by Elizabeth Smith
Now that June is here things are really heating up outside. One of the ways you can make your yard and garden a little more inviting when it is 105 outside is to plant shade.
There are a lot of options for planting shade, but deciduous trees are the obvious one. Deciduous means “shedding leaves annually” and this is a great way to go because these types of trees will keep things cooler with a canopy of shade in the summer months and then when they drop their leaves, they will allow the sun to warm your yard and house when temperatures cool down. Some examples of deciduous trees that do great here in the desert are figs, pomegranates, Arizona ash, Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis, not to be confused with the edible pistachio tree), Desert Willow, Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), and don’t forget our desert mesquites of which I highly recommend the honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa).
Another option for shade in your yard are vines and shrubs. Evergreens to try are privet, a shrub or small tree, and star jasmine and bougainvillea, vine type plants that may need to be trellised. A really nice deciduous vine option you might want to try is Tombstone rose (originally called Lady Banks rose). Honeysuckle is a beautiful hummingbird attractant that can be evergreen if the winter stays warmer.
Bamboo can be a great shade option too. Bamboo is just a giant grass so non-clumping varieties will spread similar to the way that Bermuda grass does so be sure and ask for “clumping” varieties like “Tropical blue” or “Weaver’s” bamboo which won’t spread across your yard.
As a side note, the best time to plant any tree is in the early spring or late fall but other plants can be planted now if they are kept shaded from June’s intense sun and well watered until established.
