How about a banana? I have mine within a foot of my house along the south wall. They do great there. Get about 15-20' tall and leaves are soft so it doesn't matter if they hit the house.

Thanks Sun W. I was hoping to learn of a plant with more of a defined canopy to get more shade. Any other suggestions out there?

Thanks Sun W. I was hoping to learn of a plant with more of a defined canopy to get more shade. Any other suggestions out there?

Can you post a picture of the space? What kind of understory plants do you want? That would help to identify a good match. Of course if I was in zone 10b that space would be lined with mango and lychees and coconuts=)

sun worshiper, See photo. In this shade I would put bromeliads for one. I already have mango and lychee. Any suggestions are appreciated.

In my recent search I found the Southern Waxmyrtle an interesting possibility. Plants can be trained to create a nice "canopy of shade for pedestrian traffic". Does anyone have a view on this plant?

Lucky you already have mangos and lychee! For form, do you want something that hugs the house, or more something with a trunk near the house whose canopy can arch out over the grass to provide shade there as well as to the walls of the house?

I have a privet out front, and its root system is thick, but doesn't seem damage causing, and broms fit under it nicely. I keep it pruned, so it doesn't ever really flower.

I don't know about the wax myrtle. Other thoughts, include white bird of paradise, travelers palm, hibiscus trained as large standards, those giant philodendrons that have the same leaf structure as what you have there now, bit which get 10' tall, bougainvillea, ligustrum, oleander trained to tree form, and I think my favorite idea is seagrape, also trained to tree structure. Here's a google picture of the seagrape http://www.123rf.com/photo_11118447_sea-grape-tree-grand-cayman-cayman-islands.html

Let us know what you go with!

If it were me, I would consider a Sweet Viburnum tree. A viburnum tree, you say? Until recently, I would have said the same thing! We are used to seeing sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) as hedges, but they are actually trees that require constant pruning to keep them that way. I recently read that they make a wonderful small tree and it all made sense! From the first article from University of Florida (linked below):

"For some reason, it has fallen out of favor as a small tree in recent years. This adaptable tree should be ‘rediscovered’ by landscape architects and others specifying small trees for urban and suburban landscapes. Often used as a screen or clipped hedge, its dense, spreading, evergreen habit makes Sweet Viburnum suitable for use as a small tree, reaching 25 to 30 feet tall and wide at maturity, with a dense, multibranched, rounded canopy.

Characteristics:
- Extremely hardy - bothered by very few pests or diseases
- Evergreen - rarely drop leaves
- Forms a dense canopy
- Grow to be 25-30' tall at maturity,
- Very inexpensive; you can pick up a 3-gallon viburnum at any of the box stores (including Walmart) for under $10

Here are some links to more information:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st659
http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/extensionservices/adults/horticulture/english/article489.aspx
http://www.floridata.com/ref/v/viburn_o.cfm

Good luck and let us know what you choose!

Carol in Jacksonville

Here is a link that might be useful: Viburnum odoratissimum: Sweet Viburnum

Being in zone 10b you have a lot of choices of tropicals.
Some plants you could try and they can be kept at any
height that you want could be Surinam cherry, cocoplums,
green buttonwoods, silver buttonwoods. The cocoplums
grow at a faster rate than the others, but can be used as
small trees also. Sweet viburnums are nice, but to me
they look too much like a northern plant and they have
huge roots.

Stewbrew, my yard is small and mainly dedicated to growing palms. What I call shade-makers, these are the small-ish to medium-ish type trees that I have, which should be easy for your zone compared to mine. Since dormancy kind of freaks me out a little, I try to choose all plant accents which are nearly year 'round bloomers and stay mostly evergreens in my yard, and can take the sun here. All these are to some degree drought tolerant, but do not let your sprinkler-system go broken more than the parts to fix it are...paraphrasing, "a geographical oddity 2-weeks from anywhere" when there is no rain and they're not yet established!!! lol.

Stemmadenia litoralis, nice little tree with fragrant flowers. This one I have seems to be in some kind of complete shock --it came by mail. It lost all its leaves but I think it will come back---for it hasn't yet given up the ghost. I believe it is an easier grower, so don't be put off it-- by my amateur-ness. If I have accidentally killed it, then another will be purchased. That's how much it is a nice little tree. I've read that it blooms frequently most of the year and is refreshing in scent.

Plumeria pudica, unlike other plumerias that seem to go stark every winter, this one for me, is a prolific bloomer, very easy grower. It finally went dormant at the end of March for about a week, but then kicked right back into action. I wonder that it might not ever go dormant at all in zone 10b, I don't really know. However, this last winter, in zone 9b/10a, passersby acclaimed I must have some green thumbs...but I assure you, it is this little tree's way and not me! lol. The scent is very slight, but it might give more in zone 10b.

Myrcianthes fragrans, I guess folks call them Simpson's Stoppers...but I call them Show Stoppers. Pretty and easy, wildlife attractors. Birds are nutty for it and that makes life fun for me. It's fragrance seems to be a healing one, as if medicinal, I really like it.

Aglaia odorata, this is the sweetest little tree! It personifies all that possesses innocence, such as newborn babies, kittens and puppies, foals, fawns, etc, all that's angelic. Delightfully clean and such an easy grow, it flowers year 'round with such a cute, happy scent. I believe it's never ever had the bad bugs, which is just wonderful.

Because these are mainly green with white, I have a number of little accent plantings that add nice variation of color, scents; variegated accent plants are a nice special interest and I like plants with a little bit of humor in their hearts. I have a long way to go in figuring out everything! lol.

I think maybe there exists infinitely more selections for 10b, Stewbrew. And I think my list was made by an non-expert enthusiastic crazy for palms person..lol! For reading all this, may the best of everything happen for you.

This post was edited by 3.2Whites on Sun, Aug 11, 13 at 7:48