Tree for pool side

[turtle rock]

I'm looking for a deciduous tree to plant near a swimming pool (20' away), it should provide shade, not be messy, not be too tall (20' - 40') and have a clear trunk with branches starting at 6' or so (at maturity) (so the view isn't blocked by the top of the tree) and last but not least - of course be a fast grower!! I'm in zone 6 (Virginia) and the spot is full sun with fairly strong winter winds, good drainage, fairly crappy soil.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[JaneG]

Possibly bald cypress? We love them for some of the reasons you mentioned . . . fast growing and not messy.

Ours were planted as very small 4 foot tall starters in 2001 and are now 20 or so feet tall. They can adapt to wet or dry conditions. And they aren't messy. Most fast growing trees are weak and drop twigs all year long with every breeze. These never drop twigs. And instead of leaves it has these feathery-like things. They turn an attractive rust color in autumn before falling. They are so small you don't even have to rake, they just kind of disappear. We just leave them on the bed under the tree and the perennials under there don't seem to mind.

A similar tree for not having to rake is Honey Locust. The leaves are so small they just disappear into the grass. But if you go that route be sure to get a seedless variety, and one with a nice trunk, like Skyline Honey Locust. Many honey locust don't have a main trunk and can tend to have a rather crazy form, rather than a nice tree form. I'd say it's got a medium growth rate, but a little faster than some mediums.

I'm sure others around here have experience with more varieties and will chime in.

[Chris_W]

That's funny, because I was thinking along the same line as Jane mentioned. At my old place I planted a honey locust and it was quite fast growing, provided a lot of shade but wasn't too tall. In the fall there really were no leaves to rake.

Here I wanted some trees that would take the wind in the winter so I planted several bald cypress. They provide shade only late in the day because they are on the west side and block the late evening sun. Other trees provide shade the rest of the day.

I can't think of much else either, because everything else is ruled out for some reason...

[eastwood2007]

The one that comes to mind to me is Redbud. We have tons of them around here. They come in white and pink, too. I haven't noticed mine making lots of mess. The only time they really drop anything that I have noticed is the bloom petals in spring, and they lose their leaves in the fall. The bloom thing would happen long before you opened your pool, so if it is covered, it may not be a problem.

Let us know what you decide!