Trees for Shade

Hoping to fill a shady area with a tree? Relax, most trees evolved to grow in the shade of a forest. Some grow better than others, however, and in this collection, we've curated a selection of the very best trees for shade, so you can rest assured you'll be getting a beautiful, long-lived tree, even if you're not lucky enough to live in a suntrap. 

 

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Ornamental trees (233) Cherry blossom trees (32)Crabapple trees (29)Birch trees (10)Willow trees (13)Acer trees (33)
  • 'Indian Magic' Crabapple Tree Fruit Trees
    £22
    £50 £22

    'Indian Magic' Crabapple Tree

    Crabapples for months and months

    • Elegant spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 5m
    • Bronze-tinged foliage and pink blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • 'Forest Pansy' Canadian Redbud Tree | Cercis canadensis Ornamental Trees
    £55
    £55

    'Forest Pansy' Canadian Redbud Tree | Cercis canadensis

    A myriad of bright colours

    • Evocative spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 8m
    • Ruby leaves (orange in autumn), pink blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' Ornamental Trees
    From £55
    £70 From £55

    Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'

    Grows beautifully in a pot

    • A naturally spreading, bushy tree
    • Small tree - grows to 3m
    • Deeply-lobed leaves (in green and orange)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • 'Fortune' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £48
    £53 From £48

    'Fortune' Apple Tree

    Lovely, traditional garden apple

    • Juicy with nice levels of acidity (eating)
    • Heavy cropper
    • Use in Waldorf salads or spiced chutneys
    • Harvest from September (stores until October)

    1 option available

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  • Patio Redbud Tree | Cercis Chinensis 'Avondale' Ornamental Trees
    £80
    £80

    Patio Redbud Tree | Cercis chinensis 'Avondale'

    Abundant blooms on your doorstep

    • Upright, vase-shaped patio tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
    • Enticing pink flowers, heart-shaped foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Sheerwater Seedling' Sorbus Tree Ornamental Trees
    £60
    £65 £60

    'Sheerwater Seedling' Sorbus Tree

    A bona fide wildlife magnet

    • Upright, oval tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 6m
    • Vibrant orange and red autumn colours
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Weeping Purple Beech Tree | Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Pendula' Ornamental Trees
    £60
    £70 £60

    Weeping Purple Beech Tree | Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Pendula'

    Don't cry for me purpurea...

    • Gracefully weeping tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 3m
    • Lush purple foliage turning copper in autumn
    • Grows well in a wide range of conditions

    1 option available

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  • 'Buccaneer' Walnut Tree Fruit Trees
    From £60
    From £60

    'Buccaneer' Walnut Tree

    Early-cropping and self-fertile

    • Classic walnut flavour - creamy and earthy
    • Brilliant for pickling when unripe
    • Candy your walnuts in sugar and butter
    • Harvest from the end of September

    2 options available

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  • Flowering Dogwood Tree | Cornus florida Ornamental Trees
    From £30
    From £30

    Flowering Dogwood Tree | Cornus florida

    Interest from spring to autumn

    • A naturally bushy, shrub-like tree
    • Medium tree - grows to 6m
    • Green decidious leaves turn red in autumn
    • Stunning white bracts surround the flowers

    3 options available

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  • 'Southampton Selection' Sloe Tree Fruit Trees
    £35
    £45 £35

    'Southampton Selection' Sloe Tree

    Grow your own sloe gin!

    • A tartness that's perfect for jams
    • Brilliant for wildlife and pollinators
    • Essential for sloe gin and hedgerow jelly!
    • Harvest from October

    1 option available

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  • The 3 Best Fruit Trees for Small Gardens | Apple, Cherry & Fig Fruit Trees
    From £62
    £85 From £62

    The 3 Best Fruit Trees for Small Gardens | Apple, Cherry & Fig

    Tight on space? Not a problem

    • Chosen for outstanding flavour
    • Reliable and easy to grow
    • Compact varieties suitable for pots
    • Pick fruit from July to September

    2 options available

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  • Patio Apple Tree | Malus 'Appletini' Trained Fruit Trees
    £30
    £30

    Patio Apple Tree | Malus 'Appletini'

    Bitesized apples from your patio

    • Picturesque, upright patio tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
    • Dainty pink blossoms
    • Self-fertile (doesn't need a partner)

    1 option available

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  • Magnolia denudata 'Festirose' Ornamental Trees
    £41
    £41

    Magnolia denudata 'Festirose'

    French, fragrant and fabulous!

    • Wonderful spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 5m
    • Goblet-shaped, pastel-pink flowers
    • Lots of branches means more flowers!

    1 option available

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  • Soft Tree Fern | Dicksonia antarctica Ornamental Trees
    From £100
    From £100

    Hardy Tree Fern | Dicksonia antarctica

    Fronds as old as the dinosaurs!

    • Glorious curving fronds
    • Perfect for shady gardens
    • Evergreen leaves up to 3m long
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

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  • Patio Portuguese Laurel Tree | Prunus lusitanica 'Brenelia'® Ornamental Trees
    From £30
    From £30

    Patio Portuguese Laurel Tree | Prunus lusitanica 'Brenelia'®

    Interest all year long

    • Bushy, lollipop-esque tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m
    • Shiny leaves, scented blooms, red-black fruit
    • RHS Plants for Pollinators

    2 options available

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  • Magnolia 'Butterflies' Ornamental Trees
    £45
    £45

    Magnolia 'Butterflies'

    Myriad yellow blooms

    • Graceful upright tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 6m
    • Gradually opening, cup-shaped yellow flowers
    • Delicately fragrant blooms

    1 option available

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  • 'Brandywine' Crabapple Tree Ornamental Trees
    £25
    £50 £25

