Use

Shade Tree

91 plants

Freeman Maple · Acer ×freemanii A vigorous hybrid of red and silver maple combining fast growth with an upright symmetrical crown and dependable, long-lasting orange-red autumn colour. A premium street and shade tree.
Freeman Maple 'Autumn Blaze' · Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' A vigorous, broadly oval hybrid maple combining the fast growth of silver maple with the brilliant orange-red autumn colour of red maple. A superb, well-shaped deciduous shade tree.
Red Maple · Acer rubrum A fast-growing North American shade tree with a tidy oval canopy that ignites in fiery red and orange autumn tones. Tolerant of damp soils and excellent for streets and parks.
Red Maple 'October Glory' · Acer rubrum 'October Glory' A fast-growing, oval-crowned red maple celebrated for its long-lasting, brilliant orange-red to crimson autumn display. An outstanding deciduous shade and avenue tree.
Queensland Kauri · Agathis robusta A tall native kauri with a straight trunk, smooth bark and broad, leathery glossy-green leaves unusual for a conifer. A stately feature and shade tree for subtropical and warm-temperate gardens.
After Dark Peppermint · Agonis flexuosa 'After Dark' A striking small weeping tree with deep burgundy-purple aromatic foliage and tiny white flowers in spring. A dramatic, colourful feature and screen for coastal gardens.
Chocolate Vine · Akebia quinata A graceful semi-deciduous twiner with five-fingered leaves and unusual pendant clusters of spicy, chocolate-scented purple-maroon flowers in spring. Vigorous and shade-tolerant, though it can spread.
Silk Tree · Albizia julibrissin A spreading umbrella-shaped tree with feathery ferny foliage and fluffy pink powderpuff flowers through summer that draw butterflies and bees. Gives light, elegant dappled shade.
Shell Ginger · Alpinia zerumbet A robust clumping ginger with arching leafy canes and drooping sprays of waxy shell-pink buds opening to yellow-and-red flowers. A lush, fragrant screening and feature plant for warm, sheltered gardens.
Smooth-barked Apple · Angophora costata A magnificent large tree with sculptural, twisting limbs and smooth pink-to-orange bark that sheds to reveal salmon tones. Clusters of creamy summer flowers feed bees and birds.
Bunya Pine · Araucaria bidwillii A massive, dome-crowned Australian native conifer with glossy stiff foliage and very large edible-seeded cones, a traditional Aboriginal bush food. A long-lived feature and shade tree for large open spaces.
Hoop Pine · Araucaria cunninghamii A tall native rainforest conifer with a distinctive narrow crown of dark green tufted foliage and characteristic hoop-marked bark. A handsome feature and forestry tree for subtropical and warm gardens.
Coast Banksia · Banksia integrifolia · from $5.50 A hardy coastal tree with dark-green leaves silvery beneath and pale-yellow flower spikes through autumn and winter that feed birds. Exceptionally salt- and wind-tolerant for seaside windbreaks.
Old Man Banksia · Banksia serrata A gnarled, characterful small tree with serrated leathery leaves, thick warty bark and large grey-green flower spikes that age to the woody 'big bad banksia men' cones. Tough and long-lived.
Silver Birch · Betula pendula A graceful deciduous tree with striking white papery bark, slender weeping branchlets and fluttering leaves that turn soft yellow in autumn. Lovely planted in groves.
Fishbone Water Fern · Blechnum nudum An Australian native fern forming a neat shuttlecock of soft, fishbone-patterned fronds above a short, slowly developing trunk. Ideal massed beside ponds and in moist, shaded ferneries.
Illawarra Flame Tree · Brachychiton acerifolius A spectacular Australian native that drops its leaves to reveal a blaze of bell-shaped scarlet flowers smothering the bare branches in early summer. A stunning feature shade tree.
Kurrajong · Brachychiton populneus A hardy, drought-tolerant Australian native with a swollen trunk, glossy poplar-like leaves and cream bell flowers. An iconic, long-lived shade and shelter tree for tough conditions.
