Yard trees

[Rick_Marty]

On our small place we have a variety of trees that provide lots of shade, Oak, Pine, Fir, Cedar, spruce, Cyprus, and Madrone.

The Madrone is my favorite and the one I hate the most. They provide great shade and are beautiful in their evergreen appearance, but. Come the first heat of summer, usually mid June they start their annual leaf and bark drop.

One of the Madrone’s over the railroad beside the barn

Under the Madrone in mid June each year. The up side is that the leaves are super dry and crumble to almost dust in your hand, the downside is you have to pick them up one way or another.

Then the bark shed starts, not quite as bad as the leaves but still messy on the railroad.

Just thought I’d share.

[ctown2 (Craig Townsend)]

I had a madrone in my old backyard that I trimmed way down. Made for great firewood heating the house the next winter. Those logs burned hot and all night.

I’ve got a half dozen, maybe more Douglas fir in my yard and a “young” cedar tree. They provide some nice shade and cooling for the house, but I’m sure eventually they will need to be removed. A few of them are only a few feet away from the house. For Doug Fir and cedar that aren’t supposed to drop leaves, the dropped nuts are just as crazy as leaves.

[Devon_Sinsley]

I feel the same way about my weeping willow. Between small leaves and thin dead branches it a mess. But shade is good