Deciduous trees (trees which loose their leafs during winter time) can serve as very effective shading devices in temperate climates. Appropriately located, they can block sun in summer months when one wishes to limit solar heat gain, while not significantly blocking sun in winter months when one wishes to maximize solar heat gain.

Ideally, in such climates buildings should be sited to take advantage of any existing deciduous trees on the south and west exposures. If no existing deciduous trees exist, planting new deciduous trees to the south and west can still be a cost-effective way of limiting summer cooling costs.