4 Large Canopy Trees - Enjoy Shade and Color for Years to Come
Trees are an investment. How well that investment grows depends on several factors including, the type of tree planted, its location and the care provided. Getting your new tree off to a healthy start will help the tree mature to its full size and ensures it will provide environmental, economic, and social benefits throughout its lifetime.
Fall is a great time to install trees.
When adding trees to your landscape, planting in the fall offers several benefits. It's an ideal time for you, as all the hard gardening work of spring and the upkeep of summer will be winding down - plus it's the best time for the tree. The combination of warm soil and cool air stimulates root growth to help your tree or shrub get established before the ground freezes.
Why are native trees so important?
Native trees tend to require less water and fertilizer because they have adapted to grow in your area on their own without human care. This saves you time and money and adds to the surrounding ecosystem more than it takes away. Native trees also provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife.
What are the benefits of large canopy trees?
Large-diameter shade trees provide more than just shade. Their leaf surface area and transpiration rates cool the air temperatures and help reduce the effects of the urban heat island (UHI), a phenomenon found in urban areas where temperatures are significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. This means lower heating and cooling costs.
Also, their leafy canopies intercept the rainfall and reduce stormwater runoff. Rainfall is better able to penetrate the soil and percolate into the groundwater. As trees grow, they accumulate biomass by sequestering the carbon from the atmosphere and storing it as wood.
Aesthetically, mature trees provide a sense of an established landscape. And the trees’ seasonal expressions of spring-summer-fall-winter phenology provide context to our lives and connect us to nature. Animals, birds, and insects use the trees as habitat and food source. Life above 30 feet is active and vibrant. Large-canopy trees make a significant difference in creating a more pleasant, livable environment.
Here are a just a few of our favorite trees that will provide shade and color for years to come:
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Red Maples👆
Red maple is a widely adaptable, large tree common to the woods of eastern North America. A red tinge can be found in its flowers, twigs, and seeds, but it is most notable for the scarlet of its leaves in fall. Red maple needs plenty of room for its dense, spreading root system. Fall color can be yellow rather than red, so select a cultivar bred for red fall color.
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Sugar Maples👆
The fall color of the Sugar Maple is outstanding! From bright yellows through orange to red-orange and at times all colors can be seen at the same time. Sugar Maples provide color for 3 to 4 weeks during most fall seasons. Sugar Maples grow in a very wide range of soils and is the most shade tolerant of the hardwood trees while young. Fast growing with an upright to oval shape, Sugar Maple is the leader in the landscape for ease of growth.
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Black Gums👆
Black gum has several features that make it an excellent landscape tree. The alternately arranged, 3-inch long, dark green, glossy leaves and attractive fall color are perhaps the most distinctive features. The magnificent fall color is enhanced by siting trees in locations with more direct sunlight. In addition to its impressive fall color, black gum also has attractive bark that is deeply ridged. The bark is often said to resemble alligator skin.
Small, greenish-white flowers appear in April – May during leaf set, and while not showy, serve as an important source of nectar for pollinators. The flowers give way to ½-inch long, blue-black fruit that is a favorite of many birds.
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Yellowwoods👆
The Yellowwood is a slow growing, medium-sized tree, averaging thirty-five to fifty feet at maturity, with a broad rounded crown. It makes a fantastic compact shade tree, with smooth gray (almost beech-like) bark and bright green leaves that turn yellow-orange-gold in fall. Yellowwood is also prized for its early summer display of white, wisteria-like flower panicles that are borne heavily in alternating years or every third year.
Contact Snow Creek and Begin Building Your Canopy Now.
While it might be tempting to try to install a tree in your yard yourself, hiring a professional landscape company like Snow Creek is the wisest choice. Leave your tree care needs up to Snow Creek Landscaping in Arden, North Carolina.