Best trees for shade in summer and sun in winter

The best tree for your yard does double duty. It blocks the sun in July when your AC is running full blast, and it drops its leaves in November so winter sunlight warms your house for free. That’s not a fantasy. That’s what deciduous trees do, and picking the right one in the right spot can knock real dollars off your energy bills every single month.

I learned this the hard way. Years ago I almost planted a Camphor tree in my backyard. Camphor trees are gorgeous. Evergreen canopy, year-round shade, great structure. My arborist friend Brad talked me out of it. His point was simple: an evergreen blocks winter sun too. You end up with a cold, dark house from November through March. Your heater runs overtime. Your heating bill goes up.

He was right. I planted a maple instead. Ten years later, I have a cool backyard in summer and a sun-warmed house all winter. That one decision saves me money every single year. If you want more shade tree recommendations, there’s a deeper guide that covers additional species and placement strategies.

Why deciduous trees work

Deciduous trees grow leaves in spring and drop them in fall. Simple biology, huge payoff.

In summer, a mature deciduous tree’s canopy blocks 70 to 90 percent of incoming sunlight. That’s a massive reduction in heat gain through your roof and windows. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that well-placed shade trees can cut air conditioning costs by 15 to 35 percent. In Sacramento, where July temps regularly hit 105, that savings is the difference between a $350 electric bill and a $225 one.

In winter, those same trees are bare. Sunlight passes right through the branch structure and hits your house. On a clear 50-degree day in January, that solar heat gain through south-facing windows can warm your house enough that the furnace barely kicks on. Free heat.

The ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) recommends deciduous trees on the south and west sides of homes specifically for this reason. Evergreen trees block sunlight year-round. They’re great for windbreaks on the north side of your property, but don’t plant them where you want winter sun. That’s a mistake I see all the time in my neighborhood.

Where to plant for maximum benefit

Placement matters more than species. Get this wrong and it doesn’t matter how perfect your tree is.

South and west sides of your house. These are the money spots. The south side gets the most sun exposure year-round. The west side catches the brutal afternoon sun in summer, which is the hottest sun your house receives all day. A deciduous tree on the south or southwest corner of your yard will give you the biggest energy savings.

15 to 20 feet from the house. Too close and the roots threaten your foundation. Too far and the canopy doesn’t shade the roof or windows. For a tree that matures at 30 to 40 feet tall, planting 15 to 20 feet from the exterior wall puts the canopy right where you need it. The Arbor Day Foundation recommends measuring from the trunk to the nearest foundation wall, not the roof overhang.

Think about the mature size. A tree that’s 8 feet tall at the nursery might be 50 feet tall in 20 years. Plan for the full-grown canopy, not the tree you’re bringing home in the back of your truck. I’ve seen people plant a Valley Oak 6 feet from their patio. Five years later they’re calling a tree service.

Consider underground utilities. Before you dig, call 811. Free service. They’ll come mark your gas, electric, water, and sewer lines. I’ve seen homeowners hit a gas line planting a 15-gallon tree. That’s a bad afternoon.

Shade the AC unit too. If you can shade your outdoor condenser unit with a tree or large shrub, the unit runs more efficiently. Studies from the University of Florida show shading your AC unit can improve its efficiency by up to 10 percent. Just keep branches 3 feet away from the unit so the technician can access it.

Best species for shade and sun

Maple trees

My top recommendation. I’ve sung this song before and I’ll keep singing it.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) grows 40 to 60 feet tall with a 30-to-40-foot canopy spread. It’s fast enough that you’ll notice shade within five to seven years of planting. Fall color ranges from orange to deep red depending on the cultivar and your soil pH. Acidic soil produces the best reds. Zones 3 through 9.

For a smaller yard, Japanese Maple stays under 25 feet and still provides dappled shade for a patio or bedroom window. You won’t shade an entire roof with one, but you’ll shade a seating area and keep a room cooler. If you’ve got a tight lot, check out our guide to the best trees for small yards. Zones 5 through 8.

