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The most popular Shade Trees for Colorado...
By Chris Leinster - February 11, 2025
The three most popular shade trees for Colorado are Maple, Linden, and Honeylocust. They are all fast growing, hardy for our climate, and relatively clean, meaning they don’t drop obnoxious fruit or seeds. Having said that, all trees drop something, so you’ll need to determine your tolerance for debris versus shade, privacy, and ornamental beauty.
Maple are probably the most popular trees in the state. There are dozens of varieties that perform quite well along the Front Range. Recent introductions include the ‘Caddo’ series, hybridized versions of a native stand of Maple found growing in a hot, dry, alkaline canyon in Kansas. Most varieties will drop samaras, the helicopter seeds that flutter to the ground. A small price to pay for the shade and explosive Fall color they display.
http://happytrees.co/Maple-Trees
Linden have flowers that aren’t particularly showy, but offer a two-tone lime green effect against a deep green leaf. They have gold fall color. They drop a small hard seed, about the size of a peppercorn, which goes entirely unnoticed in the lawn or garden bed, but may be a nuisance over a deck or patio.
http://happytrees.co/products/7223/Greenspire-Linden
Honeylocust are perhaps the fastest growing of all our shade trees. The leaves are so small they shrivel up and blow away, so you don’t even need to rake in the Fall! They are more of a filter tree, and will cool off the yard while allowing plenty of light to penetrate through the canopy. This also makes them excellent for uplighting at night! They shed pollen in the Spring though. Your patio furniture and windshields will be coated in yellow dust for a week or two, but still not a big deal for the benefits they offer.
http://happytrees.co/products/7253/Skyline-Honeylocust
Seedless cultivars of Kentucky Coffeetree should also be included among the best shade trees. These have an unusual canopy that would be considered coarse in Winter but almost tropical in Summer. ‘Espresso’ is a seedless male clone, ‘Decaf’ has more abundant, more graceful branching, but a little smaller in stature.
http://happytrees.co/products/8513/Kentucky-Coffeetree
I almost forgot Elm. Drive through almost any neighborhood in Denver and you’ll find mighty Elm forming a complete canopy over most city streets. Incredibly hardy and drought tolerant. The elm encircling “The Oval” at Colorado State University are among the most cherished trees in the state!
http://happytrees.co/products/11518/Elm
You don’t have a bad choice to make here. It all depends on your personal taste and preferences. Give me a call if you need further clarification or more information. Thank you for your consideration of Happy Trees and have a great day!
Maple are probably the most popular trees in the state. There are dozens of varieties that perform quite well along the Front Range. Recent introductions include the ‘Caddo’ series, hybridized versions of a native stand of Maple found growing in a hot, dry, alkaline canyon in Kansas. Most varieties will drop samaras, the helicopter seeds that flutter to the ground. A small price to pay for the shade and explosive Fall color they display.
http://happytrees.co/Maple-Trees
Linden have flowers that aren’t particularly showy, but offer a two-tone lime green effect against a deep green leaf. They have gold fall color. They drop a small hard seed, about the size of a peppercorn, which goes entirely unnoticed in the lawn or garden bed, but may be a nuisance over a deck or patio.
http://happytrees.co/products/7223/Greenspire-Linden
Honeylocust are perhaps the fastest growing of all our shade trees. The leaves are so small they shrivel up and blow away, so you don’t even need to rake in the Fall! They are more of a filter tree, and will cool off the yard while allowing plenty of light to penetrate through the canopy. This also makes them excellent for uplighting at night! They shed pollen in the Spring though. Your patio furniture and windshields will be coated in yellow dust for a week or two, but still not a big deal for the benefits they offer.
http://happytrees.co/products/7253/Skyline-Honeylocust
Seedless cultivars of Kentucky Coffeetree should also be included among the best shade trees. These have an unusual canopy that would be considered coarse in Winter but almost tropical in Summer. ‘Espresso’ is a seedless male clone, ‘Decaf’ has more abundant, more graceful branching, but a little smaller in stature.
http://happytrees.co/products/8513/Kentucky-Coffeetree
I almost forgot Elm. Drive through almost any neighborhood in Denver and you’ll find mighty Elm forming a complete canopy over most city streets. Incredibly hardy and drought tolerant. The elm encircling “The Oval” at Colorado State University are among the most cherished trees in the state!
http://happytrees.co/products/11518/Elm
You don’t have a bad choice to make here. It all depends on your personal taste and preferences. Give me a call if you need further clarification or more information. Thank you for your consideration of Happy Trees and have a great day!