I say go for it. I've wussed out and planted small trees in part of my yard and wish I planted bigger trees there. Just be prepared to deal with them 50 years down the road if they need pruning or removal it will be expensive.

Often it is just an issue of scale. Many current building lots are pretty tiny compared to in the past and with much larger houses. There's just not enough room for a large shade tree to mature to full size. Or, conversely, you have the older, smaller homes (like you mentioned) dwarfed by hugely larger trees. There is a valid reason to question the appropriateness of a 60'+ deodar cedar on a small urban/suburban lot :-)

But if you have the room for a shade tree that will reach 30-40' in height and with an equal spread, then go for it. There are some landscape designers that caution against planting any tree that will exceed the height of your house. The reason given is the perspective and difference in scale - the tree becomes the dominate object in the landscape. Personally, I don't find that theory very valid. Depending on placement and selection, a tree that modestly exceeds the height of the structure provides grounding to the house and gives it a sense of permanence. It can also provide necessary privacy screening and help to cool in summer and allow sunlight/warmth in winter. Just take some time to think about where to place it for maximum effect and so that it has sufficient room to grow unimpeded. This is seldom very close to the house :-)

gal said: But if you have the room for a shade tree that will reach 30-40' in height and with an equal spread, then go for it.

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what tree will magically stop growing at that height?????

the poster fails to state the lot size.. and basic dimensions of the lot we are discussing .... as well as power line easements ...

and how long they plan on being there. ...

i surely have no experience in CA culture.. nor the zone noted .... so i will defer... but in my slice of eden.. i would plant an oak no closer than 20 feet from the house ... but i doubt that is helpful to the OPoster...

good luck

ken

PS: you are the first person i ever ran across.. who wants to encourage other peeps to park in front of their house ... go figure on that ....

what tree will magically stop growing at that height?????

Seriously?? Lots!! Various species of trees will have different growth rates, habits and mature sizes. And while it's true they won't suddenly stop growing at a given height, once they've reached their genetically programmed size and/or the limits of the site conditions, growth slows to an almost imperceptible rate.

The OP doesn't provide his/her exact location, however many areas of California are under drought conditions, so that should play a role in selection. And again, many areas encourage the planting of shade trees to reduce energy costs - the proper tree(s) carefully sited can provide a considerable reduction in summer energy usage.

Here is a link that might be useful: a community shade tree program....

My reason for posting was to hear folks' opinions on the topic. I wanted to hear the why.

I live in inland So Cal. Not the desert but it sure sometimes feels like it. My house is a wee 923 square feet, single story with low pitched roof. If I were to stick with trees that did not exceed the height of my house, they would be very small indeed. That's just not the look I like. Though I plan on living in my house for the rest of my life, I rather doubt I will be here in 50 years. My kids will be old then.

Ever since I was a child the houses I thought beautiful always had big tall trees. It could be the plainest little bungalow but if it had a big shady tree, it was beautiful. That little clapboard house with the Cedar looks so inviting. That tree is probably closer to 100 feet tall and beautifully proportioned. I bet their cooling bill is way less than mine. Do they even have a cooling bill? Maybe they get by on fans.

My lot is a pretty generous 9600 square feet. Two sides face the curb so what I plant there isn't going to hang over into someone else's yard. The powerlines go along the back of my property well away from where I want to plant.

I have 200 feet of curb. Plenty to share and I like being neighborly.

I am thinking big trees will work because their crowns will get tall enough to cast great shade without raking the roof like the Mulberry did. When the trees get big enough, I can prune away the lower limbs without that 'too much trunk and not enough top' look. I will be able to see the front of my house framed by foliage.

Trees that grow 40 feet tall before drastically slowing down would be a nice frame for your house. They even could be pruned up the trunk for 13 feet high once they have reached that 40 feet height. Before that simply only prune up the trunk, so it is clean for the lower third of the tree's overall height. This should prevent that leggy look you do not like.

We bought our house precisely because there were big trees on the lot. We have quite a few large oaks (60' at least) both front and back and we love them. Unfortunately, we lost two in the front in the last couple of years. We have a couple that are leaning and I am afraid we may need to take them down at some point. Nonetheless, we are glad to have them. I think the shade they provide this time of year is keeping our house cool and we still get the sun in the winter. The house and trees don't look out of proportion, either-it really is rather lovely. I replaced one of the lost trees with another oak (not in the same place). I have added understory trees, but I would never want to be without the oaks. The shade they provide and their beauty are spectacular. I would say, go ahead and plant what you want if you have room! BTW, we have half an acre and a ranch house with a low pitched roof like yours, so I think you'll be happy.

What you want to avoid is having branches growing over the roof and creating so much shade and decreased air flow that you end up with more rapid deterioration of the building materials.