Karen, any relation to Yamhill artist Susan Day..? There are multitudes of ‘shade trees’ and a good nursery could advise you better than me, even if you only read their tags… But I don’t see a problem with a large ‘apple tree.’ Our favorite yard / shade tree is a massive Gravenstein apple tree. Sure, it has apples (though very few last year), but all the more interesting to sit beneath and watch their development throughout the summer with family and friends. And about the time the sun begins ‘feeling good’ again, they’re ripe! Yes, there's pruning… but it’s an enjoyably hobby and a great way to sculpt the tree.

My suggestion would be a Gravenstein apple on ‘Standard Rootstock.’ Grav’s are fast growing, large, long-lived (ours is around 90 years old) and difficult to pollinate – meaning, if he didn’t want ‘apples’ (or very many of them), don’t buy / graft any pollinators for it. He’d end up with a great tree, easily filling that space, with the constant potential to produce apples whenever he, or the next owner provided pollination. ...Yet they always bloom like crazy!

I added both ‘Summer red’ and ‘Transparent’ apple grafts to my old Grav 15 years ago, when it was around 75 years old; so it’s never too late to add pollinators … as long as there are still grafters! The tricky part? Finding anyone crazy enough to have grafted a Gravenstein apple on ‘Standard’ rootstock!

The ‘Good news’ – he’s in Verboort! Just get to our “Fruit and Scion (Cuttings) Exchange" (or whatever we’re now calling it) in March – grab some free Gravenstein ‘wood’ from the container marked as such (too bad you didn’t get in on last years ancient Grav: viewtopic.php?t=555 … that would be a special tree to have, fruit or not… …Hummm we likely don’t have ‘Standard rootstock’ there (anyone know?); if not, ask for the most vigorous / least dwarfing rootstock they sell, then find the ‘custom grafting’ area and have one of us put them together for you/him. If you came to me (I expect to be there grafting) you wouldn’t have to explain (again) why you were putting a Grav on vigorous rootstock...

You may also be able to find such a combination from a mail order nursery - and a couple of years more advanced than the 8 inch tall ‘tree’ we’d hand to you… *Knowing this ‘suggestion’ may be far more involved than you or your friend care to pursue, I’m giving it with the idea others will read this and perhaps spark their desire for such an 'apple shade tree.' …At least my kids think it’s a great idea, “An apple tree in waiting!” --and what did you expect from apple fanatics?!

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-- Marsha -- I applaud your long-term-thinking planting a Gary oak (Ore. White oak). I live in “Oregon Oak Country,” and their stands are disappearing… Generally replaced with vineyards or Douglas fir. We’ve a Gary oak along side the house, actually built the house to dodge it. I remember ‘it’ as a youngster, when I was a kid; now 50, (me) it’s magnificent! So it ‘can happen.’

I recently found a Gary about 5 feet tall growing along the edge of the orchard / yard. I wonder how well they transplant..? It’s a fine specimen! …Guess I could remove everything around it (ouch); but my policy for the 25 years I’ve lived here is never to cut down a living oak – and I haven’t. Problem is, they’re quickly overgrown by the native fir and shaded to death. Poor things! I also find one or two year old ‘seedling’ oaks around the place … but another problem of mine - I’m treed out! A good thing!! No room for fruit, shade, or natives " title="Wink" />

Another consideration is the black cottonwood. It is the fastest growing native tree. If you don't like the "cotton" seeds covered with fluff in your yard, don't plant it. It will provide lots of shade fast.
John S
PDX OR