· Michael Blair
Tree choice is a fifty-year decision made in an afternoon. In Middle Tennessee the constraints are heavy clay, hot humid summers, and storms that test branch attachment every spring.
Reliable shade trees here
Native oaks — white, willow, shumard — are the standard for good reason: strong wood, adapted to our soil, and long-lived. Slower to establish and worth the wait.
Blackgum gives excellent autumn colour and tolerates wet clay. Bald cypress handles the wettest sites. American hornbeam suits smaller spaces.
Smaller and ornamental
Eastern redbud and serviceberry are natives that flower early and stay a manageable size. Both handle clay well and suit planting closer to a house.
Fringe tree and Carolina silverbell are underused here and perform well in our conditions.
- Large shade: white oak, willow oak, shumard oak, blackgum
- Wet sites: bald cypress, river birch, sweetbay magnolia
- Small and ornamental: redbud, serviceberry, fringe tree
- Avoid: Bradford pear, silver maple, Leyland cypress
What to avoid and why
Bradford pear grows fast, splits in storms as its tight branch unions fail, and has escaped into the wild across Tennessee. It is a poor choice on every count.
Silver maple grows fast with weak wood and aggressive surface roots. Leyland cypress is planted as a fast screen and is prone to disease and to blowing over once tall.
Placement for a Nashville summer
Shade on the west and south-west sides does the most for summer comfort and cooling cost. Deciduous species there give shade in summer and let winter sun through.
Keep large species away from the foundation, from the sewer lateral route and from overhead lines, all of which are cheaper to respect now than to resolve later.