Gardening

Laidback Gardener Tip of the Day

Leaf Size Helps Determine Light Penetration

décembre 22
Robinia pseudoacacia

If you want to plant a tree on your property, but don’t want to give up a sunny flower bed or lawn because of the shade the tree will create, consider the following detail: the smaller tree’s leaves, the more light will filter through; the bigger they are, the less sun reaches the ground. So trees with tiny leaves or deeply cut leaves, like honey locust (Gleditsia spp.), black locust (Robinia spp.), silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) or cut-leaved alder (Alnus glutinosa ‘Imperialis’), let in lots of light and you can consider the space at their feet as being in full sun. Other trees have very large leaves and create deep shade, including Norway maple (Acer platanoides), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), basswood (Tilia americana) and red oak (Quercus rubra). It is difficult to grow flowers or lawns at their feet. Most other trees have an “average-sized” foliage and will give medium shade, what gardeners know as partial shade.

Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

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