Wendy's WanderingsWendy Wilber

August 9, 2018

Made in the Shade

This month’s Neighborhood Gardener features some underutilized shade trees for the landscape. The article reminds me of the old adage: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time to plant a tree is now.” Just think—if you had planted a tree just a few years back, you would be enjoying its shade today.

I have several requirements for shade trees in my landscape: they should be of manageable size, they should provide something to me in the form of flowers or fruit, they should provide for the insects and birds, and they shall not fall down or apart in storms. This is a tall order, I know, but we all should really consider the form and the function of our landscape plants, especially trees.

The shade trees of my youth were mango, lychee, and royal poinciana trees. These tropical trees provided loads of shade, fruit, and flowers. My shade trees of today are live oaks and crapemyrtle—certainly not as exotic as the ones I grew up with but shady just the same.

In the Florida summer it is easy to realize some of the benefits of trees. Shading and evapotranspiration can reduce temperatures near the trees by 6 degrees, and studies have shown that temps directly under a shade tree can be as much as 25 degrees less than nearby paved surfaces. Trees also help manage all of the rain. They reduce surface water runoff from storms, decreasing soil erosion and helping rainwater to percolate in to the soil.

In addition to many environmental benefits, well-landscaped homes with shade trees are valued 5-15% higher than non-landscaped homes. So after a few hours of gardening in your yard take a minute to consider all the benefits of the trees in your Florida Friendly landscape and enjoy their shade.

-- Wendy Wilber

Return to the August 2018 Neighborhood Gardener