Why Trees Are Beneficial for Your Home 

The grand trees outside your window may seem only an ornamental accessory‚ but in addition to their beauty and grace they provide many benefits to your home․ Streets and public spaces shaded with trees are characterized by rustling sounds and dappled lighting effects․ Other benefits that trees provide include a scenic landscape or views‚ and providing a home for wildlife․ Trees are useful for many other reasons․ They improve air quality‚ provide shade‚ and can prove an asset for the health of a person as well as the retention of value of the property․ This essay will discuss the various benefits to having trees on and around your home․

First of all‚ trees help clean the air․ They use carbon dioxide as a building block and produce oxygen as a byproduct․ Photosynthesis is of great importance to man‚ because it maintains an atmosphere suitable for human existence‚ and many trees are important reducers of sulfur dioxide‚ ammonia‚ and nitrogen oxides․ As well as this‚ they capture dust‚ pollen‚ smoke particles and other pollutants from the air‚ meaning that if you live in a populated area‚ trees around your house are even more important as natural air filters․ Imagine your front yard with one more tree converting carbon dioxide to oxygen‚ improving the quality of the air you and your loved ones and the animals on your property live in‚ since it is possible for animals to inhabit your new tree․

Trees Provide Shade for Your Home 

Besides cleaning the air‚ trees provide shade which can cool your home and yard during the heat of the summer․ When properly placed‚ trees can cool the temperature of your home and yard by several degrees Fahrenheit and provide a pleasant area of your home to enjoy the outdoors․ This color is also an energy saver: a tree can cool an area so much that the need for air-conditioning is reduced‚ which also means electric costs are reduced․ The hot summer sun can be uncomfortable‚ but a tree can control the heat of the sun during family gatherings‚ play‚ and reading time․ Also‚ a shaded garden will usually have a much cooler soil temperature․ The shade and moisture retention effects that trees provide will also help to keep plants healthy and protected‚ especially through periods of dryness․ While sitting in the shade it is worth considering how trees can be a source of comfort and care․

Another reason to have trees growing around your house is that they are beautiful․ They are nature's jewelry‚ and they add color to the landscape in every season of the year from spring flowers to autumn leaves․ In addition‚ trees can create a sense of balance and harmony in your yard․ You want people to notice these trees as they pass by․ By adding different heights‚ shapes‚ and colors‚ a garden can be transformed from the simplest of yards into an explosion of life․ Flowering trees such as cherry or magnolia are often focal points‚ and evergreens can provide constant structure․ However‚ trees can also function as living art‚ as a beautiful backdrop for family photos‚ as a place to hold events‚ or as an anteroom․

Use Trees for Noise Reduction for Your Home 

While trees are mostly known for their visual impacts‚ trees also contribute to lowering noise pollution․ In busy neighborhoods and cities‚ noise can make a home less comfortable‚ so trees can considerably improve the home environment․ Trees can also block unwanted noises․ A tree can absorb sounds from a busy street‚ reducing the amount of traffic noise entering a home and creating a more peaceful atmosphere․ Trees can help you get a good night's sleep by blocking sound from busy roads and construction․ Spend an evening in your backyard in a great mood‚ with friends talking in comfort․ Trees can also act as a natural barrier which will make it much easier for you to connect with your loved ones․

One of the most commonly cited dollar benefits of trees around the home is that they increase property values․ Many studies have found that residences with good landscaping and other trees have higher property values than those lacking these features‚ particularly where large trees are present․ Trees can attract property buyers․ The presence of trees adds to the appearance and experience for people living on properties․ A landscape with trees makes a house feel more inviting when potential buyers enter the yard․ Mature trees additionally represent stability‚ and are taken to mean that a property is worth purchasing‚ as a property with trees is one that its owner is likely to have taken care of․ Although it takes a long time‚ trees are worth it․

Not only can trees beautify your landscape‚ but they can also improve air quality‚ provide shade and cooling so that we do not have to cool our homes as much‚ and diminish noise pollution․ Not only do they provide money for the community‚ higher real estate values‚ and places for people to meet and interact‚ but we as stewards of the land need to understand that trees are an important part of our lives․ Not only are we improving our own living environment by planting and preserving these beautiful wonders‚ but we are helping the planet as well․ So‚ the next time you pass a tree‚ remember what good it is doing for the environment and your living space․

Tammy Sons, Horticulture Expert

Written by Tammy Sons

Tammy Sons is a horticulture expert and the CEO of TN Nursery, specializing in native plants, perennials, ferns, and sustainable gardening. With more than 35 years of hands-on growing experience, she has helped gardeners and restoration teams across the country build thriving, pollinator-friendly landscapes.

Learn more about Tammy →