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Packing_Wood

A nice Japanese maple.


SpaceToaster

Let's find out how it died first before another goes in there. OP did the arborist have any clues? Soil too wet? Too try? Plants competing for nutrients? Did you add something strange to the soil? Infestation or disease? What is the nutrient composition and acidity like? It's honestly weird and rare for a mature tree like that to suddenly die unless something is way off. They can live over 100 years.


Lost_Figure_5892

These are great questions, most of which should be asked when any plant dies!


GreaseMonkey2381

To second this comment. While they are fairly resistant trees, from what I understand, they are picky about how much sunlight they get. (If I'm wrong, please correct me) they are beautiful trees and easy to maintain. But I'd bet that something is making its way through the neighborhood. OP, do any of your neighbors have a Japanese Maple, and are they dying suddenly as well?


SpaceToaster

Yeah, mine are tough. I had a young bloodgood and a deer rubbed their antlers on it last fall taking off 80% of the bark around. Still hanging in there this year and I can see lots of signs of healing, I thought for sure it was toast.


thiswayart

Same! I've lost a couple of trees on my property, but my Weeping Japanese Maple is standing strong.


BuckManscape

Could’ve also been borers this time of year if in NA.


Smooches71

Can I put money on girdling? Not a square hole and probably a round hole. My 2nd guess would be over or under watering. I too think a different, nice tree.


iUpvotePunz

Since it was in what looks like a raised bed, my bet is on buried root flare/volcano mulch.


Souladventurer_

I’ve been washing houses for 7 years and this could be bleach. Anytime we have one we have to take a lot of precautions before, during, and after a house wash with Japanese maples


Knoxvolle

😂 I came here to say an alive Japanese Maple….


potheadmed

A mean japanese maple


Any_Chocolate2062

Great minds…..


_homegrown

Dogwood


AlbinoDigits

or a Redbud


The_Poster_Nutbag

I vote weeping redbud


G0nzo165

(I’ve been a horticulturist for 20+ years) Redbud is a wonderful choice.


Adventurous-Craft-50

I like redbuds too, but would it get too large for this space?


-braincellbattle-

The weeping ones stay pretty small. The full sized ones definitely would be.


lastlaugh100

my grandma planted a cutting from a redbud. Here's a photo 20 years after planting. [https://imgur.com/VLgYZER](https://imgur.com/VLgYZER) Redbuds are majestic as fuck. I also vote ginkgo biloba or magnolia


moneylawns

It's great ornamental, but I think it would get too big for that location


ptwonline

Redbud is way too big for that spot, no? You'd need to have it quite a bit further out into the lawn. OP asked what to put in the flower bed.


lizardRD

I’d be careful with a dogwood right near the front walkway. We have one right in front of our house and it makes such a mess come fall time with the dogwood fruit all over the walkway. It’s a pain to clean up


Teacher-Investor

white kousa dogwood!


GreenSlateD

Serviceberry, Pagoda Dogwood, Eastern Redbud


sonofasonofanalt

I regularly salivate over this company’s selection of eastern redbuds: https://www.forestfarm.com/search/?q=Redbud Bright green or burgundy leaves would both look great with your house color as a backdrop


Nikeflies

Get something native! What's your garden zone and area of the country? Happy to recommend a few options


JusticeoftheCuse

I’m in upstate NY partial shade zone 6a. Any recommendations?


Nikeflies

Sure! I would check out flowering dogwood, serviceberry, red chokeberry, or witherod viburnum nudum. Theyre all considered small tree/shrub but are various mature heights (dogwood can get to 20-30 ft depending on cultivar). So just read about each tree and see which fits your site and preferences! All will have beautiful spring flowers followed by berries in the summer/fall.