Ivory Curl Tree · Buckinghamia celsissima A Queensland rainforest tree with glossy foliage and long, fragrant cream flower spikes that cascade over the canopy in summer. A spectacular feature and street tree for warm climates.
Trumpet Vine · Campsis radicans A vigorous, self-clinging deciduous climber bearing bold clusters of orange-red trumpet flowers through summer that draw nectar-feeding birds. Robust and showy, but suckering and best given firm support.
Indian Bean Tree · Catalpa bignonioides A bold shade tree with very large heart-shaped leaves and showy upright panicles of frilled white flowers in summer, followed by long slender bean-like pods. Dramatic and fast-growing.
Blue Atlas Cedar · Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' A majestic cedar with intensely silvery-blue needles and a bold, tiered branching structure. A premier feature tree for large gardens, drought-hardy once established.
Deodar Cedar · Cedrus deodara A large, elegant cedar with gracefully drooping branch tips and soft blue-green needles. A grand specimen and shade tree for parks and larger gardens in temperate climates.
Kangaroo Vine · Cissus antarctica A lush evergreen rainforest climber with glossy toothed leaves that quickly clothes a fence or pergola in deep green and tolerates shade. A hardy screening vine and popular indoor plant.
Red Flowering Gum · Corymbia ficifolia One of the most spectacular flowering trees in the world, smothered in summer with huge corymbs of scarlet, orange or pink blossom alive with birds and bees. A rounded shade tree for warm gardens.
Summer Beauty · Corymbia ptychocarpa 'Summer Beauty' A grafted tropical bloodwood with large glossy leaves and enormous pendulous trusses of soft pink flowers in summer. A spectacular feature tree for warm gardens.
Rough Tree Fern · Cyathea cooperi A fast-growing Australian native tree fern with a slender trunk marked by coin-shaped frond scars and a wide canopy of large, lacy fronds. A quick lush feature for shaded subtropical gardens.
Soft Tree Fern · Dicksonia antarctica A stately Australian native tree fern with a fibrous brown trunk crowned by a broad canopy of soft, arching green fronds. A lush, cool-tolerant feature for shaded ferneries and woodland gardens.
Silver Princess · Eucalyptus caesia 'Silver Princess' · from $6.50 An elegant weeping mallee with powdery silver-blue leaves, ornamental minni-ritchi bark and pendulous pink flowers with golden anthers followed by silvery gum nuts. A spectacular small feature tree.
Euky Dwarf · Eucalyptus 'Euky Dwarf' A compact, fast-growing gum reaching only 5-6m with smooth pinkish-grey bark and a neat rounded canopy. Bred as a tidy small shade and street tree for confined gardens.
Summer Red Flowering Gum · Eucalyptus 'Summer Red' A compact grafted flowering gum bred for masses of large deep red to coral blooms through summer and autumn. A small, reliable feature tree that performs across most of Australia.
Yellow Gum · Eucalyptus leucoxylon 'Rosea' A hardy small to medium gum with smooth cream bark and showy pink to red flowers through the cooler months that draw flocks of honeyeaters. A reliable street and shade tree.
Red Ironbark · Eucalyptus sideroxylon 'Rosea' A handsome upright tree with deeply furrowed near-black ironbark and blue-grey foliage, carrying pink to red winter flowers rich in nectar. Tough, drought-hardy and excellent for birds.
Coral Gum · Eucalyptus torquata A small, hardy goldfields gum smothered in coral-pink to red lantern-shaped flowers for much of the year. An excellent drought-tough feature and street tree.
Black Genoa Fig · Ficus carica 'Black Genoa' A popular fig with large purple-black fruit and sweet, deep-red, juicy flesh, often giving two crops a year. Self-fertile, drought-hardy once established and easy in warm-temperate and Mediterranean gardens.
White Adriatic Fig · Ficus carica 'White Adriatic' A green-skinned fig with strawberry-pink, very sweet flesh, traditionally prized for drying and jam. Self-fertile and drought-hardy once established, it thrives in hot, dry, sunny gardens.
Claret Ash · Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood' A handsome shade tree with fine dark-green foliage that turns a deep wine-claret purple in autumn. Fast and adaptable, it is one of the most popular deciduous avenue trees.
