Fast Growing Shade Trees

Shade Trees Help Protect A Yard Naturally

Many of us were at some point tempted to buy a house just because it had that magnificent old oak in the backyard. We had a dream of having an afternoon nap in its deep shade, or building our kids a tree house.

But, the developers are not in the business of fulfilling our dreams, at least not when it comes to trees. New houses come with an expanse of perfect lawn and a few bushes for curb appeal. Planting trees to give us shade for afternoon cup of tea is up to us. And we want them now. That means finding some fast growing shade trees that will not only grow fast, but not require too much care, not shed ton of leaves and not topple on our roof one rainy day.

This tree is becoming extremely popular for people who do not want to wait for their old age to enjoy in the shade of their trees. This magnificent fast growing shade tree (Latin name Paulownia) can grow up to 18 feet a year and grow to 50 feet in height and 40 feet in width. It is tolerant to all soil types and can cope even with severe drought. The Empress looks great year around: in the spring, it will greet you with a cloud of fragrant purple flowers. In the summer, its magnificent green canopy will shade your whole yard. And in the winter, its bare branches are covered with funny fuzzy buds. Paulownia can be grown in zones 5-11. As fast growing shade trees go, it is difficult to do better than paulownia.

This the maple lovers' delight. It grows up to three feet a year and, when mature, it reaches 50 feet in height and 30-40 feet. This magnificent fast growing shade tree will delight you in the fall with brilliant color and in the summer with deep green shade loves full sun. Maple is fairly adaptable to drought. It can be grown in zones 4-7.

This is a very popular fast growing shade tree because of its beautiful arching branches, which form thick canopy of dark green leaves in the summer. The leaves turn bronzy brown in fall.. Zelkova is a perfect tree for cities, as it is highly tolerant to pollution and high winds. It grows 2-3 feet a year and it reaches 60-70 feet high by 40-50 feet wide. It survives in almost any kind of soil. It grows in zones 5-8.

This willow is a must if your property is located by a river or it has a pond. Its long weeping branches reach the surface of the water, creating a play of shadows and filtered sunlight, providing a romantic setting for a private picnic or a game of pirates. Weeping willow is one of the truly fast growing shade trees - it grows up to eight feet a year and it reaches up to 50 feet in height and 35 feet in width. This fast growing shade tree (up to three feet a year) thrives in growing zones 4-9. Its ability absorb standing water makes it very suitable for preventing erosion on the river or pond bank.

Depending on your climate, there is quite a choice of fast growing shade trees. The temptation is to buy the trees that grow fastest. But, as any experienced gardener knows, there is such a thing as too fast growing shade tree. Some of them will take over your yard and you will not be able to grow anything else. Others will have weak roots and will be prone to falling down if the soil gets water-logged. Experts suggest that the optimal growing speed for a fast growing shade tree that we can enjoy for many years is the one that grows about 1.5 to 2 feet per year, which will allow you to sit in its shade in five to six years from the day you planted it. But several of the trees listed below grow much faster than that.

The U.S. is divided into 13 climate zones each of which is suited to different kinds of flora. The trees listed below have preferences for particular zones given in the description.