How Trees Can Help Protect The Skin From Sun Exposure

It’s that time of year to get out in the landscape and plant some trees.  Trees provide so much positive for the environment that I could make a year of blog post articles just on that subject.  If you follow my site or my social media you know I’m a huge fan of planting trees so I’m excited to share this information with you today and I hope you will consider planting some shade trees in your landscape or getting involved with your community to plant more trees!

How Shade Trees Protect the Skin from Sun Exposure

Did you know that limiting your exposure to UV radiation minimizes the harmful effects of the sun on the skin? Don’t depend completely on sunblock because it just isn’t enough protection. According to The American Cancer Society (ACS), shade from trees can add another element of protection, providing an effective and aesthetically appealing defense against the sun.  It’s important to learn how to keep trees healthy, so they can keep us healthy, too.  According to The ACS the shade is a valuable means of protection from the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Trees are as important as a hat or sunglasses.

How Trees Can Protect You From Skin Cancer

Below are a few important facts about trees that will help you protect your skin and stay healthy.

• Canopy density. Large spreads of dense foliage from trees like oak best protect us from the sun. According to Purdue University, a tree with 50 percent coverage offers about 50 minutes of protection vs. 20 minutes in direct sun.
• Trees that drop leaves in winter (deciduous) provide safer UVR levels due to thicker coverage and shade during summer, and less shade in less sun-intensive months. Talk to an arborist for advice on suitable shade trees for your area.
• Time of Day. Avoid the sun from 10am-4pm – the highest, 60 percent, UV radiation period. Follow the shadow rule: if your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are most intense.
• Large deciduous trees planted on the east, west, and northwest sides of your home create shade from the summer sun and reduce air conditioning costs by up to 35 percent. The leaves offer shade in the summer and allow the sun

• Large trees can help home heating and cooling energy costs.

Shade Trees To Protect From Sun

This section of the blog post is hard for me because I could list thousands of trees that provide shade.   Below are a few trees I have easily found locally that I would recommend to anyone for shade and other healthy enjoyment.  Be sure to check each post out and tell me what you recommend on this website. 

• Maple Tree
• Sycamore Tree
• Fig Tree 
• Cherry Tree
• Willow Tree

Thank you for stopping by my website today!