Eagle Lake Nurseries Gardening Tips May 2005 Shade Trees for your Garden! Shade trees offer an abundance of privacy and shade to anyone's yard. For any gardener, shade is a big thing in ones garden. It offers protection to other plants and the lawns from frying up and it offers wind blockage. Shade trees create its own little sanctuary for growing plants. There are many varieties of shade trees that can offer so much to ones yard. Ash trees are one of the many varieties of shade trees that are remarkable for growing. They are hardy, disease resistant, and drought tolerant. They survive in such a wide range of conditions and also require very little maintenance. They are known to be very tidy in yards because most are seedless. You can place them around your decks or ponds without the big mess, besides in the fall of course. In the fall they are among the first trees to change their foliage color. Green Ash: Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a common shade tree in boulevards, yards, it is less tolerant of moist soils than other types of Ash. Varieties of the Green Ash: "Patmore" Green Ash, an extremely hardy, seedless variety. It gets it's leaves earlier in the spring and holds it leaves longer in the fall then other Green Ashes. 15m Height and 8 m Spread. "Prairie Spire" Green Ash, another seedless variety that holds a more pyramidal shape to the canopy. 12m Height and 5 m Spread. Black Ash: Fraxinus nigra is an exotic looking tree just by the growth pattern of the leaves. Black ash grows well in wet to well drained soil. They make a great specimen tree in anyone's yard. They grow well in parks and also in commercial sites. Black Ash: "Fallgold" Black Ash, leaves turn a vibrant yellow in the fall and also holds it leaves longer in the fall then other Black Ashes. 10m Height and 5 m Spread. Fraxinus mandshurica "Manchurian" Ash, has a dense, compact growth habit. The leaves on the Manchurian look more exotic than the Fallgold leaves. 10m Height and 5 m Spread. One disadvantage to Ash trees is that they are one of the last trees to leaf out in the spring and one of the first trees to lose their leaves in the fall. Take advantage of this situation though by planting near flowerbeds. They do help in early spring, with any plant material growing underneath these trees. It allows more sunlight and heat to the ground for a longer period of time to give any plants a good head start on their growth. Plant an Ash in your yard today you won't regret it! Less mess, less fuss, more enjoyable! Renee O'Brien Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.