Isolated trees subjected to high irradiance and concomitant stress may adjust leaf phenotypes across the tree crown. The plasticity in structural traits such as leaf angles or size can have profound consequences in the acquisition of the light resource.

Escribano-Rocafort et al. show that the expression of leaf traits in Olea europaea varies continuously through the crown in a gradient of leaf morphotypes and leaf angles depending on the exposure and location of individual leaves. The distribution of light-related traits within the tree crown could lead to complementary light-interception patterns at the individual scale.