Columnar English Oak- good choice for shade and (some) screening?

last year

I just moved into a home in Lakewood that is great but close to a fairly busy and noisy road to the north that keeps the front yard from being a relaxing place. It could also use more shade, as the two 10-12 year old Autumn Blaze Maples on the west side don’t shade a significant portion of the home from the brutal afternoon sun.

The front lawn is about 10 feet wide from the sidewalk (which is on my property), then the sidewalk is about 5 feet wide, and then there is another strip of grass about 6 feet wide between the sidewalk and street. This strip is where the two existing Maples are located.

I am considering planting one or two Columnar English Oak (or potentially varieties such as Crimson Spire or Kindred Spirit) for shade that will also provide some screening in winter due to the dense branch structure. Is this a strong choice for the narrow strip of grass between the sidewalk and street, considering my goals, the mature size and spread, vulnerability to disease/parasites as well as our climate?

For screening along the north edge of the front lawn I’m thinking columnar Rocky Mountain Juniper of the Woodward or similar variety, or Taylor Eastern Red Juniper (same as Taylor Juniper?). Same questions with regard to the suitability of this idea.

I really appreciate any experience or recommendations you can share.

Thank you all!

Featured Answer

ginatay124

last year

There is a row of Crimson Spire Oaks along a street in Boulder, CO that are doing well. This should give you an idea of what they look like as they mature - I think they are currently approx 20 years old according to what an employee of the Tree Farm told me . . .

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Comments (14)

Ben (Colorado, USDA Z5)
Original Author
last year
To clarify, this is Lakewood, CO…a city-close suburb of Denver on the west side closer to the foothills. Below is a picture of the space available:
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ginatay124
last year
And here are some in Longmont, CO:
ginatay124
last year
Your junipers are good choices for our area - we just planted some Blue Arrow and Taylor junipers in our back yard. However, they are going to require twice a year shearing with a hedge trimmer approx July 4th and again before the snow according to a local arborist who consulted with me. I also plan to loosely wrap them with twine in the winters for as long as I can reach them to help them keep their shapes during the snows. So a bit of an investment of maintenance but definitely worth it in my book. Don’t try Arborvitae in our area - the Tree Farm told me they wish they didn’t even sell them.
Ben (Colorado, USDA Z5)
Original Author
last year
Thank you so much for your thoughtful recommendations and background information. Crimson Spire Oak is a cultivar I’m considering, and they look stunning in your pictures.

I didn’t realize columnar junipers would require shearing- is that needed to maintain their tightly columnar shape?

Also, which tree farm do you use?

Thanks again!
ginatay124
last year
I’m a newbie to owning columnar junipers - we planted ours in the spring. Ours are approx 6’ high presently. According to the local arborist who advised me on caring for them, shearing off approx half of the new growth twice a year will encourage them to grow stouter and denser which will help them stand up to the snow loads in our area. You can find some YouTube videos on shearing young arborvitae - similar principle. We got our Taylor Junipers and Crimson Spire Oaks at The Tree Farm in Longmont, CO and our Blue Arrow Junipers at Harmony Gardens in Brighton, CO. But there are other options closer to you. I would check with Tagawa Gardens in Centennial. If you can go in on a weekday when they are not busy, you should be able to consult with their tree guy and get his recommendations. They also put out some helpful videos on YouTube about plant and tree selections for our area, how to water, winter watering, etc.
Ben (Colorado, USDA Z5)
Original Author
last year
Your advice and information are super helpful. Thank you so much!
arbordave (SE MI)
last year
If Autumn Blaze maples grow as large at your location as they do here, there won't be enough room in your front yard for the oaks. Also, in a 6' tree lawn the roots of AB maples are likely to cause the sidewalk to lift eventually.
Ben (Colorado, USDA Z5)
Original Author
last year
Those are good points to ponder. The maples are about 12-13 years old. The are probably about 30 feet tall. No problems with the sidewalk yet but I’ll monitor that. Thanks for your input!
Embothrium
last year
20-years-in-place oaks are just getting started, nowhere near mature for trees that have the genetic potential to live hundreds of years. Same as every time any kind of tree is described as being mature when 10 years old.
Ben (Colorado, USDA Z5)
Original Author
last year
To clarify my earlier statement about the maples- the house is 13 years old. I’m assuming they were planted around the same time as the house but they could be several years older depending on their age when planted. The smaller of the two maples is probably 30 feet high and the larger probably 35 feet. Both are probably close to 20 feet in width. They are only supposed to reach about 45 feet in height and 20-25 feet in width so it seems they are approaching maturity. Not sure if root-related sidewalk heaving occurs at maturity or before.
Ben (Colorado, USDA Z5)
Original Author
last year
There is also a question of how big Upright/Columnar English Oaks will get in our climate. The species statistics I have found show their mature widths as 10-20 feet, but I spoke to an owner of a local tree farm who said he has never seen one get much over 10 feet wide in the Denver area. It’s important to my situation because the HOA won’t let me plant it less than the expected radius from my driveway. Does anyone else have insight into this?
Embothrium
last year
The large growing, cold climate adapted deciduous trees you have been talking about here are all likely in time to overwhelm the apparently much watered planting sites you have. For instance multiple locations in the Seattle area have Freeman maples over 60 ft. tall, with proportionate widths. And which are of course still reaching skyward.

In addition trees do not block noise - notice that highway departments trying to relieve car noise in affected neighborhoods located along freeways install high concrete walls for the purpose. Even then if such are stood next to the cars can be heard above where the walls end - these installations lift the noise rather than eliminate it.
ginatay124
last year
To answer your question regarding how large Crimson Spire and Kindred Spirit grow, they are newer cultivars. Crimson Spire was discovered in 1994 and Kindred Spirit in 2004, so there aren’t any super old specimens out there. Regarding your design goals, I’m not sure either if you have enough space to add in much more. I would advise getting some design help. We found a local landscape designer who created a DIY master plan for our property and it’s been super helpful.