My sister in law has a Japanese maple which is very pretty and provides a lot of shade.

I LOVE willow trees and golden rain trees are pretty and shady too

I personally wouldn’t recommend gum trees. Some have aggressive roots and could damage you house foundations/walls, driveway, paths etc. People who suffer from hayfever, asthma or sinus issues find that pollen and grit from leaves can be a dangerous issue. Bees love them but I wouldn’t plant them and risk getting stung. Until you get the first one you don’t know whether or not you are gong to have an allergic reaction at all. A severe one can be life threatening or worse. They also have a tendency to drop branches. They also fill your gutters with leaves quite frequently if you get winds at all.

Ornamental pear trees are lovely, and ours is in full blossom at the moment. They grow fairly fast and are a great shade tree for a domestic block.

pittosperum are a great shade tree

depends how long you want to wait for them to grow! I prefer to buy established!

Lilly Pilly’s are great……..fairly fast growing and lush. They do do better in warmer climates, so it depends on where you are?

Thanks for the comments – will take a look at these trees. 🙂

Willows and Lilly Pilly trees are both really fast growing and great shade trees. Lilly Pillys tend to grow best in warmer climates.

Red gum trees sound rather beautiful!

Red gum trees are brilliant for shade. And they cone out in stunning red flowers. Only problem is, whilst in flower, they attract lots of bees. Which are often sitting on the ground, not good for children or pets