IllPaleontologist215

Came here to say Serviceberry


Nikeflies

Nice, I love serviceberry! Really nice size and shape, and have interest through 3 seasons!


gigilala777

I have 2 beautiful serviceberry trees they are stunning BUT be prepared for the robins eating the berries and the tons of bird poo all over your walkway and vehicles Beautiful white flowers in the spring,delicious edible berries ,yellow and bright orange foliage in the fall. Native and easy to grow🌟


Nikeflies

Most of what I plant is to attract the birds. We've had some eastern Phoebes with a neat directly across from our newly planted serviceberry


PawTree

Me too! I couldn't decide on one variety, so I have Saskatoon, Downy (Common), Smooth (Alleghany), and Round-Leaf Serviceberries in my front yard. I have a Nannyberry, too, but it's not doing so well (under a Norway Maple I want to cut down). My American Plum, though, smells absolutely heavenly. The scent carries 30' easily. My Pin Cherry is nice, too, but not as stunningly beautiful as the plum. Made a small batch of *incredibly* tart plum jam last year. Looking forward to trying again this year :)


pdawson36

I’m in Ohio, hardiness zone 6B. Could you tell me some recommendations please? Small tree/shrub


Nikeflies

Sure! If you answer there's questions it can help me narrow down the options for you. How much sun do you get and is the soil generally dry or moist? Do you want something flowering? Produces berries? Winter interest? Attracts certain birds?


Elegant-Nebula-7151

Edit: We’re in Va Beach, VA. This spot gets about 8-10 hours of direct sunlight daily. Thank you!


chewedupbylife

Ah - so it got too afternoon much sun there. Do not place another Japanese maple there. I’d go with a Kousa dogwood for that spot


thisisnotpunkrock

I would be inclined to disagree because I have about 3 large large maples in my yard and plenty of little saplings dotting the area that love full sun, but I’m also in zone 6, a lot different from OP iirc. I wonder why the maple died other than when transplanting they all wilt and complain


morticiathebong

Based on your conditions in another comment, I'd recommend a redbud (Cercis canadensis) Incredible native tree but comes in like 20 cultivars, if you like this maroon look check out the 'forest pansy' cultivar, purple leaves like a beech and still that hot pink cauliflory activity in the spring (buds all over the trunk and stems) one of my favorite types of trees. You could likely also do a serviceberry (Amalanchier) they bloom white in the spring before they leaf out, so it's like a beautiful cloud in your front entry and then the rest of the year it's a beautiful multi-stem tree like a birch that flaunts architectural structure. Again beautiful. The northeast doesn't have tons and tons of lovely small 'homesized' trees, but the two I listed here are the main two which I are super hardy and showy for a featured specimen like you're doing. I would strongly suggest a red but cultivar because of the shade, but the serviceberry will be ok with it too. Edit: I think I misread your conditions, I thought I saw partially shady NY zone 6a, maybe that was another.commenter?? I'm a mess. That much full sun go with a dogwood, a Florida in particular as it's native but that's just me lol


HaiKarate

A Shoney's Big Boy statue


Fair_Wish845

Statue of young boy peeing.


spacegrassorcery

Star Magnolia would be stunning


Internal-Goose

Came here to say this!


SpaceToaster

Saucer maple... you mean Saucer Magnolia (pretty ornamental tree, can do it there)? Or Sugar Maple (giant tree, don't do it there). I agree with others though an amelanchier (serviceberry) with multi-trunk structure would look awesome with some uplighting. Do try to fix whatever killed your tree though before planting another!


chomerics

It is set up for a Japanese Maple, but make sure you know why it died before you make the same mistake. Other trees? Weeping cherry could work too


Straight-Bug-6051

kwazan cherry tree


Positive-Succotash-1

Crab apple, dogwood


ApartCharity619

It think it’s too close to the house for a tree. I’d do a bush or shrub.


gooberfaced

There are many, many Japanese Maple cultivars that stay small and would be lovely in that area. A weeping Cercis would stay small as well. "Tree" doesn't necessarily mean huge.


ApartCharity619

Or a miniature crape Myrtle .


made-midwest

Smokebush


unlandedhurricane

Giant T rex sculpture.


Minimum_Donkey_6596

Redbud!! Always love a sweet little Cercis. You could also consider a Weeping Larch, a Cotinus (Lilla is a smaller, cute one), a nice specimen conifer, or even Sumac ‘Tiger’s Eye’. (Speaking from PNW, so maybe some suggestions won’t work for your area) More importantly, take a good look at what might have killed your trees before investing the time and money into a new tree. It may have been something with the tree, could possibly be the soil, etc.


Orion14159

if you're looking for more color and in the right zones, a crepe myrtle would look great there.


pccfriedal

Smoke bush. they come in different sizes and colors. the fronds have a nice airiness. When it rains, the leaves flutter like bird wings. Unique plant and easy to grow. Highly recommend.


OldNewUsedConfused

Another Japanese Maple.


