Many local, native trees provide cooling shade for you, your family, your home, and your neighbourhood. They also provide food and shelter for birds and pollinators, add vibrant colour, and can even increase property value. Here are our three favourite hardy shade trees best suited to urban yards.

Northern red oak
These trees grow almost anywhere. They’re drought, salt, and juglone tolerant, so you can plant them in areas where road salt is used or near black walnut trees. Supporting over 500 species of butterflies and moths, local oak trees offer birds a caterpillar buffet. When you plant one, you can feel good knowing you’re increasing biodiversity in your community.
 
Freeman's maple
Freeman’s maple is an easy-growing, naturally occurring hybrid of red and silver maple. It’s valued for its tiny, delicate spring flowers, classic maple leaves, and drought and heat tolerance. It doesn't mind getting its feet wet and grows well in wet conditions. It supports a variety of butterflies and moths, including the eastern tiger swallowtail and bantam maple dagger moth.

Common hackberry
Another good plant-anywhere tree, common hackberry can withstand drought, winter salt and high foot traffic. Part of the elm family, common hackberry is a great alternative to the disease-prone American elm. The tree's corky bark is most noticeable in winter, which is when birds visit it to gobble up leftover fruit.
 
Use our native plant nursery list to learn where you can purchase one of these trees for your yard.

Urban communities are often hotter in the summer than rural areas. This phenomenon is called urban heat island effect and it’s expected to get worse with climate change.

Urban heat island effect is felt most in neighbourhoods with fewer trees and green spaces. Hard surfaces like rooftops, roads and parking lots absorb and radiate heat. Buildings and houses that are close together reduce air movement and trap heat, increasing local air temperatures and decreasing air quality.

Planting more trees in our neighbourhoods is an important way to reduce urban heat and prevent heat-related illness. Trees absorb heat, provide cooling shade, and cool the surrounding air. You experience the cooling power of trees when you seek relief from the hot sun in the shade they provide.

Communities with large, mature shade trees can be up to 11 degrees cooler than those without. A recent study has projected that if the City of Brampton increased tree cover in one of its most heat-vulnerable areas from 18 per cent to 33 per cent (about 54,000 trees), it would reduce the average temperature by 1.5 degrees, have fewer extreme heat days and save millions in energy and health care costs.

Scientists predict we’re going to experience more frequent extreme heat days above 30 degrees Celsius. You can help keep your home and community cooler by planting trees in your yard. Find the tree that is right for you in our Woodland Plants for Landscaping guide.