Q: I just removed an old willow oak from the front of my yard due to disease. I would like to replace the tree and was wondering what type of tree I should consider.

A: You have several choices and I always begin with red maple cultivars. ‘Autumn Blaze’, ‘October Glory’ and ‘Autumn Flame’ are all fast growing and have excellent fall color. Red oak and Shumard oak are often used in Georgia. River birch and American beech should also be considered. I have a list of many other shade trees at xrl.us/fasttrees.