6 Unique, Large Shade Trees for Your Minnesota Yard
Maples and Elms are nice trees for any Minnesota yard, but there are other great shade tree options to consider as well. Here are some less common and underused shade tree species you might consider that will add some unique interest and diversity to your Minnesota landscape.
Hackberry (native to MN)
The highlight of this tree is it’s interesting, corky gray bark texture. The bark pattern is particularly noticeable on younger trees. It resembles the stripes of layered rock formations with irregularly spaced grooves and ridges. The hackberry has fruit that can be eaten and peaks around early September. The canopy of the tree is very uniform and beautiful, and the fall color is a golden yellow. This is one of the larger trees on our list at 50-75′ tall and about 50′ wide at full mature state. These are great trees for a Northeast or South Minneapolis yard due to their tolerance for harsh urban conditions.
Northern Catalpa
If you’re looking for a unique shade tree in Minnesota, look no further than the Northern Catalpa. The unique, LARGE leaves almost look tropical or like they’re from the Jurassic period. Out of all the trees on this list, the spring bloom on this one is the most impressive. Seeing a very large tree filled with huge flowers is an amazing sight. The catalpa tree is also perfect for Minnesota yards because it tolerates many different site situations and soil types so it’s quite hardy. The fall color is okay, yellow/green, but that’s not the highlight of this tree so that’s okay. One thing to keep in mind about this tree is that it does have large seed pods that fall to the ground. We would not recommend planting this directly over a driveway or patio.
Kentucky Coffeetree (native to MN)
If you’re looking for an interesting leaf structure, this is the tree for your Minnesota yard. The airy leaves on this tree are large and made up of smaller leaflets. The leaves come out in spring a beautiful pink, bronze color. Then they mature throughout the year into a blue-green color. The branches on this tree spread out in interesting ways to form a nice looking shape and canopy. Similar to the Hackberry above, this has deeply furrowed gray/brown bark. The fall color eventually turns to a nice golden/yellow. The male varieties of the tree like ‘Kentucky Decaf’, ‘Kentucky espresso,’ and ‘Kentucky true north’ are seedless, making them less messy. While the female ‘Kentucky’ trees have seed pods which drop in spring. The seed pods can be bad for driveway or patios but are really nice to hear rustling in the wind.
Amur Cork tree
The Amur Cork tree has a very unique form/branch structure. You’ll see it as soon as you look at the picture above. The branches reach up and spread out with the leaves coming down in a mild weeping fashion. The fall color on this tree has a nice shade of yellow, especially vibrant against the dark colored bark on the branches and trunk. As can be guessed by the name, the trunk can feel corky or spongy. The bark also develops deep furrowed gray/brown stripes. Read more about this interesting tree at the
U of M Extension Website
.
Ginkgo Tree
A lot of people in Minnesota live for those few weeks in September where the leaves have changed to vibrant, amazing colors. The Gingko tree offers that beautiful fall color. The unique fan shaped leaves turn into a dazzling yellow/gold that can take your breath away. Like other trees on this list, the gingko tree is tolerant to urban and suburban environments so it’s hard to kill off (in a good way). We recommend the ‘autumn gold’ and ‘presidential gold’ varieties ourselves but there are other great ways as well. The branching structure and overall form of this tree is also of note. This tree is classified as both a shade tree and an ornamental tree.
Sycamore Tree
All of the trees we’ve highlighted here have at least 1 unique feature about them and the Sycamore is no different. These trees have a very cool, very unique bark pattern where the dark gray bark stripes off toe reveal khaki and ivory underneath. This leads to a unique and memorable trunk and branch color/texture. The other unique thing about this tree that sets it apart is that it can grow up to 6′ in one season. The fast growth of this tree means you can get more bang for your buck and see the results quicker. We prefer the ‘bloodgood’ and ‘exclamation’ varieties.
Hopefully that gives you some inspiration for all your unique shade tree ideas in Minnesota. One of the best parts of designing landscapes is pushing the envelope and using plants and materials that keep your interest and are unique to your yard. The landscape designers here at KG Landscape can help you achieve that unique, beautiful plant bed and yard that you’ve always wanted. Call us at our office or write into our quick quote to start the conversation.