‘October Glory’ and ‘Red Sunset’ are the two Red Maple cultivars I recommend most. Both have strong branch structure, reliable fall color, and fast establishment. ‘October Glory’ holds its leaves a couple weeks longer into fall, which means extended shade into late October. ‘Red Sunset’ colors up earlier and more reliably in warmer zones. Expect to pay $150 to $300 for a 10-to-12-foot nursery tree.

The trimming costs are reasonable too. A 30-to-40-foot maple costs $200 to $400 to trim every two to three years. Compare that to a 60-foot oak, which can run $600 to $1,200 per visit. That adds up fast over the life of the tree. Learn more about maple options in our complete guide to maple tree varieties.

When to plant: Fall is best in zones 7 through 9. October through early December. The roots establish over winter while the tree is dormant, so it hits the ground running in spring. In colder zones (3 through 6), plant in early spring after the last hard frost.

Valley Oak (Quercus lobata)

Valley Oak is a California native that grows fast and provides massive shade. Mature specimens reach 40 to 70 feet tall with canopy spreads of 40 to 80 feet. Some of the old Valley Oaks in the Sacramento Valley spread over 100 feet. If you have a large yard and want shade in a hurry, Valley Oak delivers.

The catch? It’s almost too much tree for most residential lots. You need at least a half-acre property to let a Valley Oak stretch out properly. The leaf drop is prolonged, often stretching from October through January here in California. You’ll be raking and blowing leaves for three months straight. And the trimming costs for a mature Valley Oak are steep. Budget $600 to $1,200 every three to five years.

Valley Oak has deep roots, which is actually a benefit. Unlike surface-rooting species (I’m looking at you, Silver Maple), Valley Oak is less likely to crack your sidewalk or invade sewer lines. Those deep roots also make it drought-tolerant once established. WUCOLS rates Valley Oak as very low water, and the UC Davis Arboretum lists it as an Arboretum All-Star. One important detail from the UC Davis guidance: mature Valley Oaks should not receive summer irrigation. Watering an established Valley Oak in summer can actually cause crown rot and kill the tree. That’s a real advantage in California where summer irrigation restrictions are now the norm, but it also means you can’t plant one in the middle of your irrigated lawn.

Zones 7 through 10. Plant it in full sun with well-drained soil. Valley Oak does not tolerate soggy clay.

Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis)

Chinese Pistache is the sleeper pick on this list. It grows 25 to 35 feet tall with a broad, rounded canopy that spreads 25 to 35 feet wide. The fall color is outstanding, rivaling maples with a mix of orange, red, and scarlet. It’s drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, and handles 110-degree heat without flinching. Zones 6 through 9.

The UC Davis Arboretum chose Chinese Pistache as an Arboretum All-Star, their designation for plants tested on campus and proven to thrive in Sacramento Valley conditions with minimal care. WUCOLS rates it as low-water once established. That’s a big deal in California. You’re getting a shade tree that barely needs your hose after year two.

Sacramento, Davis, and cities throughout the Central Valley planted Chinese Pistache as a street tree for decades, and for good reason. It’s tough, clean, and provides excellent shade without getting so big that it becomes a maintenance burden. The canopy is dense enough in summer to block 80 percent of sunlight, but the branch structure is open enough in winter to let most of it through. That’s exactly the combination you want.

Expect to pay $80 to $200 for a 5-to-7-foot nursery tree. Make sure you get a named cultivar like ‘Keith Davey’ (a fruitless male selection) rather than a seedling. Female seedling trees produce messy berries that stain driveways and attract birds. Ask the nursery specifically for ‘Keith Davey’ or another male cultivar. This is one case where the cultivar matters more than the species.

Chinese Pistache grows about 2 to 3 feet per year in good conditions. You’ll have usable shade in five to six years. By year ten, you’ve got a proper shade tree. If you’re into trees with great fall color, Chinese Pistache belongs on your short list.

Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)

Zelkova is the tree cities plant when they need to replace dying American Elms. It has the same graceful vase shape, grows 50 to 80 feet tall, and is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease. Fall color is yellow to rust-orange, not as showy as maple but still worth looking at.

For a home landscape, Zelkova provides broad, even shade in summer and a beautiful branch silhouette in winter. The vase shape means the canopy spreads wide at the top but doesn’t crowd the house at eye level. That open understory makes it easy to mow underneath and still get good airflow to the house.

It’s a fast grower, adding 2 to 3 feet per year in good conditions. In ten years you’ve got a 25-to-30-foot tree with meaningful shade. Zones 5 through 8. WUCOLS rates Zelkova as moderate-water, so plan on regular irrigation through our NorCal dry season, at least for the first several years.

‘Green Vase’ and ‘Village Green’ are the two cultivars you’ll see most often at nurseries. ‘Village Green’ has better fall color and is more cold-hardy. ‘Green Vase’ has a tighter, more upright form that works better on narrower lots. Both run $200 to $400 for a 10-foot nursery tree.

One thing to know: Zelkova drops small leaves that decompose quickly. Unlike oak leaves that pile up and smother your lawn, Zelkova leaves practically disappear into the grass by December. That’s a real quality-of-life advantage if you hate raking.

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis)

Honey Locust has fine, compound leaves that create dappled, filtered shade. It doesn’t block as much sun as a maple or oak, which makes it a good choice if you want shade without turning your yard into a cave. Grass actually grows well under a Honey Locust. Try growing grass under a maple. Good luck.

The leaves are tiny enough that many people skip raking entirely. They filter into the grass and decompose quickly. The thornless, podless varieties (look for the “inermis” designation) are the only ones you want. ‘Shademaster’ is the standard recommendation. It grows 40 to 50 feet tall with a 30-to-40-foot spread, has good disease resistance, and holds its leaves later into fall than most cultivars. ‘Sunburst’ has yellow new growth that looks great in spring but is slightly weaker structurally. Height for the species is 30 to 70 feet. Zones 3 through 9.

WUCOLS rates Honey Locust as low to moderate water in the Central Valley. That’s less thirsty than a maple but not as tough as a Chinese Pistache.

The downside is that Honey Locust is susceptible to a few pest problems, including honeylocust plant bugs and spider mites. In some years the leaves yellow and drop early, especially during hot, dry summers. In the Central Valley, I’ve seen Honey Locusts look thin by August in drought years. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s worth knowing. If you notice early leaf drop, give the tree a deep soaking twice a month through summer.

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

Here’s one most people overlook. Bald Cypress is a deciduous conifer, meaning it looks like an evergreen all summer but drops its needles in fall. The soft, feathery foliage turns copper-orange in November, then falls clean. By December the tree is bare and letting full winter sun through.

Bald Cypress grows 50 to 70 feet tall with a pyramidal shape that matures into a more spreading crown. It handles wet soil better than any other shade tree on this list. If you have a low spot in your yard that stays soggy after rain, Bald Cypress is your tree. It also handles drought fine once established, which surprises people.

Zones 4 through 10. That’s a huge range. You can grow it in Minneapolis or Miami. In NorCal, it thrives. WUCOLS rates it as moderate-water, which might surprise people given its swamp reputation. In a regular yard with decent soil, a deep soak every week or two in summer keeps it happy. The Sacramento area has some beautiful specimens along the American River Parkway.

Expect to pay $150 to $350 for a 6-to-8-foot nursery tree. Trimming needs are minimal since the tree has a naturally good shape. Budget $200 to $400 every four to five years for cleanup pruning. Know when to schedule your trimming to avoid damaging new growth.

What about fruit trees?

Fruit trees are deciduous, so yes, they let winter sun through. But most fruit trees are too small (15 to 25 feet) to shade a house effectively. A mature fig tree might shade a bedroom window. A peach tree won’t shade much of anything.

