If you live in or around Alpharetta you know it gets hot. In this article we are going to present 5 shade trees that homeowners in Alpharetta love.
If you are going to plant a tree for shade you want it to look good and provide the best shade so you can relax outside on the hot days of Georgia. Here is a look at 5 trees we recommend.
- Autumn Blaze Red Maple- This beauty is the most common tree in Georgia. It grows big, tall, and lucious so it is a great tree to relax under with a large cup of ice tea in the summertime. These trees typically hit their peak around 40 years and provide an average of 75 years of shade. They are a blazing red when the fall comes. It is one of those trees that people stop to take pictures of due to the color and beauty. You can usually buy these from your local nursery or the big box stores. The best time to plant is early spring. This way it has a chance for the roots to really take hold. Please see our other article on soil to get the best soil so your tree grows correctly.
- American Sycamore- This is an excellent shade tree as well that really adds another dimension to the outdoors. What really sticks out about the sycamore other than the fantastic shade is that the tree trunk is light and dark gray. Here is a picture of the trunk. It really pops with the background. These big guys usually grow around 100ft tall and have a wide swath of shade at the top. It is an absolute treasure when planted in the right place. It grows at an average rate at 2ft per year. You may have to wait a few years after planting it to get some shade but the wait will be worth it.
- Oak Tree- This is a slow growing tree and will only give you about a foot per year but you really can’t go wrong with an oak tree. They are massive trees and have solid foundations. The tops can branch out with large circumference on the limbs creating good shade and great climbing. When thinking of the best tree for a tree house the oak would be the one. It is one that if you plant now your grandkids or their kids would be able to have a tree fort. It is iconic due to its awesome features.
- Golden Rain Tree- This tree we added to the list for a couple reasons. The first being that we have a couple trees above that are slow to grow. These are exceptionally fast trees to grow for shade. The other reason we added them is due to the great looking landscape capabilities. They have brilliant gold in mid summer so they really do offer a unique view.
- Weeping Willow Tree- This tree is well known in Alpharetta and the whole Georgia state for that matter. It is excellent shade and offers a great view. That view is especially surreal when it is coupled near a pond or other reflective body of water. This tree isn’t really fast growing but it will eventually be an outstanding shade tree.
