21

Avoid cottonwood and black walnut. Black walnut trees release a toxin that a limited number of plants can tolerate, and it stays in the soil up to a decade AFTER the tree dies. Black walnut trees will limit your landscaping options.  

Answer 22

We like Honey Locust. No need to take and very few sticks that fall. There’s a reason they’re all over golf courses. Easy maintenance but are pretty yellow in the fall.