Choosing a tree is a lifelong investment and can continue to bring beauty and enjoyment generation after generation. If not chosen correctly certain species of trees can create continues headaches year after year if they are not what you originally planned. You want to make sure you pick the best tree for not only you but your property and environment.
Environmental factors that can sway you one way or the other when choosing the type of tree for your property:
- Urban, rural or suburban community conditions
- Atmosphere pollutants-car or building pollution
- Soil Conditions
- Drainage conditions
- Seasonal conditions-temperature changes from summer through winter
Different species of trees are going to react differently to all of these environmental situations.
Branching out: Types of trees
Columnar Pear tree. Great for narrow areas, will grow 35′ tall and 12′ wide.
You need to ask yourself: Why do I want a tree? Am I looking to add beauty, maybe to have some shade or even some privacy from the neighbors? Whatever your reasoning there are a vast number of trees that can meet your needs
Two different categories of trees:
- Deciduous- Bloom very serenely in the spring, maintain their beauty through the summer, become alive with a gorgeous color scheme in the fall and then become bare during the winter (includes both ornamental and shade trees)
- Evergreen- These trees give us the vibrant green color and distinct Christmas tree smell during the winter when the rest of the trees have become bare.
Size matters
You need to be realistic about the sizing of your desired tree. Understanding how tall and how wide the tree will eventually become is essential to avoiding problems years down the road. Here are some quick guidelines for size expectations of trees:
- Flowering trees: Grow up to 25ft. tall and can be 20ft. wide
- Medium trees: Grow 30-50 ft. tall and can be 20-40 ft. wide
- Tall trees: Grow higher than 50ft. tall and can be 30-50 ft. wide.
Once a tree that best suits you and your property has been chosen you then need to decide where the tree is going to be planted. Strategically placing the tree will not only increase its functionality but will also eliminate the chance of any future problems.
