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Rosie On The House > Podcast > Notes from the Nursery > Trees & Citrus > OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR: Notes From The Nursery & #Top5ShadeTrees with John Harper

June 20, 2026

8:00 AM | OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE HOUR ➞

Segment 1

11:57

Segment 2

6:46

Segment 3

13:08

Segment 4

7:00

Cooling Shade Trees

GUEST

Jay Harper/Notes From The Nursery Expert

COMMENTARY

Shade is an effective way to reduce your cooling bills by shading west and south facing sun
Shade trees create microclimates and promote natural airflow enhancing outdoor comfort
Understanding the tree’s mature size and property dimensions to avoid improper planting
Advantages to planting deciduous trees for summer shade and winter sunlight

Right Tree In The Right Place

COMMENTARY

Trees grow rapidly thanks to a 300 day growning season
Practical limitations of planting large mature trees due to cost and logistics
Discussion of trees fallen out of favor like Australian Bottle and Eucalyptus
Classic shade trees include redpush pistache, aleppo and eldarica pines

Tree Talk

COMMENTARY

Sycamores and cottonwoods thrive only in areas with access to deep water
Salt cedars have become invasive and water consuming after introduced for erosion control
Texas ebony is low-maintenance and tough but produces thorns
Thornless varieties of palo verde and mesquite trees provide good options for landscaping
Mulching with organic materials like leaf litter retains soil moisture

Jay’s Top 5 Shade Trees

COMMENTARY

Top 5 Shade Trees To Consider
- Redpush Pistache
- Mesquite
- Palo Verde
- Chinese Elm
- Southern Live Oak
Bonus Trees
- Citrus trees provide shade and edible fruit
- Mulberries are fast growing with a large canopy shade tree
- Texas sage grows tall enough to shade windows
- Pomegranates and figs are hardy edible shrubs/trees that provide decent shade
Shading with vines on trellises create cooled air spaces between vegetation and walls

OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR
Notes From The Nursery

#Top5ShadeTrees

Outdoor Living Topic: #Top5ShadeTrees | Scroll below for a breakout of talking points by each segment in this podcast along with links to additional resources.

8:00 AM | OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR

Cooling Shade Trees

Right Tree In The Right Place

Tree Talk

Jay’s Top 5 Shade Trees

OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR
Notes From The Nursery

#Top5ShadeTrees

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Event Promotion Request

8:00 AM | OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR

Cooling Shade Trees

OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR Notes From The Nursery

#Top5ShadeTrees

DIY Articles

Podcasts

Event Promotion Request

OUTDOOR LIVING HOUR
Notes From The Nursery