A canopy tree is the cheapest air conditioning you will ever install. Shaded ground can run ten degrees cooler than sun-baked paving, a well-placed tree cuts the heat load on a west-facing wall through an Australian summer, and it does it for decades with almost no running cost. The decisions that matter are which tree, and how far from the house.
Quick facts
| Consideration | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Shade quality | Dense canopy for deep shade, open canopy for dappled light |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Deciduous shades in summer and lets winter sun through |
| Mature spread | Usually as wide as the tree is tall - plan for it |
| Distance from house | Half the mature canopy width, minimum |
| Roots | Keep vigorous species away from pipes, paving and pools |
| Time to useful shade | 3-5 years for fast growers, 8-10 for slower species |
| Litter | Matters enormously beside pools, paths and gutters |
Deciduous or evergreen? The most useful decision
In most of Australia a deciduous tree on the northern or western side of a house is the smartest choice. It shades the wall and windows through summer when you want it, then drops its leaves and lets winter sun through when you need the warmth. That single decision does more for household comfort than almost any other planting.
Evergreens are the better answer where you want year-round screening as well as shade, or in subtropical and tropical gardens where winter warmth is not the concern. They also avoid the autumn leaf drop that makes deciduous trees a poor choice beside a pool.
The best canopy trees for Australian gardens
| Tree | Height | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacaranda | 8-15 m | Deciduous | Large gardens, spring flowering, classic Australian street tree |
| Tuckeroo | 6-10 m | Evergreen native | Coastal gardens, tidy habit, bird attracting |
| Blueberry ash | 6-10 m | Evergreen native | Narrower gardens, flowers and blue berries |
| Ornamental pear | 8-12 m | Deciduous | Formal avenues, autumn colour, upright habit |
| Crepe myrtle | 4-8 m | Deciduous | Smaller gardens, long summer flowering |
| Illawarra flame tree | 10-15 m | Deciduous native | Large gardens, spectacular red summer flowering |
| Foxtail palm | 6-8 m | Evergreen | Filtered shade, tropical gardens, poolside |
| Olive | 4-8 m | Evergreen | Hot dry gardens, Mediterranean style, low water |
For a small backyard
Crepe myrtle is the standard answer and deserves to be. It matures around four to eight metres, flowers for months through summer, colours in autumn and has a manageable non-invasive root system. Blueberry ash is the evergreen equivalent for a narrower space.
For a large garden or rural block
Jacaranda and Illawarra flame tree both give a genuinely spectacular seasonal display and the canopy spread to shade a real area. Both need serious room - eight to fifteen metres across at maturity.
For coastal gardens
Tuckeroo is hard to beat. It is an Australian native, tolerates salt wind, keeps a dense tidy canopy without much pruning and attracts birds. It is a standard council street tree along the east coast for exactly these reasons.
For hot dry inland gardens
Olive trees give evergreen shade with very low water use once established, and handle reflected heat and poor soil better than most. In Adelaide, Perth and inland districts they outperform thirstier options.
Where to plant it
- North and west sides shade the house. In the southern hemisphere, summer afternoon sun comes from the west and is the hottest. A tree there cuts the most heat.
- Plant at least half the mature canopy width from the building. A tree with a ten-metre spread wants five metres of clearance, more if you can.
- Keep clear of services. Sewer and stormwater lines, septic systems and paving all suffer from vigorous roots. Check where they run before digging.
- Think about the neighbours. Canopy and leaf litter cross fences, and a tree that shades your garden in summer may shade theirs in winter.
- Avoid planting under powerlines unless the mature height is genuinely below them.
- Not beside the pool. Deciduous trees drop their whole canopy into the water each autumn.
Getting shade sooner
Fast-growing trees give shade in three to five years but are often shorter lived, weaker wooded and more prone to limb drop in storms. Slower species take eight to ten years but last generations. A reasonable compromise in a new garden is to plant the long-term tree you actually want and use shade sails, a pergola or large potted plants for the first few seasons.
Buying an advanced or ex-ground tree also buys years. It costs more upfront but delivers useful canopy far sooner, which matters when the point of the tree is comfort rather than decoration.
Establishing a canopy tree
- Plant in autumn across most of Australia, so roots establish through the cool months before their first summer.
- Dig wide, not deep. Two to three times the width of the root ball, the same depth.
- Water deeply and infrequently - a slow soak once or twice a week for the first two summers beats daily sprinkling, which keeps roots shallow.
- Mulch to 75 mm over the root zone, kept clear of the trunk.
- Stake only if necessary, and remove stakes after the first year so the trunk strengthens.
- Formative prune in the early years to establish a strong single leader and well-spaced branches. It is far easier than correcting a poor structure later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest growing shade tree in Australia?
Jacaranda, crepe myrtle and several native species establish quickly and give useful shade within three to five years in warm climates. Bear in mind that fast growth usually means weaker timber and a shorter life, so match the choice to how long you plan to be there.
How far from the house should I plant a shade tree?
At least half the mature canopy width. For a tree spreading ten metres that means five metres minimum, and more is better. Keeping clear of sewer lines, stormwater and paving matters just as much as the distance from the wall.
Should I choose a deciduous or evergreen shade tree?
Deciduous is usually better beside a house, because it shades the walls in summer and lets winter sun through after leaf fall. Choose evergreen where you also want year-round screening, in subtropical climates, or anywhere near a pool where autumn leaf drop would be a problem.
Which side of the house should I plant for shade?
The north and west sides. In Australia the hottest sun arrives from the west in the afternoon, so a tree placed there reduces the heat load on the house more than the same tree anywhere else.
What shade tree suits a small backyard?
Crepe myrtle for a deciduous option, or blueberry ash if you want evergreen. Both mature at a size a suburban block can carry, and neither has aggressive roots.
How long until a new tree provides real shade?
Three to five years for fast growers, eight to ten for slower long-lived species. Planting an advanced or ex-ground specimen shortens that considerably and is often worth the extra cost when shade is the whole point.
Ready to plant?
We grow shade trees for every situation, from compact crepe myrtles to advanced ex-ground jacarandas and natives for coastal gardens. Browse the trees collection, or the deciduous trees range if you want summer shade with winter sun.
Still choosing? Our guides to jacaranda trees, the tuckeroo and the best trees for lining driveways compare the main options in more detail.
