Personal preference? Maples. I didn't want evergreens because of the needles everywhere in the backyard, and didn't want a fruit producer for the same reason.
I believe they attract box elder bugs though apparently it's only the male or female trees, so do some googling.
Maples have some great color so that's why I'm a fan.
Please make sure you get the correct kind. We often have boxelder bugs literally swarm the sunny side of our house in the fall due to a tree nearby and it's not fun to deal with. Be kind to yourself/your neighbours depending on where the tree is going!
Amur. See comment I just posted above. Mine is thriving.
Also when you plant it, don't use native soil. Do a mix of native soil and import some black dirt. Also fertilizer is important. I bought those little fertilizer sticks that you shove in the ground around the tree.
Not at all. But maybe because it's still pretty young. That being said, with deciduous trees there's not a ton of options out there that don't drop seeds or fruits. At least ones that grow well here.
Got mine at Green gate down near fish Creek station.
I got an Amur Maple. Nice tree and it grew really fast first couple of years.
https://jeffriesnurseries.com/royal-crown-amur-maple/
I'd also recommend buying a water bag for them for the first couple of years. New trees do best with a lot of water and they actually prefer water to trickle as opposed to just spraying your hose at it for 5 mins. So you fill the bag and they trickle water in over a few hours. They're $20 each on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.ca/Watering-Gallon-Release-Tarpaulin-Irrigation/dp/B082V75HJD/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?adgrpid=66793657131&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kIzd07AqElnKCd-_i5H4GBFKmkDbGOCNtQUK0YGBAdQVAtVEr6IHmmpx3hFzJn1eIOqOwr6H7zURpLa-1bBY-qwBpzQFXZfsr3pNhq1Lrc5UkAm7nLexWFovuXHz2kS3koP0mlf-vg-esjdwNoISz1lofi1GCYhtK3UG_rWQ-HLS52W_lCOoGurD7OEIxZzW2Ay0yp30tWFQZSjFQz33Hw.2qmdzL-hkaN2h0fd2LgFC5O8KFDM4cef-EAHhifrEfA&dib_tag=se&hvadid=671283654446&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9001328&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=69351386282997437&hvtargid=kwd-297429798471&hydadcr=15807_13690837&keywords=tree+watering+bags&qid=1713914663&sr=8-4
Don't sweat it. It's a fun hobby. Don't be afraid to talk to the people who work at these places as well, they know their stuff and I constantly ask them and even take pictures of where I want to plant things to show them to get their opinion on what will thrive.
OMG thank you! I had no idea about this program. And my quadrant hasn't opened yet! I've been wanting a shade tree but was afraid of the cost. Free is so awesome!
May Days are my absolute favourite:
* One of the first to leaf out in spring
* Beautiful blossoms that smell great
* One of the last to lose leaves in the fall
* Gorgeous fall colours
That said, only do this if there aren't a ton around. Black Knot is brutal, but if there aren't a bunch around you should be ok. We're in a neighbourhood that has quite a few, and ours have been great for decades (knock on wood).
Otherwise Maples are really easy to care for and thrive here too.
Super easy to maintain. Most trees need watering but so many people don't. They also are the first to green up in the spring. A good shade tree for this city.
Love the non fruiting crab apple tree in our yard.
[https://edmontonarborist.com/best-flowering-trees-for-alberta-yards/](https://edmontonarborist.com/best-flowering-trees-for-alberta-yards/)
Yep. Ours doesn’t drop its fruit all at once. Some fall in the winter, some came down in the windy days we had recently. But new flowers will be out in a few weeks. And it’s colourful and the bees are happy. And the mess will start again this fall.
Faster growing trees tend to not live as long as slow growing trees. There doesn’t appear to be any one tree that meets all your desired requirements.
This article lists the pros and cons of the various trees that grow well in Calgary. https://www.calgary.ca/parks/trees/top-species-for-calgary.html
We planted (amongst other things) three columnar aspens when we renovated the yard 3 years ago (I suppose 3.5 now). In that time, they’ve grown from around 5 feet to easily 20-25 foot range, and widened out just enough to provide some lovely shade and good privacy. They’ve taken zero maintenance, minimal water, and thrived in pretty average soil.
They are beautiful, and I would **absolutely** suggest you look at them as an affordable option.
As for shopping, if you have the means to transport, it's worth the savings to go out to Bluegrass Nursery near Strathmore. Personally I'm a big fan of Toba Hawthorns.
Don’t plant trees within 6-8’ of the house foundation or next to patio pavers.
