You wouldn’t ignore a broken limb of your own, or let your nails grow to Guiness Book of World Records length, would you? We routinely take care of ourselves as it has a direct result on our health. The same goes for trees. As the summer months are upon us and we soak up the warm days and bright rays, most of us start the task of handling our lawns, sprinklers, flower beds, vegetable gardens and the like and then call it good. We tend to forget to look up. Our trees need just as much love and attention as the rest of the landscape surrounding our abodes. There are a multitude of reasons to give trees the TLC they deserve, but here are just a few:
1. Property Value
Property is a big deal here in the Denver area. More often than not, when home buyers are looking at their options, those houses with few or no trees may seem unappealing compared to those with the curb appeal of beautiful, mature trees.This isn’t just a perception. According to the US Forest Service and the “Trees Pay Us Back” research findings, each large front yard tree adds 1% to the sales price of a house and large specimen trees can add 10% to property value. So, if you’re looking to eventually make a buck on your home, it might be time to start investing in your trees.
2. Natural A/C
It’s no secret, Colorado summers are hot. We’re fortunate however to have the 90 degree weather come untethered to humidity. This small victory means shade is actually a legitimate source of relief from the heat of the sun. Trees have proven themselves to be some of the best shade producers in history and according to the National Tree Benefit Calculator, a 15” dbh silver maple for example, would conserve 169 Kilowatt hours of electricity needed for cooling. By providing shade to the house, the trees reduce the amount of heat absorbed and trapped in the house and also through evapotransipration they can convert water to vapor, thus creating a cooler air system around it. This natural air conditioning not only keeps you cool, but helps you to save significantly on electricity costs.
3. Peace and Quiet
The Denver area is growing rapidly. Everywhere you turn it seems there’s traffic and construction. Trees lining some busy streets are doing more than looking good and providing shade, they actually buffer quite a bit of noise and traffic pollution. An added benefit if you live in a tight neighborhood is the wonderful natural privacy trees can give your house.
4. Air Quality
Trees are natural filters for the air that we breathe. According to Adam Downing of Virginia Tech, trees are able to remove gaseous and airborne pollutants, which are dangerous particulates we could end up inhaling otherwise. The stomata on leaves capture these small particles and absorb the gases, so we don’t have to. According to Scientific American’s article entitled “Does Being Around Trees Help People Feel Good”, a single tree can absorb 10 pounds of air pollutants in one year – and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
5. Happiness
When we’re cool in the summer, can breathe easy and have beautiful things to look at, we’re pretty happy. This has actually been backed up by multiple studies, thanks to a more recent curiosity linking public health and trees in cities. Studies on “greenness” were pioneered back in 1984, when it was discovered by RS Ulrich that surgery patients were discharged from the hospital earlier when given a view of a natural scene vs a brick wall in their recovery rooms. Findings since then have included lower obesity, more attentive children in school and even healthier births with proximity to trees (Donovan, USFS). Looking at greenery has been shown to reduce stress levels as well. There continue to be more findings on the effect trees have on city dwellers in terms of their overall physical and mental health, with those living closest to trees having a higher quality of life.
If you’re ready to give your tree the attention it deserves, give us a call to get started!
