Fast Growing Shade Trees

Deciduous or evergreen: pick your kind of shade

This is the decision that sorts the whole collection. Deciduous trees like plane trees, oaks, elms, ashes and the jacaranda give dense summer shade, then drop their leaves and let winter sun warm the house, which is exactly what you want over a north facing lawn, a driveway or an entertaining area. Evergreen trees such as Brisbane box, tuckeroo, the figs and most eucalypts hold their canopy all year, which suits screening, western boundaries and anywhere the view matters more than winter sun. There is no universally right answer, only a right answer for the spot; our comparison of deciduous trees and evergreen trees goes deeper on both.

How fast do fast growing shade trees actually grow?

The quickest species here, the eucalypts, wattles and she oaks, put on 1m to 2m a year in reasonable conditions. Jacaranda, plane tree, claret ash, tipuana and the poincianas typically manage 60cm to 1m a year. In practice that means a healthy tree planted from a 45L bag gives you a canopy you can sit under in three to five years, and tubestock catches up faster than most people expect because it establishes without transplant shock. If the deadline is this summer, the collection also includes advanced ex ground trees with instant canopy, freighted at cost.

Choosing for your climate

• Tropical and subtropical gardens. Poinciana, tipuana, yellow poinciana, the figs, tuckeroo and golden penda thrive in heat and humidity. Most of the northern hemisphere deciduous trees sulk without winter chill.
• Warm temperate gardens. Jacaranda, Brisbane box, claret ash, Chinese tallow and the crepe myrtles all perform, alongside nearly every native in the collection.
• Cool temperate gardens, including Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmania. This is oak, elm, plane, maple, liriodendron and ash country, with brilliant autumn colour as the bonus.
• Hot, dry inland gardens. River red gum, spotted gum, casuarina, white cedar and the wattles handle heat, frost and low rainfall in a way exotics cannot match.

Where to plant a big fast tree

Speed and size travel together, so give these trees honest clearances: at least 5m from the house, pool and major structures for medium growers like jacaranda and claret ash, and considerably more for the giants. The figs, especially Moreton Bay and Hills weeping fig, are acreage and parkland trees with root systems to match; keep them well away from paving, pipes and boundaries. On smaller blocks, choose the compact end of the range, such as a crepe myrtle or silk tree, and get your shade at 4m to 6m instead of 15m. Our guide to the best shade trees for Australian gardens matches species to block sizes in more detail.

Planting and the first two summers

Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, water in heavily, and mulch 75mm deep to the drip line, keeping mulch off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer and weekly through the second; a deep soak grows the deep roots that make the tree self sufficient. Stake loosely only on windy sites and remove stakes after the first year. Formative pruning in the first three years, lifting the lowest branches and removing crossing limbs, builds the clear trunk and high canopy you actually want to sit under.

Common questions

What is the fastest shade tree in Australia?

Among widely planted trees, the eucalypts and wattles are the fastest, with 1m to 2m a year common in good conditions. For a garden setting, jacaranda, tipuana and plane tree combine near that speed with a canopy shape built for sitting under.

Should I buy tubestock or an advanced tree?

Tubestock costs a few dollars, establishes with no transplant shock and often overtakes a container tree planted the same day within three years. Advanced and ex ground stock buys you instant presence and is freighted at cost. The honest middle ground is a 45L tree: real size, sensible freight.

Will the roots damage paving or pipes?

Any fast tree planted too close will eventually win against paving. Respect the clearances above, keep figs for acreage, and where space is tight choose deep rooted, better behaved species like crepe myrtle or claret ash rather than trying to prune a giant into staying small.

What should I plant for paddock shade?

River red gum, spotted gum, casuarina and tipuana are the proven performers for stock shade in exposed paddocks. Our guide to shade trees for farm paddocks covers spacing, guards and establishment away from mains water. Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.