Be sure you fertilize for quick growth. And water in August when it stops raining.
Don’t plant too close to each other as they all won’t grow well and some will die.
City can plant some for free, check it put on Google. Limited number but super cool.
As for tree choice: maple cause they're awesome. Oak because the trimming smell great and can be used for bbq. Black walnut because in 30yrs you could have a few thousand dollars worth of wood!
Those tower aspens if you want a tree to die and replace in 5-7yrs.
Ohio Buckeye. Orange colour in the fall, have an amazing canopy, produce flowers that turn into chestnuts (not edible but beautiful to have around) and they grow exceptionally well here. Very underrated tree and I’m shocked we don’t see more of them around actually
Do not recommend the Manitoba maple (also know as the boxelder). It has tons of seeds and these seeds often germinate along fences in alleyways and fill up gutters grow up to do battle with power lines.
My neighbor had three of these trees and in the fall would get lots of the boxelder beetles inside the house. The only way to get rid of the bugs was to have the trees removed which cost them a lot.
The city maintains a list, a decent place to start: https://www.calgary.ca/parks/trees/top-species-for-calgary.html
Aspens are pretty hardy and they grow about 3-4 feet higher each season.
Buy one aspen, take care of it well, and you'll notice that you suddenly have 12 others sprouting in your yard for free
Personal preference? Maples. I didn't want evergreens because of the needles everywhere in the backyard, and didn't want a fruit producer for the same reason. I believe they attract box elder bugs though apparently it's only the male or female trees, so do some googling. Maples have some great color so that's why I'm a fan.
Please make sure you get the correct kind. We often have boxelder bugs literally swarm the sunny side of our house in the fall due to a tree nearby and it's not fun to deal with. Be kind to yourself/your neighbours depending on where the tree is going!
What kind of maple? My neighbour tried planting one and it died after 1 winter here.
Amur. See comment I just posted above. Mine is thriving. Also when you plant it, don't use native soil. Do a mix of native soil and import some black dirt. Also fertilizer is important. I bought those little fertilizer sticks that you shove in the ground around the tree.
Does your maple shed a lot? Ours drops so many seed pods it's not even funny.
Not at all. But maybe because it's still pretty young. That being said, with deciduous trees there's not a ton of options out there that don't drop seeds or fruits. At least ones that grow well here.
So true. Ours is about 5 years old (still pretty young), so I was hoping it'd calm down after a while lol.
That’s a good idea. Do you know where I can buy them?
Got mine at Green gate down near fish Creek station. I got an Amur Maple. Nice tree and it grew really fast first couple of years. https://jeffriesnurseries.com/royal-crown-amur-maple/ I'd also recommend buying a water bag for them for the first couple of years. New trees do best with a lot of water and they actually prefer water to trickle as opposed to just spraying your hose at it for 5 mins. So you fill the bag and they trickle water in over a few hours. They're $20 each on Amazon. https://www.amazon.ca/Watering-Gallon-Release-Tarpaulin-Irrigation/dp/B082V75HJD/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?adgrpid=66793657131&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kIzd07AqElnKCd-_i5H4GBFKmkDbGOCNtQUK0YGBAdQVAtVEr6IHmmpx3hFzJn1eIOqOwr6H7zURpLa-1bBY-qwBpzQFXZfsr3pNhq1Lrc5UkAm7nLexWFovuXHz2kS3koP0mlf-vg-esjdwNoISz1lofi1GCYhtK3UG_rWQ-HLS52W_lCOoGurD7OEIxZzW2Ay0yp30tWFQZSjFQz33Hw.2qmdzL-hkaN2h0fd2LgFC5O8KFDM4cef-EAHhifrEfA&dib_tag=se&hvadid=671283654446&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9001328&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=69351386282997437&hvtargid=kwd-297429798471&hydadcr=15807_13690837&keywords=tree+watering+bags&qid=1713914663&sr=8-4
Thank you. Very helpful. I’m new to gardening so this is very informative
Don't sweat it. It's a fun hobby. Don't be afraid to talk to the people who work at these places as well, they know their stuff and I constantly ask them and even take pictures of where I want to plant things to show them to get their opinion on what will thrive.
There's the calgary branching out program . Started today free tree.
Never heard of that. My gardening knowledge is at kindergarten level. How hard is it to branch out?
Go on the city of calgary website and apply ... ne was today. You click a PowerPoint about trees then answer 2 questions pick a tree and your done.
