Curated pack · tree plan cad blocks
Free shadow and tree plan CAD blocks for AutoCAD
By Saumyajit Maity · Published 27 Dec 2023 · Updated 3 Sept 2025
Seen from above, a tree is really two things: a canopy and the shadow it throws. This free shadow-and-tree-plan pack focuses on exactly that top-down view — plan-view tree canopies in a range of styles, plus the shadow and hatch symbols that give a landscape plan its depth — all in DWG and ready to insert into AutoCAD 2004 or later. Everything is free for personal and commercial work, with no signup, no watermark and no attribution needed.
Use the pack to build planting plans, masterplans and landscape layouts where the trees are read from above. Because the canopies are drawn at believable spreads, you can space them honestly, check overhang against paths and buildings, and lay out an avenue or an orchard grid that actually fits. The matching shadow symbols then lift the plan from a flat diagram into something that reads as planted and three-dimensional.
Shadow is what makes a presentation plan look designed rather than schematic. A canopy with a soft shadow offset to one side tells the viewer where the sun is and gives the whole sheet a sense of light and depth. Keeping canopies and shadows on separate layers means you can carry that richness into the client print and strip back to clean tree outlines for the technical planting schedule.
What's in the shadow and tree-plan pack
The pack is built around the plan view. Tree canopies come in several drawing styles — simple circle-and-cross symbols for technical plans, looser organic outlines for presentation, and denser textured canopies for masterplan richness — covering broadleaf, conifer and palm reads. Alongside them sit shadow symbols: offset canopy shadows and graduated hatches you can drop under a tree to suggest the cast shadow.
There's also a small set of supporting marks — trunk points, planting-pit symbols and canopy-edge dashes — for setting out and for distinguishing existing from proposed trees. Each is a single block reference you can copy, scale and array, drawn cleanly so the technical symbols read at small scale and the presentation canopies hold texture without filling solid.
How to build a planting plan from the canopies
Split the work across layers: L-PLANT-TREE for the canopies, L-PLANT-SHDW for the shadows, and a setting-out layer for trunk points and pit symbols. That lets you issue a clean technical planting plan by freezing the shadows, and a rich presentation plan by thawing them, from one DWG.
Start by setting out the trunk points — along a kerb for street trees, on a grid for an orchard, or loosely for naturalistic massing. Drop a canopy block on each trunk and scale it to the species spread, keeping the trunk centred so the canopy grows evenly. For an avenue, a path array along the road centreline keeps the spacing even and editable; vary scale and rotation slightly so the row reads as planted rather than printed.
Per-item notes: canopies, shadows and setting-out marks
Canopy style should follow the drawing's job. Use the simple circle-and-cross symbol for technical and setting-out plans where clarity beats realism, and save the textured organic canopies for the presentation sheet. Scale each to the species: a small ornamental at 2–4 m spread, a street tree at 5–8 m, a mature shade tree at 8–12 m or more.
Shadows are an offset, not a recolour. Place the shadow block under the canopy, nudged toward the away-from-sun side, and keep all the shadows on the plan offset in the same direction and by a consistent amount so the whole sheet shares one light source. Setting-out marks — trunk points and planting pits — stay tiny and precise; they're the geometry a contractor sets out from, so they belong on their own clear layer separate from the presentation graphics.
Using shadows for depth and shadow studies
A consistent shadow direction does most of the work of making a plan look three-dimensional. Decide on a notional sun position for the sheet, offset every canopy shadow the same way, and the plan instantly reads as lit from one side. For a quick informal shadow impression you can simply hatch beneath each canopy; for a more considered look, use the graduated shadow blocks so the shade fades at the canopy edge.
For an actual shadow study — checking how planting shades a terrace or screens a window through the day — you'd model the geometry properly, but the plan symbols here are perfect for communicating the intent on a presentation sheet. Keep the study graphics on their own layer so you can show or hide them depending on whether the drawing is technical or persuasive.
Who the shadow and tree-plan pack is for
Landscape architects and architects lean on plan-view trees and shadows constantly, but the pack also suits urban designers dressing a masterplan, planners assembling a submission, and students building a landscape board. Anywhere trees are read from above — site plans, planting plans, roof terraces, courtyards, parks and streetscapes — the canopy-and-shadow approach applies.
Pair the canopies with the people, vehicle and outdoor-furniture blocks elsewhere in the library to complete the plan: a tree with its shadow, a bench in the shade beneath it, a figure on the path. Because everything is free and licence-clear, you can build a coordinated plan-graphics kit once and reuse it across every landscape drawing you produce.
Keeping canopies and shadows tidy
Textured canopies and graduated shadows can get heavy, so favour blocks and arrays over hand-drawn geometry. Build one tree-with-shadow as a block and array it for an avenue or grid, rather than placing canopy and shadow separately for every tree. Keep everything as block references so the file stays light even on a dense masterplan.
Use layers and lineweight to keep the read clear: canopies mid-weight, shadows light and soft so they sit behind the trees, setting-out marks thin and precise. Freeze the shadow layer for the technical planting issue and thaw it for the presentation print. If you need to switch the whole plan from a technical symbol to a presentation canopy, swap the block definition once with BEDIT and every tree updates together.
Free download
Browse the full library — DWG & DXF, no signup.
Questions
Frequently asked
Are these tree-plan and shadow CAD blocks free?+
Yes. The whole pack downloads free in DWG with no signup, no watermark and no attribution requirement, cleared for commercial planting plans, masterplans and presentation sheets.
What's the difference between the technical and presentation canopies?+
The technical canopies are simple circle-and-cross symbols that stay clear at small scale and are ideal for setting-out and planting schedules. The presentation canopies are looser, textured outlines that give a client sheet richness and depth.
How do I make the shadows look consistent across a plan?+
Pick one notional sun direction for the sheet, then offset every canopy shadow the same way and by the same amount. Keeping all shadows on their own layer lets you toggle them off for the technical issue and on for the presentation.
Can I use these for a shadow study?+
The plan symbols are perfect for communicating shading intent on a presentation sheet. For a precise shadow study through the day you'd model the geometry properly, but the canopy-and-shadow blocks here clearly show where planting casts shade.
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