HI, I have planted quite a few trees around my backyard, and recently dug up a large bush that was over 13 feet high. It has left a large “whole” in my privacy for next door neighbors and myself, and was looking at possible options. I have a lovely beech columnar purple color at one part of my garden i planted, that would be the perfect height and size, and have also planted along the garden, three different columnar oaks, a pyramidal, royal prince, and skyrocket….the spot i now need to plant is close to the house, and just want to ensure i don’t have too much of a root system to foundation…..measurement of the space at the house is upt to 14 feet away and seven feet between patio and neighbors fence…..how far away should i plant a columnar and are their some trees with less deep roots ? Would appreciate you advice, Attached is a picture of the side of the house, depth to plant is 7 feet and 14 feet from house to a large cat cage structure.
It’s always exciting to have space for a new tree. While it is not considered a good idea to plant a tree extremely close to a building, tree roots are not usually the cause of foundation problems as explained in this post by The Morton Arboretum: https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/tree-root-problems
Beech trees do tend to have a shallow root system. If you decide to plant a columnar Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck purple’), please keep in mind that the mature height can be 25’ – 50’ and the spread can be 6’ – 15’ and the roots can spread as wide as the tree. There are other cultivars of Fagus sylvatica that are more compact. Here is a previous Toronto Master Gardeners post regarding Purple Beech trees: https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/purple-beech-trees/
If you would like to consider a native tree for this location, a couple of suggestions are Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) and Blue Beech (Carpinus caroliniana).
This Toronto Master Gardener guide to tree planting may also be helpful as you embark on this project: https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/gardeningguides/planting-a-tree-a-toronto-master-gardeners-guide/