Shade! That’s what many homeowners crave during the hot summer months in Vernon and elsewhere in the Okanagan. Growing a big tree fast requires the right space and species with tolerance to climate and soil conditions. Check our selection of Fast growing Shade Trees For Vernon BC.
Autumn Blaze Maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffsred’)
The Autumn Blaze maple tree is a hybrid comprised of a half red maple and a half silver maple. A combination that has been popular for decades in commercial and residential settings due to gorgeous fall colour, rapid growth and it’s ability to adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions.
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Common Name: Autumn Blaze Maple
Bloom Time: Spring, insignificant Bloom Colour: Green Exposure: Full sun to part shade Height: 12.0-17.0 m (40-55′) ft Spread: 9.0-12.0 m (30-40′) ft Water: Average to moist Hardiness Zone: 3-8 Deer Resistance: Occasional damage Drought Tolerance: Good once established Characteristics: Fast growing and adaptable hybrid of silver maple and red maple. Tolerates both wet soil and dry soil. Excellent orange, scarlet and deep red fall colour. Good shade and street tree. |
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
The Pin Oak tree is one of the faster-growing species of red oaks which provides great fall colour, with leaves turning shades of scarlet and bronze. Best known for its low maintenance and fast growth, it is popular due to the attractive pyramidal shape and straight, dominant trunk. Tolerates wet feet and requires acidic soils but is adaptable to drier and urban conditions.
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Common Name: Pin Oak, Swamp Oak
Bloom Time: Spring Bloom Colour: Dark green Exposure: Full sun to part shade Height: 60-70′ ft Spread: 25-40′ ft Water: Average to moist Hardiness Zone: 4-8 Deer Resistance: Very deer resistant Drought Tolerance: Less than other oaks Characteristics: The Pin Oak is shallow-rooted and easily transplanted. The crown is pyramidal to oval. Acorns are not produced before the tree is about 20 years old. Requires regular watering. Tolerates heat, air pollution and compacted soil. |
Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Quaking Aspen is an extremely cold hardy, fast growing, narrow-oval to pyramidal tree. It features a beautiful white bark, its deep green foliage that quakes in the slightest breeze and its golden yellow fall foliage colour. This tree grows well in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils with abundant moisture.
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Common Name: Quaking, Trembling Aspen
Bloom Time: Spring Bloom Colour: Deep green Exposure: Full sun Height: 40-50′ ft Spread: 20-30′ ft Water: Moderate Hardiness Zone: 2-7 Deer Resistance: Occasional damage Drought Tolerance: Moderate once established. Characteristics: Quaking Aspen is one of the most widely distributed trees in North America. The white bark also carries out photosynthesis which is usually reserved for tree leaves. |
Shademaster Honeylocust Tree (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’)
A thornless and seedless, dappled shade tree with a classic rounded shape. It is highly adaptable, tolerant, hardy, and pest and disease-free. A highly adaptable and durable tree species that grows anywhere and in all sorts of soil conditions – from perfect to poor. It thrives in hot, cold and even in salty climates.
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Common Name: Honeylocust, Shademaster
Bloom Time: Spring Bloom Colour: Green Exposure: Full sun Height: 30-70′ ft Spread: 30-70′ ft Water: Moderate Hardiness Zone: 3-9 Deer Resistance: Occasional damage Drought Tolerance: Excellent Characteristics: The Shademaster Honeylocust tree tolerates just about any soil condition. Whether the soil is wet, dry, alkaline, acidic, clay or sandy – this tree grows anywhere. |
London Planetree (Platanus × acerifolia)
The London Plane Tree is a very large deciduous tree that is quite resilient in air polluted urban conditions. This hybrid tree resulted from a cross between two sycamore species: Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore) and Platanus orientalis (Oriental plane). A fast-growing tree, the London plane typically gains several feet in height per year.
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Common Name: Bloodgood, London Planetree
Bloom Time: Spring Bloom Colour: Bright green Exposure: Full sun or part shade Height: 70-85′ ft Spread: 50-70′ ft Water: Moderate Hardiness Zone: 5-9 Deer Resistance: Occasional damage Drought Tolerance: Good Characteristics: London plane trees have been popular urban specimens for nearly 400 years, and with good reason. They are remarkably hardy and tolerant of a variety of conditions. The mature bark is a stunning pale grey with exfoliating brown bark and the leaves resemble the look of a maple having a palmately lobed leaf. Grows in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, wet and clay soils. |
Read Also: How to Plant Shrubs and Trees Correctly
Come and see the shade tree lineup at Nicholas Alexander Home and Garden Centre. Our knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you in finding the right tree for your yard.