Don't get me wrong, there are uses for all trees, the Silver Maple tree is good for flood plain areas because it can take the occasional flooding of water and is a great soil retainer. It just isn't ideal for an in town lot! Besides I just love to see Ivy grown up a tree and a Silver Maple can take the stress of it growing without dying. My husband asked if I would like him to cut it off our tree, I yelled NO! it took me 10 years to get it that way! He was afraid it would harm the tree. I like the many different kinds of Oaks that grow around here but don't have any in yard. I learned to plant smaller trees like Redbud and Dogwood here and Drawf fruit trees. We have a Elm tree an American Elm that is the largest in the County, it was in the news paper, it is in the fence row between us and the neighbor. In the paper it is their tree. When limbs were damaged and had to hire someone to cut, it is our tree. Jackie