Certified arborist Pete Smith explains the benefits of planting evergreens on your home landscape. Evergreen trees provide numerous benefits when planted around your home. They can be used as a living snow fence, provide energy savings, and block cold winds. Additionally, they beautify your home.
Living Snow Fence
Planting a living snow fence is more cost effective than installing a slatted snow fence. Trees are not only cheaper to plant, but they live longer and require less maintenance than a slatted snow fence. On average, a slatted fence lasts 7-20 years, versus a living snow fence which lasts 40-50 years. A living snow fence captures up to 12 times more snow than a slatted fence and requires less maintenance.
Windbreak
Aside from redirecting snow from driveways or streets, planting a row of trees blocks strong winds. In the winter, this means less cold drafts through doors and windows, equating to lower heating bills. In the summer, these same trees will shade your home, keeping it cool.
Privacy and Beauty
Evergreens around the edge of your property or landscape give you privacy and beautify your home. In fact, on average trees increase property value by 10 percent. Trees will also attract wildlife and serve as a nesting site for birds.
Want more evergreens? Read 5 Windbreak Trees that will Blow you Away!
I like how you said that planting trees acts like a snow fence that is more cost-effective. Hiring an arborist to help you ensure that they get placed across the area without having to worry about them all dying. My wife and I will have to be sure to hire someone because we just moved into an area that snows a lot and we want to protect our house.
Wichita gets snow about 5 days a year. Besides being a natural snow fence is there any reason to plant evergreens? I’m thinking about some Lob Lolly Pines. The City has planted them around on the right-of-ways. The limbs are trimmed up to about 10 feet so they look like a regular tree instead of a Christmas tree. They seem pretty solid. Only concern I have is how they handle drought.
Yes, plenty of reasons to plant evergreens. Year-round color, privacy, sound reduction, attracts wildlife, and they look beautiful.