Ginkgo · Ginkgo biloba An ancient, virtually pest-free deciduous conifer relative with distinctive fan-shaped leaves that turn pure butter-yellow in autumn. Long-lived, tough and pollution-tolerant.
Golden Honey Locust · Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst' A thornless, podless cultivar with airy ferny foliage that emerges bright gold, matures to lime-green and returns to yellow in autumn, casting light dappled shade. A graceful lawn tree.
English Ivy · Hedera helix A tough, self-clinging evergreen climber and groundcover with classic lobed dark-green leaves that thrives in deep shade. Useful but invasive, it can damage masonry and is toxic if eaten.
Jacaranda · Jacaranda mimosifolia A spreading subtropical tree famed for its haze of violet-blue trumpet flowers in late spring, carpeting the ground beneath. Fine fern-like foliage gives dappled summer shade.
Golden Rain Tree · Koelreuteria paniculata A tough, rounded shade tree carrying large airy sprays of yellow summer flowers followed by ornamental papery lantern-like seed capsules, with bright yellow autumn foliage.
Crepe Myrtle 'Biloxi' · Lagerstroemia 'Biloxi' A tall, upright Indian Summer hybrid with soft pale-pink summer flowers, dark mildew-resistant foliage and orange-red autumn colour. One of the larger crepe myrtles, suiting avenue and shade use.
Crepe Myrtle 'Lipan' · Lagerstroemia 'Lipan' A medium Indian Summer hybrid with lavender-pink summer flowers, striking near-white exfoliating bark and orange-red autumn colour. Mildew-resistant and well suited to feature planting.
Crepe Myrtle 'Muskogee' · Lagerstroemia 'Muskogee' A large, vigorous Indian Summer hybrid with long-lasting light lavender summer flowers, smooth mottled bark and red-orange autumn colour. One of the tallest and most disease-resistant crepe myrtles.
Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' · Lagerstroemia 'Natchez' A vigorous Indian Summer hybrid crepe myrtle with abundant pure white summer flowers and outstanding cinnamon-brown exfoliating bark. Mildew-resistant with orange-red autumn foliage.
Crepe Myrtle 'Sioux' · Lagerstroemia 'Sioux' A medium Indian Summer hybrid with vivid mid-pink summer flowers, mildew-resistant foliage and rich maroon-red autumn colour. An upright, manageable feature tree for smaller gardens.
Crepe Myrtle 'Tuscarora' · Lagerstroemia 'Tuscarora' A popular Indian Summer hybrid bearing large trusses of coral-pink summer flowers above mildew-resistant foliage, with mottled tan bark and orange-red autumn colour. A reliable feature tree.
Crepe Myrtle · Lagerstroemia indica A reliable summer-flowering tree bearing big crinkled trusses of pink, mauve, red or white bloom for months, with mottled peeling bark and rich autumn tones. A heat-tolerant favourite.
Pineapple Zamia · Lepidozamia peroffskyana A tall, fast-by-cycad-standards Australian native forming a slender trunk crowned with long, glossy, gracefully arching fronds. A lush rainforest feature for shaded subtropical gardens; seeds toxic to pets.
Liquidambar · Liquidambar styraciflua A tall, conical shade tree with star-shaped maple-like leaves that colour spectacularly in shades of crimson, purple and gold through autumn. A classic avenue and parkland tree.
Tulip Tree · Liriodendron tulipifera A stately fast-growing tree with uniquely shaped saddle-cut leaves that turn clear gold in autumn and curious greenish-orange tulip-like flowers in early summer. Needs room to spread.
Brush Box · Lophostemon confertus A robust evergreen Australian native with a dense rounded canopy of glossy leaves, peeling reddish-brown bark and fluffy white summer flowers. A tough, widely planted street and shade tree.
Macadamia · Macadamia integrifolia 'A4' An Australian rainforest native and bush food, this proven 'A4' macadamia is a heavy, reliable bearer of rich, buttery nuts. A handsome evergreen tree for subtropical and warm-temperate gardens, fruiting best with a second variety nearby.