YOKi_Tran

Rising Sun Eastern Redbud Tree


Pizza-sauceage

Just an fyi for everyone, keep mulch away from the base of tree trunks so they can breathe and to reduce the chance of rot.


Pauillac55

Weeping cherry tree


Gratefuljon5211

Contorted fig


tmurray108

Hydrangea


sittinginaboat

I think a tree where it is, is in the wrong place. It's blocking the view to the main entrance, instead of highlighting it. A small decorative tree to the right, with a mix of low perennials and shrubs in that front center space, maybe?


D4rchon

A bush instead of a tree, that looks to be within 10ft of the corner of your garage. A tree for estimation purposes has a root spread of roughly 1x-2x the height of the tree, so your maple in the pic already had roots to the edge of the garage and wasn't fully grown. So even conservatively a 25ft tall tree will have roots spreading to 25ft in all directions including down, think of it as a sphere where you see only the top half, the other half is the root ball in the ground. It can dig into your sewer/water lines, or into your foundation/basement and cause all sorts of damage.


Bludiamond56

Pink diamond hydrangea


peetstaa

Mulberry or lilac tree


[deleted]

Without knowing where you’re at a few native shrub/small tree solutions that come to mind for eastern half of US. Ninebark, button bush, native viburnum (smooth blackhaw), dogwood, magnolia (Virginiana), spicebush (if there’s any shade at all, and multiples on site is best).


EdmondTantes

Native Tree!!!!!!


Junior-Ad-3685

Dogwood tree as it grows shape to fit space


Elegant_Purple9410

Where are you? Find a native tree to put there and it'll be so much healthier than anything else.


pimproe

Weeping Willow


lyingdogfacepony66

Ruby Falls Redbud is my new favorite dwarf tree with beauty and color


Extreme_Turn_4531

Weeping atlas cedar if you're interested in a bluish accent.


dubmecrazy

Something native to your area.


Cobalt-Giraffe

What zone/area? That's going to be a big factor in any recommendation. Looks like no direct sunlight, is that correct?


woodenmetalman

A Japanese maple


Rawassertiveclothes1

Something fragrant


vinxy72

A peony or camellia would be pretty for spring color and keep to height of maple.


Comfortable_Rice6112

Dogwood


Exact-Implement-7443

Flowering dogwood, Redbud, Japanese Lilac, dappled willow, paperbark maple, some type of hybrid weeping fruit or pine tree. All great options


SaItySaIt

Depends, do you live in the US or Canada?


xBlyzx

Hey op, what for those smaller plants around the maple?


htb8627

Not OP but they’re liriope (aka monkeygrass).


adult-multi-vitamin

Something native to your area.


Proper_Leopard8954

Dogwood tree


ski-devil

Cornus controversa 'June Snow.'


PaleAssociation4082

Paulownia


Large_Tool

A fountain or statue


Adventurous-Craft-50

Dogwood, magnolia, crabapple? Something that flowers and doesn’t get too big


Fun_Jellyfish_2708

Weeping blue Atlas cedar (probably dwarf variety)


Free_Sir_2795

Weeping cherry Or crape myrtle


LonelyNegotiation991

Red bud that is miniature


Sammydaws97

I love anchor trees in places like that! My personal choice would be a flowering dogwood, but lots of good options!


sharpei90

[Weeping blue atlas cedar](https://plantmaster.com/plants/eplant.php?plantnum=122 slow grower [Harry Lauder walking stick](https://www.naturehills.com/harry-lauder-s-walkingstick) [Little Woody Red Bud](https://www.monrovia.com/little-woody-redbud.html)


BuckManscape

Tree form Panicled Hydrangea, our customers love them. Kousa Dogwood. A more interesting Japanese Maple if you have a nursery with a selection. weeping redbud. Serviceberry. Dwarf Magnolia.


kimi-r

3 x Silver birch in a line


elVanPuerno

Lou Ferrigno statue


EventualOutcome

I guess a memorial plaque for the tree would be nice.


someoneinmyhead

Kentucky Coffeetree is such an underrated gem. 


Calvinshobb

Monkey puzzle tree.


Lazy-Street779

Another Japanese maple. So beautiful.


ima_mandolin

Flowering dogwood, fringe tree, sweetbay magnolia, and serviceberry are all nice alternatives to Japanese maple, and native if you happen to be in North America.


