What would be comfortable there visually depends on what else is present on the site. If there is a row of small houses then a full-sized tree will tend to make this look smaller after it reaches a large enough size. So you might want to plant a smaller-growing selection for that reason.

If it is more important to produce a large pool of shade planting a quick-growing full-sized elm might be what is needed.

Don't plant a tree that will be likely to root or branch into the space around or beneath nearby utilities or other features, incompatible features as concrete sidewalks.

I think it would visually fit in with the houses themselves-- larger 2 stories, and the way the hill slopes, I do think it would look good with the house itself, but the other homes on our street have mainly 1 tree in front, and for each it's a tree that I don't belive will get real big, does that make sense?
Or maybe I just don't have a very good vision of it! lol I'm learning... I love the old pictures of all the huge trees, and they didn't look out of scale with the much smaller homes, BUT, it's different when the whole street is lined with them.

As far as sidewalks and utilities go, I thought that they didn't have huge surface roots that would bother those... But I'm having a hard time figuring out what's perfect (sigh!). It is only a 30 x 30 area that is my front lawn (large backyard, but tiny front), I just want something that will at least someday be tall enough to offer my house some shade, but it's hard to figure out what will be likely to more-or-less fit those parameters... I guess our driveway, then neighbor's driveway make the area bigger, but of course I don't want to plant anything that will bother the structure of the concrete-- did Elms bother the streets they were right next to in the 50s etc?

I'm sorry, all that stream of consciousness (sorry so long!), and I forgot to thank you for your input, BBoy. Thanks!

Sarabell

If you're planting the tree in the approximate center of a 30'X 30' area, it is most unlikely that the tree roots will heave up any pavement. If I'm visualizing this correctly, then you have plenty of room for an elm. And shading limbs above the driveways will be much appreciated some day.

+oM

Depends on your soil. If you have shrinkable clay soil, you risk serious subsidence damage to your house. Recommended minimum planting distance from buildings for an elm on shrinkable clay soil, and buildings with normal foundation depth, is 30 metres.

Other soil types, or with very deep foundations, you should be OK.

Resin

In Neb, I think DED or elm yellows is not of much concern, but prb'ly still best to use a DED-resistant strain.

Of large trees near a house, Amer elm is one of the few that I wouldn't be concerned about structurally -- the branches are very tough. Additionally, the crown is usually elevated & should eventually stand up above the house.

If you like elms, I'd plant one. Elms look great with their vase shape, and you don't see them much anymore because of DED. I know you said that a lot of the trees on your block are smaller, however I think a block that has a bunch of different types of trees that are different heights look best. I planted a Princeton Elm at my summerhouse in Michigan and it's grown ten feet in the two years since I planted it. Find a spot that will shade your house and sidewalk, but doesn't block the view of your house, and enjoy.

Resin,

If that's the case, we wouldn't have houses at all so that's moot point. We plant trees anyway. If anything, it's the builders fault or outdated building code for having right foundation slab for types of soil so it wouldn't happen.

I'm with Lou on this one. Nothing but clay subsoil for miles around here, and if what you say is true, Resin, we'd not have many sound foundations in these parts. Now is there some risk? Yes, of course. Just not very much.

+oM

Thanks for all the info! You guys bring up great points.
I need to do some more research, then I may have more questions. First thought-- what does "shrinkable" mean in relation to soil?

I'm also kind of looking at a Zelkova serrata 'Green Vase', does anyone know which I could expect to weather our storms better (our old house had a huge Silver Maple... Eeek, I don't want any more fallen branches!)

(it would def. be a DED resistant cultivar! :) )

"what does "shrinkable" mean in relation to soil?"

Some soil types - particularly certain clays - shrink when they dry out (think of the cracks you sometimes see in the bed of a dry reservoir). If tree roots grow into a soil of this type below a building's foundations, they can dry it out, causing it to shrink a few millimetres away from the foundations, and leave them unsupported. The building then suffers subsidence damage - cracks in the walls - as it drops into the 'hole' left by the shrinking.

The trees which cause the worst subsidence damage are those with a high water demand combined with deep rooting (i.e., able to get below the foundations); willows and poplars are worst, followed by elms and oaks. The least bad are trees which don't root deep, such as birch and beech.

For more info, see e.g. D F Cutler & I B K Richardson (1989), Tree Roots and Buildings, Longman Scientific & Technical, ISBN 0-582-03410-8, or BS 5837: 1991 Guide for trees in relation to construction ISBN 0-580-20245-3

Resin

OK, that makes sense, thanks for the info! :)
What are people to do then? Don't trees that root less deeply tend to kick up sidewalks, ruin lawns, etc?

Ug. lol I've been searching for the trees I want for the full 2 years we've lived here. I've searched a lot here, in library books, I feel like I've done a lot of due diligence,and I still don't know what I want! Everything has so many up points, but serious down points.

IMHO, Zelkovas aren't nearly as attractive as Amer elms.

"Don't trees that root less deeply tend to kick up sidewalks, ruin lawns, etc?"

All trees do that! Species that root deeply also have plenty of shallow roots as well, they just have a greater depth profile through the soil (and that applies only significantly on clay, too; their distinction is the ability to be able to push roots deep into clay, which many trees can't - on e.g. sandy soil all trees will root deep as well as shallow).

Of course also sidewalks, lawns, etc, only cost a small amount to repair; a house with severe subsidence damage can cost $100k or more to repair. One house I did a professional arboricultural report on had a crack a centimetre wide in the garage wall; the silly people had planted a Leyland Cypress hedge less than two metres from the garage wall. That's exceptional, though, more usually the subsidence cracks I've seen have been just 2 or 3 mm wide.

Resin

Really, any tree of any size will mean replacing the sidewalk and/or driveway in a few years/not being able to grow anything under it? I guess I'm begining to understand why most people in my neighborhood have kept to small (sigh) flowering pears. (lol)

I’m curious, whst did you end up doing? Did you plant the American

Elm or something different? We have a mature American Elm that was in our yard when our house was built 30 years ago. It’s a beautiful tree that provides shade to the house and lawn and the squirrels love it!!

tjettsetter,

little word of advice.

The majority of people who were once active on any* internet forum, 17 years ago, are no longer active on that forum. Sarabell's last comment was in 2016, over 8 years ago.

* but particularly this one, since gardening's demographics skews older