Nurse tree

A nurse tree is a larger, faster-growing tree that shelters a smaller, slower-growing tree or plant. The nurse tree can provide shade, shelter from wind, and protection from animals that would feed on the smaller plant and significant changes in temperature. Fallen leaves from the nurse tree fertilize the ground underneath creating nutrient-rich soil for the saplings and vegetation beneath. Some nurse trees act as Nitrogen-fixing agents in the soil. The nurse tree relationship occurs both naturally and via human intervention.