During the summer months, deciduous trees have a full canopy of leaves which provide shade. In the winter months, they drop their leaves allowing the warming effect of the sun through. In general, the best location for deciduous plants are on the south and southeast sides of your home. Northern Florida is known to have winters with temperatures well below freezing. To compensate for this more severe heating season, deciduous vines, shrubs and trees are good choices.
Shrubs are also useful for shading the home.
When planted a few feet away from the house, they can provide extra shade and control humidity without obstructing air currents. If space is limited, trellised vines can be used to shade windows. They are useful since they can grow in more confined spaces than trees or shrubs. To provide shade along the east and west sides of the house evergreen vines are a good choice. To take advantage of the winter sun, deciduous vines, such as wisteria, should be planted on southern exposures.