There are kind of two lists for me. The trees I grew to love when I knew nothing and was judging from aesthetics. And the trees I came to admire after I started Studying them. Oh, I'm in Zone 6

Trees I have long loved the look of:

1.) Beech(Fagus grandifolia)

-elegant bark

2.) White Pine (Pinus Strobus)-just says "forest" to me like nothing else does. Most disease resistant of local pines

3.) Japanese Maple (the red kind)

4.) Blue Spruce

5.) Variegated English Holly (Ilex aquifolium)-evergreen with berries and variegated leaves.

6.) Sugar Maple

7.) Norway Spruce

8.) Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)-huge flowers

9.) Crabapple

Trees I have come to respect after studying them:

1.) American Holy (ilex opaca)-native evergreen with berries and salt resistance.

2.) Tupelo/Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)

-it seems whatever criteria I search for, tupelo comes up eventually. Pollinators love it.

3.) American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

-a tree that is tough, a little salt tolerant, native, and makes edible fruit.

4.) Paw Paw (Asimina triloba)

-disease resistant native with edible fruit.

5.) Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

-tough, thrives in urban conditions, salt tolerant.

6.) Concolor Fir (Abies concolor)

Gardengal: I am absolutely fascinated by JM's, for mainly the reasons you mentioned. I hope to have a great collection one day, but as of now, I have none (I'll blame it on being in college and not having the proper funds). As for the other trees you mentioned, I'm not very familiar with any of them, though I have heard of one or two of them, but I am now very excited to look them up.

Ed: I know what you mean about two lists. I'm relatively familiar with most of the trees you mentioned, and am fond of them as well. As a matter of fact, my grandfather and I intend on planting several American Persimmons this fall for the local wildlife.

kgeezy20, a hint about American Persimmon. They don't take well to being bare rooted and then kept in cold storage. I tried planting three, only the potted one survived. Look up "sweating".

Also, which of the trees I suggested are trees you AREN'T familiar with, so I can provide more information?

My favorite trees (in no particular order):

Eastern Hemlock (these seem to have escaped the adelgids)

American Elm (growing in public space in the back; MASSIVE tree)

Weeping Birch (bucket list)

Metasequoia (prehistoric elegance)

Bald Cypress (stately native)

Magnolias (grandiflora, virginiana, stellata, Saucers, whatever...all beauties)

Pin Oak (I know they are common but every home I have ever lived in has had one); If a space opens up out back (accidents happen), I wanna plant another Live Oak (previous one got crashed in Sandy debris).

Japanese Maples (beautiful in four seasons)

Ginkgo biloba (a true surviver)

Cryptomeria (Japanese Cedar); bucket list

Cedar (Cedar of Lebanon, Blue Atlas...all varieties); majestic trees, if heaven has trees, these are the ones!

Of these, the only ones I don't have are the Cryptomeria and Weeping Birch

P.S., I just realized that out of my 11 favorite trees, six are gymnosperms (including 5 conifers and the odd ginkgo. Maybe just post this on the conifer forum. LOL.

Liriodendron tulipifera

Ginkgo biloba

Juglans mandshurica

Castanea sativa

Sorbus 'dodong'

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Acer pseudoplatanus

All of them for their leaves and some of them for their bark as well, or nuts

It looks like I have lots of trees to look up!

Subtropix: would you care to post a picture of your atlas cedar and/or tell me more about it? There is a huge one on my college campus that has fascinated me for two years now.

Which one? The vertical growing one or the weeping one?

Both were only recently planted. Both got rutted by deer in recent years. In recovery, but, they will make it (they always do).

Atlas Cedars have a blue-gray leaf coloration which I was looking for. Cedars of Lebanon, a related species/subspecies (depending on which botanist you ask), is more dark green. Atlas Cedars do very well in the humid East (considering that Cedars come from quite arid climates). Atlas Cedars are from the Atlas Mountains of North Africa so they can take drought (and heat) once established, but don't seem to mind WET either. I had planted the vertical one first, then, on a trip found myself memorized by the a majestic weeping blue Atlas growing on a berm (a stunning, living sculpture!!). I had to have one; has a very different look but, believe it or not, they are both the same species. The very BIGGEST mistake people make in suburbia is planting these guys AS IF they were SHRUBS..., they ARE NOT; either one becomes MASSIVE in time (though growth is relatively slow)! I will post pics tomorrow. The weeping one is actually much over planted in my opinion..., considering most people think they are installing a shrub (not a large TREE).

I'm slowly looking at all the trees mentioned. I just got to the Cedar of Lebanon and WOW. I really like the looks of that. Conifers that don't have the typical pyramid shape really catch my eye.

I once posted about one of my favorite trees being Dawn Red (Metasequoia), and a subsequent poster (of a more northernly zone) said, it's a 'triangle', don't like it. I really didn't get it. The predominant vegetation here (as a tree) is deciduous, so I really didn't understand the aversion to triangle/pyramidal shape things at all!

I still don't!

P.S., Isn't the Atlas Cedar (not the weeping one) also a triangle?!

I second Metasequoia. Its Ogon cultivar is another.

Atlas cedars are usually described as having a pyramid shape when young, but gradually rounding. At least that's what it's said in several things I've read.

Also, I am definitely getting some Dawn Redwoods this fall. From Arbor Day I guess.

kgeezy, Dawns transplant well. I would hold off into mid fall or later..., better to move them while dormant and out of heat.

1. dawn redwood

2.American Chestnut

3. tulip poplar

4. white oak

5. sycamore

6. cucumber magnolia

7. red buckeye

8. American Elm

9. Eastern White Pine

10. Bigleaf Magnolia

11. pawpaw

12.american beech

Somebody ought to start keeping a tally.

Mine are; Umbrella Pine(Sciadopitys verticillata), I have one; any Cryptomeria, I have 5 different culitvars; Hinoki's, most all that I've seen and I have a few; Ginkgo, 3 in my gardens, one of which is a weeper and another a dwarf; Katsura's, I only have the weeping form which looks horrible this year, due to dry summer; Stewartia, one in the garden, young tree but blooms every season since planted; Parrotia, love the form and leaves especially in the fall; Hemlocks, native and cultivars; and Coast Redwoods.

Here in So Cal my faves are:

Cal Sycamore for its shape, bark and aroma. Tough tree.

London Plane. Not as aromatic as Cal Sycamore but just as tough with beautiful bark. Their denser foliage and upright shape and fast growth make them excellent shade trees.

Crapemyrtle for shape, bark, flowers, fall color and variety. I have nine of them in different colors. Muskogee and Natchez are fragrant to boot. I let them go natural in shape. My newest is a Black Diamond Red Hot. The flowers are chili pepper red which is stunning on the shiny black foliage.

Deodar Cedar brings a mountainy touch to my yard. I love piney/firry looking trees but there's not that many that do well in the valleys of So Cal. Deodara is a spectacular exception.

Eldarica Pine. Has a deserty look but it's a pinecone factory and I love pinecones.

Blue Elderberry. Potently fragrant flowers and the berries are a bird magnet.

I have long admired Japanese Maples but they generally are not very happy in my inland location. I console myself with knowing that on the other hand my climate is perfect for Crapemyrtles.

I saw a Black Diamond Red Hot recently for the first time, and oh my goodness, what a beautiful tree! When did you get yours?

I got mine at Home Depot last week. It was the first time I had ever seen one though I had heard of them a couple years ago.

When I first got it the flowers looked like a coral pink but after planting they darkened to the chili red. I think it may have been kept in the shade for a bit at the nursery. It just needed some sunshine to bring out the full color.

It's a stunner alright.