Many urban areas have what is known as a “heat island effect” problem, meaning that cities are hotter than their surrounding rural regions. This is caused by a number of factors, primarily building roofs, roads and other paved surfaces which cover much of the cityscape. The sun’s rays heat up those exposed surfaces and send temperatures soaring. The fact that these are mostly dark in color, and thus more heat absorbent, increases the effect.
Another cause of heat islands in high human-density locales is the relative lack of vegetation. The disappearance of a lot of our tree canopy is of particular concern, since maintaining an adequate tree canopy reduces the heat island effect enormously.
https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-trees-and-vegetation-reduce-heat-islands
Besides reducing the heat island effect, shade trees provide cover and keep indoor temperatures cooler in the afternoon thereby reducing air conditioning costs. Trees also improve the quality of life for residents of hot, sunny Southern California by creating places in your garden to sit and read, play, dine, or just escape the heat of the day.
For more information on the benefits of tree canopy and what steps you can take:
https://www.kcet.org/category/tree-canopies
You can add to the ambience by planting an attractive understory of shrubs and colorful ground covers that do well in part shade and don’t require a lot of water.
For a more in-depth list of plants from different regions suitable for dry shade in our climate:
https://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/plants-for-dry-shade/
Find a plant list from the LVMWD Sustainability Garden Below.
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