We are planning to plant a shade tree, but I don't know which kind is best for this area. I heard that Locust was good, but they are one of the last to get green in the spring. We had a globe willow, which I loved, but it split down the middle and we had to remove it before it fell on our house. The thing I did like about the willow, is that it greened up early and was one of the last to loose it's leaves. It also had small leaves that could be mowed with the lawn mower.