A Brief Guide to Shade Trees for Your Home
by Hege Crowton
Outside of man himself, trees have countless enemies. There are 200,000 known
kinds of insects that attack trees, in addition to diseases such as blight, rust and rot,
storms and droughts. Luckily, birds help to keep caterpillars, borers, beetles and
other insects in check.
Here is a quick reference guide to the best trees for shade and background:
American Beech
Beautiful tree with edible nut. Long-lived and relatively free from insect and fungal
diseases. For accent planting. May be clipped, as hedge, for formal settings
American Elm
Very tall, with attractive vase form. Early bloom. Excellent for shade but widely
disappearing because of Dutch elm disease, (pulvem necrosis)
American Linden
Tall tree. Provides dense shade. It has fragrant yellowish flowers. Prefers a
moderately moist soil.
Chinese Elm
Medium height. Small dense foliage. A rapid grower, excellent for screening or
windbreak. A wide spreading tree with slender limbs. Makes good shade in five
years.
Hackberry
Usually a small tree, but with a wide spread. Has cherry-like fruit lasting late in
winter. Survives drought, hardy in the cities.
Moraine Locust
Majestic tree. Hardy to cold. Survives drought and flooding, smoke and soot. Lawns
flourish under it since it is late in leafing, has no seeds to clutter lawn. Fast growing.
Norway Maple
Trees of medium height. Most widely planted street and lawn tree. Dense growth.
Symmetrical. Orderly habits—free of insects and disease. Leaves turn bright yellow
in fall.
Pin Oak
Remove lower branches if used for lawn tree. Least threatened by disease of all
shade trees. Not good in alkali soil. Makes good windbreak. Symmetrical and
pyramidal in shape with clean, glossy leaves. Turns scarlet in fall.
Red Oak
Rapid-growing tree with rounded head. A large tree appropriate for large lawns. Has
glossy, deep-cut green foliage, which turns deep red in fall.
Silver Maple
Most rapid growing of all maples. A large spreading tree. Well-cut leaf with a silvery
cast and silvery bark. Good sap for sugar making. Early blooming.
Sugar Maple
Grows well in any soil. Ideal for street planting as it grows straight and tall and
gives good shade. Turns beautiful orange and scarlet in the fall. Source of maple
sugar.
White Clump Birch
In natural setting or as lawn specimen, this multiple-stemmed tree is effective. White
bark. Upright growth with horizontal branches.
by Hege Crowton
Outside of man himself, trees have countless enemies. There are 200,000 known
kinds of insects that attack trees, in addition to diseases such as blight, rust and rot,
storms and droughts. Luckily, birds help to keep caterpillars, borers, beetles and
other insects in check.
Here is a quick reference guide to the best trees for shade and background:
American Beech
Beautiful tree with edible nut. Long-lived and relatively free from insect and fungal
diseases. For accent planting. May be clipped, as hedge, for formal settings
American Elm
Very tall, with attractive vase form. Early bloom. Excellent for shade but widely
disappearing because of Dutch elm disease, (pulvem necrosis)
American Linden
Tall tree. Provides dense shade. It has fragrant yellowish flowers. Prefers a
moderately moist soil.
Chinese Elm
Medium height. Small dense foliage. A rapid grower, excellent for screening or
windbreak. A wide spreading tree with slender limbs. Makes good shade in five
years.
Hackberry
Usually a small tree, but with a wide spread. Has cherry-like fruit lasting late in
winter. Survives drought, hardy in the cities.
Moraine Locust
Majestic tree. Hardy to cold. Survives drought and flooding, smoke and soot. Lawns
flourish under it since it is late in leafing, has no seeds to clutter lawn. Fast growing.
Norway Maple
Trees of medium height. Most widely planted street and lawn tree. Dense growth.
Symmetrical. Orderly habits—free of insects and disease. Leaves turn bright yellow
in fall.
Pin Oak
Remove lower branches if used for lawn tree. Least threatened by disease of all
shade trees. Not good in alkali soil. Makes good windbreak. Symmetrical and
pyramidal in shape with clean, glossy leaves. Turns scarlet in fall.
Red Oak
Rapid-growing tree with rounded head. A large tree appropriate for large lawns. Has
glossy, deep-cut green foliage, which turns deep red in fall.
Silver Maple
Most rapid growing of all maples. A large spreading tree. Well-cut leaf with a silvery
cast and silvery bark. Good sap for sugar making. Early blooming.
Sugar Maple
Grows well in any soil. Ideal for street planting as it grows straight and tall and
gives good shade. Turns beautiful orange and scarlet in the fall. Source of maple
sugar.
White Clump Birch
In natural setting or as lawn specimen, this multiple-stemmed tree is effective. White
bark. Upright growth with horizontal branches.
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