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Add Beauty and Comfort with Shade Trees

Looking to beat the heat and enhance your landscape? Adding a shade tree (or two) to your yard this summer is a great investment in comfort, curb appeal, and long-term value. Whether you're after vibrant fall color, springtime blooms, or interesting bark and form, there's a tree for every yard - and summer is a great time to plant!

Go Native for Beauty and Resilience

Native trees are always a smart choice. They're well adapted to local conditions, support pollinators, and often require less maintenance. Maples such as Red Maples (Acer rubrum) and Sugar Maples (Acer saccharum) are beloved for their brilliant autumn foliage. Other native favorites include graceful Birches, golden Willows, sturdy Oaks, and versatile Amelanchiers (Serviceberries), which offer four-season interest with flowers, fruit, and fall color.

Something a Little Different

For gardeners craving the unique, consider trees that stand out for their color, texture, or character. Magnolias bring distinctive blooms to the spring garden. Red Fox Katsura offers heart-shaped foliage with a striking purple tint, while Wildfire Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) starts the season with red-tipped new growth and ends with blazing fall color. The peeling bark of Paper Bark Maple (Acer griseum), fan-shaped leaves of Ginkgo, and delicate flowers of Styrax add visual interest all year long.

Tight on Space? Try a Fastigiate Form

Don't let a small footprint stop you from planting a tree. Fastigiate (upright, columnar) varieties offer the benefits of shade and beauty in a narrow form. Consider:

These are ideal for driveways, patios, and urban yards where space is limited.

Don't Forget the Flowers

Shade doesn't have to be all about foliage. Flowering trees like Crabapples, Dogwoods, Eastern Redbuds, Cherries, and Magnolias add a burst of spring color that gives way to a cooling canopy later in the season. They provide beauty, pollinator support, and often ornamental fruit or interesting bark in the off-season.

Plant Now for Future Comfort

Planting in summer may seem counterintuitive, but with proper watering and care, trees can establish successfully and start delivering shade, privacy, and visual appeal right away. We can help you choose the right tree for your soil, sun exposure, and space.

Plant something this summer and create a cooler, more beautiful yard for years to come!