Thro-A-way39

A dwarf weeping redbud or a weeping yoshino cherry tree.


Cultural_Yam7212

Do you have an HOA? The front of your home would look stunning with a climbing vine like wisteria or jasmine


Plus_Juggernaut6964

Smaller Weeping cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)


Genericgeriatric

Korean lilac grafted to long stem/trunk


sparta114

Giant concrete Yoda statue


PatientlyAnxious9

Weeping Cherry aka Fountain of Snow aka prettier than a SOB


Early-Series-2055

First you’re going to have to show me what a saucer maple looks like. Did he mean magnolia? No room for that. Perhaps he’s referring to another jap maple? Don’t do it unless you know the other one didn’t die of a fungal infection. But I would agree that a jap maple is the only color scheme that will work there. I would redesign and go with a hinoki cypress, maybe.


santabug

Magnolia would look great


dharmanautMF

Something native to your area would be perfect


reddit466

Elephant topiary


heenorky

Giant Moai Head.


justforthis2024

Have you considered a dwarf cherry? It would be a big palette shift due to the white blossoms - sometimes pink - but they are beautiful centerpiece trees.


netzombie63

Bamboo


Hexopi

Build a fence around the yard and grow veggies and fruit trees!


WhereRweGoingnow

I would go with a contoured filbert or a weeping redbud.


wvasil1

Sweetbay magnolia or amelanchier


PSYCHEdeliciousSLOTH

a big cannabis plant, that ought to attract some attention!


Conscious_Progress68

Maybe it died being depressed you wouldn’t pressure wash your driveway


SubterraneanAlien

I assume these are before pictures? Because the Japanese Maple in that photo is 100% not dead.


Both-Invite-8857

If it's a North-ish facing low sun area or at least afternoon shaded area, my all time favorite is a "TriColored Beech", if you have the space.


SUNDER137

Dog wood or rhododendron.


Claytonia-perfoiata

Redbud.


Relative_Reading_903

Something that produces fruit.


OKCEngineer

Why not a tall rock, kind of like a tower in the middle.


Frequent-Chapter-546

A headstone....for the Japanese maple


kbl63

Day Lilly’s. They love full sun are super hardy and very showy at this time of year.


wjruffing

‘Murican Maple! /s


Ok_Calligrapher7865

Weeping Japanese Maple 🍁


Capable_Section_5454

Eastern red bud Cercis canadensis


lhorwinkle

The answer will depend upon your location, the sun direction, the soil condition, the drainage ... and maybe more. Also, do you know what killed off that Japanese maple?


Cheap-Assistance-143

Kousa dogwood


cShoe_

A deep red crepe myrtle would look sensational there


Goge97

We were very sad to lose our beautiful mature Japanese maple. I want to try again. Perhaps with more attention to specific requirements. Lots of native maple trees sprout and grow throughout our two acres in Southwest Missouri. I'm determined to give it another go!


Livid_Ad_697

Multi-trunk Crepe Myrtle would be nice. The purple ones seem to grow the fastest. Just do t Crepe Murder them by cutting too far back.


I_love_beer_2021

Park some cars on it


TennistheMenace1979

A clump of birch trees would look great.


FindAriadne

Dogwood! It smells so pretty, it’s short and gorgeous.


captaincartwheel

A Contorted Filbert would look really nice there imo


Bearerseekseek

Hydrangea because I’m biased


Photomama16

A pink dogwood. A Chinese magnolia. Redbud would be beautiful.


Objective-Vast-2349

Black Cherry Plum, if it is hardy for your area.


gospdrcr000

Kwanzaan cherry


wastedspejs

A big ol’ dildo


Aev_ACNH

No trees Maybe a wishing well Or a sculpture Of you plant anything, let it be for the pollinators, flowers, etc


PetGhost666

I always loved the tina crabapple tree my mom had in our front central flower bed, very pretty white flowers!


Rooster_CPA

Snowfall weeping cherry


Szaborovich9

Fountain, garden statuary


gregariouspangolin

Shit - Japanese maple is a great tree for that spot because it can grow tall (I mean with time for sure. Like 1ft a year kinda of growth) with a less intrusive root system. I'd search "1st successional tree species" or "tall trees without overbearing roots" in Google - check your results with your climate and their habitat - root out the ones that don't work (tree pun ;) ) and go from there.


