I chose a Japanese Pagoda (sophora japonica)for the finely cut foliage. I planted it about three years ago to give me a bit of privacy for my second floor deck and to provide some shade for a raised bed in which I have subsequently been able to plant four different hydrangeas. It's about 20'+/- already and will probably get to 45' or so. It doesn't have much for fall color but it flowered for me last year which was a pleasant surprise.

Funny, I also chose a Japanese Pagoda for a shade tree in my backyard, which gets full southern exposure. It is near my house to provide shade for our back porch. I love the delicate foliage and visitors often ask what it is. Fall color isn't spectacular- just an ordinary yellow. Although mine has not seemed to have grown as quickly as boxofrox's(I think I've had it for about 3 years too and it's about 15 ft tall), this year, it is really taking off with some tremendous sprouting that I may need to prune, for shaping purposes. Overall, I'm very pleased with my choice.

boxofrox and drcindy, it sounds like a lovely tree! Could you tell me how wide your trees are? I have a very small yard and am wondering how close it could go to the fence that rims our property. Also, how could you tell me how quickly would it provide shade? (The spot where I would put it has sun-loving perennials in it, so I am wondering how soon I would have to move them)

Thank you very much!

You'd have a while. I think when I planted mine around 2004 it was 6-7' tall and very airy, not much for shade. Now like I said, it's probably around 20' tall with a thicker canopy that's probably 15' in diameter+/-.

I looked back at a 2005 picture when I first started reconstructing the area it is planted in and it was about 10'.
I could take a current picture if you like so you can see how lovely it is but I don't know to shrink the pics small enough to post them. I could e-mail them but they'd probably be rather large ;-)

My first choice would be a katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum - a graceful habit, fairly rapid growth rate, attractive foliage and outstanding fall color. And you don't see them in every garden. I'd also consider Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia', the golden leafed black locust. Again, relatively rapid growth and a tough, drought tolerant tree. Nothing special in the way of fall color, but boy, does that golden foliage stand out in the growing season! Mine is situated so that I see it everytime I turn into my drive and the combination of it and its purple smokebush planting partner just gives me a little boost in spirit everytime I see them!

I have the same Robinia as Gardengal, we've had it about twenty years. It is a fast grower and the leaves turn a butter yellow before they fall. Both DH and I love this tree and we've had a lot of compliments about it. It doesn't leaf out till the end of April here but I love the framework of the branches in the winter. I have had to deal with only one sucker the whole time it's been here. There is one drawback to this tree, the crows like the brittle branches to build their nests and I have to pick up after them in the spring.
I don't have a Katsura myself but this is one absolutely gorgeous tree and the fall color on this one is to die for.

A......