| Shade trees do not all necessarily shed their leaves in | | | | yellow-gold, to brown. The Florida maple, Acer |
| the fall (deciduous), but some shade trees are | | | | barbatum, shade tree turns a brilliant yellow color in |
| evergreen, and others can be classified as flowering | | | | the fall and then turns brown and remains on the |
| trees. The fact that shade trees can cool | | | | tree most of the winter. Other important shade |
| temperatures in the surrounding landscape and cool | | | | trees are the American elm tree, Ulmus americana, |
| off houses during the heat of the summer is well | | | | and the drake elm, Ulmus parvifolia 'Drake,' both |
| known. Some evergreen trees also provide shade all | | | | coloring yellow-gold in the fall. The winged elm tree |
| year, a factor that may be undesirable in some cases | | | | has strange scaly winged growths on stems and |
| during hard winter freezes, when an evergreen shade | | | | branches that are in demand by florists for their |
| tree may block off the heat rays from the sun that | | | | ornamental value in making dried arrangements. |
| might melt snow and ice from a house roof or | | | | The Chinese elm tree, Ulmus parvifolia, is known for |
| prevent infra-red light from warming rooms inside the | | | | its fast growth to provide quick shade. The Chinese |
| house. Extreme southern states home owners in the | | | | elm is one of the easiest shade trees to transplant |
| United States may prefer shade on homes and | | | | and can grow over 6 feet in one year if cared for |
| buildings year round, and such evergreen shade trees | | | | properly. The American Hophornbeam, Carpinus |
| as Live Oak tree, Quercus virginiana; Laurel Oak tree, | | | | caroliniana, is an under-planted shade tree that, during |
| Quercus laurifolia; and Darlington Oak trees,Quercus | | | | the fall leaf change, glows brightly in yellow-gold |
| hemisphaerica, would be desirable for planting near | | | | colors. The bald cypress tree, Taxodium distichum, is |
| houses. | | | | an excellent clean shade tree widely adapted to grow |
| Pine trees are also valuable shade trees for houses | | | | well on a variety of soil types. The bald cypress |
| and landscape gardens. Such perennial shrubs as | | | | leaves do turn yellow briefly in the fall, but the bald |
| Camellia japonica and azalea shrubs must have year | | | | cypress small leaf size requires no raking. The pond |
| round shade for proper flowering. The camellia shrub | | | | cypress shade tree, Taxodium ascendens, is a great |
| and the azalea plant will survive only on rare | | | | tree to grow around pond-houses and wetland |
| occasions if planted in the full sun. The dogwood and | | | | gardens, but should not normally be grown in well |
| redbud trees benefit from pine tree shade where | | | | drained locations. The pond cypress roots rise from |
| they flower abundantly. The cherry laurel tree, | | | | the water, swollen and large and are called cypress |
| Laurocerasus caroliniana Ait, is an evergreen shade | | | | knees. |
| tree that is covered with fragrant white flower | | | | The black gum shade tree, Nyssa sylvatica, grows |
| clusters in March. The cherry laurel tree is a fast | | | | well in wetlands and the shade is beneficial to many |
| growing tree, sometimes growing 6 feet per year. | | | | aquatic plants. The water tupelo (tupelo gum, also |
| Eucalyptus trees, Eucalyptus cinerea, are evergreen | | | | sour gum) shade tree grows aquatically in many |
| shade trees, but the 'Silver Dollar' eucalyptus tree | | | | lowland wet sites. The leaves of the black gum and |
| usually is limited to planting in the warm temperatures | | | | the water tupelo shade trees turn yellow-gold and |
| of zones 8-11. The exceptional menthol fragrance of | | | | orange in the fall. The Chinese parasol tree, Firmiana |
| all parts of the eucalyptus tree makes it especially | | | | simplex, forms an umbrella (parasol) canopy with |
| desirable where smog and other air pollution is | | | | large bat-shaped leaves that turn brilliant yellow, then |
| problematic. The loblolly bay tree, Gordonia lasianthus, | | | | orange, in the fall. |
| is often called the loblolly bay magnolia tree, and the | | | | The catalpa tree (fishbait tree), Catalpa bignonioides, |
| flower fragrance, white color, and form look like a | | | | has been used for centuries as a shade tree that |
| miniature flower bloom of the magnolia. | | | | attracts worms (fishbait) to be used in fishing. The |
| The southern magnolia tree, Magnolia grandiflora, is an | | | | Chinese tallow tree, Sapium sebiferum, is a fast |
| outstanding shade tree known for the gigantic 1 foot | | | | growing small shade tree that produces a |
| wide fragrant white flowers during the summer and | | | | kaleidescope of colors on leaves in the fall of yellow, |
| the glowing green waxy magnolia leaves that provide | | | | red, orange, blue, and purple. The Chinese tallow tree |
| dense shade. Because of the dense shade and the | | | | produces seedpods in the fall that look like popcorn |
| mats of succulent roots that rise to the ground | | | | after the leaves fall off, thus it is called the popcorn |
| surface (like cypress tree roots), few shrubs or | | | | tree. The corkscrew willow, Salix matsudana |
| perennials can be successfully planted and grown | | | | "Tortuosa," and the weeping willow, Salix babylonica, |
| underneath the Magnolia grandiflora trees. Other | | | | grow fast into shade trees with distinctive linear |
| shade trees that could also qualify as beautiful | | | | leaves that turn yellow in the fall. The Ginkgo shade |
