An analytical model for mean wind profiles in sparse canopies (W. Wang, Boundary-Layer Meteorol 142:383–399, 2012 ) has been further developed, with (1) an explicit solution being derived, and (2) a linear term being added to the K -closure scheme to improve the shear-stress parametrization when the contribution of non-local transport is significant. Results from large-eddy simulations and from laboratory experiments are used to evaluate the model and adjust model parameters, showing that the model can well simulate canopy wind and stress profiles not only for sparse-canopy scenarios, but also for dense-canopy scenarios. The analytical solution converges exactly to the standard surface-layer logarithmic wind profile in the case of zero canopy density, and tends to an exponential wind profile for a dense canopy.