What is a good shade tree for my backyard?
Question:I'm looking for a good shade tree for my backyard. I live in California, and according to Sunset we are in zone 7. I would prefer something that is evergreen and grows fairly fast.
Answers:
Well, evergreens don't make good shade trees because they don't have a spreading habit. A Cedar tree grows fast and is evergreen. You would have to prune the lower branches to create a canopy though. You will probably have to settle with something deciduous like a Pecan, Elm, Birch, all of which are great for shade. I just thought of another tree that is super fast to grow and creates great shade. The English Laurel grows very fast and creates a nice canopy of shade. It is not a large tree, but you should smell it when is flowers...it's heavenly.
Hi k p. A good shade tree for your back yard would be a maple or an oak. It will take about 20 years for it to be big enough to provide shade. Remember to plant it at least 25 feet from your house.As the tree gets bigger, branches and roots will have room to grow without interfering with you home. Good luck.
http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/vermon...
Here are a couple of evergreen fast-growers that would like zone 7:
Sequoia sempervirens= Coast Redwood
Magnolia grandiflora= Southern Magnolia
The Magnolia tends to be a bit messy though.
A good shade tree that grows somewhat fast would be almost any type of maple. Evergreens are usually not considered "shade" trees. . . a good rule of thumb for me for picking a shade tree is "The bigger the leaf, the better the shade". Oaks are good too, but tend to grow slower.
Look around and see if there's any eucalyptus trees in the area. Some varieties can grow in your zone. They grow very fast; can get rather large, are evergreen and are low maintenance.
Don't plant it next to the house!
More Related Questions & Answers...