What are good climbing trees that I can plant in my backyard for my children in Northern Nevada?
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 nativ
