The Giving Tree

By Michael Mountain, May 13, 2010

By Leda Marritz

I have to admit that for a long time, I didn’t think much about trees. I’d notice them if they were huge and majestic, and not notice them if they were kind of small and ordinary, which is probably what most people do.

Once I started to learn more about them, however, I fell in love. This was around the time I discovered a lemon tree — growing actual lemons — across the street from my house, which was delightful and exciting.

In San Francisco, where I live, there are some streets with absolutely tremendous, really knock-your-socks-off kind of trees. These are lucky trees, and usually, although not always, they can be found in very fine parts of the city. By and large, though, you will find only a few of these trees. You’ll see many more small, struggling trees – trees that don’t look so good and could use some TLC. In many places there are no trees at all.

The collection of trees that exists in the built environment — cities, towns, and suburbs — is called the urban forest. The term “urban forest” may strike you as an oxymoron, but in our increasingly developed world it’s an important concept to understand and then to consider improving.

Think for a moment about the trees in your neighborhood or downtown and see roughly where they fall on the street tree health spectrum.

Are their trunks sturdy and healthy looking?

Do they have full and evenly distributed canopies?

Are they about the right size for their age?Do they have adequate rooting space?

How to tell if a tree needs some TLC

These are a few of the things to observe when determining the health and prognosis for trees in your city or town.

This tree has done all it can to survive, but it’s fighting a losing battle.Most city trees will fail to thrive in one or more of these categories. So it’s not surprising that the average life of a street tree is just around 13 years. Trees in the forest, with much larger and more nutritive soil volumes, less pollution and chemical salts and muck like that, have longer and heartier lifespans — usually upwards of 50 years, and often well beyond. Trees weren’t meant to grow in cities, but here we are and here they are — and they need our help.Healthy, mature trees do amazing things and provide us with great benefits. They reduce energy consumption, heat islands, flooding and nonpoint-source pollution. They provide homes for wildlife and they support biodiversity. They improve business and property values, and create safer pedestrian and vehicular communities. (For a more comprehensive list of the benefits of urban trees, read Dan Burden’s excellent summary and this page on Trees Are Good.)

Few people need convincing that trees are good. Their emotional and psychological value, though hard to define, is powerful and indisputable. Trees clean the air, provide protection from noise and wind, and impart a calming and peaceful aspect to the surrounding streetscape.

Trees are not like mailboxes or benches or other site amenities; they are biological touchstones and quite literally living community participants.

(If this is all getting too touchy-feely for you, business-minded types may be interested to know that trees also have a very real commercial value — estimates vary, but one recent study demonstrates that, on average, trees add from $8,870 to $12,828 to the sale price of a home, and even more if there are additional trees nearby.)

So if the street trees in your neighborhood or downtown aren’t looking so good, what to do?

If you own a home or a business and are responsible for maintaining street trees on your property, consider Trees Are Good’s new tree planting guidelines. While there may always be some planting factors that are beyond your control, this is a good place to start when planting a new tree or trying to do the best you can for an existing one.

Now those are some happy trees! Who wouldn’t like to live there? Additionally, many cities and towns have local non-profit and tree-advocacy groups. These groups advocate for increased attention, resources and effort toward policy, cultivation and maintenance of the urban canopy. They usually offer events such as tree plantings, classes and programs (often free) and tree statistics for their surrounding regions, and they rely heavily on community involvement and participation for their success. Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco and Casey Trees in Washington D.C. are two of the better known ones, but there are dozens.

Above all, stay involved in what’s happening around your community so that you can support tree-friendly policies and practices, whether it’s in conversation with your neighbors or your legislators. Good luck, and go hug a tree!

Additionally, many cities and towns have local non-profit and tree-advocacy groups. These groups advocate for increased attention, resources and effort toward policy, cultivation and maintenance of the urban canopy. They usually offer events such as tree plantings, classes and programs (often free) and tree statistics for their surrounding regions, and they rely heavily on community involvement and participation for their success. Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco and Casey Trees in Washington D.C. are two of the better known ones, but there are dozens.

A few things to consider when planting a tree

What tree species type is appropriate for your site? You’ll need to consider things like climate, soil type, available soil volume, maintenance needs, and more.

Select a site for your tree carefully. Municipalities have different rules about how far trees must be planted from street lights, water lines, and other utilities. Try to find a happy middle ground between municipal regulations and what is best for the tree!
Research and adhere to planting rules to set your tree up for a successful life once you’ve selected a site for it and prepared a planting hole.
Consult a certified arborist with any questions about tree planting, care or maintenance.

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Leda Marritz likes rhubarb pie, California poppies and non-fiction. She is a volunteer with Rocket Dog Rescue and a contributor to Pawesome. By day, she is a marketing manager at Deep Root Partners.