Choosing the Right Shade Tree for Your Garden

Five shade trees that suit different climates and aspects. Chinese Elm, Kurrajong, October Glory Maple, Magnolia, Olive.

AcerBrachychitonMagnoliaOleaOutdoor LivingShade TreesUlmus

A shade tree should match what you want to do with the space. Summer shade plus winter sun means deciduous. Year round privacy plus shade means evergreen. Dry climate means a drought tolerant species. Five we use most.

How to choose a shade tree

Match mature size to the space, deciduous or evergreen to the aspect, and root behaviour to nearby paving. Run the eye over winter sun lines before you plant.

Ulmus parvifolia shade tree

Ulmus parvifolia, Chinese Elm

Wide canopy, semi deciduous, lifts cleanly. The default urban shade tree.

Brachychiton populneus, Kurrajong

Evergreen native shade for hot dry sites. Year round shade without watering demand.

Acer rubrum October Glory shade

Acer rubrum October Glory

Summer shade with brilliant scarlet autumn finish. Lets winter light back in.

Magnolia grandiflora Coolwyn Gloss

Evergreen shade that holds through winter. Glossy dark foliage doubles as a screen.

Olea europaea shade tree

Olea europaea Manzanillo

Dappled shade with silver foliage. Suits hot dry sites and Mediterranean planting.

Planting for shade

Place the tree to shade outdoor living or western walls in summer afternoons. Allow generous clearance from paving and pipes.

FAQ

Deciduous or evergreen? Deciduous gives you summer shade and winter sun. Evergreen gives year round shade plus screening.

How fast? Chinese Elm and Acer rubrum are the fastest to deliver shade.

1. Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese Elm)

Chinese Elm gives broad summer shade and lets winter sun through. Vase shape lifts cleanly to clear paving and outdoor living.

Type: Semi deciduous shade tree
Height: 10 to 15 metres
Width: 8 to 12 metres
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Small glossy green
Form: Vase shape with broad crown
Conditions: Full sun, most soils, drought tolerant
Maintenance: Formative pruning
Best for: Summer shade, urban shade, outdoor living

Why choose it

Wide canopy gives serious shade with clean trunk underneath.

Perfect pair

Pair with a Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss screen behind for winter privacy.

Tips for planting

Lift the canopy as the trunk thickens.

A reliable shade tree for urban gardens.

Shop Ulmus parvifolia

2. Brachychiton populneus (Kurrajong)

Kurrajong is the native shade tree for hot dry sites. Evergreen, drought hardy, broad pyramidal crown that holds shade year round.

Type: Evergreen Australian native shade tree
Height: 10 to 15 metres
Width: 5 to 8 metres
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Glossy dark green
Form: Upright pyramidal
Conditions: Full sun, well drained soils, drought tolerant
Maintenance: Very low
Best for: Drought tolerant shade, paddocks, large gardens

Why choose it

Year round shade plus serious drought tolerance.

Perfect pair

Pair with a Banksia integrifolia as a flowering native underplanting.

Tips for planting

Allow generous root run. Plant in autumn.

Drought hardy year round shade.

Shop Brachychiton populneus

3. Acer rubrum October Glory (October Glory Maple)

October Glory gives broad summer shade and brilliant scarlet autumn colour. Lets winter light through after leaf drop.

Type: Deciduous shade tree
Height: 10 to 12 metres
Width: 6 to 8 metres
Growth rate: Moderate to fast
Foliage: Three lobed green summer, scarlet autumn
Form: Symmetrical broad upright crown
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, moist well drained soils
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Summer shade plus winter sun, feature tree

Why choose it

Seasonal shade plus the best red autumn finish in maples.

Perfect pair

Pair with a Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss for evergreen winter structure.

Tips for planting

Mulch well, water deeply through first summers.

Summer shade plus brilliant autumn finish.

Shop Acer rubrum October Glory

4. Magnolia grandiflora Coolwyn Gloss (Coolwyn Gloss Magnolia)

Coolwyn Gloss gives evergreen shade and screen in one tree. Glossy dark foliage holds dense year round.

Type: Evergreen shade and screen tree
Height: 5 to 8 metres
Width: 3 to 4 metres
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Very glossy dark green
Form: Upright dense
Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Year round shade, formal entries

Why choose it

Holds dense shade through winter when deciduous trees drop.

Perfect pair

Pair with an Ulmus parvifolia for deciduous seasonal contrast.

Tips for planting

Mulch well, water deeply in dry spells.

Year round evergreen shade with weight.

Shop Magnolia grandiflora Coolwyn Gloss

5. Olea europaea Manzanillo (Manzanillo Olive)

Manzanillo Olive gives light dappled shade with silver foliage. Suits hot dry sites and Mediterranean style gardens.

Type: Evergreen Mediterranean shade tree
Height: 4 to 6 metres
Width: 3 to 5 metres
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Silver grey green
Form: Rounded crown
Conditions: Full sun, well drained soils, drought tolerant
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Dappled shade, Mediterranean gardens, drought sites

Why choose it

Light shade plus edible fruit and drought hardiness.

Perfect pair

Pair with a Bay Tree hedge or feature for layered Mediterranean planting.

Tips for planting

Avoid waterlogged soils. Mulch with coarse stone.

Dappled shade with Mediterranean character.

Shop Olea europaea Manzanillo

Compare at a glance

Cultivar	Height	Width	Form	Foliage	Best if you…
Ulmus parvifolia Chinese Elm	10 to 15 metres	8 to 12 metres	Vase shape with broad crown	Small glossy green	Summer shade, urban shade, outdoor living
Brachychiton populneus Kurrajong	10 to 15 metres	5 to 8 metres	Upright pyramidal	Glossy dark green	Drought tolerant shade, paddocks, large gardens
Acer rubrum October Glory October Glory Maple	10 to 12 metres	6 to 8 metres	Symmetrical broad upright crown	Three lobed green summer, scarlet autumn	Summer shade plus winter sun, feature tree
Magnolia grandiflora Coolwyn Gloss Coolwyn Gloss Magnolia	5 to 8 metres	3 to 4 metres	Upright dense	Very glossy dark green	Year round shade, formal entries
Olea europaea Manzanillo Manzanillo Olive	4 to 6 metres	3 to 5 metres	Rounded crown	Silver grey green	Dappled shade, Mediterranean gardens, drought sites