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A good tree for children to climb?
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Posted by GabrielleMM NSW Australia (My Page) on Sun, Nov 6, 05 at 22:33
| Having had some excellent trees for climbing in our garden whilst growing up, my son would like to have some for his own children. There are no suitable trees in his backyard and he has asked me what is a fast growing tree which would be a good climber? Frankly I don't know! Perhaps someone amongst the forum readers may know of a suitable tree - please advise! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| Being a compulsive tree climber myself (considered mad by many, at my age), I find some of the more woody wattles among the safest trees to climb. This is because the branches are virtually unbreakable. I have collected seed from the tops of the crowns of A. elata, A. melanoxylon and A. binervia over 10 m high, and branches only an inch thick just bend gently beneath your weight. If you don't believe me, try breaking off a (live) branch from one of these species. And all these wattles are quite fast-growing. A. binervia has the disadvantage of rather flaky bark which can be a bit harsh on the skin, but the other 2 have smoother bark. Another disadvantage is that the lowermost branches tend to die while still very small, so the lowest climbable branch may be 2-3 m above ground. Having just pruned some ancient apple trees for a friend I can also vouch for those, too, having almost unbreakable limbs. But you would need to be in a cool climate, tableland country in NSW. Among smaller natives, you could think about something like Callistemon viminalis, low-branching but also very tough-branched. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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- Posted by lakota SW West Aust (My Page) on
Mon, Nov 7, 05 at 6:24
| Nothing can beat climbing a mulberry tree and feasting on that gorgeous fruit. They don't grow as quick as wattles but if fed well they can put on some good growth. Jacarandas are also wonderful to climb and depending on the area can grow quite quickly. Have fun climbing, Jules |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| I vote for the Mulberry, ,good feed, purple clothes and face and all that aside. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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We had an Acacia longifolia that was a great climbing tree for a younger child (not too high). It grew really fast but of course was not a long lived tree. Just be aware they are a bit of a weed in some areas.
Cheers,
Dee. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| I also vote for the mulberry. I think they are ideal for kids for climbing, shade, leaves for silk worms and, of course, mulberries. They grow very quickly. I was picking mulberries the first season after the tree was planted. Dwarf varieties are available if you don't want it too big but they are easily pruned to size. For an added cubby for kids, you can make it a weeping tree by weighting young branches with little bags of stones. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| Thanks folks! I have found your suggestions very helpful and am off to buy a Mulberry tree for starters. Gabrielle |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| Can't beat european oak in my opinion. Beautiful spreading lofty canopy, nice horizontal braches. Also horse chestnut. Gorgeous trees, beautiful in leaf and in flower! As kids we used to climb willows but I would not recommend this. The branches are VERY brittle. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| These are lovely but I do not think they would be suitable for the area my son has in mind - and he needs something which is a fast grower. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| I grew up climbing black wattles and these will grow fast enough to out pace the need of the kids. I planted a couple when my daughters were 6 & 2 and 3 years later they were climbing up it and onto the garage roof. My favourite trees for climbing as a kid were cypruss, but they take too long to grow. |
RE: A good tree for children to climb?
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| I loved the mimosa tree down here in the south. Easy to climb up, and lots of branches to sit on! |
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