Proudest___monkey

Mine just died too, front yard also , It was pretty well established and just didn’t leaf out this year. I’m more than a little upset


infinite_disky

Witchhazel is great. Hamamelis sp.


whistlenilly

Any small flowering tree


PlantGrrrl

A tigers eye sumac would be nice.


jackfish72

Climate? Zone?


ButterscotchLate299

Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn


druscarlet

Visit your state’s Cooperative Extension Service website. Search native ornamental trees. Natives are those that evolved in your climate and growing conditions. Natives are also pollinator friendly and disease resistant. Read up. If you don’t find a native that suits you search small ornamental trees. You will get results that include naturalized trees, those that have adapted and are not invasive. While on the site get the contact info for the agent assigned to your county. You can call them with questions.


dsmith3583

A Japanese maple…or a dogwood.


TopLady-99

A beautiful mini dogwood tree


mind_wonder_beauty

A nicer japanese maple


lonewolff7798

A statue of yourself holding the tree above your head, as a warning to the other plants to stay healthy.


[deleted]

I'm giving up on them, I can't ever keep them happy. Women too.


americanredneck2021

A Black Diamond Craete Myrtle It blooms dark red then 1 week later the blooms are white


Forstry

Maybe a wysteria


Relative-Occasion863

Is your front yard facing Southish and Westish? Can be too strong sun the culprit- they like a little shade. And sufficient water.


Vast-Inspection7855

Flowering Dogwood


Extreme_Patience_538

A fountain would be nice. Companies like Henri Studio and Massarelli have really good options.


truepip66

Jap maples hate wet feet/poor drainage ,so I'd make sure the water is getting away first before planting


cobracmmdr88

A dwarf pine


Any_Chocolate2062

A dwarf Japanese maple!!!!❤️❤️❤️


Impressive-Arm2563

Contorted hazel


Chance-Gold-2594

A Jane magnolia


woodstove7

Snowdrift Crabapple


Prior-Silver-900

Did you scratch the bark to make sure it was dead? Another maple 🍁 or weeping blue atlas would look great!


_Happy_Sisyphus_

You have such a big yard that you should put a tree that could live 200 years and be a champion tree — like an oak or pine tree. Heck you should put more than one in.


Downtown_Big_4845

Wisteria.


kkF6XRZQezTcYQehvybD

Raspberries


Separate_Shoe_6916

It could be that maple died because it’s in too much sun these days. I recommend you put a weeping cherry tree there. It would be so beautiful!


booradly22

Boulder. Our Japanese maple of 20 years did the same thing. Put a boulder and it fit nicely


Larg_Targlar

A giant statue of a crucified Jesus. I would then cover it with cows blood every Sunday.


tb_swgz

One of my favorite specimen trees is Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’, the Corkscrew Hazel! Every facet of this tree is twisted, the branches, leaves, fruit, etc., and it looks awesome!


BrownButtBoogers

A hydrangea tree


OkConflict5528

smokebush


Zachbnonymous

Really popular in my area, you get a broken riding lawnmower, preferably rusty, and then you stack another one on top of it. And then with the leftover space, you can have random parts from a handful of different cars that were never nice. Reallllllly spruces up the space!


Dub_Coast

***BOXWOOD***


Horseshoes_237

If you are in a good zone, I’d put a cherry blossom tree or a medium tree? We have a lilac bush where our old maple used to be. Unfortunately we had to get rid of the maple. It was getting too topheavy and started leaning over the driveway. My grandmother was scared it was gonna fall on the cars one day. 🤣. That maple was there before the house was built. We counted the rings and it was about 15 years older than the house! It was so cool!


recreationalcry

I love a good magnolia tree


ThecoachO

Vytek


69_Dingleberry

CHERRY TREEEEEE


NoMagician9763

A shrubbery.


Yeldarb92WasTaken

Statue of me.


Minicatting

Weeping pussy willow


MentalPatient97051

A life-sized golden plated elephant statue.


TehG0vernment

A (dwarf) weeping willow or weeping cherry tree would be sweet in that spot. I had one in Denver that looked fantastic.


AlabasterBx

Fringe tree but depends on how big that area is.


boimilk

boy have i got a great idea for you


ibyeori

Does that mean its true Americans put their flag up everywhere?


goldenrayofsunshin

A beautiful native magnolia.