Video: Space-Saving Shade Trees

You don't need a ton of space to get great shade! Follow along as our friend and plant hobbyist Macie covers two of our favorite small, space-saving shade trees - the Japanese Maple and Crape Myrtle.

You'll learn:

• Why the Japanese Maple and Crape Myrtle are great for compact landscapes
• Planting and care tips for each tree
• Where they grow best and more!

Watch the video above, and scroll down for the full transcript!

Most Japanese Maples stay compact even at maturity, making them great for small areas

Crape Myrtles also stay small with compact root systems, perfect for planting alongside roads or driveways

Full Transcript: Space-Saving Shade Trees

Securing shade in your yard does not always mean sacrificing space. Today, we're going to look at two of my favorite trees - the Japanese Maple and the Crpae Myrtle, two trees that can have a big impact on the shade in your landscape while remaining relatively compact.

As always, my name is Macie and this is Potting and Planting, from FastGrowingTrees.com.

The Japanese Maple and Crape Myrtle are widely considered to be the best space-saving shade trees. And today, we're going to take a look at what makes them so special. If you guys fall in love with either of these trees during this video, don't forget to visit FastGrowingTrees.com to pick one up for yourself. They ship to your home in as little as one to two days, so you can get right to planting.

This is the Japanese Maple tree - specifically, it's an Emperor Japanese Maple, which makes sense, because this rich, color-filled tree is essentially the king of space-saving shade trees.

Japanese Maples can vary in size from 6 to 20, feet but the Emperor grows to a mature height of 12 to 15 feet, with a width just the same. The tree is compact enough to plant near a street or anywhere in your landscape, while still offering plenty of shade in the surrounding area.

For me, when i'm considering shade trees for my landscape, I like their purpose to be two-fold. First, they need to provide a reasonable amount of shade - second, they need to be visually pleasing. The Japanese Maple does just that. This tree is known for its rich red hues that pop against a green landscape, and its intricate leaves are stunning and stand out when compared to traditional maple trees.

This is the Crape Myrtle tree - it actually originated in China, but it's widely considered to be a treasure of the South. You can find them in a variety of sizes and colors - they're a street corner favorite and can be planted almost anywhere in your yard, thanks to being strong, drought tolerant and thriving in both shade and sun.

Not only do these trees add a jaw-dropping pop of color, as they bloom all summer long in either white, pink, red or purple - but they also provide a generous amount of shade, especially when planted in groups.

These trees stay relatively compact at the base, with branches that grow upward and out, allowing for a wide area of coverage from a mature height of up to 25 feet, depending on the variety. You simply cannot go wrong with a Crape Myrtle.

That's all for today's episode of Potting and Planting with FastGrowingTrees.com! if you have any questions don't hesitate to leave a comment below and let me know what shade tree is your favorite.