Maybe you’re hosting a backyard dinner and want to add a little atmosphere. Or maybe you just want your garden to feel alive, even after sunset.
Tree lighting isn’t just about visibility, it’s about creating mood, drawing the eye, and making your outdoor space feel intentional and inviting.
And you don’t need to go over the top. A single strand of twinkle lights, a few soft uplights, or even lanterns hanging from the branches can transform the whole vibe.
These 18 outdoor tree lighting ideas will help you bring out their natural beauty, and add a little nighttime magic to your yard.
1. Drape Fairy Curtain Lights
Each strand hangs like rainfall, tracing vertical lines that soften the sturdy trunk’s silhouette. Warm LEDs hug the branches and fall loosely, there’s no tension in the pattern. That’s key.
Movement matters. The glow dances in light wind. It feels enchanted, but not overly styled. Works beautifully on trees with horizontal spread.
2. Color-Changing Spotlights
LEDs flood each branch in saturated hues, pink, blue, orange, layered, not just lit. Light grazes bark, glows through leaves. It’s theater in a backyard.
A custom RGB uplight system drives it, likely programmable. That matters. You can shift tone by season or event. Think party-ready or calm evening fade.
3. Wrap Tree Trunks in Micro Lights
Lights hug every branch, trunk, twig, tight wraps, dense coverage. Creates a glowing tunnel that’s not just scenic, it’s spatial. Path becomes secondary, almost vanishes into the radiance.
Warm white LEDs dominate, lending softness even at high intensity. Works best in groves or rows, where repetition forms rhythm.
4. Uplights Beneath Tropical Canopies
Just enough to catch undersides of fronds and rough bark. That’s what makes this path feel wild but curated.
Dense foliage paired with controlled uplighting pulls shadows upward, deepening contrast.
You don’t see fixtures, you see results. Lush plants blur edges, which softens hardscape.
5. Highlight Bloom Canopies
Narrow-beam uplights strike at the trunk base, then scatter through thick floral branches. Every bloom gets its moment.
Strong shadows stretch out across soil like ink. Pure white petals reflect clean, almost ethereal light. Crisp lines, no haze.
Tree becomes sculpture. Feels reverent. Stage-lit.
6. Street Tree with Wall-Wash Lighting
Throw light at the wall, not just the leaves. That’s what works here. A warm flood bounces off siding, wraps branches from behind, and stretches light across the lawn.
No harsh beams. Just spill. Natural shadows soften against the house, while leaf texture stays readable.
7. Suspend Carved Lanterns
Soft amber flicker. Not just lighting, but presence. Each globe casts detailed shadows, almost lace-like, across branches and leaves.
They don’t spotlight, they whisper.
The spacing matters too, enough air between each to let the glow feel rhythmic. Best over a low tree line or clustered patio garden.
8. Glass Bottles for Eclectic Tree Glow
Slightly chaotic, in the best way. Each bottle becomes a tinted lantern, suspending tiny bulbs at staggered heights.
The glass color does more than decorate, it filters the light, creating layered pools across bark and leaves.
Feels spontaneous, yet curated. Backyard trees with wide limbs. Adds personality fast. No symmetry needed.
9. Street Tree for Architectural Contrast
Here, late sun or a single uplight casts crisp shadows against worn stucco. That interplay does more than dramatize texture.
It frames the tree’s shape, highlighting slender branches and soft foliage against hard lines. Well with minimal facades or narrow sidewalks.
10. Wrap Trunk Lights
Warm string lights spiral along bark, drawing attention to the tree’s natural taper. Light pools near ground level, softening the mulch and low greenery.
It’s a compact solution, zero glare, no fixtures in sight. Works especially well in corners, where fencing adds bounce and glow.
11. LED Rods for a Futuristic Canopy
Long vertical rods hang like rain, each glowing in shifting violet. There’s rhythm, but it’s unpredictable. That’s what makes it cinematic.
Stark contrast between organic tree form and linear light bars. Futuristic without being cold.
Great for modern courtyards or outdoor lounges needing edge and atmosphere. Especially striking when set against dark, matte facades.
12. Wrap Branch Lines
LED strands trace the natural nervework of each branch, mimicking bolts or roots mid-flare. Nothing symmetrical, nothing safe. That’s the thrill.
Lines tumble down the slope, grounding the tree visually into its surroundings.
Best for open landscapes or hillside backdrops where silhouette matters more than symmetry.
13. Hang Crystal Chandeliers
Crystal chandeliers outdoors feel rebellious, almost theatrical. They flirt with excess, but when balanced with foliage, ferns, vines, layered greens, they just work.
Soft uplighting from below builds depth while the overhead sparkle pulls focus skyward. Dark walls amplify contrast, letting each crystal piece shimmer in relief.
14. Edison Bulbs for a Soft Industrial Edge
Unmistakably warm. These Edison-style bulbs give structure to bare winter branches without feeling forced.
The thick filament glows golden against the cool, desaturated background.
Spacing matters here. Loose clusters mimic fruiting tips, while twisted cords lend softness to an otherwise angular frame.
15. Ground-Focused Uplighting
his scene uses uplighting to wash trunks and canopies, then bounces shadows back onto the forest floor. The result? A glowing leaf mosaic underfoot. Almost surreal.
Color temperature shifts subtly from amber to cool white, adding depth. Tall, narrow beams outline each tree while hidden fixtures prevent glare.
16. Tree Trunk with Ground-Level Uplights
Ground-level uplights aim straight into the trunk, catching bark texture and pushing light upward through the canopy.
The look is architectural, almost sculptural.
Spacing matters here, lights sit just beyond the root flare to avoid harsh wash. Warm color temperature softens shadows and blends with nearby house lighting.
17. Paper Lanterns for a Soft Architectural Accent
Hanging lanterns cascade from the branches in a staggered drop, echoing the curved lines of the tiled roofline. It’s more than glow, it’s rhythm, structure, balance.
Warm amber shades soften the visual weight of the hardscape. They float, slightly off-center, slightly imperfect, giving the scene movement.
Style nods to traditional East Asian garden design
18. Hang Glass Lanterns
Two lanterns, old-style glass and metal, hang low from sturdy branches. They cast soft firelight, warm and dappled, that moves with breeze and leaf.
The setup’s minimal. Just rough bark, soft lawn, glowing candlelight.
It feels quiet. Private. Intentionally underdesigned, which lets the tree’s shape do the talking.
