Need some ideas for a smallish size tree

[l008com]

A few years ago, I planted a red maple tree in my front yard. It grew very healthy and fast and is a great tree.
But alas, I wasn't thinking ahead. I think I'm going to cut it down soon, before it's too big for me to do it myself.

Here are the problems:
It won't be long before the top of the tree is hanging over my roof, which will lead to mold and moss.
It won't be long until the roots start trying to grow into my basement which will also be a big problem.
It also won't be long until the top of the tree starts growing into the power lines. The power company will trim it way back as needed, making a real mess of it. Unless they don't, then it's something I'll be dealing with.

So in short, this was the wrong tree for the space. I'm looking for a right tree for the space!

Here is a graphic that will help show the area where all of this is happening.




The powerlines are above ground on telephone poles. Theres power, cable, copper telephone, fiberoptic, more cable from another company. The poles are very busy. The tree I want to take down is already much bigger than it looks in that satellite image from just last summer. The star is the location where I think I'll plant the new tree. It's centered in front of the picture window. Which isn't really a problem with the view, given that theres nothing to see but the street anyway so I don't see that being a problem.

The most important thing is the size constraint. The plot plan says I'm about 31' from the street but it looks more like 20' to me. Who knows where the plot is measuring to/from.

So I need a tree that hopefully will stay around 15' to at most 20' in diameter. Theres no real height constraint other than I don't want it to look weird
I like maple trees, that's why I planted one. They're simple, nice looking, their leaves are pretty easy to clean up in the fall. All in all a nice tree that will live for a century. Is there a mini version of that? I was thinking of a japanese maple but we had a drought last year and no joke, every japanese maple around looks like it's about to die. So that might not be the best tree to choose. But I dunno, maybe it is. Or maybe something else. I'm really not into smaller, decorative trees though. And I don't want something I have to regularly trim/prune to keep it's size in check.

Also most important, I'm in the northeast. Boston suburbs. So no lemon trees I was going to splice a lemon and lime tree together in my back yard but turns out, they can't grow here. But I'm interested in any other suggesting for nice looking smallish trees that stay smallish.

Oh nice, just last month, the google street view car finally came by, so I can show you a street view of the front yard. The tree in the picture is the one i want to cut down. The new tree will probably be in front of the main windows, although I coudl also offset it to the side if I thought that was going to be too... annoying.

 

[cpp gardener]

If you want a smaller Maple, try Acer truncatum the Shantung Maple. Gets about 20-25’ and pretty tolerant of harsh conditions.

 

[l008com]

If you want a smaller Maple, try Acer truncatum the Shantung Maple. Gets about 20-25’ and pretty tolerant of harsh conditions.

Interesting, that does look like a good choice

 

[Tetters]

There are some beautiful varieties of the crab apple tree.

 

[cpp gardener]

I love crabapples! Wish I’d thought of them. We don’t get a good chill here for them to do well, so I have to settle for pictures.

 

[l008com]

I won't be going with a fruit tree because I really don't want to spend the time picking up the gross half rotten fallen ones off the ground.

 

[cpp gardener]

There are many that produce small fruit that birds love and you won’t have to pick up.

 

[Mr_Yan]

I won't be going with a fruit tree because I really don't want to spend the time picking up the gross half rotten fallen ones off the ground.

then harvest the fruit and eat it...

Eastern Redbud?
Service Berry? (Technically a shrub, birds love the berries, berries are great in pancakes and taste like a mix of blueberry and apple if the birds let you have any)
Star Magnolia?
Jane Magnolia?
Bloodgood Japanese Maple?
Dogwood?

 

[l008com]

Time to revive this thread from the dead. I really ought to do something about this, this spring. Cutting down the old tree before it's leaves come in will save me an awful lot of hassle.

I'm interested in this "Acer truncatum" mini mape tree. The "specs" say it grows 20 to 25 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide.
How far can one expect the roots to reach out in a tree that size? I'm a little concerned that the roots might reach into my basement. I haven't measured but I think the new spot should be about 10 to 14 feet away from the foundation.

 

[cpp gardener]

Any roots that will reach that far will be very small and not be an issue for walls or pipes there.

 

[Mr_Yan]

I'll second what @cpp gardener posted.

Very general rule of thumb for most trees: the roots will match the upper diameter of the tree, maybe slightly larger. As you reach the outer edges of the tree the roots will become smaller. But don't picture the root ball to be like branches and as deep as the tree is high. Most of the root mass is in a disk within the first meter or so of the ground. Just look at the trees that get blown over in storms.

And as I read that 15 to 20 feet wide I see it 8 to 10 feet from the trunk to the outer edge of the tree branches.

 

[l008com]

So there are a million species of trees on this planet. So lets say decide this mini maple is the one, how does one go about buying a specific tree species? I have every little tree buying experience.

 

[Tetters]

Look it up online? I found this one for example - here's a link... https://www.gardentags.com/plant-encyclopedia/acer-truncatum-norwegian-sunset/17684

 

[Mr_Yan]

So there are a million species of trees on this planet. So lets say decide this mini maple is the one, how does one go about buying a specific tree species? I have every little tree buying experience.

yeah, I'm fighting that one as I need to replace a few big trees. Every store around here has the same 6 to 8 types.

I want some natives like American Basswood and American Sycamore, maybe a burr oak. The nurseries here have maples, and a few hybrid lindens or locusts. Over 50% of this neighborhood is maple tree. When a maple disease goes through here it will be clear cut like after Dutch Elm wiped things out.

Anyway. That Bloodgood Japenese Maple is a dark red leaf but there is a very similar green leaf variety.

 

[cpp gardener]

Yes, you really do have to search out the less common species. Especially natives that don’t fit the ‘standard street tree’ look. Heaven forbid they are the food source for something that leaves holes or chews up margins.