Physical and functional properties of foliage were measured at a variety of microsites in a broad-leaved Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Ørst. canopy. The light climate of the foliage at these sites was monitored for 39 days in the late spring and early summer with in situ sensors. Foliage nitrogen content (N), mean leaf angle, and gas exchange characteristics were all correlated with the amount of light reaching the microsites during foliage development. Foliage N content on a leaf area basis ranged between ∼1 and 2.5 g N m−2 and was highest at the brightest sites. Light-saturated photosynthetic rates ranged between ∼4 and 9 μmol m−2 s−1, increasing from the darkest to brightest sites.