Medium shade trees that thrive in colorado: part II

Medium shade trees that thrive in colorado: part II

Last week we posted a blog on large shade trees that strive in Colorado’s high desert climate. This week we are focusing on medium size shade trees that are among the most beautiful trees, and some have wonderful fragrances.

Autumn Blaze Maple:

These trees are most well known for their brilliant fall color, hence the name “Blaze” and their exceptional drought tolerance. They are a hybrid between red maple trees and silver maple trees, both of which are native to North America. These trees perform wonderfully in our arid environment and are considered fast-growing shade trees, gaining anywhere from three to five feet in height per year. So, if you’re looking for a low-maintenance, fast-growing tree with beautiful colors, this may be the tree for you.

Northern Catalpa:

This beautiful variety is native to the Midwest and features large, heart-shaped leaves and large, fragrant clusters of white flowers. It produces long and narrow seed pods adaptable to a wide range of conditions, though they do tend to have a weak wood and branch structure making them susceptible to damage from intense weather conditions. Due to their adaptability, they are often planted in hard-to-plant areas. Northern Catalpa trees make for lovely shade trees with their fragrant flowers and unique foliage, and their fast growth rate is ideal, achieving from one to two feet of growth per year or more.

Redmond Linden Tree:

Unlike the Honey Locust, Redmond Linden trees are known for their large, broad leaves that grow densely throughout the entire tree. These trees are ideal for bringing shade due to the nature of their foliage, which appears glossy green throughout the summer and turns bright yellow in the fall. They also produce lovely little clusters of fragrant yellow flowers early in the summer, followed by small dangling fruit later in the season.

Shademaster Honey Locust:

Honey Locust trees are popular for their delicate, fern-like leaves. Due to the nature of their leaves, not all of the sun gets blocked, providing lovely, dappled shade. This is also good news for any grass or other plants under this tree’s canopy. They also exhibit vibrant yellow fall color and truly make for a lovely addition to any landscape. Many other Honey Locust varieties produce little white flowers, long brown seedpods, or long and intimidating thorns. This variety, however, does not.