Let’s talk about property value here in SW Florida. Our local real estate market has had explosive growth over the past year but is starting to slow in recent months. However, if you want to discuss value, you must discuss long term value and what you can do to add that value to your home and to its curb appeal. The highly visible exterior way to do that is to have your property landscaped, not only with flowers and plants, but with trees by Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL. In fact, according to Arborist News, larger trees can add between as much as 3 and 15% to your overall home’s value. The Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers states the value of a single mature tree can be between $1,000 and $10,000 depending on what type of tree.
In addition to adding to your home’s value, trees also help save you money when placed properly to provide your property with adequate shade thereby reducing your electricity bill by as much as 50% a year according to the American Power Association. Trees improve air quality and water quality because they give off oxygen and they reduce rain runoff and erosion. In a survey of realtors, 83% said properties with mature trees increased the value of homes listed for under $150,000 and when the home price increases to over $250,000, this perception increased to 98%. Tree cover increased property values in residential areas by about 7% in one study, and 18% for building lots. The statistics about the benefits of trees are plenty and apply not only to your home value, but also to the difference they make for communities as well. For instance, a study by a nonprofit conservation organization known as American Forests, showed that Atlanta residents saved $2.8 million annually on energy bills thanks to the shade provided by the City of Atlanta’s canopy of large mature trees that were planted street side. In Tucson, AZ a study showed that the city’s 500,000 plus mature mesquite trees saved them close to $90,000 in rainwater runoff control.
Trees can provide peace, tranquility, and help with noise control. We know we all feel happier, healthier, and more at peace when out in nature. It’s one of the reasons, we at Peer Landscaping love what we do. The team at Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL gets to play with greenery all day long and we love it! Trees create tranquil spaces that allow us to breathe easier and just relax. One of the reasons for that is their noise reduction capabilities. A North Carolina University study showed that well placed trees block street noise by as much as 40%. In Tony Hiss’s publication about Chicago’s public housing projects, The Experience of Place, he discovered that people who lived in projects that were surrounded by trees and green space had less domestic violence, stronger relationships with neighbors and an increased sense of community.
Choosing the Right Type of Trees for Your Landscape
Being in zones 9, 10, 11 means we have a multitude of trees to choose from here in Lee and Collier County. Choosing trees for your property can be challenging, especially if you are new to the SWFL area and new to the varieties of trees that thrive here. Let’s face it, you don’t want to choose a tree that will leave a mess for constant cleanup. In fact, there are a lot of items to think about when choosing the right trees for your property, so here at Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL, we’ve provided below you with some important points you should consider before making any decisions.
Here’s are 5 things to consider about trees in general, no matter where you live in the U.S.:
- Select the right species for your climate zone. SWFL is subtropic and encompasses Zones 9, 10, and 11. This means we do not typically get frost or freezing temperatures (once in a blue moon as they say). Trees need to be heat-hardy and be able to do well during our wet and rainy summers as well as our dry and much cooler winters.
- Plan for future growth of the tree. This is a mistake we see a lot of when we go to homes where the homeowners, or that former homeowners planted trees without knowing how big they get or without knowing about that species root structure. Trees require adequate spacing that takes into account how large limbs get, how tall they grow, how far the root systems go. So, when our landscape designers choose trees, we are looking at factors for 10, 20 and 30 years of tree growth.
- Choose the right spot for the right tree based on how much sunlight they require. While most trees love sunlight, not all do well in a lot of sun. We pay attention to the tracking of the sun across your property for several weeks before we actually plant. We also want to choose the right spot for your home. For example, according to Arborday.org, if we plant a tree on the west side of your home, in five years your energy bills will be 3% less and in 15 yeas the savings could be as much as 15%.
- We plant for overall health of your entire yard. Often when we have a new client in a developed HOA community, they will have 3 of the same type of trees in their yard. Typically, the city or county ordinances say newly built homes must have three trees, or something to that effect, but they don’t specific anything beyond that. So, the developers just plant three trees without any thought to what type of tree it is, whether or not it is an invasive species, whether it is going to interfere with powerlines in the future or anything like that. We like to choose several diverse types of trees that are native to the area so that they grow well, with minimum care. By choosing the plants that are native to this area, it cuts down on your water and pesticide use as well.
- A Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL we always discuss what attributes our clients are looking for in the trees for their yard. Are you looking for something that will have a large canopy for shade? Do you want something that will flower? Are you looking to have it provide privacy? Do you want fruit? Here in Southwest Florida, we have the ability to growth some of the most valuable fruit-bearing trees around ranging from mango to citrus, guava, papaya, and avocado. Something to consider as food prices have skyrocketed recently.
Choosing Trees by Type and Attribute
The trees that take root in your yard can provide your home with many different valuable things depending on what you really want. So, let’s look at the different attributes various trees can provide, while at the same time, noting which of our native Florida varieties provide which attributes.
Shade Trees
Allowing lots of sunlight on your home in Oregon is fine, but here in Southwest Florida, our intense sun fades exterior paint faster, and increases air conditioning use, adding to your energy bill. When properly placed, trees block out that summer sun and make your home and yard cooler. We have several trees that provide a nice broad canopy such as Jacarandas and Poincianas. These Florida natives not only provide nice shade, but they also burst with gorgeous flowers every year.
Privacy Trees
Trees that provide some privacy for your yard make homeowners feel safer and more at ease in their outdoor space. Planting tall narrow trees works well because they can serve as a privacy screen without taking up too much space. A beautiful example of this type of tree that grows here in Florida is the Leyland Cypress. Fast growing and low maintenance this type of Cypress creates a very lush privacy screen in just a couple of years, so if you are looking to block out unwanted noise from a busy street evergreen conifer tree is perfect. It loves full sunlight and does well in zones 9 and 10.
Flowering Trees
Springtime in the Northern states is heralded by the blooming of flowering trees such as Dogwoods and Japanese Cherry Trees. While neither of these trees do well in our zone, we do have plenty of flowering trees that herald spring, and plenty that give us flowers all year long. Some beautiful examples of this are Magnolia trees, Florida Gardenias, and Queen Crepe Myrtles (If you are a lover of lilacs, then the Queen Crepe Myrtle is a great substitute since lilacs won’t grow here.)
Fruit Trees
Is anything more satisfying than eating something you’ve grown yourself? Florida is well known for our fruit bearing trees from the many varieties of citrus that grow here to bananas, mangos and all the highly prized tropical fruits that are bountiful here. Somethings to keep in mind, certain trees like bananas continually propagate themselves, so plant them in an area where you are fine with them continuing to grow outward and be prepared to have a banana grove. Mango trees fruit once a year, but bountifully. Be sure to harvest them properly or you will have a lot of fallen fruit in your yard that will attract pests. Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL can help you choose which fruit trees will thrive in your yard once you tell us what you are yearning for.
For more information or to get stared with Peer Landscaping please visit us at https://peerlandscaping.com/estimate/
