I like how Lindens bloom later in the summer, the wood is light if a branch breaks but they seem pretty tough. The canopy is thick but they grow slowly compared to an American Elm. I am also growing some Sugar Maples, Butternut, Black Walnut and a Red Oak. I will have to wait a few years before knowing how they will perform in the long term. The Sugar maple were 9' whips ( shortest I could find) and I had to top them because there is no place out of the wind, took them three years to settle in and start to put out 18" or so of growth, the wind rips up the leaves while they are developing but for zone 4 there are varieties that have thicker leaves. I am letting a bunch of seedling American Elm grow but DED took out all my mature trees so their long term survival is doubtful, anything that has come back from the old stumps has died after 10 years or so. DED has bypassed my parents place so far or the trees there are resistant. There are native Manitoba maples around here, they a very tough trees, lots of things like to eat them which also feeds many birds and some of them look good so I wonder what a cultivar would be like.

Hi, I'm in zone 3, and I've planted Linden, red maples and yellow birch for shade. Next Spring, I'll try to get my hands on an Accolade elm, supposedly they have good resistance to DED.

Natives here are Trembling Aspen, Green Ash, Manitoba Maple, American Elm, Burr Oak ,Paper Birch and Poplar. A lot of conifers get planted as none are native to the area. Lots of Siberian Elm and hybrid poplars have been planted in shelter belts. Many large willows which loose lots of small branch ends. Edmonton, Alberta is supposed to have the largest amount of Elms city wise in Western Canada I think.

Lindens are a wonderful choice as they're just so fragrant when in bloom. They're hardy to zone 2b where I am in northern Alberta.

Elms and ashes are the best shade trees, but I wouldn't recommend ashes as you'll probably lose them to the ash borer invasion. Elms have DED, and Butternuts are going extinct from canker...have you considered hackberries or catalpa? My catalpa ovata is quite hardy and has lovely flowers in June.

If I were planting a tree in zone 4 it would be red maple. My neighbour planted one and I love it. It does not grow too tall--15 meters with a spread of 8 meters at maturity-- so it's perfect for a city garden. The green foliage is tinged with red and it turns a brilliant red in fall. Quite stunning

This zone 1-3 forum is probably not the right place for you...got to the tree forum.