Tree brainstorming help?

[emoflamingo]

We lost our ~19 year old cat Friday after 5 years of battling kidney failure. We buried her in a patch of our yard that is empty and I want to put a tree there but I want it to be a shade tree and would love it if it turned red in the fall (my mom's favorites did). We have two small maples in the front that turn red but what else would thrive in Kansas and turn red? We had to cut down a dead pine from this area so we have a lot of space we can fill in.

[2curlydogs]

Oak.

homeguides.sfgate.com/leaf-colors-oak-trees-autumn-77945.html

[mrs.jacinthe]

I think most dogwoods turn red in fall. My mom's two do. Bonus, springtime flowers.

ETA: shoot, I'm not sure if dogwood comes in a shade-size tree.

You could do sweet gum, but the pods are a pita.

[Noblegirl]

We have a dogwood in our yard and the leaves turn a pretty reddish-purple color. We also have some sassafras trees and they turn a reddish orange.

[emoflamingo]

Dogwood is pretty. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing and am just trying to figure out something to do.

[treedimensional]

Sweetgum has outstanding fall color, and you can get a fruitless variety (Liquidambar styraciflua "rotundilobum").

[simpsongal]

Ditto tree, sweet gums have GORGEOUS color.

We planted a Northern Red Oak 5 years ago and the fall color is outstanding. If you have room for an oak, go for it - they're so good for the ecosystem.

[treedimensional]

Apr 25, 2017 10:17:53 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Ditto tree, sweet gums have GORGEOUS color.

We planted a Northern Red Oak 5 years ago and the fall color is outstanding. If you have room for an oak, go for it - they're so good for the ecosystem.

:Y: :Y:

[ty454]

I also recommend sweetgum. Around here (mid-atlantic) they are good for 3-4ft/yr of growth when young and if they're located in the sun will produce unequaled fall color. I'm not sure what you mean by "shade tree" (a tree located in the shade or one that produces shade - i.e., deciduous?). Sweetgum will not do well in shaded areas and the color will be ho-hum, so if it's a shaded area then look for something else. If it's full sun then you won't be disappointed.

Also find the non-fruiting variety (no gumballs) as was mentioned earlier.

[emoflamingo]

Tons of space for an oak, we just had to take out a dead pine in that area and it was already a pretty open space in the yard.

And by shade, I meant give me shade lol. It's in a wide open space in the yard near our playset and I need some shade to sit in when my kids are back there.

[cmeon]

I love oaks- I don't think we have any that change color here, but, that's FL- I can believe they do elsewhere- ha. Black Tupelo is another gorgeous-in-the-fall native to consider- and birds love the fruit (and cats love birds)!