Shade Trees

Shade trees show off just how wonderful nature can be. They can make life in general a more enjoyable experience because of how beautiful they look. A park or backyard that is loaded with trees exudes restfulness and tranquility. A view that is full of big, graceful trees outside a hospital window has been known to speed up a patient’s recovery time. Most people are drawn to a thickly treed area, and members of communities often resist their removal in order to make improvements to public access or for the construction of new buildings.

There are many benefits of planting big shady trees besides their beauty. They serve many purposes and can be functional as well as nice to look at. Just some of the other reasons for planting shade trees include:

• Economic Benefits - Planting trees that will ultimately grow to provide a lot of shade can help to increase the property value of your home. It is estimated that the value of a tree on your property is approximately $57,000 over that tree’s life span. Trees can also raise the property values of an entire neighborhood.

• If trees are strategically planted, it is possible for the shade they provide to cut down on the costs of cooling or heating your home by as much as 30 percent.

• Environmental Benefits – Many people don’t realize that trees can have a positive effect on the environment. They help improve the overall air quality, conserve water and cut down water usage, provide habitats for wildlife, and regulate the climate by curbing the effects of rain, wind, and sun.

These are just some of the benefits of shade trees. If you are looking for the perfect trees to plant, sugar maples and red maple trees can be excellent choices.

Sugar Maples
Sugar maple trees really stand out in a well landscaped area. They are an indigenous forest tree and are most commonly found in the Great Lakes states and New England. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York are also home to the sugar maple. In fact, it is the state tree of New York. They typically grow to a height of 70 to 90 feet. The leaves are quite large – 3 to 5 inches in length. The spread of mature sugar maple trees is from 60 to 80 feet and provide an abundance of shade.

Sugar maple trees are a popular ornamental tree as well as a perfect shade tree. It is also tolerant of shady growing conditions. The leaves of the sugar maple turn a brilliant red in the fall.

Red Maples
Red maple trees are found mainly in the northern states, but also grow in the drier areas of the southern states. They get their name because of the bright red fall foliage. Red maples are smaller trees than the sugar maple, growing to between 40 and 60 feet with a spread of approximately 40 feet.

Red maple trees are one of the fastest growing maple trees, able to provide their abundant shade much sooner. They do better when planted in full sun, but will also do well in the shade.