Trees That Give Shade & Don't Require Much Water

Flowers

• For spring flowers, plant a California buckeye (Aesculus californica). This 25-foot-tall tree blooms with panicles of aromatic white flowers atop gray-green foliage. Hardy in USDA zones 7 and 8, this North American native tolerates dry soil, drought and full sun to partial shade. For urban planting sites, consider the goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata). This drought- and pollution-tolerant tree grows to 35 feet and has dense foliage. The goldenrain tree blooms with a profusion of yellow blossoms in summer. It's hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9.

Fruits

• Fruit-bearing shade trees often attract birds and wildlife to your yard. Drought-tolerant varieties include the Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis), a 65-foot-tall tree with a spreading canopy. The Chinese hackberry bears edible orange and purple fruits in fall. It grows in USDA zones 7 to 9 and thrives in sun or shade and dry soil. Another Asian native, the Japanese loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) also bears edible fruits. Reaching heights and widths to 30 feet, this shade tree bears yellow and orange pomes in summer. It's hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10 and tolerates drought and a range of pH levels.

Fall Color

• For the dissected leafs and autumn color of a Japanese maple without the high moisture requirements, plant a shantung maple (Acer truncatum). This 25-foot-tall tree has a 30-foot-wide canopy. Before it matures to glossy, light green, this deciduous tree's new growth is purple-red and fall colors range from purple to gold. The shantung maple is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, where it grows in dry soil and full sun to full shade. The "Autumn Gold" maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba "Autumn Gold") turns bright yellow in fall. Reaching heights to 65 feet, this cultivar grows well in dry, acidic soil and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9.

Year-Round Shading

• For year-round foliage and shade, plant an evergreen such as the bushy yate
  (Eucalyptus conferruminata). A native of western Australia, this drought-tolerant tree grows to 25 feet tall with a 30-foot spread and creates shade with its dense, aromatic foliage. The bushy yate is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10 and tolerates salt spray and high pH soil. For large spaces, plant an Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea). This conifer grows to 80 feet tall and 60 feet wide, with an umbrella-shaped canopy of dense, gray-green needles. Hardy in USDA zones 9 to 10, this pine tolerates drought and a range of soil types.