    'Brandywine' Crabapple Tree

    Brill blooms, fab fragrance

    • Bushy, spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 6m
    • Glorious double pink blossoms
    • Radiates a lovely, balanced fragrance

    1 option available

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  • 'Crimson Cascade' Purple Crabapple Tree Ornamental Trees
    £28
    £50 £28

    'Crimson Cascade' Purple Crabapple Tree

    A spectrum of pinks and purples

    • Wonderful weeping tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 5m
    • Purple to bronze leaves, magenta blooms
    • Perfect for a front lawn feature tree

    1 option available

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  • Sweetgum Tree | Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' Ornamental Trees
    From £55
    £60 From £55

    Sweetgum Tree | Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette'

    A column of autumn vibrancy

    • Striking upright tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 8m
    • Foliage adopts fiery hues later in the year
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

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  • Japanese Rowan Tree | Sorbus commixta 'Carmencita' Ornamental Trees
    £55
    £60 £55

    Japanese Rowan Tree | Sorbus commixta 'Carmencita'

    Jewel-like red autumn berries

    • Fabulous upright tree
    • Medium tree - grows to 4m
    • Bronze autumn foliage and vivid red berries
    • The stunning red fruits are loved by birds

    1 option available

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  • Himalayan Birch Tree | Betula utilis jacquemontii 'Doorenbos'
    From £40
    From £40

    Snow Queen Himalayan Birch Tree | Betula utilis jacquemontii 'Doorenbos'

    The brightest bark of all

    • Elegant oval tree
    • Large tree - grows to 12m
    • Lush green foliage turning yellow in autumn
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

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  • 'Wedding Bouquet' Crabapple Tree Fruit Trees
    £50
    £55 £50

    'Wedding Bouquet' Crabapple Tree

    Blossoms befitting any aisle

    • Graceful upright (to spreading) tree
    • Medium tree - grows to 4m
    • Ivory white flowers, intensely red fruits
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Purple Beech Tree | Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain' Ornamental Trees
    £55
    £55

    Purple Beech Tree | Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain'

    Brilliant burgundy foliage

    • Upright, weeping tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 10m
    • Alluring purple leaves turn copper in autumn
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Japanese Rowan Tree | Sorbus commixta 'Dodong' Ornamental Trees
    £50
    £55 £50

    Japanese Rowan Tree | Sorbus commixta 'Dodong'

    An autumn colour powerhouse

    • Impressive upright tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 8m
    • Large pinnate leaves turn fiery in autumn
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • 'Comtesse de Paris' Crabapple Tree Fruit Trees
    £50
    £55 £50

    'Comtesse de Paris' Crabapple Tree

    Blooms worthy of any noble court

    • Regal spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 4m
    • Wonderfully fragrant, snow-white flowers
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • 'Yellow Siberian' Crabapple Tree Fruit Trees
    £50
    £55 £50

    'Yellow Siberian' Crabapple Tree

    Laden with sunshine-yellow fruit

    • Picturesque spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 4m
    • Intensely vibrant fruits and white blossoms
    • Offers a valuable winter food source to birds

    1 option available

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  • 'White Wax' Rowan Tree | Sorbus arnoldiana Ornamental Trees
    £60
    £60

    'White Wax' Rowan Tree | Sorbus arnoldiana

    Clouds of snow white berries

    • Upright to spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 7m
    • Snowy fruits and flowers, good autumn colour
    • Highly popular with wildlife

    1 option available

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Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Meet Mike

Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe

Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.

Need help picking?

Which trees grow well in shade?

Which trees grow well in shade?

There are a number of trees that grow nicely in shade, which is good news for those gardens not blessed with lots of sunlight. There are both deciduous and evergreen options, all offering a range of different appeals. Take the humble Japanese maple, for example. Certain varieties actually prefer a partially-shaded spot over direct sunlight, as the latter can lead to leaf scorch. Green-leaved varieties are particularly-suited to deeper shade. Other suitable trees for more shaded locations include dogwood, amelanchier, redbud, katsura, holly, hornbeam, crabapple and magnolia trees.

Caring for trees for shade

Caring for trees for shade

Generally speaking, once established trees for shade require little by way of maintenance. Unless they fall within a rain ‘shadow’ – in which case a bit more watering is required – most require less watering than trees grown in full sunlight, as the soil dries out less quickly. Give your tree a mulch every spring; this will help both retain moisture and suppress competition from weeds and grass. Prior to mulching, you can apply some slow-release general fertilliser, though most trees will be fine without this. Pruning requirements will vary from tree to tree, but typically most will be fine with just a light trim each year to remove dead, damaged or diseased branches.

Planting schemes for trees for shade

Planting schemes for trees for shade

There are two planting schemes that immediately spring to mind when considering trees for shade: Japanese and woodland gardens. The former features trees like acers and magnolias, which tend to perform well in slightly shadier areas, while the latter comprises all sorts of trees adapted to growing in the dappled light or understorey of forests and woods. This includes plants like tree ferns, yew and hazel.

Trees for Shade FAQs

What is the best tree to grow in shade?

Various trees grow well in shadier conditions, including yew, holly and Portuguese laurel, while various others grow well in dappled/partial shade, including Japanese maples, flowering dogwoods, rowans and some beech trees.

What is the fastest-growing tree to provide shade?

Certain willows and poplars are two of the fastest-growing trees to provide some shade, with weeping willows growing up to a whopping two-and-a-half metres per year given the appropriate conditions.

How do you look after trees for shade?

Trees for shade are looked after in a very similar manner to any other tree; that’s to say, water your tree well to help establishment, and then during hot, dry spells thereafter. Consider mulching and feeding with slow-release fertiliser in spring and trim away dead, damaged or diseased branches as and when you see them. For more specific care requirements, see each tree’s individual product page or one of our comprehensive guides.

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Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

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