Looking for trees (Jacksonville: sale, house, live)

[Metalmilitia]

Hey people, I am looking to get a Red Maple to plant on the south side of my house to help shelter from the sun in the summer. A/C bill is getting outrageous and I think it would look beautiful in the fall and would really stand out. Does anybody know where the best place in the Jacksonville Area would be to find a cheap Red Maple tree? Any help would be appreciated.

[Metalmilitia]

Also, I have free Sago Palm trees, if anyone wants to dig them out.

[FLPL75]

There are many good nurseries in the area.
What part of town do you live.
Price will depend on the size of the tree and if you install it or have them

Wanting instant shade is going to require a pretty good size tree.
The nice thing is most nurseries will give you a year guarantee should the tree have a problem during the first year.

I really like Plant Ranch on Beach

Remember the old saying when looking at tree size
The first year they sleep
The second year they creep
The third year they leap

[Metalmilitia]

Awesome, thanks for the reply. I would want something more for next summer than this one. I know better than to expect instant results. I would be planting them myself, so most likely in the 8' range. I'll check out the place on Beach, since I am in the Arlington area.

[tamcim72]

We have a red maple planted by the builder 3 yrs ago @ 8'. Ours has done better than neighbors with continually fertilizing and water in the dry spells. It's about 20' tall now. Wishing we had planted better to shade the house but I was worried about planting close to the house for roots and roof damage. There is a "wild" red maple growing in along the wetland preserve in the back yard that has surpassed my builder tree. In 2 years it went from a seedling to over 20' but the trunk isn't thick yet.

[Metalmilitia]

Originally Posted by tamcim72

We have a red maple planted by the builder 3 yrs ago @ 8'. Ours has done better than neighbors with continually fertilizing and water in the dry spells. It's about 20' tall now. Wishing we had planted better to shade the house but I was worried about planting close to the house for roots and roof damage. There is a "wild" red maple growing in along the wetland preserve in the back yard that has surpassed my builder tree. In 2 years it went from a seedling to over 20' but the trunk isn't thick yet.

That is exactly what I am hoping for, and one of the reasons I picked Red Maple. With proper care, they grow really fast.

[riveree]

I planted a Florida Flame Maple and it is amazing how well it has taken off.

I bought the maple at Jacksonville's once-a-year Greenscape Tree Sale. It was barely 4 feet tall when I bought it and it's now about 12 feet tall and it's only been in the ground for 1 year.

Supposedly, the Florida Flame has stronger wood than some other varieties and I'm hoping that is true. Maples are notorious for weak wood and given our hurricane force winds, maples can be easily damaged.

Right now, my Flame is showing bright red new growth with the rest of the foliage in green....very pretty .

ENH-202/ST043: Acer rubrum 'Autumn Flame': 'Autumn Flame' Red Maple

Another deciduous tree worth considering is our native River Birch. My recently planted River Birch is an even faster grower than the maple, yet it's highly wind-resistant and long-lived. It has interesting peeling paper-like bark and beautiful small fluttery leaves that make a nice dappled shade.

Floridata: Betula nigra

Our Greenscape Tree Sale link:

Greenscape of Jacksonville