Fruit trees also require annual pruning, pest management, spray programs, and fruit cleanup. If you skip the maintenance, you get wormy fruit dropping on your patio all summer. Plant fruit trees for fruit, not for shade. Put them in a separate area of your yard where you can manage them properly.

The one exception: a mature Mulberry tree can reach 40 to 50 feet and throw serious shade. But then you have mulberries staining everything purple for six weeks. Your call.

How much shade do you actually need?

Not every house needs the same amount of tree canopy. Here’s a quick way to figure out your situation.

Single-story home, low insulation: You need the most shade. Two large deciduous trees on the south and west sides will make the biggest difference. Target species that grow 40 to 60 feet tall with 30-to-40-foot canopy spreads.

Two-story home, modern insulation: One large tree on the west side (afternoon sun is the killer) and one medium tree on the south side. The second story gets hammered by afternoon sun, so west-side shade is the priority.

Home with existing mature trees nearby: If your neighbor has a 60-foot oak that shades your house from 2 to 5 PM, you don’t need to replicate that shade. Plant on the side of your house that’s still exposed. Walk your property at 2 PM in July and note where the sun hits the house. That’s where your tree goes.

The energy savings are real

The U.S. Forest Service has calculated that a single well-placed shade tree saves an average of $7 to $17 per year in energy costs. That doesn’t sound like much until you plant three or four trees around your property and compound it over 20 to 30 years. We’re talking $500 to $2,000 in lifetime savings per tree.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) ran a shade tree program for years, giving away free trees to customers who planted them on the south or west side of their homes. SMUD measured the results: homes with properly placed shade trees used 10 to 40 percent less energy for cooling. That program exists because the utility saves money when you save energy. The Sacramento Tree Foundation (sactree.org) continues similar programs today.

Then there’s the property value. Mature shade trees add 3 to 7 percent to a home’s appraised value according to the USDA Forest Service. On a $500,000 house in the Sacramento suburbs, that’s $15,000 to $35,000. A tree you plant today for $200 could add $20,000 to your home’s value in 15 years. If energy costs are a concern, here are 6 energy efficiency solutions every homeowner should know that pair well with smart tree placement.

You’re not just planting a tree. You’re making an investment that pays you back every month on your utility bill and pays you again when you sell the house. Read about the full range of benefits trees bring to your property if you want more reasons to get planting.

Frequently asked questions

How long until a new shade tree actually provides shade? Most of the trees on this list provide noticeable shade within five to seven years of planting. Chinese Pistache and Red Maple are the fastest to fill in. Valley Oak takes longer to develop a full canopy but grows tall quickly. If you plant a bare root tree in late winter, you’ll get faster establishment than a container tree planted in summer.

Can I plant a shade tree near my pool? Yes, but choose carefully. Avoid trees with messy fruit (Mulberry), heavy leaf drop (Valley Oak), or invasive roots (Silver Maple). Chinese Pistache and Honey Locust are both good pool-adjacent trees. Their small leaves are easy for pool filters to handle, and neither drops messy fruit.

Should I water a new shade tree in winter? In NorCal, winter rain usually handles it. But if you get a dry spell of two weeks or more between November and February, give your new tree a deep soak. New trees need 10 to 15 gallons per week during the first two years, regardless of season.

What’s the best shade tree for clay soil? Valley Oak handles clay better than most. Bald Cypress thrives in wet clay. Red Maple tolerates clay if it drains somewhat. Chinese Pistache wants well-drained soil and will struggle in heavy clay. Amend the planting area with gypsum if you have tight clay.

What does WUCOLS mean and why should I care? WUCOLS stands for Water Use Classification of Landscape Species. It was developed by University of California researchers to rate the water needs of landscape plants across California’s climate regions. A “low” WUCOLS rating means a tree needs little supplemental water once established. A “very low” rating (like Valley Oak or Olive) means almost none. If you’re picking a shade tree in California, check the WUCOLS rating before you buy. It’ll tell you exactly how much that tree will cost you on your water bill.