Question
I have a small planter 3'x6' in a concrete pool deck.  I am looking for just the right tree that will give a little delicate shade,add greenery, and is not messy.  I need its root stucture to go deep and not interfere with the concrete deck.  I live in a zone 10 in Southwest Utah.  I'd appretiate any suggestions. Thank You, Mary

Answer
Hey, Mary.

Any tree is going to be messy, either all the time, like pines, or, in the case of hardwoods, in the fall when they lose their leaves and in the spring when they bloom. I'm in a Zone 10 here in my area of San Diego, so perhaps something like a Queen Anne palm would work. Generally, though, you want to keep trees away from the pool because the roots will eventually cause you problems, and a 3'x6' planter is too small for almost all trees, especially with the "not messy" requirement. If you're willing to put up with a mess, there are a lot of drought-tolerant trees that you could use, such as those in the acacia family. They are gorgeous when they bloom. Otherwise, if you're not hoping to relax under the shade, you could try some bushes, such as the ligustrum, pittosporum, or natal plum.

If none of those seem to work for you, call a pool contractor who's Yellow Pages ad shows him to have been in business "since xxxx." The more years he's been in business, the more he's seen and the more ideas he will have for you.