List of tree species by shade tolerance

A list of tree species, grouped generally by biogeographic realm and specifically by bioregions, and shade tolerance. Shade-tolerant species are species that are able to thrive in the shade, and in the presence of natural competition by other plants. Shade-intolerant species require full sunlight and little or no competition. Intermediate shade-tolerant trees fall somewhere in between the two.

Eastern North America
Shade tolerant • Abies balsamea, Balsam Fir

• Acer negundo, Boxelder

• Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple

• Aesculus spp., Buckeyes

• Carpinus caroliniana, American Hornbeam

• Carya laciniosa, Shellbark Hickory

• Chamaecyparis thyoides, Atlantic White Cypress or Atlantic White Cedar

• Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood

• Hamamelis virginiana, Witch-hazel

• Diospyros spp., Persimmon

• Fagus grandifolia, American Beech

• Ilex opaca, American Holly

• Magnolia grandiflora, Southern Magnolia

• Morus rubra, Red Mulberry

• Nyssa spp., Tupelos

• Ostrya virginiana, Eastern Hophornbeam

• Oxydendrum arboreum, Sourwood

• Picea glauca, White Spruce

• Picea mariana, Black Spruce

• Picea rubens, Red Spruce

• Tilia americana, Basswood

• Thuja occidentalis, Northern White Cedar

• Tsuga canadensis, Eastern Hemlock

• Ulmus rubra, Slippery Elm Intermediate shade tolerant • Acer rubrum, Red Maple

• Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple

• Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

• Betula lenta, Sweet Birch

• Carya spp., Hickories (except for Shellbark and Bitternut)

• Castanea dentata, American Chestnut

• Celtis occidentalis, Hackberry

• Fraxinus americana, White Ash

• Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Green Ash

• Fraxinus nigra, Black Ash

• Magnolia spp., Magnolias

• Quercus alba, White Oak

• Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak

• Quercus nigra, Water Oak

• Quercus rubra, Northern Red Oak

• Quercus velutina, Black Oak

• Pinus elliottii, Slash Pine

• Pinus strobus, Eastern White Pine

• Taxodium distichum, Bald Cypress

• Ulmus americana, American Elm

• Ulmus thomasii, Rock Elm Shade intolerant • Betula papyrifera, Paper Birch

• Betula populifolia, Gray Birch

• Carya cordiformis, Bitternut hickory

• Catalpa spp., Catalpas

• Carya illinoinensis, Pecan

• Gymnocladus dioicus, Kentucky Coffee Tree

• Juglans cinerea, Butternut

• Juglans nigra, Black Walnut

• Juniperus virginiana, Eastern Red Cedar

• Larix laricina, Tamarack

• Liriodendron tulipifera, Yellow-poplar

• Maclura pomifera, Osage Orange

• Pinus banksiana, Jack Pine

• Pinus echinata, Shortleaf Pine

• Pinus palustris, Longleaf Pine

• Pinus resinosa, Red Pine

• Pinus rigida, Pitch Pine

• Pinus taeda, Loblolly pine

• Pinus virginiana, Virginia Pine

• Platanus occidentalis, Sycamore

• Populus deltoides, Eastern Cottonwood

• Populus grandidentata, Big-Tooth Aspen

• Populus tremuloides, Quaking Aspen

• Prunus pensylvanica, Pin Cherry

• Prunus serotina, Black Cherry

• Quercus stellata, Post Oak

• Robinia pseudoacacia, Black Locust

• Ulmus alata, Winged elm

• Salix spp., Willows

• Sassafras spp., Sassafras

Western North America
Shade tolerant • Abies amabilis, Pacific Silver Fir

• Abies concolor, White Fir

• Abies grandis, Grand Fir

• Abies lasiocarpa, Alpine Fir

• Acer circinatum, Vine Maple

• Acer macrophyllum, Big-leaf Maple

• Arbutus arizonica, Arizona Madrone

• Arbutus menziesii, Pacific Madrone

• Arbutus xalapensis, Texas Madrone

• Cupressus nootkatensis, Nootka Cypress

• Calocedrus decurrens, California Incense-cedar

• Notholithocarpus densiflorus, Tan Oak

• Picea engelmannii, Engelmann Spruce

• Picea sitchensis, Sitka Spruce

• Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon Live Oak

• Sebastiania pavoniana, Mexican jumping bean

• Sequoia sempervirens, Coast Redwood

• Sequoiadendron giganteum, Giant Sequoia

• Taxus brevifolia, Pacific Yew

• Thuja plicata Western Red Cedar

• Torreya californica, California Torreya

• Tsuga heterophylla, Western Hemlock

• Tsuga mertensiana, Mountain Hemlock

• Umbellularia californica, California Laurel Intermediate shade tolerant • Abies magnifica, Red Fir

