Trees safe for planting in the pasture? Would love something flowering or pretty, not just a pine or cedar of some sort. But would like something that’s also fairly quick growing. I will fence around the juvenile tree to keep the horses for bothering it till it’s mature. Will be a burial marker.
Birch trees, Ash trees, and Poplar’s are my go to’s. They are good shade trees, they are non-toxic and they look nice.
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We lost all of our established ash trees to the emerald ash borers. I don’t know if that’s a regional problem, but something to consider.
Birch trees have a virus (or something?) that’s going around, killing them en masse, so another thing to consider.
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Carpinus carolinana (Ironwood)
Tilia tomentosa (linden tree)
Betula nigra (river birch)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar)
A lot of states at least on the east coast, prohibit the movement of ash trees right now. In MD, our nursery isn’t allowed to purchase or sell them for instance.
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Tulip populars aren’t going to live as long as oaks but are a nice (quick growing) shade tree that have nice straight trunks. I’d choose one for a memorial for sure. Around here in southern PA they are handsome reliable trees.
Thank you for including the botanical names and not just the common names. I have seen more than once instance where a common name, in this case, the ironwood, which is used for more than one plant. In my case (SW), the ironwood is the Olney tesota) which is an absolutely beautiful tree but not so sure how it would do where you are 
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I settled on a River Birch for this instance. It’s beautiful. We have wet, sandy soil here, so it should work perfectly. The nursery sold me the largest Birch they had (It’s about 14 feet tall!!!) in hopes it would settle better in the horse field. I will still get permanent fencing put around it so my beavers cannot eat it.
I do love a Tulip Poplar. I hope I do not have another memorial site again anytime soon, though.
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Definitely put fencing around the birch if you have beavers! By the way, River Birch can get surprisingly big…we have the state champion for the "Heritage’ cultivar of a River Birch. It is on the top of a hill in dry soil. And when measured last year, came in at 70 feet in height and 43 feet in spread!
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We have Thornless Honeylocust we planted 4 years ago and they are huge already. We did protect them from the horses with fence while they were getting established. They have small leaves that just blow away to nothing in the fall. They are non-toxic to horses unlike black locust. I think they are really pretty.
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Wow! Do you have a picture? I’d love to see!
One good one is American sycamore Platanus occidentalis (not the sycamore maple of europe that is toxic). They grow quickly and have interesting bark. Avoid maples; the red maple is listed as toxic but in reality most maples have some cyanide in the leaves. Maples are Acer spc. Avoid Prunus spc also. Those are the plums, cherries, and peaches (the stone fruits). Some horses have trouble with oaks - they eat too many acorns and it can lead to founder.
