Top 10 Shade Trees for Melbourne

The last few sunny days have got us thinking about BBQs, the beach and iced tea. All the things we love when the sun is shining!

But sometimes we need a little break from the suns rays. A cool spot to sit with dappled shade and gentle breeze. After all our Melbourne Summer can be notoriously hot!

Here are our top picks for shade trees to plant this Spring to set you up for the perfect Summer! They’ll keep you cool in Summer, let light in in winter and won’t take 1000 years to start making an impact in your garden!

And best of all, they’re a good looking bunch too!

Tillia Greenspire – Linden Tree

8m Tall by 6m wide. Large heart shaped leaves and small perfumed flowers. Pyramidal when young growing oval with age. Yellow Autumn foliage.

Tilia Greenspire shade tree.JPG

Robinia Frisia – Golden Honey Locust

10m tall by 6m wide. Clusters of cream perfumed flowers, similar to Wisteria and beautiful feathery foliage in bright green. Yellow Autumn leaves.

robinia frisia shade tree.JPG

Gleditsia Sunburst

8m tall by 8m wide. Beautifully rounded tree with foliage that casts the most beautiful shade. Tough and elegant. Yellow Autumn leaves.

gleditsia sun burst shade tree.JPG

Pistachia chinensis – Chinese Pistachio

8m tall by 6m wide. Tough rounded tree with stunning red Autumn colours. Rounded from a young age.

ulmus parvifolia chinese elm shade tree.JPG

Ulmus parvifolia – Chinese Elm

13m tall by 9m wide.

Fine foliage and peeling, leopard like bark, this rounded tree holds its foliage late into the season. Yellow Autumn foliage.

Manchurian pear ornamental pear shade tree

Pyrus ussuriensis – Manchurian Pear

10m tall by 7 wide.

This Melbourne classic has shiny green Summer foliage, masses of white Spring blossom and fiery red and orange Autumn tones. Rounded habit.

red maple acer Canadian maple shade tree

Acer October Glory – Red Maple

12m tall by 9m wide.

For a tree with the best red in Autumn, you cant go past this tree. Large green leaves in Summer, pyramidal when you, oval with age.

birch tree betula shade tree.JPG

Betula p. Dalecarlica – Cut Leaf Birch

12m tall by 6m wide.

A beautiful tree with year round interest. The weeping branches of this white trunked birch a covered in serrated green leaves that turn yellow in Autumn.

liriodendron tulip tree shade tree.jpg

Liriodendron tulipifera – Tulip Tree

20m by 8m

For when bigger is better. Large leaves that turn yellow and orange in Autumn, with large orange and green Tulip shaped flowers in summer.

Zelkova Green Vase – Japanese Elm

14m tall by 10m wide.

Long serrated leaves turn yellow and orange in Autum. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions.

If you’re garden is in need of a few big trees, call us or drop us an email to find out what great trees we have in stock. Alternatively, if you don’t know where to put a tree or can think of what will work with your existing garden, book in for one of our garden consults and we can set you on the right path!