Indian Bean tree ‘Aurea’ (Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’) creating shade over a seating area

the greener, cooler alternative to garden parasols

It’s early July 2026 and it’s been very, very hot. East Anglia has been the hottest in the UK, along with London and Southern England. At this time of year the cooling effect a few nearby trees can make is even more noticeable. Where I live, near Ely, there is not a lot of canopy cover. When I come across a stand of mature trees on a hot day you can really feel the difference. Research shows it can be up to 20 degrees cooler in the deep shade of a tree as compared to a nearby pavement or road.

Most of us don’t have mature or veteran trees in our back gardens to shade us on hot days, so a parasol is usually a good solution for creating shade over our seating areas for summer comfort. There’s a problem though - most parasols are made from synthetic fibres (plastic) which heat up in the sun and radiate it downwards towards the area you are trying to cool. Essentially, though they may protect against sunburn, they might also be making you hotter. What’s more, under the heat of the sun and its UV rays, your synthetic parasol can release VOCs and other chemicals into the atmosphere (otherwise known as off-gassing) which are harmful to your health.

I always prefer the shade of a tree over that of a parasol - cooler, fresher, greener. Here are 5 trees I would consider planting near a seating area to create a tree parasol:

Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ - Indian Bean Tree

The ‘Aurea’ is important because the straight species can get very big, and Aurea is more manageable through pruning. There is also a compact cultivar called ‘Nana’.

This is an excellent tree for shade without cutting out too much light, due to the lightness of its leaves. It grows reasonably quickly and each mature leaf can be as big as your handspan. It creates a beautiful, luminous canopy that’s hard to beat.

As with any standard tree - don’t plant it too close to your house foundations! (5m is recommended but for smaller trees such as the ones I’m recommending you can plant a bit closer)

Ficus carica - Fig

Another fantastic dramatic foliage tree or shrub that can quite quickly produce a canopy that will create cool shade in summer, combined with the transporting scent of fig leaves. If you’re lucky you’ll even get a few figs from it.

Fig trees are very very vigorous, so if space is limited, buy a nice huge pot for it to restrict its growth - it will still do the job as a parasol. We planed one outside our south-facing wall after the 2022 heatwave (along with a huge climbing rose), and it has made a significant difference to how hot it gets when the temperatures are above 30 degrees.

Tetrapanax papyrifer - Chinese Rice Paper plant

Tetrapanax is another fast-growing shrub that will easily shade a small seating area. You can prune the lower leaves and branches off to create a beautiful umbrella shape for your patio. As a tropical plant, it needs a little bit more shelter than other alternatives, so a small enclosed garden or courtyard is perfect.

*Twisted willow showing its messy habit*

Salix babylonica/matsudana ‘Tortuosa’ - Twisted Willow

This willow is one of the first things to come into leaf in spring and will cope with floods and droughts. It’s small, curly leaves haphazardly arranged on the twisted branches create a fine dappled shade that is lovely to sit under. It is also very easy to propagate - cut a few small twigs and put them in a glass of water to watch the bright pink roots growing.

Magnolia ‘Genie’

Some Magnolias can get really large, but this on is more compact and can even be clipped into a formal shape. Multistem specimens are very pretty, and they respond well to having their crowns lifted. Not only do they cast a lovely dappled shade in summer, but they are covered with deep maroon/pink flowers in spring.

Remember, creating shade in your garden not only helps you, but all the other creatures that live in it.

Umbrella Plants for Shade in Heatwaves