Height at maturity is one of the considerations when choosing a shade tree, but you should also think about whether seasonal litter might be a problem. If so, concentrate on conifers rather than deciduous trees. If seasonal leaf litter is is acceptable, but not fruit or nut drop, stay away from trees like oak, walnut, plum, apple, etc. Deciduous trees with large leaves are easier to rake up in the autumn; good ones to consider are fruitless mulberry, catalpa, maple, sycamore or locust. These trees are excellent shade trees and they can be pruned hard to promote many limbs and branches. Their shade is dense, and they’re well-behaved landscape trees, with few pest problems.