Best Shade Trees to Plant in Your Yard

Most people consider landscape design as planting tree, flowers, and grass. However, one of the most important aspects of landscaping is selecting the right shade trees. Small shade trees help create shade in your yard, which can help keep your home cooler in the summer and lower your energy costs. Here are some of the best shade trees to plant in your yard.

American Hornbeam

The American Hornbeam tree, also known as the blue beech or musclewood, is an excellent choice for anyone looking to plant a shade tree in their Colorado Springs yard. This tree is popular for its dense, spreading canopy, which provides exceptional shade from the summer sun.

Furthermore, the American Hornbeam grows at a moderate rate and typically reaches around 30 feet, making it the best choice for smaller yards. This small shade tree is also drought-tolerant, important in Colorado Springs, where summers can be dry and hot.

Colorado Blue Spruce

The Colorado Blue Spruce is an exceptional shade tree to consider when planting a tree in the Colorado Springs yard. This tree grows slowly and typically reaches heights of around 50 feet, making it an exquisite choice for larger yards. Furthermore, the Colorado Blue Spruce has a dense, spreading canopy that provides exceptional summer shade.

The small shade trees are also drought-tolerant. Furthermore, the Colorado Blue Spruce needles are a lovely blue, adding a splash of color to your yard.

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is a popular tree because of its dense, spreading canopy, which provides exquisite shade from the summer sun. Furthermore, these small shade trees grow at a moderate rate and typically reach around 30 feet, making them an exceptional choice for smaller yards.

Besides, the Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry blooms with beautiful white flowers in early spring, adding a splash of color to your yard. Also, it produces edible berries that you can use in pies or jams. Overall, the Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is an exquisite choice for those looking for a shade tree that is both beautiful and functional.

American Sweetgum

If you’re looking for a beautiful, versatile shade tree with landscape design in your yard, look no further than the American sweetgum. With its star-shaped leaves, neatly compact crown, interesting fruit, and twigs with unique corky growths called wings, this tree will add some fall color and interest to your landscape.

American sweetgums are also tough and adaptable, with the ability to tolerate a wide range of soil and light conditions. So, whether you want to add some shade to your yard or want a beautiful tree to admire, the American sweetgum is an excellent choice for Colorado Springs.

Washington Hawthorn

The Washington hawthorn has white flowers in late spring, glossy red fruit in late summer that lasts into winter, and leaves that unfurl with a red/purple tint before changing to deep green, orange, red, or purple in fall. It is a small to medium-sized tree that grows 25 to 35 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide.

Furthermore, it is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, including clay, and once established, it does not require much fertilizer or water. It is also resistant to wind and drought. This tree is a great choice for small yards because it has a slender, upright form and does not drop many leaves or fruit.

Flowering Dogwoods

The Flowering Dogwood is the best shade tree to plant in your Colorado Springs yard because it provides a burst of spring color in white, pink, and even yellow. This tree is also popular for its stunning fall foliage, making it an ideal addition to any landscape design.

Dogwoods are low-maintenance trees that can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. They prefer full sun to partial shade and thrive in moist, well-drained soil. Flowering Dogwoods will mature to a height of 20-30 feet and a width of 20-30 feet.

Serviceberry Tree

The Serviceberry tree is native to Colorado and brings multi-season interest to your yard. It is a deciduous small shade tree that typically grows to be 20 feet tall and wide, with a broad canopy that provides good shade. The tree blooms in the spring before the leaves appear, with fragrant white flowers followed by blue-hued berries in June.

The leaves turn red and orange in the fall, making a lovely addition to the landscape. The tree is well-known for its tolerance to many soil types and conditions, making it an excellent choice for many Colorado Springs yards. If you want a shade tree that will provide interest throughout the year, the serviceberry tree is an exquisite choice.

Japanese Zelkova

The Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata) is a deciduous tree from Japan, China, and Korea. Zelkovas got introduced to the United States in the late 1800s and have become popular street and shade trees. Japanese zelkovas are medium to large trees that can grow 50-80 feet tall and 30-80 feet wide. When young, they have a pyramidal or oval shape, and as they mature, they develop a more rounded canopy.

They are resistant to drought and seacoast damage, and they have few disease or pest problems. Zelkovas are also long-lived trees, with up to 60 years. Zelkovas have dark green, serrated leaves that turn yellow, red, or bronze in the fall. The bark is gray-brown and smooth, with prominent lenticels (raised corky areas).

Colorado Springs Shade Trees

Shade trees are an important part of any landscape design and can help to create a shady oasis in your yard. They provide shade and comfort, improve air quality, reduce noise levels, and add beauty to your property. We’ve got you covered if you’re looking for the best shade trees to plant in your yard. You can contact Foothills Landscape to make a plan for planting trees that will keep you cool all summer long.