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Trees

Expert Tips on How to Pick the Right Trees for Your Property

Planting trees on your property comes with many benefits, from bathing your home and patio in shade to providing wildlife with a place to call home. When choosing trees for your property, here are four important considerations: selection, tolerance, function, and location. Here is how to make the most of each of them.

Selection

When selecting trees, it is important that you love its features, including the flowers it produces, the color and spread of the leaves, and more. However, it is also important to remember that every tree has unique requirements as far as water needs, soil nutrients, and sunlight exposure. Certain types of trees may not thrive in specific parts of your yard, and some may not thrive anywhere on your property. Consider shady areas, areas that get full sun, the contents of the soil, how well the soil drains, and more.

Tolerance

It is also crucial to choose trees that are known to thrive in your region. In the Chicagoland area, you can use resources like Chicago’s Sustainable Backyards Program or visit the Morton Arboretum website for more information about the best trees, grass, flowers, and more for your area. Some examples of excellent trees include most varieties of oak trees for their amazing shade potential, the gingko (or maidenhair) tree for its amazing yellow fall foliage, and the classic sassafras for larger yards. Dogwoods and nannyberry trees offer up gorgeous flowers and foliage, as well.

Function

Trees can serve several important functions, so it is important to think about what you want to accomplish with a tree before you plant it. If you want to shade your home, choose tall trees with dense foliage. If you want to decorate, choose smaller trees with beautiful flowers and foliage, and opt for variants that change color through the year for aesthetic appeal. If you want to bring in wildlife, fruit and nut trees are fantastic options. They’re also great if you hope to have a usable harvest, but bear in mind that it can take several years of growth before a tree produces fruit and nuts to consume.

Location

Last, but most certainly not least, you will need to think about location. You wouldn’t want to plant a huge sassafras tree four feet away from your home’s foundation, and you don’t want to plant any tree over the top of your water or sewer lines. Similarly, think about overhead obstructions like powerlines, and be wary of large trees whose canopies are likely to stretch over your home. Some trees will require regular pruning to keep them at a manageable size. Before you start digging even a shallow hole to plant a tree, you should always call 811 so they can mark your underground utilities for you.

Picking the right trees for your property can be a little more difficult than you might think. If you want the beauty and function of native trees in your yard, but you are not sure how or where to start, contact Martin John Company today. They can provide you with several options that are perfect for your unique yard, preferences, and needs.

magnolia-trees

The Right Trees Can Bring Quite a Bit of Value to Your Home

Whether you’re interested in adding visual appeal to your home or you want to add some actual value to your property, trees are an often-overlooked opportunity. Below are some of the best trees you can plant in your yard right now to help boost the value of your home and property.

Trees that Withstand Cold

Chicago’s winters are brutal, and they can wreak havoc on certain species of trees. As such, you’ll want to be sure that many of the trees on your property are cold-hardy. Some of the best options in this category include evergreens and hardwoods like oak or maple. The latter options can also provide reliable shade for decades, which can actually reduce energy costs during the summer months, too!

Japanese Maple

The Japanese maple tree is growing in popularity right now, and for good reason. Their beautiful foliage ranges from green to pink to red throughout the year, which brings eye appeal to virtually any landscape. You’ll want to make sure to choose cold-hardy variants of this popular tree, and they’ll need to be planted in soil that is both well-drained and moist. Because these trees are smaller and more fragile than their North American maple counterparts, they should be planted in a location that will protect them from strong winds.

Linden Trees

Linden trees come in several varieties, and they can range in size from four to five feet high to a towering four stories high (or more!) Linden trees are popular in the Chicago area because they provide essential shade, and their foliage slowly changes color throughout the seasons. The American Linden trees bloom with small yellowish-cream flowers that add visual interest to your property in the spring, as well.

Magnolia Trees

There’s nothing quite like the stunning blooms of a magnolia tree to give your home the curb appeal it deserves. They’re known for their large, fragrant pink and white flowers in the spring and summer and their striking cone-shaped fruit in the fall. They are often utilized as ornamental plants in landscaping throughout the Chicagoland area. Small magnolia trees can be as small as five feet tall; larger variants can grow to as tall as 100 feet and 40 to 50 feet wide! Choose your species carefully so as not to overwhelm your property.

Fruit Trees

Finally, fruit trees are a surefire way to add value to your property to the tune of edible fruit! Some of the best and hardiest fruit trees to grow in Chicago include cherries and persimmons, though peaches, pears, and apples are alternatives, too. Persimmon trees are in especially high demand among Chicago home buyers, so if you’re struggling to decide which to try, it’s hard to go wrong with delicious persimmons.

Whether you prefer the stately look of a large evergreen, the floral appeal of a stunning magnolia, or the harvest that comes from your very own persimmon and cherry trees, these amazing trees are sure to add value to your home both now and in the future.