Hoping to get some suggestions on a shade tree to grow in my east-facing front yard. This new tree will replace a mature boxelder that is only alive right now because my wife wants some sort of shade in the front yard. I have a window of opportunity here, but because of the circumstances, I have some pretty strict requirements.

1. Fast growing. Like, it would have to cast enough shade for 2 people (think picnic) in 5 years. I would prefer to buy a wisp (bareroot 3'-5') for cost reasons, but am willing to buy a taller thicker potted tree to get a head start on size if necessary.
2. No surface roots. I like trees, but I like nice lawns better and I have no interest in tripping over or mowing around shallow/surface roots. My soil is mostly sand/silt and does not appear to have any compaction problems.
3. Can withstand Wisconsin winters (technically zone 5, but pretty close to zone 4)
4. Ideally, I'd like a longer-lived tree and not something that will peter out in 30 years.

My research so far:

a) I have some 2 year old red oak seedlings that I could possibly transplant. But I'm guessing they won't get to shade proportions for another 15-20 years?
b) Tulip Poplar: Intriguing, but perhaps too cold for them?
c) Autumn Blaze or October Glory Maple: Another intriguing possibility, but it sounds like they have surface root problems?
d) Sugar Maple: This would be my ideal, as I grew up with 6-7 of them in my parents' yard and collected sap from them every winter. But they are slow growing I hear.
e) River Birch: apparently they don't do well in pH above 6.5. I don't think I'll get to that number in my lifetime with all the Magnesium in my soil.
f) Hybrid Polar: Don't think I like the shape/look, and not interested in replacing one weed tree with another.

Any opinions on these trees based on my requirements (which I realize are unreasonable)? What about other trees that might fit the bill?

Tulip poplars are supposedly hardy to zone 4. I have one, love it (the leaves are on long petioles and flutter in any breeze) and it grows fast. Long-lived, too--the oldest tree in New York is the Queens Poplar. They do well here, but they're native to Pennsylvania.

Trees say they grow slowly. They kind of lie about that. I have a pin oak and one of those trees that produces burrs whose name I can never remember. Both are approaching 30 feet tall after five years from organic feeding with the lawn and the occasional baggie of Miracle Gro in spring and fall. Both outstrip their friends in the neighborhood by miles and look like they were planted five years before--they weren't, one is actually a bit younger as the first tree had something and died.

Warranted, they won't produce the growth rate of a well-fed Thuja (2' to 7' in 2 years) or fast-growing softwood tree, but they're also longer-lived. Discontinue heavy feeding when the height and breadth of the tree makes you happy.

Or, choose what you like and then feed the heck out of it...

So you think a tulip poplar might work for me? I'm trying to thin kof the ramifications of having a 120' tree in my front yard when I'm an old man. Have you considered its final height and spread?

I might have another option, come to think of it. I have a Crimson King Norway Maple in my front yard, which is about 4" in diameter at the base and 12' high. What can I do to maximize its growth? If I can get that tree up to size, I can maybe get away with planting another slower grower, like a maple. Anyone have any idea how long it would take to be able to start tapping the Sugar Maple for syrup? In my lifetime?

Barley wrote:So you think a tulip poplar might work for me? I'm trying to thin kof the ramifications of having a 120' tree in my front yard when I'm an old man. Have you considered its final height and spread?

I'm not sure if it would work as they're not common west of the Mississippi River. They do grow there, but they're more an eastern native. I think, with due care, it would be fine.

Yes, but that's the potential height of most trees. Potential. They don't usually get that tall, particularly in home-lawn situations where the environment isn't completely compatible with hitting the stratosphere.

Fifty to a hundred feet is the natural height range average, and in my lawn I expect somewhere between fifty and seventy-five. Although I'm smack-dab in the middle of their natural range, the lawn is a bit dry compared to their natural preference for moister, near-water-source soils. Right now, at six feet and growing fast, I water weekly.

I have it fifty feet (and a bit more) from the house, so even a hundred foot tree won't be an issue, and I don't expect that to happen in my lifetime. Once it reaches thirty to forty feet, I'll stop with the specific extra feeding and let it go naturally. That'll slow it down, as will natural slow-down at maturity.

I might have another option, come to think of it. I have a Crimson King Norway Maple in my front yard, which is about 4" in diameter at the base and 12' high. What can I do to maximize its growth? If I can get that tree up to size, I can maybe get away with planting another slower grower, like a maple. Anyone have any idea how long it would take to be able to start tapping the Sugar Maple for syrup? In my lifetime?

Clueless on the sugar maple...a little quick research says a diameter of ten inches, an age of 30 years. That age can be pushed if you feed it for growth, but I don't know what it'll do to the quality of the sugar, if anything either way.

What I do to max out growth is:

* Feed with the lawn, but double or triple rate within the root zone (organically).
* For small trees, post-establishment, weekly applications of Miracle Gro through the root zone. I use a slow count of 15. Start when the trees begin to leaf in, stop around August 15th to give the new growth plenty of time to harden off before winter. Discontinue when the tree's height pleases you.
* Liberal kelp applications when I do the lawn, which is often...
* Spray gently with iron at the same time as the lawn, if the tree doesn't have a negative reaction to it (none of mine do). This is mostly to make the pale new growth greener, really, and I doubt it does a thing for growth of the tree for the most part.

Which Miracle Gro do you use? All Purpose? Do you use a hose end sprayer? ANy issue feeding with Miracle Gro in the heat of the summer/drought?

All Purpose 24-8-16. Unless you know you have a specific soil issue, like low P or K, the high nitrogen one is best.

I use the handy little Miracle Gro feeder (new style, which I like) for the most part, although the Thuja, roses, and trees came up for feeding (with the prep watering) yesterday. That time I used the EZ-Flo.

I wouldn't smack a weak tree during drought (although I'd water it), but...well, I fed yesterday. As long as you follow package instructions and dilute appropriately, it's fine. Yesterday I actually diluted below that with the EZ-Flo. The one thing to remember is to feed for longer than you think you should--those tree feeder roots are under the lawn, so there's no sense in stopping the feeding at the lawn level. That's not much of an issue if the area is mulched or lacks grass, however.