When properly placed on your lot, a tree can be the best kind of patio cover. Whether you're looking for shade all year long (evergreen), or you're looking for low winter sun to warm your home (deciduous), the right kind of tree can fit your needs.
Besides being green and environmentally friendly, you can also have your natural patio cover free if you live in the Sacramento area. Through a partnership with SMUD and the Sacramento Tree Foundation, Sacramento County residents and SMUD customers can get shade trees free of charge. This service allows you to have a community forester come to your home, check your lot and home dimensions for perfect placement, and figure out what would be the best option to shade your home and help you with energy costs and carbon offsets. It really is a great program in so many ways.
With all of this being said, would you rather spend thousands of dollars on an aluminum patio cover that's comprised of materials from all over the world with who knows what kinds of chemicals; or would you rather have a beautiful shade tree that helps you, your neighbors, and probably the greater community?