Top Shade Trees

If you are interested in creating more shade in your garden, planting a shade tree is certainly a great solution. But there are many factors to take into consideration when selecting a shade tree, such as:

• How will you be using the tree and what kind of shade will it produce? Will the shade allow light, dappled sunlight to filter through the leaves during the summer? Or will it be a dense, deep shade that very few plants will grow under?
  
  
• What kind of plants will you want to plant under this shade tree and what are their light requirements? You should plan both the tree and underlying plants together, if possible.
  
  
• What kind of root structure does the tree variety have? You should avoid trees that have aggressive root structure if you are planning on making other plantings underneath it, as they will choke out all the other vegetation nearby.

The following is a list of some of the top shade trees for shade perennial gardens. These trees will generally allow enough light through so that you can plant your perennial plants underneath them, and do not have overly aggressive root structures:

1. Japanese maples (Acer palmatum). Usually growing between 15 and 25 feet in height, with a similar spread, this tree is good for Zones 6-8.
   
   
2. Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus). Grows 12-20 feet in height (similar spread), and suitable for zones 4-9. It has beautiful white flowers in the spring, and then black berries which are excellent for attracting birds to your garden. It also has a rounded, open habit, making it excellent for plantings underneath.
   
   
3. Saucer magnolia (Magnolia soulangiana). Grows up to thirty feet high and wide, good for zones 5-9. Has beautiful, large pink flowers that open early in spring. Their open branch structure makes these ideal for shade perennial gardens as well.
   
   
4. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). Can be anywhere from forty to eighty feet tall, and twenty to forty feet wide. This is a good evergreen selection for your shade perennial garden, suitable for zones 4-8. The long, blue-green needles will let light through, and it also produces nice large cones for craft projects and other uses.
   
   
5. Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia). This is a disease resistant elm variey whose leaves turn beautiful yellow and red colors in the fall. It has a spreading habit, grows 40-70 feet tall, and is suitable for zones 5-9.

For more suggestions on how to create a beautiful shade garden, including some top suggestions for shade flowers, please return to the shade perennial garden homepage.
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Composting in the Shade

Shade gardens, just like their full sun counterparts, can really benefit from the addition of compost. Adding compost to planting holes, the base of most trees, shrubs, flowers and plants will help them thrive and and be strong. However, some gardeners mistakenly assume that you cannot have a compost heap in a shade garden.

While it is true that the composting process happens most quickly in full sun conditions, you will be able to produce excellent compost in the shade as well, albeit a little slower. All that is needed for composting to take place is organic materials, the presences of oxygen, the proper microorganisms and moisture. Sun is not necessary for the composting process to take place.

If you have not started a compost pile in your yard because it is shady, you should not hesitate to start one soon. Compost piles should be large enough that they can heat up internally (three feet tall and wide, at least). If you do not want to see them, you could plant some larger shade loving plants in front of it to create a screen (although make sure you have easy access to the pile as well). Or you can invest in a compost bin to help with the process (tumbling compost bins are especially handy devices for quick and easy composting).

Many types of household and yard waste can be composted. For the more adventurous, you can even experiment with a composting toilet, which will produce compost usable in your shade garden as well. For more information about how to compost and compost bins, you can visit "The Composting Bin" website. And for more information about shade perennial flowers and plants for your shade garden, return to the Shade Perennial Garden homepage.