I did read what you wrote, so here is my LONG answer. I was repeating some of the advice that I have heard on Mid American Gardener and on gardening programs, like the fact that you buy a "dwarf" tree and somehow it grows taller than the tag says it will. I live on a 100yo+ old farm property and I have been taking Down trees that are too old or in the process of dying. An old tree in my "Inner Sanctum" area in front of the barn lost a limb and damaged my fencing. I have lost 3 old and established fruit trees. Some of it was bc I didn't know how to prune them, so I have learned and I am sorta pretty good at it now, Still afraid to take too much, although I think that my extreme apple tree pruning last year is hastening the death of that tree. I can now recognize that the 12 inch strip of mushrooms at the bottom of a maple tree 15 ft from my foundation tells me that ASAP it needs to be chopped down. UNlike the volunteer tree that I had chopped down last Fall in my South Pasture, where there was a 90 degree swath for it to fall, this maple Could fall on my house OR my fencing if cut wrong. I need to save up $600 and have a local expert drop it bc I first watched his company take down a 40 ft. tree across the street that was closer to the house. They didn't hit the house, they didn't hit any power lines or hit anybody's car.
MANY suburban owners plant fruit trees, NEVER really harvest them, and then get angry that they have to add picking up rotten fruit to their lawn chores. Something Else to consider when you plant a tree. I heard recently on Mid American Gardener, a caller asked it there was any innoculation to give their large walnut tree from producing too much fruit. (They said that it exists.) MAYBE the previous owner wanted walnuts. THIS owner doesn't.
I don't think that you need to do too much research. You can plant certain kinds of crab apples that do not make fruit, but make beautiful flowers and give good shade. Magnolia trees are a southern native, but my neighbors just north of me have a 35 footer that has been there since before I bought the property, and I did minimal research to discover that in the 1950's Magnolia hybreds were bred to survive in Michigan, where it is much colder than Central IL. I even bought MINE on clearance at WM AND I had it in a pot for a whole season before I planted it. I had to call "Julie" to come and check for gas lines. It is 12ft from my foundation, planted 1/2 between the house and the street, and sits on the east side of the house. We get Brutal winds winter and summer and I wanted to protect my Magnolia "Jane". (There is a also a "Magnolia Betty", which is my namesake, and DD's want to plant one of those at their in town property.) They live in an old town and there are huge established trees that are WAY overgrown, and they shed sticks and limbs on a regular basis. Is that part of what you want to do when you work on your yard? There is one dead limb in their back yard threatening their power line and I hope that it won't hit it when it falls, which should be soon.
HERE IS WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED, with where I used to keep my horses and where I have lived for 18 years, both OLD farm properties.
1) People plant trees that will overgrow and OUTLIVE them
2) People plant invasive plants and then move
3) People put up fencing that will fall apart LONG after they are dead and gone
DON'T get me started on my opinion of setting wooden posts/metal fence posts in cement!!
The previous owners enjoyed these things when they were new and when they were small. I have to deal with cleaning up THEIR messes.
I did MY research with my excellent Googlefoo. I Thought that you just wanted a couple of suggestions, Not a dissertation. We have many people here with greater knowledge of plants than I will ever have, but your LOCAL services will help you much more bc they KNOW what will be successful on Your property. I am too far north to grow Crepe Mrytle but people in Suburban Chicago are Still trying to grow them, and then watch them die during the winter.
and replacing it for shade & privacy
