Light TN considers specimen trees the drama of a landscape after dark, and there are two main ways to light them: from below and from above. The best tree lighting ideas combine the two and plan for a canopy that changes every year.
For the whole-property view, see our outdoor lighting ideas guide, or our landscape lighting service.
01Uplighting: carry the eye up the trunk
Light TN uplights a tree by placing shielded fixtures at the base, aimed up the trunk and into the canopy. Uplighting gives a tree height and presence and reveals the structure of the trunk and limbs. The number of fixtures and their beam spread depend on the tree’s size — a broad oak wants several, a narrow ornamental one or two.
02Moonlighting: light from above
Light TN moonlights by mounting fixtures high in a large tree and aiming them down through the limbs, casting a soft, dappled pattern across the lawn the way a full moon would through the canopy. Moonlighting is the more natural-feeling effect and a favorite for backyards and patios, because the light appears to come from the tree itself with no visible source below.
03Combine the two on big trees
Light TN often combines uplighting and moonlighting on a single large specimen — uplighting to reveal the trunk and structure, moonlighting to drop natural light onto the ground beneath. Together they give a tree both presence and a soft pool of usable light around it. See our uplighting vs. downlighting guide for the technique.
04Design for a canopy that grows
Light TN places tree fixtures with growth in mind. A canopy fills in, limbs drop, and a crown widens over years, so aiming and beam choice account for where the tree is headed. A tree lit only for today gets swallowed as it matures; a tree lit for its future still reads right in five years.
05Keep it warm and protect the tree
Light TN uses warm 2700K light to flatter bark and foliage, and mounts canopy fixtures with tree-friendly hardware that allows for growth without harming the tree. Sources are shielded so you see the lit canopy, never the fixture.
06Drama after dark, planned to grow
A specimen tree is the easiest way to give a landscape drama after dark — lit from below, above, or both, and planned to grow. Light TN has completed more than 500 projects across Middle Tennessee since 2020, and the trees that still look right years later are the ones lit for the canopy they will become. If you’d like yours designed that way, explore our landscape lighting service or book an on-site design consultation.