| flowering trees are black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, | | | | tree, Ginkgo biloba, is one of the most famous of |
| shade trees that are covered with fragrant white | | | | the shade and its brilliant yellow-gold leaves that |
| flower clusters—just following the appearance of | | | | remain on the tree for a week or more when they |
| the fern-like, light green leaves. The black locust trees | | | | fall to form a bright yellow circle underneath the |
| leaf color changes to bright yellow in the fall, and the | | | | barren limbs. The ginkgo leaves have been found |
| wood has been used as waterproofed split-rail | | | | fossilized in the Oriental archaeological excavations. |
| fencing for centuries. The empress shade tree, | | | | The green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata, is a |
| Paulownia tomentosa, (Blue Dragon Tree, also | | | | fast growing shade tree useful as a landscape |
| Princess Tree) is also a flowering tree that produces | | | | specimen. The lombardy poplar tree, Populus nigra, is |
| gigantic blue-purple flower clusters triangular in shape. | | | | a fast growing tree, upright in form that is planted as |
| The empress tree is known as an extremely fast | | | | hedges and windbreaks in the Western United States. |
| growing shade tree that has been promoted by | | | | The river birch tree, Betula nigra, is a beautiful |
| former President Jimmy Carter. The wood is valued | | | | landscape tree with unique flaking bark that is |
| as very strong and light weight; desirable in the Far | | | | replaced by slick bark in the spring. The river birch |
| East for furniture manufacture and wood carving. | | | | can be planted as a single trunk specimen or as a |
| The golden raintree, Koelreuteria paniculata, is an | | | | clump. The sassafras shade tree, Sassafras albidum, |
| important shade tree, that in late spring is covered | | | | grows fragrant parts including the flower, bark, and |
| with large clusters of yellow-gold drooping flowers | | | | the roots that were used during the civil war to |
| that turn into attractive pink seed pods in the fall. | | | | make sassafras tea that produced a narcotic effect |
| The oriental look of the golden raintree makes it | | | | on wounded southerners. The Sourwood tree, |
| choice to grow as a specimen tree in garden | | | | Oxydendrum arboreum, and the sweetgum shade |
| landscapes. The red Florida buckeye, Aesculus pavia, | | | | trees, Liquidambar styraciflua, both produce |
| shade tree grows fast into small shade trees that | | | | spectacular leaf color in the fall, both the sourwood |
| flower brilliantly red in late spring followed by the | | | | and the sweetgum trees turn yellow, orange, and red |
| "good luck" buckeye seed. The thornless honeylocust, | | | | in progressing stages. The sycamore tree, Platanus |
| Gleditsia tricanthus inermis, shade tree has become | | | | occidentalis, is perhaps one of the best trees for fast |
| one of America's top choice flowering trees that also | | | | shade. Sycamore trees can grow to 2 feet in |
| functions as a fern-like leafy cover to mildly shade | | | | diameter & 50 feet tall in 20 years. |
| garden areas. The thornless honeylocust tree flowers | | | | Bamboo trees and bamboo plants have been used as |
| in various colored blooms, fragrant white, pink, or | | | | shade trees, privacy hedges, and borders. Bamboo |
| lavender, depending on the cultivar. The brilliant | | | | plants grow rapidly and 40-50 feet (Timber Bamboo) |
| yellow-gold color of the fall leaf change will stun your | | | | and are useful as windbreaks as well as shade |
| neighbors. The tulip poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, | | | | screens for privacy that cover 180 degree focused |
| shade tree is famous because of the flowers, as well | | | | light rays. Annual flower beds are often planted in |
| as for the shade benefit. The tulip poplar flower is | | | | front of bamboo tree screens for partial shade, and |
| yellow-orange, and shaped like a tulip or a small | | | | many shrubs and bushes grow well when placed in |
| teacup. The leaves of the tulip poplar tree turn | | | | front of bamboo tree screens, if the bamboo plants |
| brilliant yellow in the fall, an important tree for fall | | | | are the clumping type. |
| color. The beech tree, Fagus grandiflora, is a great | | | | Shade trees have been used through the ages to |
| shade tree that produces nuts that wildlife stores up | | | | shade landscapes, homes, buildings, or as shelter and |
| for winter meals. This very large growing shade tree | | | | food for wildlife. Some shade trees offer extra |
| has a leaf color change in the fall, but after the first | | | | benefits such as beautiful flowers or evergreen |
| freeze, the beech leaves turn tan-brown and remain | | | | foliage. Other shade trees can bear fruit, such as |
| on the tree like an evergreen tree until the new | | | | mulberry trees, apple trees, pear trees, and the |
| beech leaves appear in the spring. The beech tree | | | | evergreen loquat tree. Still other shade trees bear |
| leaf behavior is very bizarre. | | | | valuable tasty nuts, such as pecan trees, walnut |
| Maple trees and Oak trees offer many species for | | | | trees, and chestnut trees. Other than the shade |
| shade and leaf change color in the fall. The maple leaf | | | | benefit, bright leaf color of the fall cooling off period, |
| color can change to yellow, orange, and red. The Oak | | | | makes the planting and growing of shade trees a |
| tree leaf color can vary from red, to orange, to | | | | pleasurable and worthwhile effort. |