I want to transplant a tree

Question: My son has 2 crape Myrtle trees (old) in his garden he would like to take down.  My yard is in need of trees for privacy and natural barriers.  He in Germantown, me in Silver Spring.  Is it worth the investment to have them moved?  Is it good for the tree?

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 24, 2023, 11:24 AM EST
response: Hi,  Seeing the trees in the photos, we don't believe you will have much success trying to transplant them. They are fairly close together and most likely their roots are growing together, intertwined. They are also planted pretty close to the house and the fence so it's likely the roots go under neither the fence. It would be quite challenging the dig up their root masses to have a successful transplant. You can see more information on what would be required to transplant large trees and shrubs on your webpage.  Also transplanting trees (even planting new trees) puts stress on the plant. There is a pest that has been creeping up into Maryland with warming temperatures called Crapemyrtle Bark Scale. Our entomology team is still in the process of finding appropriate treatment for it. Trying to transplant these would more than likely introduce the scale when they are stressed and potentially cause more issues down the road. If you did want to attempt to move the trees, it would probably require a knowledgeable landscape professional. The cost for this may not be worth it. You could purchase new crapemyrtles and have them installed (and they would probably come with a warranty from your local garden center) for possibly for less or equivalent of the cost (depending on the size of the new trees). Crapemyrtles tend to grow fairly quickly so if it is a plant that you would want to use for screening, planting new trees is probably the easiest route to take.  Generally though, we recommend planting native trees for a number of reasons. Depending on the site qualities (space, sun/shade, deer presence etc) you could find another flowering tree that could provide screening and benefit native wildlife and hopefully not be as susceptible to disease and pests.  If you have further questions about the transplanting or maybe choosing a different tree that could work for your screening purposes, feel free to attach a photo of that space and we can guide you to other options that could work for you.  -Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 28, 2023, 8:46 AM EST
response: Emily, I am so appreciative for your very thoughtful response.  My son is trying to cull over grown areas in his garden and I am living in my home with a backyard whose views make us look like we are in a fish bowl... I thought the more mature the plant the better for my purpose.I have been researching native trees that will give me "quick growth" and wide boughs, and mature height is somewhere between 15 or 20 foot.  Am I on the right track?  Bark interest is as important to me as the leaves.  Hawthorne (winter king), Fringe tree, poplar tulip, Birch tree, Redbud, Service Berry, Yellow wood American, American Hornbeam. Too much I know.  I have watched this landscape change, water run off re-routed as neighbors add and re-build.  I want to enhance the spaces. pretty views from all sides/Thank you,Wendy

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 28, 2023, 1:58 PM EST
response: Hi Wendy,  Loving the plants you listed! Depending on the the exact location of them and how the sun moves around the yard with the tall White Pines, and also the low drainage area running along the fence, that would determine what would work best. You may also want to consider mixing some deciduous trees (everything you listed) with some evergreen trees or shrubs to create year round interest.  A few different trees and shrubs that could work along the fence where it looks like could stay a little wet in a rain even or during the spring: Clethra alnifolia - smells great! Sweetbay Magnolia - blooms, attractive red fruit clusters afterwardsInkberry Holly - maybe in less of a wet area or on the edgeAronia arbutifolia  'Brilliantissima' - Red fall color, red berries in winter Hydrangea arborescense - cultivars available that don't 'flop' as much - not super wet River birch - this will get fairly bigWinter Berry Holly - female varieties get redberries in the winter that can be really striking - need to have a male matching cultivar near by the polinateServiceberry Winter Kind Hawthornvarious perennials For the property line that is near the pine trees if it gets around 6 hours or more of sun:RedbudYellow Wood Blueberries - nice fall color and edible!Grey Owl Juniper Cherry Laurel (not native - but not invasive)NinebarkOakleaf HydrangeaOrnamental native grasses various perennials You could explore out web resource for mixed privacy screens to get some ideas on how to arrange different plants and create a nice screening effect in terms of seasonal variety, textural variety, and to provide diversity and safeguard against potential insect and disease problems. Clemson University has an informative page on this as well.  You can start with the larger trees and shrubs and fill in, in between as they become established and as your budget allows. Maybe starting with just a tree or a few trees at first and build the screen and planting beds as you go.  You can start with a broad landscape plan and implement it in stages. An inexpensive way to start planting beds or areas is with wood chips if you are planning on different stages for planting. This way you can accomplish removing the turf with out a lot of digging which can damage the soil structure. You can see the different techniques on our webpage for lawn removal. You could layer with cardboard or newspaper and pile the wood chips on top (or even just a thick amount of the wood chips). You would then want this to sit for about 6-8 weeks or a season to decompose the turf underneath. Usually you do this in the fall and plant in the spring, but you could also plan for a fall planting this way too.  This is a lot of information for you to go through, so feel free to explore more options and come back to us with further questions.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 28, 2023, 8:04 PM EST
response: This has been great.  Thank you SO MUCH for the information.  I feel forearmed enough to start planning now.Warm Regards, WendyOn Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 1:58 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied March 02, 2023, 9:04 AM EST
response: Hi Wendy,  That's great! Feel free to re-connect again should you have questions pop up. Emily