Trees are important for our environment and have numerous functions. There are also many considerations to take when planting trees in your yard or even in creating a park. Once a tree is planted, there is then upkeep and care.

To start, let’s look at the function of trees. Value they provide include:

1.    Aesthetics. Trees are creatures of beauty and grandeur. They offer beauty in each season with their form, bark, foliage, flowers, fruit, and sometimes fragrance.  In addition to their seasonal variations, they change in size and character over time. Some trees will become quite large and are magnificent just for their size, irrespective of their species.
2.    Architectural Elements. Trees serve as the structure of a landscape and form the walls and ceilings that create outdoor spaces. They can be used to frame a view, serve as a focal point, form boundaries, act as a privacy screen, or create outdoor rooms. A particularly elegant example of an architectural space created by trees is that formed by a double row (allée) of vase-shaped trees (e.g., American elm, American yellowwood). The meeting of the arching branches between the rows creates a space like that beneath a cathedral ceiling.
3.    Noise Abatement and Pollution Reduction. Trees reduce noise levels, trap particulates, and absorb carbon dioxide and gaseous pollutants. One hundred trees can remove five tons of carbon dioxide and 1,000 pounds of particulates and gaseous pollutants in a year.
4.    Shade and Wind Break. The shade of trees, placed on the south side of a house, can significantly cool a house in the summer with estimates of 30 percent lower air-conditioning bills compared to an unshaded house. In the summer, the temperature under a tree can be 9ºF lower than an adjacent area and up to 25º lower than air above nearby blacktop. We intuitively know the value of tree shade when we search for the shade of a tree in the desert like expanse of an asphalt parking lot. Evergreen trees (broad leaved or conifers) placed on the northwest side of a house to act as a windbreak can save up to 20 percent on winter heating costs.

5.    Erosion Prevention and Runoff Reduction. Tree canopies reduce the impact of raindrops on the soil and the network of tree roots helps keep soil in place.
6.    Property Value. Research has shown that an attractive landscape can increase the value of a home by 5 percent to 11 percent (Behe et al., 2005).
7.    Wildlife Habitat. Trees serve as a shelter, nesting site, food, perch, and residence for many birds, mammals, and insects.
8.    Social and Emotional Value. Trees serve as a link to nature, give a sense of well-being, and are often the site of social events such as picnics. Of course most children are tantalized by the sight of a good climbing tree and a rope swing as well.

If you are looking to plant trees in your yard, do your homework first before beginning the labor of digging. Here are a few considerations before deciding where to put your trees:

1. Height. Will the tree bump into anything when it is fully grown?
2. Canopy spread. How wide will the tree grow?
3. Is the tree deciduous or coniferous? (Will it lose its leaves in the winter?)
4. Form or shape. A columnar tree will grow in less space. Round and V-Shaped species provide the most shade.
5. Growth rate. How long will it take for your tree to reach its full height? Slow growing species typically live longer than fast growing species.
6. Soil, sun, and moisture requirements.
7. Fruit. No one wants messy droppings on busy sidewalks.
8. Hardiness zone indicates the temperature extremes in which a tree can be expected to grow. Check with your community's tree board or forestry department or a local county cooperative extension agent for a list of trees suitable for planting in your specific hardiness zone.