Trees: choosing a tree to plant near septic system

Does anyone know of an ornamental tree I could plant in the front of my hosta bed within 8' of the house and pretty close to the septic tank? Or maybe a tall well behaved shrub? Is there a hybrid lilac that has a great smell, is well behaved and doesn't send out suckers? I have a young Japanese Maple in a pot sitting in the middle of the bed right now but it will be moved. I don't think the maple would work in there, wouldn't it get too large? I also don't want a bunch of surface roots in the hosta bed since I will do a lot of digging in there. I need more shade in the bed it gets too much afternoon sun over the roof. A contorted willow would probably get too crazy with roots wouldn't it? Thanks.

Lana

This is uncanny -I have almost the same spot as you. I am also concerned about the septic tank!! I thought of a dogwood or crape myrtle!! There are many tall well behaved shrubs - what do you fancy!! Viburnum, deciduous and evergreen. Can grow to 20 feet some of them!! Photinia - red tips - evergreen!! Hawthorn, Crab apple (malus), Cherry (prunus)........just to name a few!!

Wow! I had no idea there would be so many I could put in this small touchy spot.

Lana

Ginkgo, Cercis, Catalpa? =)

What about an Althea (Rose Of Sharon), in the hibiscus family. They have beautiful blooms, you can choose from a variety of colors. You can let them grow to small trees , or prune them to keep them to size, and they are pretty much carefree.

Please don't plant the Photina, crabapple or ginko in this spot!!!

Thanks for the great advice folks. Please keep it coming, I'm all ears :~)

Lana

One of the other gardeners at this site reminded me of how much I an enoying the 2 Fringe trees I planted 2 years ago. (this is their 3rd spring). They were slow getting started,
just sat there the first year, held on last year, and this spring they look great, and I even have a few fringy white blooms on 1 of them. With or without the blooms they are quite beautiful, open,and airy. I planted them because I wanted something that would not get very large (15-20 feet max at full maturity) and would never require pruning. (Now, as far as the blooming, wish someone would tell me if both male and female trees have blooms? Maybe that is why only one of them is blooming. It is the most INTERESTING bloom, like little white tassels.

I still think a crabapple would look lovely. The photina would get rather large but thought it could be cut back. The fringe trees are lovely too!! A small hawthorn maybe!! Flowers in the spring and berries in the fall!! Or the winter holly - Ilex winterberry - I think!! :-) Take a look at this link Lana:-

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/county/smith/homegardens/easttex1.html#Anchor-SMAL-10159

Great link louisa! Thanks :~)

Lana

Glad to help Lana :-)

Golden rain tree, crabapple, small hawthorns, japanese red maple (small weeping types or the upright types). Those are some choices...and things I have. I would watch out with the shrubs like lilac or rose of sharon. Rose of sharon is like a weed where I am and they sucker like crazy, get too big and spread too wide for the space you describe. If I were to plant something there, I would do a Japanese red maple, the upright type. They're very pretty and it will give you room to grow things underneath.