Bowen Mango · Mangifera indica 'Kensington Pride' Australia's best-loved mango, with sweet, aromatic, fibre-light golden flesh and a heavy summer crop in warm climates. A large evergreen tree needing full sun, frost-free warmth and good drainage.
R2E2 Mango · Mangifera indica 'R2E2' A large, firm, colourful Australian-bred mango with mild sweet flesh and excellent storage and transport quality. A vigorous evergreen tree for warm frost-free districts with full sun and free drainage.
Bird's Nest Bromeliad · Nidularium innocentii A shade-loving rosette of dark, often maroon-backed leaves whose centre forms a nest of bright red bracts cradling white flowers. Excellent groundcover bromeliad for deep shade under trees.
Slipper Orchid · Paphiopedilum hybrid A terrestrial orchid with mottled leaves and a single waxy bloom bearing a distinctive pouched lip in green, mahogany and spotted tones. A long-lasting, shade-loving collector's orchid.
Virginia Creeper · Parthenocissus quinquefolia A vigorous self-clinging deciduous vine with handsome five-fingered leaves that ignite into fiery red and burgundy tones in autumn. Excellent for quickly covering large walls, fences and pergolas.
Boston Ivy · Parthenocissus tricuspidata A self-clinging deciduous climber whose three-lobed green leaves turn brilliant crimson and scarlet in autumn before falling. The classic clothing for brick walls, it attaches by adhesive tendril pads.
Bacon Avocado · Persea americana 'Bacon' A hardier, earlier-cropping avocado with smooth green skin and light, mild flesh, tolerating cooler conditions than most. A type-B flowering tree that makes an excellent pollinator partner for Hass.
Hass Avocado · Persea americana 'Hass' The leading commercial avocado, with pebbly skin that purples when ripe and rich, creamy, nutty flesh. A type-A flowering evergreen that crops better with a type-B variety such as Bacon nearby and needs frost-free warmth and excellent drainage.
Reed Avocado · Persea americana 'Reed' A summer-fruiting avocado with large, round, green fruit and rich, buttery, mild flesh, on a notably upright tree. A type-A variety that is fairly self-fertile but fruits best with a type-B partner; needs warmth and free-draining soil.
Hope Philodendron · Philodendron 'Hope' A robust self-heading philodendron forming a broad mound of large, deeply lobed glossy green leaves. A lush, low-care feature for shaded courtyards and large pots; foliage is toxic to pets if chewed.
Mexican Weeping Pine · Pinus patula A fast-growing pine with long, soft, gracefully weeping bright-green needles giving a fine, plumed appearance. An elegant feature and quick shelter tree for frost-free temperate gardens.
Monterey Pine · Pinus radiata A fast-growing pine with bright green needles in threes and a broad crown, widely planted for timber, shelter and quick windbreaks. Hardy and adaptable across cool and temperate climates.
Chinese Pistachio · Pistacia chinensis A tough, drought-hardy shade tree with glossy pinnate foliage that turns brilliant orange, red and crimson in autumn. An excellent, reliable choice for hot, dry street and park planting.
London Plane · Platanus ×acerifolia A large, robust shade tree with broad maple-like leaves and striking flaking cream-and-grey camouflage bark. Famously tolerant of pollution, pruning and tough urban conditions.
Plum Pine · Podocarpus elatus A handsome native conifer with long, glossy dark-green leaves and edible purple-black fleshy fruit used as a bush-tucker flavouring. Tolerant of clipping, it makes a fine native screen, hedge or feature.
Kanzan Cherry · Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan' The most widely planted Japanese flowering cherry, with a stiff upright vase shape and masses of large double rose-pink blossoms in spring. Bronze new foliage turns orange in autumn.
Shimidsu Cherry · Prunus serrulata 'Shimidsu' A spreading, flat-topped Japanese flowering cherry with pendulous clusters of large frilly double white blossoms, pink in bud, in late spring. A dainty, elegant feature tree.
Bradford Pear · Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' A broadly rounded ornamental pear with dense white spring blossom and glossy foliage turning red-purple late in autumn. A vigorous shade and feature tree for street and garden use.
