• Selecting the right tree for shade can be a challenge when there's not much space.apartment in shade image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  Shade trees can help to create a sense of intimacy in the yard, as well as help protect the home from the sun's blinding rays and make it easier to open the windows and blinds. If the yard is small, though, it can be difficult to find a shade tree that doesn't interfere with power lines, satellite dishes and other home essentials. Fortunately, there are options available.
  
  

Amur Maple

• This small member of the maple family is native to Asia, and does well in a variety of soils. A cold-hardy tree that is also drought-tolerant, the Amur maple has a mature height of around 20 feet and a width of 15 to 20 feet. It has a slow growth rate, but is resistant to weather damage, pests, disease and city pollution.
  
  During the summer, the leaves of the Amur maple are dark green on top and a lighter green on the bottom. In the autumn, they turn a bright red; in addition to the bright colors, cultivars Red Wing and Embers also bear noticeable red samaras.
  
  Because of their small stature and thick foliage, the Amur maple also makes an excellent windbreak.
  
  

Golden Rain Tree

• The golden rain tree is another small shade tree suited to close quarters. This fast-growing tree has a mature height of around 30 feet, and a rounded shape that gives it a nearly equal spread. Its compound leaves turn yellow in the autumn, when it also blossoms with bright yellow flowers. When the flowers fall, they are replaced by reddish-purple seed pods, which reproduce quickly in warm climates. A hardy tree, it can tolerate cool climates, a variety of soil conditions and city pollution.
  
  

Yellowwood

• The yellowwood is a relatively uncommon tree. A medium-sized shade tree with blue-green summer foliage and yellow to gold autumn colors, the yellowwood is most commonly seen in the eastern United States, but is cold hardy to USDA Zone 4, meaning it can withstand annual low temperatures to -30 degrees. The tree flowers in the early summer, when it displays 10 to 16 inch long clusters of white flowers that resemble the wisteria.
  
  These attractive trees can tolerate a variety of different soil types, but should be planted somewhere sheltered from the direct wind. Getting the flowers to consistently bloom can be a challenge and the tree's branches are prone to splitting, but its attractiveness throughout the seasons can make it well worth the trouble.