Actually many varieties of shade tree grow quickly without too much maintenance. They can provide your home with beauty and comfort with very little effort on your part, and many of them are quite affordable. If you think about it, the qualities that make a tree easy to care for are things like drought tolerance, resistance to insects and disease, and general toughness. Listed below are some of the most common species of shade trees that display these characteristics.

One of my personal favorites is the Empress Tree, which is known to grow several feet in a single year. They are also strikingly beautiful, with large purple flowers in the spring that produce a pleasant smell. These things are also extremely tough; Empress Trees can live in just about any climate and they don't have any serious problems with bugs, viruses, or bacteria. They produce enormous leaves that cut down on direct sunlight and help to keep a yard or home cool. This is one of the top picks for an easy to care for shade tree.

Maples grow in number of different climates and provide excellent shade with little care. Their leaves are large and easy to clean up in the fall. Furthermore, the leaves turn beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow as fall approaches. Maples also grow fairly quickly and are known to be hardy plants.

Another personal favorite is the Eucalyptus, which is especially good in dry climates. This drought tolerant tree grows several feet each year and produces a very pleasant smell. It also keeps its foliage all year and the strong smell emitted from its leaves can help to drive away bugs.

A tree I am going to try soon is the Gingko, which produces brilliant colors and grows very fast. The tree can survive on very little water and is good in both country and urban areas. The tree is delicate and beautiful-it will really stand out in your yard.

These are just a few of my favorite species of easy to care for shade trees. Each has different qualities but they all can grow and thrive with little care. If you need to create shade in your garden or around your home consider trying one of these. A good shade tree can actually decrease the total cost of cooling your home in the summer because it will block out the sun. Trees with large leaves also pull in lots of pollution and create fresh air for you and your family to breathe. Now more than ever we need to plant trees to help produce more oxygen and to beautify the landscape. Each of these species and many more can fulfill all of these functions without asking much of you. Give a low maintenance shade tree a try this year.