Similar to bringing home a new pet, you have to consider its long-term needs and whether you'll be able to provide for it. The most common mistake is choosing a tree that is larger than the space which it is to be planted - much like bringing home a St. Bernard dog into your apartment complex with a small balcony. You get the picture!
Squeezing a tree into an area that would eventually need plenty of room to grow can create problems years down the road.
Large-scale trees such as eucalyptus, ash varieties, Chinese pistache, cottonwood and pine require a tremendous amount of space to grow. It is recommended to plant them 20 feet away from structures. Also, large deciduous trees can leave large amounts of leaves dropped each season that can affect the health and vitality of understory plants, which at one time received full sun and is now shaded from the tree's canopy.
Additionally, large deciduous trees drop a tremendous amount of leaves, leaving you with a more challenging issue of maintaining your landscape.
"Ample root space is going to be critical," says Sean Knapik, certified arborist at First Choice Tree Service. "In addition, not all trees at your local nursery are suitable for your landscape based on soil and light requirements."
Smart choices for smaller spaces that thrive in the desert southwest include Australian bottle, crape myrtle, chaste, Texas mountain laurel and Japanese blueberry.
Be smart about the location of your tree and how it can benefit you - besides beauty. Planting deciduous trees with southern and western exposure provides shade during warm summer months and sun during the winter.
For more information about tree care, visit First Choice Tree Service and remember, it takes a lifetime to grow a beautiful tree and 10 minutes to ruin it.
Image courtesy of cinemaliberated.com
