Best Trees in Florida for Shade

Florida residents know very well how cooling costs can be very expensive. Cities across the state enjoy a warm climate almost all year round so many of us have to keep the AC running. Thankfully, there are alternative ways to cool down your home without making your air conditioning unit run all day long. One of them is by considering some of the best trees in Florida for shade.

When you strategically plant some good shade trees around your house to block the sun’s powerful rays from constantly hitting the roof and sides of your home, then your home wouldn’t suffer as much from intense heat. Even better, planting trees and using them for this purpose is environment-friendly too!

Deciduous Shade Trees

If you don’t mind some seasonal leaf raking, these are great shade trees you can plant in your property.

Florida Elm (Ulmus Americana)

This is a popular shade tree because its leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow before they drop off each autumn. Florida Elm trees have nice looking crown structure and can grow up to 80-feet tall. That makes them perfect shade providers for larger size homes.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Here is a widely popular Florida shade tree that’s known for being highly drought resistant. They grow to be anywhere from 50 to 70 feet tall and spread in an upright and wide manner. They produce nice yellowish leaves before shedding them in the fall.

Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

Do you have a smaller size yard but still want to plant some shade trees? This one will nicely do the trick. Hophornbeams usually only grow 25 to 40 feet tall. They have an attractive bark structure and its leaves turn an attractive yellow color in the fall.

Evergreen Shade Trees

If you’re looking for the best trees in Florida for shade but do not have a lot of time for maintenance, here are some good tree options that minimize leaf shedding all year round.

Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

This is a very hardy shade tree that plants its roots so firmly they even make good windbreaks from storms. When healthy they reach heights of 50 to 65 feet and have an elegant crown shape. Many animals find the acorns they produce to be very tasty and they are salt spray resistant. This means you can have a healthy Southern Live Oak tree in your yard even when you live near the coastline. If you have an oak tree in your property, then you would also realize that you might need to trim it every few years or so. Here are some tips for trimming oak trees.

Gumbo-Limbo (Bursera simaruba)

Here is a tree that is affectionately known as the “tourist tree” because of the way its reddish bark peels off like sunburned skin. They are known to grow up to 60 feet tall but usually grow shorter than that when found on home landscapes. They have an interesting branch structure and most of the foliage grows toward the higher portions of the tree.

Top Tree Maintenance Contractor in Daytona Beach, FL

When searching for the most beautiful trees for your yard, you may want to consider one that has another purpose too such as providing shade in your property. Finding trees that serve as great shade for cooling your Florida home isn’t difficult at all since plants and vegetation thrive here, thanks to our beautiful weather. Perhaps the only challenge comes when it’s time for tree care and maintenance. Cleaning up fallen leaves is the easiest part. However, when you need to trim or prune branches or remove a tree entirely from your property, you must work with a licensed tree maintenance contractor.

Aardvark Tree Service offers a variety of tree services to both residential and commercial clients. We offer Daytona Beach tree removal, tree pruning, tree trimming, stump removal, land clearing, and many more. Work with a licensed tree expert to ensure high-quality workmanship and safety on the job. Our services are also available in Port Orange, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and surrounding communities. Call our team today at 386-310-8022 to get a free estimate!