Cooling Off With Shade Trees

Did you know that 45% of the energy used in South Florida in residential settings is used to cool and heat our homes?  Shade trees placed appropriately in the landscape can help to conserve energy use and save money.  

Planting shade trees on the east and west sides of your home will assist in shading out the more direct sunlight these exposures receive during the heat of the summer months.  Shade trees located next to windows and sliding or other doors help to decrease energy lost through these less insulated areas around the perimeter of the home.  

Providing shade over and around your air conditioning unit, without restricting airflow to the unit, will also assist in conserving energy during the summer months.  The heat loss from your home in the winter months will also decrease when shade trees are properly located for conservation of energy.

There are many shade trees available for South Florida landscapes.  Here are a few of our favorites:
Hong Kong Orchid
Royal Poinciana
Golden Shower
Black Olive
Pond Apple 
Gumbo Limbo

Also, remember that the closer a shade tree is planted to the house, the more benefits it will provide.  However, when locating your planting site, keep in mind that some shade trees grow larger than others and be sure to place the trees according to their mature size to avoid excessive maintenance costs down the road.