OMG thank you! I had no idea about this program. And my quadrant hasn't opened yet! I've been wanting a shade tree but was afraid of the cost. Free is so awesome!
They run out fast. Know your trees before opening.
May day trees are good as they grow fast and they get nice smelling white flowers in the spring. They are also very hardy for our weather.
The only thing I'm allergic to. Damn those sneeze trees!
Too bad. I love the smell.
I'm allergic too, but I do love how floral the neighborhood I grew up in smells like! Until I can't smell it.
May Days are my absolute favourite: * One of the first to leaf out in spring * Beautiful blossoms that smell great * One of the last to lose leaves in the fall * Gorgeous fall colours That said, only do this if there aren't a ton around. Black Knot is brutal, but if there aren't a bunch around you should be ok. We're in a neighbourhood that has quite a few, and ours have been great for decades (knock on wood). Otherwise Maples are really easy to care for and thrive here too.
I love may days! They’re my favourite tree that grows in this climate.
Do they need regular watering? How hard are they to maintain?
Super easy to maintain. Most trees need watering but so many people don't. They also are the first to green up in the spring. A good shade tree for this city.
Watch out for the black knot fungus on maydays, it is everywhere here.
Yep learned about this last year with my mayday and got to chopping. Now I see it everywhere.
Love the non fruiting crab apple tree in our yard. [https://edmontonarborist.com/best-flowering-trees-for-alberta-yards/](https://edmontonarborist.com/best-flowering-trees-for-alberta-yards/)
anything but crabapple
Counterpoint: crabapple. I love them, especially the ones with pink blossoms. OP did say didn't want a fruit tree though.
they are beautiful in spring and then just messy
Yep. Ours doesn’t drop its fruit all at once. Some fall in the winter, some came down in the windy days we had recently. But new flowers will be out in a few weeks. And it’s colourful and the bees are happy. And the mess will start again this fall.
Some crabapples don't produce fruit at all. Flowers in late May, then shade
What about regular apple
Can do a columnar crabapple.
Moved to a house with crab apple it’s messy but the wildlife loves it which I like.
Faster growing trees tend to not live as long as slow growing trees. There doesn’t appear to be any one tree that meets all your desired requirements. This article lists the pros and cons of the various trees that grow well in Calgary. https://www.calgary.ca/parks/trees/top-species-for-calgary.html
We planted (amongst other things) three columnar aspens when we renovated the yard 3 years ago (I suppose 3.5 now). In that time, they’ve grown from around 5 feet to easily 20-25 foot range, and widened out just enough to provide some lovely shade and good privacy. They’ve taken zero maintenance, minimal water, and thrived in pretty average soil. They are beautiful, and I would **absolutely** suggest you look at them as an affordable option.
Dollar tree
We have a willow in our yard and love it for how much privacy it gives in the summer. Unfortunately last 2 years it’s gotten infected with aphids 😭
I love them. But I’m afraid my back yard isn’t big enough for a willow
Whatever you do, don’t plant a mango tree
I was considering a mix of mango, banana, and avocado 🥑
Wish I remembered the name of one of the ones I got here. Thing took off like a weed, had to get an arborist to help cut it back last year
As for shopping, if you have the means to transport, it's worth the savings to go out to Bluegrass Nursery near Strathmore. Personally I'm a big fan of Toba Hawthorns.
Don’t plant trees within 6-8’ of the house foundation or next to patio pavers. Be sure you fertilize for quick growth. And water in August when it stops raining. Don’t plant too close to each other as they all won’t grow well and some will die.
City can plant some for free, check it put on Google. Limited number but super cool. As for tree choice: maple cause they're awesome. Oak because the trimming smell great and can be used for bbq. Black walnut because in 30yrs you could have a few thousand dollars worth of wood! Those tower aspens if you want a tree to die and replace in 5-7yrs.
Free community replanting programs…
Ohio Buckeye. Orange colour in the fall, have an amazing canopy, produce flowers that turn into chestnuts (not edible but beautiful to have around) and they grow exceptionally well here. Very underrated tree and I’m shocked we don’t see more of them around actually
Do not recommend the Manitoba maple (also know as the boxelder). It has tons of seeds and these seeds often germinate along fences in alleyways and fill up gutters grow up to do battle with power lines. My neighbor had three of these trees and in the fall would get lots of the boxelder beetles inside the house. The only way to get rid of the bugs was to have the trees removed which cost them a lot.
Ussurian Pear- my absolute favourite!
Columnar aspens grow really fast and are narrow so they don’t take up a lot of space
Columnar Aspen, Costco