re: Half of my river birch is dead

River Birch die, it's what they do. It grows fast but doesn't last long.

For a replacement, it depends on the amount of space available. If there's room, the previously recommended shumard oak is a great choice. Several maples will also do well.

Another tree to consider is a Ginko tree. The Ginko has bright, golden yellow leaves which brings color to your yard. Buy a ginko from a good nursery because the trees are gendered and I think the female ginko drops a musky smelling fruit after the tree matures, NOT GOOD. A good nursery will have grafted male ginko trees and know which tree you want.

I'd go American elm, cypress, cherry bark, southern red oak, or shumard, native pecan, never a maple, tulip tree, or any of that other softwood garbage. Esp not a damn sawtooth oak, they're ugly as shite, squatty and primarily for deer.

The Goldfinches finally found my feeders under the River Birches. Those trees are dropping that yellow stuff they make right now. There will be a carpet by the end of the week.

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The only tree that is worse than a river birch is a bradford pear. A bradford pear tree will split in half if a blue jay farts while sitting on a limb.

WORST TREE EVER.

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I was in court the other day and an arborist was testifying about a bradford pear that split and landed on a guy's truck (and maybe the guy? maybe not? Judge didn't think so).

Anyway, the arborist at one point says, "God didn't make any crappy trees, but the closest he ever came was when he made the bradford pear."

He was also asked what the defendant could do about the other bradford pears under their control: "Cut them down."

Bradford Pears give off a hell of a lot of shade but by the time they get big enough to do so they die.

Water oaks live for 20 years and die for 20 years. I have one in my backyard, fortunately it looks to be leaning the other way.


If there's 5 trees that I never want around me it's

1. Water oak
2. Pine tree
3. Chinese tallow
4. River birch
5. Bradford Pear

One of my backyard fence lines has a Tallow and water oak side by side.

A single tallow is underrated. Great shade tree. No way to spread.

Has taken me ten years to kill the vines my predecessor allowed to grow on my fence lines.