• Alnus rubra, Red Alder

• Cercis canadensis, Texas Redbud

• Chrysolepis spp., Golden Chinquapin

• Fraxinus latifolia, Oregon Ash

• Juniperus ashei, Ashe Juniper

• Picea pungens, Colorado Blue spruce

• Prunus mexicana, Mexican Plum

• Pinus lambertiana, Sugar Pine

• Pinus monticola Western White Pine

• Pinus radiata, Monterey Pine

• Pseudotsuga spp., Douglas-fir

• Quercus garryana, Oregon White Oak

• Quercus lobata, valley oak Shade intolerant • Abies procera, Noble Fir

• Juniperus californica, California Juniper

• Juniperus deppeana, Alligator Juniper

• Juniperus monosperma, One-seed Juniper

• Juniperus occidentalis, Western Juniper

• Juniperus osteosperma, Utah Juniper

• Juniperus scopulorum, Rocky Mountain Juniper

• Larix lyallii, Alpine Larch

• Larix occidentalis, Western Larch

• Pinus albicaulis, Whitebark Pine

• Pinus aristata, Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine

• Pinus attenuata, Knobcone Pine

• Pinus balfouriana, Foxtail Pine

• Pinus contorta, Lodgepole Pine

• Pinus coulteri, Coulter Pine

• Pinus flexilis, Limber Pine

• Pinus jeffreyi, Jeffrey Pine

• Pinus longaeva, Great Basin Bristlecone Pine

• Pinus muricata, Bishop Pine

• Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa Pine

• Pinus sabineana, Gray Pine

• Pinus Ducampopinus spp., Piñon Pines

• Populus fremontii, Fremont Cottonwood

• Populus tremuloides, Quaking aspen

Central Europe
Shade tolerant • Abies alba, European Silver Fir, especially shade tolerant

• Acer platanoides, Norway Maple

• Acer pseudoplatanus, Sycamore Maple

• Carpinus betulus, European Hornbeam

• Fagus sylvatica, European Beech, especially shade tolerant

• Ilex aquifolium, European Holly

• Ostrya carpinifolia, European Hop-Hornbeam

• Prunus avium, Wild Cherry

• Sorbus domestica, True Service Tree

• Sorbus torminalis, Wild Service Tree

• Taxus baccata, European Yew, especially shade tolerant

• Ulmus glabra, Wych Elm

• Ulmus laevis, European White Elm Intermediate shade tolerant • Acer campestre, Field Maple

• Acer monspessulanum, Montpellier Maple

• Acer opalus, Italian Maple

• Alnus glutinosa, Black Alder

• Alnus incana, Grey Alder

• Castanea sativa, Sweet Chestnut

• Fraxinus excelsior, European Ash

• Fraxinus ornus, Manna Ash

• Juglans regia, Common Walnut

• Mespilus germanica, Common Medlar

• Picea abies, Norway Spruce

• Pinus cembra, Swiss Pine

• Prunus padus, Bird Cherry

• Pyrus pyraster, European Wild Pear

• Quercus cerris, Turkey Oak

• Quercus petraea, Sessile Oak

• Sorbus aria, Whitebeam

• Sorbus aucuparia, European Rowan

• Sorbus intermedia, Swedish Whitebeam

• Tilia cordata, Small-leafed Linden

• Tilia platyphyllos, Large-leafed Linden

• Ulmus minor, Field Elm Shade intolerant • Betula pendula, Silver Birch, especially high light requirement

• Betula pubescens, Downy Birch

• Juniperus communis, Common Juniper

• Larix decidua, European Larch, especially high light requirement

• Malus sylvestris, European Crab Apple

• Pinus mugo, Mountain Pine

• Pinus nigra, European Black Pine

• Pinus sylvestris, Scots Pine

• Populus alba, Silver Poplar

• Populus nigra, Black Poplar

• Populus tremula, Aspen

• Quercus pubescens, Downy Oak

• Quercus robur, Pedunculate Oak

• Salix alba, White Willow

• Salix caprea, Goat Willow

• Salix fragilis, Crack Willow