Thinking about planting trees?  It’s Arbor Day, so why not!  Here are just a few benefits of trees we borrowed from a variety of sources –

Social Benefits

  • Trees make life nicer. It has been shown that spending time among trees and green spaces reduces the amount of stress and mental fatigue in our daily lives.
  • Hospital patients have been shown to recover from surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of trees and children have been shown to have longer attention spans and retain more of the information if they spend some of their time outdoors in green spaces.
  • Trees mark the seasons.
  • Trees are often planted as living memorials or reminders of loved ones or to commemorate significant events in our lives.
  • Shade from trees reduces exposure to the sun’s harmful UV-B rays.

Communal Benefits

  • Even though you may own the trees on your property your neighbors may benefit from them as well.
  • Tree lined streets have a traffic calming effect, traffic moves more slowly and safely, and people feel safer.
  • Trees can be landmarks and points of civic pride.
  • Trees can be placed to reduce wind or snow drifting, and screen unwanted views or noise from busy highways.
  • Trees can complement the architecture or design of buildings or entire neighborhoods.

Environmental Benefits

  • Trees provide shade, perform evaporative cooling and reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches parking lots and buildings. This reduces energy for cooling and emissions from power plants.
  • Trees improve our air quality by filtering harmful dust and pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide from the air we breathe.
  • Trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe.
  • Trees reduce the amount of storm water runoff, reduce erosion, prevent pollution in our waterways, and may reduce the effects of flooding.
  • Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat. Trees provide food, protection, and homes for many birds and mammals.

Economic Benefits

  • Well placed trees can reduce your cooling costs in the summer by shading the south and west sides of your home. If deciduous trees are used they will allow the sun to pass through and warm your home in the winter.
  • Evergreen trees on the north side of your home and shrubs around the foundation of your home can act as a windbreak to reduce the cooling effects of winter winds.
  • The value of a well landscaped home with mature healthy trees can be as much as 10-15% higher than a similar home with no or little landscaping.
  • Trees can be harvested for sale or use.
  • Tree-lined streets increase business by slowing traffic – enough to encourage drivers to look at the store fronts instead just driving past.