Your easiest tree(s) to grow with low maintenance

dawghall

Member
Mine have been the sawtooth oak for acorn producers, keiffer pear (transcendent or dolgo crab #2)as a fruit trees, and elderberry and button bush as shrubs. I'm sure there will be many different answers depending on everyone's zone and soils. I do maintain my trees, by the way. These are just some that have still flourished even if I accidentally forgot them a year. Name as many plants as you like as long as they meet the criteria. Go!
 
Mine would have to be American Plum. I transplanted some from my parents' yard just a few years ago. This year I'm going to have some fruit, and the first ones I planted are starting to form a thicket.
I've seen just a little bit of browsing on the smaller trees, but not enough to justify protecting them.
As far as maintenance, the only thing I've really done is bushhog the area right around the plums, to keep other trees from taking over.

I'm looking forward to seeing what others have to say.
 
You're talking deer habitat right? Because maples grow like weeds and are worth about the same. Any kind of pears is a home run. Keiffer is the hardiest. My experience has been the first day of the season the biggest buck in the neighborhood will be under the pear tree half an hour before dark. White oak is a very hardy tree nut tree. Plum as was mentioned. Crab apples produce in the wild with no attention.
 
I'd agree with NH's list. Sawtooth oak, persimmons and DR pears would be at the top of my list. I would add Dwarf Chainkapin oak and Chickasaw plum as my favorite shrubs. While the Chickasaw plums don't really provide deer "food", they are very hardy and fast growing in my part of the world and produce excellent "thicket cover".


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Black hills spruce
Cranberry
Siberian crab
Manchurian crab
Bur oak
Wild black cherry
Chokecherry

All grown in tubes (except the spruce) and only require a once/yr cleaning and pruning. Takes about 90 seconds per tree. Beyond that, those grow well if you get the site correct.
 
Sawtooth
Allegheny Chinquapin
Concordia Oak

Have received little to no supplemental watering in three years and all are still alive. We're in Texas and 100 degree weather is common during the summer time.


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Allegheny Chinkapin, Dwarf Chinkapin Oak, White Oaks, and Chinese Chestnuts. Pears are better than apples in my area.

Favorite shurbs are:
Roughleaf Dogwood
Silky Dogwood
Elderberry
Chokeberry
Wild Plum
Ninebark
Arrowwood
 
Sawtooth
Allegheny Chinquapin
Concordia Oak

Have received little to no supplemental watering in three years and all are still alive. We're in Texas and 100 degree weather is common during the summer time.


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not familiar with concordia

spot on with Acs and sawtooth

southern crabapples also do well at my place

bill
 
Condordia Oak is a rare White Oak found at a rest stop near Concordia, MO. It is believed to be a hybrid cross between Swamp White Oak, Chinkapin Oak and Dwarf Chinkapin Oak. Concordia Oaks produce a few acorns by age 5-6, and they are sweet and attractive to wildlife.
 
Apparently I need to add Wild Black Cherry to my list of favorites. This doe has been coming into our front yard at all hours, to scarf up these cherries, pretty much the minute they hit the ground.

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