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When Pergolas Don’t Last, There’s Always a Reason After nearly two decades of building outdoor spaces across Medina, I’ve seen what happens when pergolas aren’t designed for Minnesota’s conditions. You can spot them a mile away—posts that lean, beams that twist, and concrete pads that have heaved out of level after just a couple of winters. It’s not because homeowners cut corners intentionally. It’s usually because whoever built it didn’t account for what our climate really does to structures that aren’t anchored right. Medina’s heavy clay soil doesn’t drain well. It holds moisture, freezes solid, and then expands like a hydraulic press pushing on everything above it. When pergolas are set on surface-level post bases, that pressure has nowhere to go but up—and the whole thing moves. Even small shifts can cause joints to separate, wood to crack, and hardware to loosen. That’s how a $15,000 structure starts looking tired after a few years instead of standing straight for decades. The truth is, pergolas here aren’t just about shade or looks. They’re about structure, drainage, and how every piece ties into the patio beneath it. A pergola that stands tall through Minnesota winters is built on the same principles as a good foundation—it’s only as strong as what’s underneath it. If you live in Medina and want to enjoy your backyard without worrying about your investment warping or sagging, start with design that respects the environment it’s built in. That means thinking beyond lumber and stain colors. It means understanding soil movement, water management, and the importance of integrating your pergola with the patio below it.
Solutions for Properties in Minnetonka You can always tell a Minnetonka yard that’s fighting its slope. Water doesn’t lie, it finds the weak spots every time. I’ve walked plenty of properties where a backyard starts beautiful in June, but by September, the patio is heaving, the grass near the pool looks like a marsh, and the homeowner is wondering how it got so bad so fast. The truth is, when you’re dealing with rolling terrain and heavy clay soils like we have around Minnetonka, you can’t just move dirt and hope gravity behaves. You need a plan that manages water from the surface all the way down through the subsoil. This is what I’ll walk you through here. You’ll see what actually causes drainage issues on sloped properties, how poor planning leads to cracked patios and shifting pool decks, and the smart drainage systems that can stop those problems for good. Whether you live near Lake Minnetonka or up in the higher ridges closer to Deephaven or Woodland, understanding how your yard sheds water is the difference between a property that lasts and one that’s constantly under repair. The Real Challenge of Sloped Minnetonka Yards Minnetonka is known for its hills, lakefront properties, and mature trees, but all that beauty comes with a set of challenges below the surface. Most of the soil here is dense clay. It holds water like a sponge and drains slowly, which means after every heavy rain, that water looks for a way downhill. If it doesn’t have a proper outlet, it ends up collecting right where you don’t want it, like along your patio, at the base of a retaining wall, or near your pool deck. I see this every season: homeowners trying to solve slope problems with a quick regrade, a layer of rock, or a simple surface drain. Those things might help for a while, but they don’t address what’s really happening underground. Clay soil doesn’t just get wet—it becomes saturated, expanding and contracting with every freeze-thaw cycle. When that happens under a patio or wall, it doesn’t matter how well-built the surface looks. The ground will move, and that movement cracks stone, shifts pavers, and slowly tears apart everything on top. The other challenge with sloped lots is how water interacts with gravity. It accelerates downhill, gaining momentum as it goes. When it hits a flat area like a patio, the water loses speed but not volume, pooling instead of flowing. That’s why I tell clients that “flat spots” on a sloped property are both an opportunity and a responsibility. They’re the best spaces to create usable outdoor areas, but they have to be engineered to handle water movement. I’ve worked on plenty of Minnetonka yards where the backyard has a beautiful view but terrible grading. You can have a perfect slope on paper, but if it directs water toward your house or creates a bowl effect between structures, you’ll end up with soggy soil and standing puddles that never dry. The goal is to move water off and away while keeping the surface level enough for comfort and usability. It’s a fine balance, but when it’s done right, it completely transforms how a property functions.