Deciduous trees and pools are mutually exclusive concepts. Most LArch programs directly teach their students to do evergreens near pools.

And 'trees for wildlife' means either fruit or evergreen. Flowering trees are not clean.

So it is both unclear and confusing what you are looking for.

Dan

How much room have you got? How far from the pool is the planting site and how far from pavement is the planting site?

I've got tons of room for even a large tree.

The planting site is about 25' from the edge of the pool on the north side of it, so shading the pool is not a concern. The closest pavement is the pool deck which is about 20' away.

There are no concerns regarding any structures, pavements, or the pool, aside from the wind blowing stuff from the tree into the pool. Oh, and it will be about 10' away from the perimeter fence.

I want deciduous because I have lots of evergreen trees and shrubs in the area of the pool and would like a visual and textural change.

Some ideas I have but need to research more:
birch
beech
oak
redbud (Forest pansy)
schubert choke cherry
(I am suspecting that, aside from the redbud, these trees will not be suitable but again, I haven't done my research yet)

You might try a plastic 'faux' tree because even the trees you listed are messy.

The concept is very simple. The research will take seconds.

o Deciduous trees and pools are mutually exclusive concepts.

o 'Trees for wildlife' means either fruit or evergreen - fruit for food and evergreen for shelter. Fruit and pools are mutually exclusive concepts.

o Flowering trees are not 'clean'. Large plants that flower and pools are mutually exclusive concepts.

Dan

how about a picture...

i am tending to agree with dan ... all deciduous trees drop things.. if the space is to the north.. and you have my prevailing winds from the NW ... i suspect everything will end up in the pool ....

beyond that.. a picture would sure help me.. define the specificity of what you are describing ....

if you are looking for a vertical.. in an otherwise horizontal scape.. there are many fastigate or thin conifers.. that would avoid the problem altogether ..

good luck

ken

I live near Atlanta USA, a generally very woodsy place and pools are popular. I don't know who or why wants a pool shaded since they seem a more enjoyable to me in the sun but going back to where I live, homes that have mature trees nearby have loads of leaves and other debris in them. Even now! Just yesterday I was at a country club and was looking at their pool and it was full of leaves. I know someone who has their own pool, and she had wildlife ending up in the pool and drowning because it couldn't get out. She ended up putting one of those doggy ramps so critters could get out.

Like Dan was saying... mutually exclusive and all that jazz.

Given that you have ONLY 25' to the pool, that does in fact rule out large trees unless you want branches extending over the pool and you know what happens then.

If you must have a shaded pool area and are set on planting a large tree there, then you might constructing something I've only seen in Florida- a pool cage. It's basically a screenroom for your entire pool area. I think they are neat. Keeps out the mosquitos but will also keep out tree litter and gives a little shade by itself.

I think the katsuratree you have in mind could be a nice choice or other small or medium trees like cherry. Forget about beech and oak. Those are large trees that are relatively messy.

If there are any non-fruiting (male) tree juniper cultivars on the market there that do not produce prickly juvenile foliage (as Chinese juniper selections often do) one of those may be your best bet - all factors considered.

You would have many more options if you lived in a place like San Diego or Miami.

if i had to have a tree ... and was willing to put up with some mess ...

i would go with a real statement tree ...like the one below .. [ignore the dwarf .... cant keep the darn things out of the garden ...]

ken
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Thank you to those who have read my posts carefully.

I said I would PREFER a tree for wildlife, i.e., not an absolute. If that means flowers/seeds in peak swimming season then no, I don't want that, but something like a serviceberry or redbud or magnolia that flowers earlier than swimming season would work. (Around here, serviceberries get picked off by the birds before they hit the ground. Flowering crabapples - not so much)

I did not say I want to shade the pool. I said any shade cast from the tree is not an issue as it would NOT shade the pool. Not in my lifetime anyway and I don't care much what happens after that. ;o) The planting site is 25' from the edge of the pool, on the north side........which means a tree would have to have a 50' spread to even begin to shade the pool. Aside from some oak trees, I don't know of very many trees (that are not hundreds of years old) that have greater than 50' spread here in SW Ontario.

Ken, that is a STUNNING specimen! Tricolour beech? I love those trees in pictures, but around here they advise against them saying that they don't get that nice colour for which they are bred. I am told they are mostly just green with white borders that tend to brown and curl in our climate - little to none of the pink. They do sell them though, maybe worth a try.

And I agree with you, Ken, about a nice specimen tree. We've tried japanese maples over the years but they always succumb to verticillium wilt. The only one we have that hasn't died back is in the garden underneath the birch tree we will be removing.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a forest pansy redbud, but I wonder how red the leaves really are and do they stay that way throughout the season. My "regular" redbud comes out with reddish new growth that turns green....wonder if forest pansy turns greenish as the season progresses.

Love the dwarf, too ;o)

Thanks all!

And that (European Beech) is an example of a tree with a 50' spread.

I disagree with some of the negativity.

Clean trees:
Cornus florida Dogwoods. Spring flowers. Tiny Fall Fruits. You can pick foliage colors by different cultivars.

Nyssa Sylvatica. Attractive in a "standard tree" kind of way. Doesn't grow fast either so it would have a long useful life.

Bald Cypress. Pretty Small needle like foliage. Fairly narrow pyramidal form. Small Acorns. I would just mow over both in my yard.

Really I would think a Roseomarginata Purprea Tri-Color Beech would have a long useful life expectancy. Just not the type of thing that gets out of hand quickly.

@ toronado, have you seen the size of the seed balls from mature bald cypress? I think that was a good suggestion because it won't overhang the pool but disagree about the seed balls being small. Then again big leaves may be easier to fish out of a pool than the fern-like leaves of a bald cypress.

you said: I love those trees in pictures, but around here they advise against them saying that they don't get that nice colour for which they are bred

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first ... there is no third color ... unless you count the parchment that the pink fades to in summer.. which continues toward scorch during hot summers...

but you seem to have a landscape... you should understand that every tree has a season ... and for me.. this ones glory season is spring and early summer...

i have other things to look at... later in the season ...

let me put it to you this way ... i am a collector [sounds like AA] ... i really have little use for more than one of anything...

I HAVE TWO OF THESE ... and 5 other acres of stuff to look at.. when this one is not prime ...

below is another pic... just to whet your whistle ... Liquidambar styraciflua Variegata .... no clue if it gumballs... will deal with that later .. with a chainsaw if a real problem develops ... shallow rooted though

also some plain old redbuds ... also one with a very short flower season.....

ken

Liquidambar styraciflua Variegata
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plain green-leafed redbud .. canadnesis something or another .. dont tell anyone that is a cleveland select bradford pear behind it .. i know better now.. lol ...
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Plants with small parts are the ones that are the most bothersome around swimming pool filters.

Its been FOREVER since I lived in a home with a pool. So long ago was that, maintenance was my father's problem not mine!

When do pools get covered in Ontario? Here in St. Louis its the weeks following Labor Day, mid Septemberish.

So Monkeys, should picking a tree which drops the majority of its leaves in your location after that be a concern?

Again, I don't know if big or small leaves are more troublesome though but I can see iforgotitsonevermind's point.

"Viburnum burejaeticum

Acer griseum (Paperbark maple) "

Good ideas!

I love Paperbark maple and have just planted some Viburnums for the first time this year.