12 Shade Trees for Fall Planting

Trees are your best bet when you shop for shade… Choose tall ones for general shade, low ones to pinpoint shadows. When planting trees it is for long term landscaping which increases property value over time.

Crimson King Maple

The foliage of this tree remain a deep red throughout the summer. Use it as an accent where you want dense shade. Like most maples, it has shallow roots and, as the tree ages, it is hard to grow a lawn beneath it. You can use ground covers as a green carpet, or try a tanbark, gravel or brick-on-sand surface for a shaded sitting place.

The tree grows quite rapidly in almost any type of soil, eventually reaching a height of 45 to 90 feet. A neat, clean specimen, it can be grown in even the coldest parts of the country.

Russian-Olive

An informally shaped tree or great shrub, the Russian-olive thrives in the cold North and well into the hot sections of the country. It has long, narrow, dull gray leaves which make it a fine accent plant. Shape it and prune it high if you want to enjoy the shade it casts.

This tree grows fast in youth and at maturity may reach 20 feet in height. It is drought resistant and is not particular about the soil in which it finds itself. The June flowers are fragrant but not showy, and the bark and branching habit are interesting to look at in winter.

Mountain Ash

The European mountain ash has eye-catching white flowers in May and orange fruit in early fall which attracts birds. It casts filtered shade. Use it as a lawn tree or garden accent, but not beside a terrace as the fruit fall can be messy.

It will grow in any garden soil, likes full sun and will grow to be 40 feet tall. In the East particularly, the trunk should be sprayed in April to June to control borers. The tree has an exotic appearance and, since its size is not overpowering, is useful for planting on small home grounds.

Redbud

The American Redbud (Cercis canadensis) joins flowering dogwood in its season of bloom. Little clusters of purple-pink flowers are conspicuous along its stems and twigs before the foliage appears. On an open lawn it rarely exceeds 20 feet. It is seen from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas.

Small nursery-grown trees are planted in fall and spring and soon make a good showing. They prefer a light, rich and moist soil and can be grown in sun or partial shade. The leaves are large and heart shaped, yellowing in early fall.

Japanese Dogwood

This small tree will not dominate a low house; in age it rarely exceeds 20 feet. Trim it high to shade a picture window. Its white bracts appear in mid-June with the foliage and resemble those of the flowering dogwood.

The leaves are dense and lustrous, turning a purple-brown in fall. The red fruit is conspicuous in summer when the tree is viewed close by. In a protected spot, such as in the angle of a house, it will grow in regions north of New York City but it is generally suggested for use in warmer climates.

Flowering Dogwood

This fine native is always tops on a popularity poll and this is as it should be. Scaled for small home planting, it gives a white or pink color display in spring and climaxes the growing year with bronze foliage.

It grows from Maine to Florida and west to Texas. Collected from the wild, it is hard to establish, but root-pruned nursery trees take hold rapidly. In the forest it may reach 40 feet, but along a terrace edge it is rarely seen over 25 feet tall. Broad-leaved evergreens and wild flowers grow well beneath it, or you may prefer an ivy ground cover.

Crab Apples

The Crab-Apples have beautiful spring flowers (many varieties are fragrant) and showy fall fruit. For the most part they are small, green-foliaged trees growing to 20 feet high, but some have rich red-bronze leaves. They thrive in apple-tree country, require a rigid spray schedule to be absolutely insect free and should not be planted near red cedars.

Use them to frame a low house or to accent a lawn.

Augustine Elm

The Augustine ascending elm, as its name implies, has a columnar form that adapts it to streetside and small-lawn planting. Grass is easily maintained beneath it because its root system is deep, and there is no litter from secdpods or fruit. Frequently seen in the Midwest, it will grow anywhere that American elms are found. It is said to be disease resistant.

The foliage is a deep, rich green; the strong branches are picturesque in winter and are not easily damaged by ice and wind, so it may be planted near a house.

Moraine Locust

The lacy green foliage of this tree, which as it ages resembles the American elm in form, casts filtered shade. It grows rapidly and a few years after planting will prevent the western sun from scorching the roof of a ranch house. It roots deeply and is seedless - ideal qualities for a lawn tree. It is also thornless.

Found in communities from Canada to Texas and from New York to Minnesota, this tree is insect free and has proven its ability to grow in either light sandy or heavy clay soils. In age it may exceed 60 feet in height.

Amur Cork Tree

This broad, spreading tree is for homeowners who want something a bit unusual. It will grow to be 45 feet high and may spread as much. It often has a short multiple trunk, and its branches and bark are interesting in winter. When the shallow, spreading roots and dense shade of the deep green compound leaves kill the lawn beneath it, spread a deep layer of gravel and you will have a ready-made patio.

Northerners and Southerners alike find delight in this tree, which will take bitter cold and hot dry summers.

Sunburst Locust

The feathery laves on the outside branches of the sunburst locust are a bright golden-yellow. A few years after planting, the tree becomes a startlingly big specimen. Lawns grow readily beneath it and it thrives almost anywhere in the United States and in practically any soil.

On large properties it can be used as a color accent in combination with other trees; in small yards it makes a good shade tree toward the back of the property where it can be viewedï across a foreground of lawn and green-foliaged low plantings.

Goldenrain Tree

In summer this drought-resistant tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) has yellow flowers in upright pyramids, followed by conspicuous seed pods. Shapely in an open situation, it rarely, however, has a straight trunk as pictured here.

Its compound leaves are rather coarse but tropical looking, and as the tree rarely reaches 30 feet, it can be used to filter the sun in a confined area at any given time of day. The tree thrives in almost any type of soil but cannot be grown in areas where the temperature drops much below zero.

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