A shade tree is a large tree whose primary role is to provide shade in the surrounding environment due to its spreading canopy and

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

, where it may give shelter from

sunlight Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible spectrum, visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrare ...

in the heat of the summer for people who seek recreational needs in urban parks and house

yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English units, English unit of length in both the British imperial units, imperial and US United States customary units, customary systems of measurement equalling 3 foot (unit), feet or 36 inches. Sinc ...

s, and thus, also protecting them from the sun's harmful UV rays. Ahorn bluehend2

Some of the most popular shade trees in

temperate countries In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...

are

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

plane trees ''Platanus'' ( ) is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. The type ...

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

es,

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

es,

maple ''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...

s, ashes, lindens, and elms. In subtropical countries like Australia and India,

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and i ...

are popular choices as shade trees. In tropical countries, trees such as some ''

Erythrina ''Erythrina'' is a genus of plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, with the larger species growing up to in height. These species ...

'' and African tulip tree species are often planted as shade trees.

Specialities

These trees are commonly grown, and/or used, as shade trees due to their protuberant size:ABC - Gardening Australia - Shade Trees
/ref> Melaleuca_decora_habit

Angophora_costata_-_spreading_crown_habit

American elm ''Ulmus americana'', generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. The trees can live for several hundred years. It is a very hardy species that can ...

* American sycamore * Austrian oak * Brush box *

Banyan tree A banyan, also spelled banian ( ), is a Ficus, fig that develops accessory trunks from Aerial root#"Stranglers" (prop-root), adjacent prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees ...

Black walnut ''Juglans nigra'', the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to central and eastern North America, growing mostly in riparian zones. Black walnut is susceptible to thousand can ...

* Blue Jacaranda * Camphor laurel * Cape Chestnut * Carob tree *

Chinese elm ''Ulmus parvifolia'', commonly known as the Chinese elm or lacebark elm, is a species native to eastern Asia, including China, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,Fu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002)Ulmaceae in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) ''Flora of Chi ...

* Coastal Coral Tree * European beech * Honey locust * Golden Ash * Golden rain tree * Holm oak * Hopea odorata * Hill's weeping fig * Indian horse-chestnut * Japanese elm *

London plane The London plane, or sometimes hybrid plane, ''Platanus'' × ''hispanica'', is a tree in the genus ''Platanus''. It is often known by the Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Platanus'' × ''acerifolia'', a later name. It is a Hybrid (biology ...

* Moreton bay fig * Norway maple * Oriental plane * Palestine oak * Pepper tree * Port Jackson Fig * Red maple * Royal poinciana * Rough-barked apple * Scarlet oak * Scholar tree *

Silver linden ''Tilia tomentosa'', known as silver linden in the US and silver lime in the UK, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Malvaceae, native plant, native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, from Romania and the Ba ...

* Shumard oak * Small-leaved fig * Southern live oak * Swamp Spanish oak * Sweet gum *

Sycamore fig ''Ficus sycomorus'', called the sycamore fig or the fig-mulberry (because the leaves resemble those of the mulberry), sycamore, or sycomore, is a fig species that has been cultivated since ancient times. Etymology and naming The specific n ...

* Sycamore maple * Sydney red gum * Tulipwood * White feather honeymyrtle * Yellow box

Planting

There are a few factors to consider when choosing a shade tree:

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

ness, coverage, longevity, and the ability of the roots to damage foundations. Shade trees can enhance the privacy of a

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

patio A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun ...

, or back yard, by obstructing the view of outsiders. A disadvantage is that in cool climates, an abundance of shade trees may lead to a dank environment in any nearby buildings or gardens. Shade trees must not be planted near chimneys as flying fire sparks can ignite tree branches which could cause rapidly expanding fires. Planting shade trees around a home can also reduce the energy that homeowners use in the summer months. Planting shade trees in locations near a home air conditioner can keep the air conditioner cooler which helps it run more efficiently, so less energy is used.

References

Trees Ornamental trees Landscape Landscape ecology Community ecology Plant ecology Habitat {{Authority control tl:Talisay

Specialities

Planting

See also

References