This month’s Tree Tip was researched and written by Emil Peter, Director of Plant Health Care Services, ISA Certified Arborist #SO-6363A, and Forester for Woodland Tree Service.  He may be contacted directly via email or by phone at 901-371-7539 with any questions concerning this article or any other tree related issues.

Happy Holidays! It has been awhile since we wrote a Tree Tip like this (See Terran's Tree Tip, May 2007), but I wanted to just share with you in this season of giving some of the things that trees give back to us. Not just you and me, but also to our neighbors and communities in general. It seems that we as a people save up a lot of our giving for this holiday season, but trees provide gifts all year long and throughout their entire lives. Some of the gifts trees give are obvious, some are not. Read on to learn about some of the ones you might not have known you were getting.

What Do Trees Give Us?

• Trees clean the air and combat the “greenhouse effect”
  Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) while filtering particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. Global warming is the result of excess greenhouse gases, created by burning fossil fuels and destroying forests (tropical, temperate, urban, or others). Heat from the sun, reflected back from the earth, is trapped in this thickening layer of gases, causing global temperatures to rise. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a major greenhouse gas. Trees absorb CO₂, removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO₂ produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles.

• What to Look Out for This Month: Southern red mite (azalea, camelia, holly) Armored scales (oaks, boxwood, camelia, holly, gardenia, etc.) Spruce spider mite Bagworms Maple borers Lecanium scale

  Trees provide oxygen
  In one year 1 acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people. In the mid-south, we are lucky enough to have thousands of acres covered by trees.
• Trees cool the streets and the city
  Average temperatures in Los Angeles have risen 6°F in the last 50 years as tree coverage has declined and the number of heat-absorbing roads and buildings has increased. Trees cool their city by up to 10°F, by shading their homes and streets, breaking up urban “heat islands” and releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves. Trees do the same thing here.
• Trees are teachers and playmates
  Whether as houses for children or creative and spiritual inspiration for adults, trees have provided the space for human retreat throughout the ages. Remember Shel Silverstein’s classic The Giving Tree?
• Trees conserve energy
  Three trees placed strategically around a single-family home can cut summer air conditioning needs by up to 50%. By reducing the energy demand for cooling our homes, we reduce carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions from power plants.
• Trees save water
  Shade from trees slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns. Most newly planted trees need only fifteen gallons of water a week. As trees transpire, they increase atmospheric moisture.
• Trees help prevent water pollution
  Trees reduce runoff by breaking rainfall thus allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents storm water from carrying pollutants to our waterways. When mulched, trees act like a sponge that filters this water naturally and uses it to recharge groundwater supplies.
• Trees help prevent soil erosion
  On hillsides or stream slopes, trees help slow runoff and hold soil in place.
• Trees shield us from ultra-violet rays
  Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Trees reduce UV-B exposure by about 50 percent, thus providing protection to us and our children in our yards, our homes, on school campuses and playgrounds - where we all spend hours outdoors.
• Trees provide food
  An apple tree can yield up to 15-20 bushels of fruit per year and can be planted on the tiniest urban lot. Aside from fruit for humans, these trees provide food and shelter for birds and wildlife.
• Trees heal
  Studies have shown that patients with views of trees out their windows heal faster and with fewer complications. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. Exposure to trees and nature aids concentration by reducing mental fatigue.
• Trees reduce violence
  Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear.
• Trees mark the seasons
  Is it winter, spring, summer or fall? Look at the trees.
• Trees create economic opportunities
  Fruit harvested from community orchards can be sold, thus providing income. Small business opportunities in green waste management and landscaping arise when cities value mulching and its water-saving qualities. Vocational training for youth interested in green jobs is also a great way to develop economic opportunities from trees.
• Trees bring diverse groups of people together
  Tree plantings provide an opportunity for community involvement and empowerment that improves the quality of life in our neighborhoods. All cultures, ages, and genders have an important role to play at a tree planting or tree care event.
• Trees add unity
  Trees as landmarks can give a neighborhood a new identity and encourage civic pride.
• Trees provide a canopy and habitat for wildlife
  Sycamore, maple, hickory, and oak are among the many urban species that provide excellent urban homes for birds, bees, possums and squirrels.
• Trees block unsightly things
  Trees can mask concrete walls or parking lots, and unsightly views. They muffle sound from nearby streets and freeways, and create an eye-soothing canopy of green. Trees absorb dust and wind and reduce glare.
• Trees provide wood
  Yes, in suburban and rural areas, trees can be selectively harvested for fuel and craft wood.

• Want to read more about trees? We have quite a Tree Tip library going. Feel free to browse through and read up on our favorite subject.

  Trees increase property values
  The beauty of a well-planted property and its surrounding street and neighborhood can raise property values by as much as 15%!
• Trees increase business traffic
  Studies show that the more trees and landscaping a business district has, the more business will flow in. A tree-lined street will also slow traffic – enough to allow the drivers to look at the store fronts instead of just zipping by.
• Trees increase traffic safety
  Those same tree lined streets with slower driving motorists also allow those drivers to be more aware of the objects, traffic, and people around them.

Want to give something back?

Feel like your trees gave more to you this year than you did to them? These are some of the easiest ways to give a little something back:

• Plant A Tree. Well, the easiest way is to just put a new tree in and the late fall and early winter is a perfect time to put a tree in and get it settled before spring.
• Right tree in the right place. If trees are suited to the site where they are planted, stress is reduced, lessening possibility of attack by pest insects and diseases.
• Mulch your trees. Mulch protects from damage such as physical injuries from machinery such as lawnmowers or vehicles in addition to helping regulate soil moisture and lessen competition from grasses and other plants. 
• Properly fertilize your tree. Overly fertilized trees & trees with nutrient deficiencies can develop weaknesses that pests will utilize as a vector to enter your tree.
• Keep trees properly watered. Drought stressed trees will quickly be found by pests and colonized first.         

Of course, we at Woodland Tree Service hope that your trees are healthy, doing well, and you are enjoying them. If any of these things are not happening, or you have questions, we would be happy to come see how we could help and realign those three items. A healthy tree leads to a healthier landscape and a happier homeowner.

We want you to be that happy homeowner. If you have any questions or need any assistance with your trees, pests, or just questions, contact the experts at Woodland Tree Service.  Email us or call 901-309-6779 and we will be happy to help you in any way we can.

Terran Arwood
President