Shade Trees That Won't Kill Your Lawn
When growing grass under shade trees, you must consider how the tree affects the lawn. A heavy canopy will suppress the growth of most grasses, unless you carefully prune branches to allow in sunlight. A number of trees that are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10 do provide some shade while allowing grass to thrive. These trees typically provide light shade, allowing dappled sunlight in through their foliage, or shielding different parts of the yard as the sun moves through the sky.
Several maples provide filtered shade, allowing in enough light to let grass grow. Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), which grows 25 feet tall or more, has a bright red color in the fall. Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) come in numerous varieties that tend to cast a light shade, such as "Osakazuki," which has red leaves in autumn. "Butterfly," another Japanese maple, has blended pink and green foliage. These trees are easy to prune because they stay fairly small. Amur maple (Acer tataricum ginnala) also remains small and tends to cast a lighter shade, like the Japanese varieties.
Bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) bear ferny foliage that creates a filtered shade. These trees have a pyramidal form that grows rounder as the tree ages. Other cypress varieties tend to be more compact and often quite narrow, with a small canopy that doesn't shade large sections of a lawn.
A number of magnolia varieties such as M. campbellii, which reaches 40 feet tall, and yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata), which reaches 30 feet, make attractive shade trees. Avoid shrubbier varieties, such as yellow cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata sucordata).
Small fruit trees often provide shade without shielding a lawn completely from the sun. Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) has branches that grow at a more upright angle when the tree stands in full sunlight, which allows the lawn to receive more sunlight. The tree provides dappled shade, also bringing color to a lawn in the spring, followed by plentiful fruit. Plum varieties, such as Prunus cerasifera "Hollywood" and "Allred," provide soft shade as well. Apricot varieties, such as Rosacea "Autumn Royal" and "Blenheim," also provide subtle shade, as do apple tree varieties such as Rosacea "Mollie's Delicious" and "William's Pride."
Pecan, walnut and persimmon trees provide shade as well as nuts. Walnut and pecan grow to more than 50 feet when mature, so if you plant them, make sure they will fit into your landscape design when full grown. Persimmon trees have a more manageable size for smaller lawns. American persimmon (DIospyros virginiana) reaches 15 to 30 feet. Chinese chestnut is another suitable medium-size shade tree, reaching 35 to 40 feet tall.
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) provides light shade with its lacy foliage. Thornless and podless varieties, such as "Sunburst" and "Majestic," are usually most desirable for lawns. Linden trees (Tilia spp.) also provide light shade with their compact canopies, and they grow fragrant flowers in the summer.
A number of other trees add scattered shade to a lawn. Maackia (Fabaceae spp.), which has feather-like leaves, has flowers that look much like sweet peas. Amur maackia (Maackia amurensis) hails from Siberia and grows up to 30 feet tall, with bronze peeling bark. Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), with its gracefully arcing trunks and often irregular form, also provides shade without blocking the sun completely.
- Clemson University: Maintaining Tree/Turfgrass Associations: A Plant Health Care Approach
- Fine Gardening: Shade Trees for a Patio
- National Gardening Association: Edible Trees
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Selecting Landscape Plants
- Sunset Western Garden Book; Sunset Publishing Company
- Oregon State University Extension: Native Madrones Are Special to the Northwest
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images