Planting trees is a natural way to add value to your property, reduce energy costs, spruce up your landscape, and nurture the surrounding wildlife.

Add Value to Your Property

Maybe money does grow on trees! Any realtor will tell you that trees add tremendous value to your property. Don’t believe us? Check out these quick facts on trees and property value:

  • In one study, 83% of realtors believe that mature trees have a ‘strong or moderate impact’ on the salability of homes listed for under $150,000; on homes over $250,000, this perception increases to 98%. (Arbor National Mortgage & American Forests)
  • Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent. (Management Information Services/ICMA)
  • In an analysis of 2,608 real-estate transaction over 10 months, researchers found that homes with “street trees,” those planted between the sidewalk and street, sold for $7,130 more, on average, than homes without street trees. (Wall Street Journal)
  • Homeowners get 100% or more return on the money they put into landscaping. (Clemson University)
  • A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000.  (Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers)
  • Keep in mind: tree ownership is just like owning property; there are overhead costs and responsibilities involved. But as long as you’re willing to put in the time, money and effort to properly care for your trees, you can reap the financial benefits if you ever need to resell or refinance your home.

Reduce Your Energy Bills

Not only do trees help you earn money, they can help you save a tidy bit of cash! Trees provide year-round protection against the elements. They can protect your house from strong winds, heavy snow, summer heat, and raging storms – all while drastically reducing your energy bills. Check out these quick facts on trees and energy costs:

  • Strategic placement of trees can reduce air conditioning cost up to 50%. (American Power Association).
  • The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
  • Strategically placed trees can cut the average household’s energy consumption by 25%.  (U.S. Department of Energy)

There are many planting strategies you can use to maximize your energy savings. The best strategy will take your regional climate into account; check out this guide from the  U.S. Department of Energy to see which planting strategies match your region.

You can also read the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Energy Saver 101 Infographic” to learn more about how climates, microclimates, tree species, and planting locations can influence your energy conservation efforts.

Nurture the Surrounding Wildlife

As the old proverb goes, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”

The trees you plant now provide more than just personal financial and aesthetic benefits for you; they will linger long after you are gone, and the environment will benefit from your efforts. Here are some quick facts about trees and the environment:

  • Planting trees means improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams. (USDA Forest Service)
  • A tree can absorb as much as 48% of carbon dioxide per year, and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old. (NC State University Cooperative Extension)
  • Planting trees in an urban environment provides shelter for wildlife that otherwise would not have a home.

By nurturing the environment with your tree canopy, you are improving your own quality of life – and you are contributing to the well-being of future generations.