A Giant Sequoya. Just for the pure badness. When it was big enough you could drive a car through it, never mind parking it under it At my previous house I had a Monkey Puzzle tree, it was a beauty. It was great for giving people directions to where I lived.
Our road was built in the 30s too. There was a huge cherry tree you couldn't get past on the pavement. That's gone. We still have sycamores pruned into bog brushes, a couple of other trees pruned to stumps. They replaced a few but did nothing to keep them alive. We water the one closest to us. It's one of those pink cherry plum type things. The one further down the road is dead and there's a dead Rowan too. One with variegated leaves and little appley things seems ok. Perhaps if they'd put notes in the doors asking residents to look after what they'd planted there'd have been more survivors.
Just read that Gloucester planted many trees in the city earlier this year - most have died as they had no maintenance or watering plan in place. Such a waste and totally foreseeable over the summer no matter how hot it was.
Our local precinct had a make-over. That meant taking out 2 large brick planters with mature shrubs to start with then replacing all the pavers with concrete rolled with a pattern. Planters at both ends were left but it looked like a runway. When they got round to planting trees I didn't hold my breath but acouple of years on they are all looking good.
I'd pick Zelkova serrata to fit that sort of position as it seems to form a very nice shape as it matures and the Autumn colour is good. The link says it has been used as a street tree and I'm not aware of any features that would make it unsuitable for this. The one I have is only taking on its Autumn leaf colour now but even in other parts of the year I think it has a more graceful appearance than a lot of other trees.
Thanks for that suggestion, Zelkova serrata green vase looks like a lovely idea but probably too expensive.
I think the one I have is not the green vase variety and it still has a good shape. It was not that expensive when I got it at about 3metres tall in a local home run garden centre. It had probably been potted up from bare root stock and judging by the root growth was probably in the pot there for more than a year before I got it for about 20euro. It was a bit odd bringing it back from there hanging out the passenger side window but only had to move it a short distance. A more common and cheaper option might be hornbeam.
Our houses were built in the 30's as well but we don't have street trees. The road behind built the same time does and they are mostly hawthorn and false acacia which seem to get very big and get whacked by anything bigger than a van. Our local council is terrible as well, planting trees and then abandoning them to the drought but they only seem to plant cheaper trees in the streets so I don't think you'd get an exotic choice.
For practicality a festigiate hornbeam might be nice. It won't take over, cause you any trouble and won't get bashed by trucks.
If I were choosing I'd put one of the smaller rootstocked fruit trees of my choice there because inevitably it will be you that waters it and you might as well get something out of it.
Liquidambar styraciflua would be my choice, for the leaf shape, fabulous autumn colour and the spiky seed bobbles. There is a double row of standard trees lining a village near me and it’s stunning to drive through when in full autumn blaze. They are either the species or maybe Slender Silhouette as they don’t take up hardly any pavement space, presenting no obstacle to cars or pedestrians.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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Just for the pure badness. When it was big enough you could drive a car through it, never mind parking it under it
At my previous house I had a Monkey Puzzle tree, it was a beauty. It was great for giving people directions to where I lived.
Perhaps if they'd put notes in the doors asking residents to look after what they'd planted there'd have been more survivors.
Box ticked
Job done
Our local council is terrible as well, planting trees and then abandoning them to the drought but they only seem to plant cheaper trees in the streets so I don't think you'd get an exotic choice.
For practicality a festigiate hornbeam might be nice. It won't take over, cause you any trouble and won't get bashed by trucks.
If I were choosing I'd put one of the smaller rootstocked fruit trees of my choice there because inevitably it will be you that waters it and you might as well get something out of it.