Choosing a tree is a big decision. Not as big as deciding to have children or not, but similar in the fact that once planted, it’s not easy to be removed. There are many things to consider when looking to add a beloved member to your yard.
When deciding on the perfect tree for your yard, many arborists would recommend that you consider it’s purpose. Are you looking for a shade tree? Are you looking for a more decorative tree that has beautiful flowers in the spring? Are you looking for a tree that would serve its own purpose, such as be a windbreaker for your home? Or, even better, do you want a worker tree, meaning a tree that produces fruit for your consumption?
The beauty of trees is there is so much variety that it may be hard to narrow your choices down. It’s best to narrow down all the ideas so you’ll be able to have a guide before you choose a tree. Here’s some of the list that you may want to follow.
- Easy or hard to maintain
This basically comes down to the choice of do you want a tree that is a deciduous tree or an evergreen tree. Deciduous trees are beautiful to behold in both the spring and the fall, as their leaves grow in and then turn beautiful colors. However, a colored leaf is a dead leaf, which eventually falls to your yard for you to rake up. If you have kids, this is not such a big deal because it can provide hours of entertainment (not to mention free labor) as they rake up huge piles of leaves to jump in. If you don’t have kids, deciduous trees can be a lot of work, in which case an evergreen tree would be more your cup of tea.
- Size
This will be a big consideration (pun intended) as you consider the perfect tree for your yard. Survey your yard and see how big it is and how a tree would look in the space you are thinking of. If you have overhead power lines, this will be a factor as well in the tree’s ultimate height. Big trees are certain things of beauty; however, smaller trees are equally as cute and can complement the rest of your landscaping nicely.
- Soil and environmental conditions
The last consideration is that you consider the area of the United States in which you live and the soil conditions there, as well as the rainfall. Some trees thrive with lots of moisture. Others like dryer conditions. Likewise, some types of trees like more acidic soil than other types. We recommend you research your local environment to determine which types of trees will most likely thrive there.