Landscape Plants Help Reduce Cooling Costs

Reduce air conditioning costs this summer with the help of trees, shrubs and groundcovers.

Shade from trees and shrubs help reduce the air temperature around your house by modifying the temperatures near the ground. Trees with fine leaves and branches provide filtered shade during the summer, while allowing sunlight through to warm your home in winter. Deciduous trees with a denser canopy block more sunlight for greater cooling impact. And once they shed their leaves, allow warming sunlight through.

Even low-growing shrubs and groundcovers can help reduce temperatures around your home. They scatter sunlight, absorb some solar heat and as they release moisture through their leaves help cool the air.

Use trees to shade walks, patios, and drives. Keeping sunlight off these surfaces results in a cooler landscape and reduction in cooling costs.

A bit more information: Planting trees on the east and west side of the house help shade the windows. Reducing light entering your home helps reduce the warming of your house and therefore cooling costs.