A different kind of tree question...

[CVKealey]

This is hammock-adjacent, but bear with me a bit. A few years ago, we had three large trees (two of which were unhealthy and the other that was causing neighborly strife) removed from our back yard, leaving it devoid of all plant life (aside from grass and weeds). In any event, I'm looking to plant 2 or 3 trees with the long-term goal of spending my retirement years (about 10-15 years out) swaying in a hammock beneath them.

So, the question is what type of tree would be a good choice for this? I'm planning on young trees, not saplings, so what variety could reasonably be expected to grow to hammock-appropriate size within 10 years? What would be a good distance between them?

And yes, I know that planting some 6x6s in concrete would be a faster option, and I might do that in the short-term, but I'm looking to also enhance the aesthetic of a very empty yard.

[iceman857]

Since you really need something with a 6" diameter as a minimum, I'd look for trees that grow quickly and have fewer branches lower to the ground. Figure out what climate zone you are in (Philadelphia is located in USDA hardiness zone 7b), and then find a fast growing tree that works in that zone. Top 13 Fastest Growing Trees – FastGrowingTrees.com (fast-growing-trees.com)

[TominMN]

Maple? Grows fast and, depending on the species, beautiful in autumn.

[cougarmeat]

Understand the root system too. For example, the Aspens around here have a very shallow root system - maybe because the "sub-soil" is lava rock. So, though the trunk size might seem worthy, Aspen might not be the best tree - too easy to push over - if you have alternatives.

[bamacummins]

Yellow (tulip) poplar grows pretty quick.


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[Watertooner]

Some trees ooze or spit sap. Avoid those.

[joe_guilbeau]

[ATPringles]

You might want to talk to your town’s arborist. They would have a good idea of what grows well in your area, and what will grow fast enough to meet your needs, but will also not grow so fast that you’ll have to be cutting them down again.

[WV]

When I bought my house, it came with five hybrid poplars in the yard, about 5" in diameter. They must have been planted less than five years before, and they weren't quite strong enough to hold up hammocks. Faced with visiting nieces one summer, I staked two of them out and thereby made them strong enough to withstand the pull of a hammock with two little girls in it. The next year, they didn't need staking. A few years later, they were a foot in diameter. A few years later, one of them got rotten and fell on my house. Not long after that I cut all the rest down because the balsam firs and blue spruces I had planted to block the wind were big enough to hang from. Of course, I had to thin them out some. When you plant trees in an empty yard, some of them will always turn out to be too close to the house. My advice: avoid fast-growing trees, find out what species do well in your neighborhood, have a plan B, make the long-term health of the trees the top priority, and if necessary put off retirement.

[Silverpalm2x]

We had a tulip poplar we got as a twig on earth day. We planted it. I used to mow around it by walking over it. When we moved it was taller than me. Still would be able to hang on.

I would buy a stand or posts in the ground.