Cleveland Select Pear · Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' A neat, tightly pyramidal ornamental pear with profuse white spring blossom and reliable burgundy-red autumn colour. A tough, disease-resistant street and feature tree.
Ornamental Pear 'Aristocrat' · Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat' A broadly pyramidal ornamental pear with horizontal branching, glossy wavy-edged foliage and white spring blossom. Autumn colour ranges through gold, orange and crimson-red.
Snow Pear · Pyrus nivalis 'Snow Pear' A rounded deciduous pear grown for its silvery-grey felted young foliage and white spring blossom. Drought-tolerant once established and well suited to Mediterranean and dry gardens.
Manchurian Pear · Pyrus ussuriensis 'Manchurian' A hardy, broadly rounded ornamental pear with abundant white early-spring blossom and glossy foliage that turns brilliant red, purple and orange in autumn. A tough, cold-hardy shade tree.
Pin Oak · Quercus palustris A fast-growing oak with a distinctive pyramidal crown and deeply lobed glossy leaves that turn rich russet-red in autumn and often persist into winter. A superb large avenue tree.
Golden Robinia · Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia' A fast-growing tree whose pinnate foliage glows golden-yellow from spring through summer before turning amber in autumn, lighting up the garden. Tough and tolerant of poor soils.
Firewheel Tree · Stenocarpus sinuatus A handsome rainforest tree with glossy lobed leaves and extraordinary spoke-like wheels of scarlet-and-gold flowers in autumn. A spectacular bird-attracting feature tree.
Fraser Island Creeper · Tecomanthe hillii A handsome Australian native rainforest climber with glossy foliage and showy clusters of rosy-pink trumpet flowers in spring. A choice, frost-tender vine for sheltered subtropical gardens.
Blue Trumpet Vine · Thunbergia grandiflora A rampant, large-leaved evergreen climber hung with pendulous clusters of pale blue to mauve trumpet flowers. Spectacular over big pergolas in the tropics, but a serious environmental weed in warm regions.
Small-leaved Lime · Tilia cordata A neat, pyramidal shade tree with heart-shaped leaves and clusters of intensely fragrant cream flowers in summer that are loved by bees. A classic European avenue and parkland tree.
King Fern · Todea barbara A massive, long-lived Australian native fern building a broad fibrous crown of leathery dark green fronds from a thick mounding base. A bold, statuesque feature for moist, sheltered gardens.
Luscious Water Gum · Tristaniopsis laurina 'Luscious' A selected water gum with large glossy leaves, smooth orange-brown bark and clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in summer. A handsome, well-behaved shade and street tree.
Water Gum · Tristaniopsis laurina An adaptable evergreen Australian native with glossy leaves, smooth peeling orange-brown bark and fragrant yellow summer flowers. A popular, well-behaved street and feature tree.
Chinese Elm · Ulmus parvifolia A graceful, spreading shade tree with small glossy leaves and beautiful mottled, flaking bark in tones of grey, orange and cream. Tough, disease-resistant and a popular bonsai subject.
Ornamental Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' A deciduous tendril climber grown for its dramatic foliage, opening grey-pink and deepening to wine-purple before turning rich crimson in autumn. A handsome, shade-giving cover for pergolas.
Weeping Lilly Pilly · Waterhousea floribunda A graceful evergreen Australian native with gently weeping branches of glossy ripple-edged leaves and fluffy cream flowers. Excellent as a tall screen, shade tree or feature.
Japanese Wisteria · Wisteria floribunda A graceful deciduous climber renowned for its exceptionally long, fragrant violet-blue flower racemes that open progressively from the base in spring as the fresh foliage unfurls. A breathtaking pergola plant.
Chinese Wisteria · Wisteria sinensis A spectacular deciduous twining vine that drips with long, fragrant pendulous racemes of mauve-blue pea flowers before the leaves emerge in spring. Vigorous and long-lived, it demands a sturdy support.
Japanese Zelkova · Zelkova serrata An elegant vase-shaped shade tree related to elms, with serrated leaves turning shades of yellow, orange and bronze-red in autumn and attractive flaking grey bark. Tough and elm-disease resistant.