SP656 Shade and Flood Tolerance of Trees

Most trees have very specific requirements for how much sunlight or shade that they are able to endure. Some trees do well in full sunlight, while other trees do not perform as well. Some trees are more adaptable than others to varying amounts of sunlight. Recognizing the light requirements of different species of trees will assist in proper tree selection in the landscape and will promote healthy trees.

As with light requirements, different trees have different tolerances to flooding. This factsheet discusses and lists the comparative tolerance of trees to shade or sunlight and to flooding.