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Q. Why should I plant a large tree?

A. Healthy, mature trees provide many benefits to people and the environment. To maximize those benefits, plant a tree with the largest mature size that fits your space.

Large trees often become treasured neighborhood assets.  Research has shown that they provide higher quality habitat for birds and other wildlife, and they have larger root systems to help stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion. Large trees do more to buffer weather conditions, providing shade on hot days to reduce the need for air conditioning, and blocking winter winds to help save on heating bills.

Large evergreen trees, especially conifers, are even better. Because large conifers grow so tall in our region, they produce a larger volume of leaf area on a smaller footprint – using the same amount of yard space but working harder to take in carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and filter out air pollutants. And because evergreens hold their needles and leaves through the winter, our rainy season, they reduce stormwater runoff to a much greater extent than do small deciduous trees.

Before choosing a tree, make sure you have enough space for it to reach its mature size. If you have a big enough area, larger trees will provide the most benefits.

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