Perhaps, the canopy of leaves prevents the rain from touching the ground under the trees. Yes, the tree roots do take up the water & some evaporates.

When I plant under conifers I consider it dry shade, but under dwarf apple trees it's not.

Hi, thanks. you would think that enough rain would eventually get down, but i can garden under the canopy when it is raining and not get wet. i meant due to leaves take up water or what? i would think that the leaves would drip the water down.

If the canopy is thick, you will not get wet unless it is raining very hard. This is what I have in shaded areas that have both pine and maples, which take up much of the water that DOES get to the ground.

The heavy duff created by years of leaves falling from these trees have created wonderful planting areas, but if you dig down just a few inches, the soil may be dry without lots of rain. It takes a great deal to penetrate all of those dead leaves.

That is why some people rake up leaves in the woodlands, chop them up, and replace. I don't do that as I have mainly natives which can handle the whims of Mother Nature.

this is true, but why doesn't the water run off the leaves onto the ground? what happens when it reaches the leaves?

A certain amount of water will adhere to leaf surface, so if it doesn't rain that much all of the precipitation can be distributed through the canopy on the surface of the leaves, and eventually it evaporates.

thanks lycopus. i was wondering as much but wasn't sure. now i know for sure. people laugh when i call my area woods, as there are only about 10 trees in it, but they are close together, and i Have cut down a few that had no sunlight.