![]() Areas adjacent houses or other structures that cast shadows for part of the day, or woodland areas adjacent open lawn spaces are examples of partially shaded locations. Half shade or part shade occurs when an area receives full sunlight for part of the day and is shaded during the remainder. Pine trees are an example of providing light shade or filtered light. ![]() Light shade or filtered light occurs when the trees are high branched, have an open canopy, or have fine thin leaves. Full or dense shade occurs when the trees are broad-leaved, including areas containing Southern magnolia, oaks, maples, and many other hardwood types. There are varying degrees of shade according to the density and types of trees that are present. A more successful approach to working with shady areas is to incorporate plants that are adapted to low light conditions. Trees may be thinned of branches to allow extra sunlight into the yard yet must be pruned on a regular basis. Augustine grass is the most shade-tolerant lawngrass, but still requires at least a half day of sun to perform well. Unfortunately, shade areas are unsuitable for growing sun loving turfgrasses that are common to our region. Shade trees offer valuable food, nesting habitat, and shelter for a wide variety of birds and mammals. Deciduous shade trees also allow the winter sun through the open canopy to provide extra heat for residences in the cool season. In addition to providing much needed relief from the summer sun in outdoor areas, shade trees reduce summer cooling needs on homes when properly sited in southern or western locations. Often viewed as a constraint for producing sun loving flower gardens, shade conditions in residential gardens offer many benefits as well.
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