They shoot up quickly and are pretty year-round.
Storms in the South can topple shade trees, opening yards to the searing summer sun.
These are good trees for new homeowners just starting out too.
Credit: Praveen P.N / Getty Images
We have some medium-sized shade trees on our list of favorites, too, which are suitable forsmaller spaces.
Red Maple
This tree grows 60 feet tall and 40 feet wide with a loosely pyramidal shape.
It boasts silvery bark and three-lobed leaves that turn bright yellow, orange, or redin fall.
Credit: Steve Bender
My favorite selection for the South, ‘October Glory,’ turns brilliant scarlet.
Grow it in USDA Zones 4 to 9.
AlleeTM Chinese Elm
Steve Bender
This release from the University of Georgia has everything going for it.
emChinese elm – Grumpy’s #1 medium-size shade & street tree. Photo by Steve Bender./em.Credit:Steve Bender
Its ascending branches leave lots of headroom beneath.
They form a rounded canopy 40 to 60 feet tall and wide.
Leaves turn a soft yellow in early fall and keep that color for weeks.
Credit:JOSE LUIS VEGA GARCIA/Getty Images
In the winter, you’ll enjoy its speckled orange, olive, and gray bark.
Grow it in USDA Zones 4 to 9.
But it’s worth it because I think it’s thebest oakfor most people.
Credit: Mark Miller Photos / Getty Images
It grows 70 feet tall with a symmetrical, rounded form.
Leaves shine bright red in fall.
It thrives in almost any soil, including compacted and poorly drained ones.
Credit:HWANG JAE BONG/ Getty Images
Grow it in USDA Zones 6 to 9.
Grow it in zones 5-9.
Fall foliage is impressive, ranging from fiery orange to red.
Credit:Saulgranda/Getty Images
It has no serious pests and thrives in almost any well-drained soil.Chinese pistacheis also good for urban planting.
Grow it in USDA Zones 6 to 9.
Expect it to reach 50 to 70 feet tall and wide at maturity.
Credit: Mlyons / Getty Images
Leaves turn yellow, orange, and russet-red in the fall.
Look for the selections ‘Green Vase’ and ‘Village Green.’
Grow it in USDA Zones 5 to 8.
(Liquidambar styraciflua)Why not?While sweet gum is known and appreciated for its lovely fall color, it is also despised for its seeds. If there’s a sweet gum in your yard, you can forget about walking around barefoot once the seedpods fall in autumn and winter. The pods have sharp, spiny exteriors that will elicit a shout if you happen to be stuck with one. Ouch. Their surface roots can also create issues across the lawn.Learn more about sweet gum.Credit: DeniseBush / Getty Images
Hackberry commonly grows to 60 feet, though a 200-year-old tree could reach double that size.
Grow it in USDA Zones 3 to 9.
Gumbo-limbo typically grows 25 to 40 feet high with a rounded or spreading canopy.
(Salix babylonica)Why not?Again, the root system is the reason we avoid this tree. The roots of the willow are aggressive and strong. They’ve been known to ruin underground water lines and crack poured pavement. The willow is susceptible to disease and pests; it grows wide—often 50-60 feet—and its branches hang low. Avoid at all costs. You’ve been warned.Learn more about willow.Credit: Japatino / Getty Images
The leaves drop briefly before new growth appears each year.
Plant it in zones 10 and 11.
This tree’s pyramidal shape rounds as it grows, reaching 70 feet tall and 45 feet wide.
Credit: Getty Images
These beautiful trees hold their leaves late into fall.
Grow it in USDA Zones 5 to 9.
This fast-growing shade tree adds simmer to your backyard because of the leaves' silvery undersides.
Credit: Photos / Getty Images
The leaves turn golden in fall.
The silver maple thrives in most soils, making it easy to grow.
Grow it in USDA Zones 3 to 9.
Credit:Damir Galeev / Getty Images
Grow it in USDA Zones 6 to 8.
Grow it in USDA Zones 5-10.
Tulip Poplar
Plant the tulip poplar on a larger property where it has room to grow.
Credit: Dennis Govoni/Getty Images
This pyramid-shaped shade tree reaches up to 120 feet, rising more than three feet yearly.
Grow it in USDA Zones 4 to 9 in well-drained but moist soil.
Plant it in rich, well-drained soil in zones 3 to 8.
Some ginkgos develop a neat pyramid shape, while others have a more rounded form.
