Here in Sydney, the kids soccer season has now returned for the winter. This, of course, means parents standing on the sidelines watching the game on a Saturday. Now that my son is 16, he has games starting around lunchtime. In autumn, that can mean it’s still quite warm in the sun on the sidelines. In summer it will be absolutely baking hot when the cricket is on in summer!

A lot of the fields that these games are played on have very little shade around the outside and I think this is very poor really. In other cases, there is the odd tree, but at the other side of the set of fields in relation to where your child is playing, so no use at all!

In a country as hot as Australia can be, more use of trees and large shrubs should be used around the outsides of these fields. While I understand that local councils have limited funds and such public spaces need to have the ability to cater for all people and sports at all times, wise plant choices can be of use in such a situation.

So, after some thought, here are some trees that provide plenty of shade, are easy maintenance and provide plenty of food and shelter for wildlife in the local area:

• Podocarpus elatus-this Australian native tree can be used as a shade tree among other uses. Also known as Illawarra Plum, has a dense medium domed crown and is up to 10m tall in cultivation (taller in its native habitat). As well as being a native Australian tree, it can be used in rainforest or native plantings, bush food-its fleshy receptacle can be puréed and cooked with suger and it’s seeds are eaten by cockatoos (there are a range of species of cockatoo native to Australia).
• Calodendrum capense-this is a tree that comes from Africa that has a broad domed canopy.
• Toona ciliata-this is another tree native to Australia. In its native rainforest habitat, it can grow to a huge 55m tall, although it is smaller with a broader domed canopy when exposed. It is a deciduous tree, but when it’s cold in winter, the sun will be appreciated. It can also be of use as a timber tree, where it’s used for boats, cabinets and furniture.
• Alectryon spp.-native again to Australia and south-east Australia, normally below ten metres tall, but can reach up to 30m. They are hardy and can be used as windbreaks too. Fruit attracts birds too.
• Harpephyllum caffrum-this tree is a medium tree native to South Africa and Zimbabwe that does well here in Sydney. This is a good tree for shade in a park situation.