How to Shade a Tree

Watch your property for a few days to determine which areas get shade at mid-day through the afternoon. Look at your current plants and consider how tall or wide they will get in the future.

Plant your tree in a shaded area such as under taller trees. Many of the trees that prefer shade or indirect light are below-canopy trees, meaning that they grow below the shelter of taller trees. Placing them in a location under trees gives them a natural shelter.

Place small trees, such as dwarf trees that prefer shade, close to structures that cast a shadow on them in the early afternoon and into evening. This is the hotter part of the day, and the shade of your house or fencing will help them thrive.

Locate your tree next to vegetation or trees that are taller, even if they aren't tall enough to create a roof covering and full shade. Select trees or vegetation that will continue to grow or always stay taller than the tree that requires shade. It would be useless to plant the tree in a shady area, only to have it grow taller than the shade in a few years.