Summer Shade With the Best Trees

To help Frontier Rotary raise money for our local math and reading clinic, Watters Garden Center once again is the site of this one-of-a-kind fundraiser. It’s an opportunity to enjoy the gardens, sip some wine, and indulge in some good food, including desserts, in the company of other generous folks. This year’s annual event is this Sunday, June 28th, from 5 to 8 PM. Tickets are $45 with all proceeds going directly to the clinic. I invite you to support this program that helps our children become better mathematicians and readers. I’ll be there, so join me and let’s have fun together as we contribute to a very worthy cause.

I can't think of many things that affect us so completely as does planting a tree. Trees have tremendous influences on our community. They improve our environment by providing protection from wind and dust, shading us from our high mountain sun, and decreasing summer energy costs. To plant a tree can enhance our quality of life and improve our health. Remember: trees are the most important assets of any home’s landscape. We need to plant more trees!

Deciduous trees are the best to shade patios, courtyards, and the west- or south-facing walls of our homes. They permit solar warmth in the winter and provide dense shade during the heat of summer.
My favorite deciduous trees for central Yavapai County are readily available for planting now. Although there are dozens of great trees from which to pick, I’ve decided to narrow the field for those of you who don’t want to put in hours of research to find that perfect tree for that special spot in your landscape. I am certain any one of these trees will earn itself a place of pride in your yard.

Two majestic purple robe locusts, Robinia pseudoacacia, shade the back patios of our family’s home. Although they leaf out a little later than other trees, I chose them for their wisteria-like flowers that bloom in spring, just as we begin our outdoor entertaining. Their fall color is an Arizona aspen gold with small leaves that easily blow away or conveniently blend into the shredded bark ground cover. The only caution about this tree is the tendency to over-water it in our clay soil. It likes to be drier than most trees.

A mountain favorite because of its classic red color in fall is the Autumn Blaze maple, Acer freemanii. During summer months its large leaves provide great shade that is rivaled only by the shade of a sycamore. Wind is a serious factor that tears and shreds the leaves of some maples. The ability to withstand mountain winds is why I only recommend the Autumn Blaze and Silver Queen varieties of maple. A healthy maple tree will grow 2-3 feet per year, topping out at 40 feet.

The Arizona Sycamore, native to the high mountain region, is a large shade tree that seems to thrive in our clay soils and heavy winds. However, the London Plane Sycamore, Platanus x acerifolia does even better at this altitude. The leaves look like maple leaves on steroids; but the leathery leaf tolerates our wind and sun better than its native cousin.

The hardiest tree requiring the least amount of water is the Sunburst Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, named because its new growth and fall color are a bright sunburst gold. This tree makes up for its small foliage by the vast numbers of leaves that provide a delightful filtered shade unique to locust trees. It is really hardy in low water use landscapes.

Providing more than just great shade in summer is the flowering pear, Pyrus calleryana. It is one of the first trees to blossom each spring and is graced with bridal white flowers that produce no fruit. In fall this tree is the last to turn crimson red before evergreens take center stage in winter’s landscape. For a deciduous tree that performs extremely well through every season at this altitude, the hands-down choice is a flowering pear.

For a yard that needs a small tree with an umbrella shape, I highly recommend the summer blooming silk tree, Mimosa pudica. This extremely low water user grows to about 18 feet and produces masses of pink tasseled flowers that cover the top of the tree. Our home’s two-story deck looks down on three of these summer beauties. They create a striking view that our family really enjoys when having dinner on the back deck.

My last recommendation is the entire ash, Fraxinus, family of trees. There are several types grown at this altitude and all are noted for their fall color, low water use, great shade, wind tolerance, and longevity. They have few bug or disease problems and come fall the leaves are easy to clear away.

My summer gardening classes have begun at the garden center. They are held, free of charge, every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. They are fun-filled energetic sessions with lots of local gardening information. This week’s class is “Mountain Landscapes, Perfectly Designed”. Look for the entire class schedule on www.wattersonline.com under the ‘classes for the taking’ section.

Until next week, I’ll see you at the garden center.