It’s never a bad idea to plant a tree. We plant trees principally for their looks and we all know on an instinctive level how important they are but have we ever really stopped to ponder all that makes them so great?The list is so long I’ve split it into three sections. Let’s call the first one environmental.
Evergreen trees can be used to reduce wind speed and thus loss of heat from your home in the winter by anything from 10 to 50 percent, trees absorb and block noise and reduce glare, fallen tree leaves reduce soil temperature and soil moisture loss, decaying leaves promote soil micro-organisms and provide nutrients for vigorous plant growth, trees trap and remove dust, pollen and smoke from the air, trees create an ecosystem to provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, trees ‘sequester’ carbon, they reduce surface water run-off from storms, they reduce the “heat island” effect of urban communities, trees create micro-climates for shade loving plants, they reduce the severity of dews and winter frosts by reducing night time radiant heat loss. And oh yeah I almost forgot, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen.
Let’s call the second batch personal. Trees are the least expensive plants you can add to your landscape when you consider the scale of their eventual impact, a tree can add a new dimension to your surroundings by attracting birds and other animals, trees such as cherry provide pleasant smells, patients have been shown to recover from surgery quicker when their hospital room offered a view of trees, the sight of trees creates serenity and restfulness and provides visual stimulation, they can screen unattractive views, they separate and define space providing privacy and security, they serve as a legacy thereby linking the generations. A belt of trees 30 metres wide and 15 metres high can reduce motorway noise by 50%. Studies in the U.S. have proven that prolonged exposure to noise has been proven to cause hypertension and aggressive behaviour. Studies have also documented the link between urban vegetation and slower heartbeats, lower blood pressure and more relaxed brain wave patterns.
The wider community also stands to gain. Trees can create a lasting impact on how a community is perceived by visitors and affect the mood and community pride of its residents. Trees can enhance community economic stability by attracting businesses and tourists. Property values are higher in neighbourhoods with mature trees, homes with landscaped outside spaces are proven to sell quicker than those without trees or vegetation. The feeling of community pride created by trees has a positive impact on mental health and can help to reduce the sense of urban anonymity, crime and anti-social behaviour. By reducing carbon dioxide, dust and other potentially harmful gases our air quality is improved through lower levels of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
Trees make communities more habitable for people. People walk and jog more on streets with trees, they provide play and recreational opportunities for children and adults, they increase socialisation and interaction between neighbours. It’s no coincidence that we refer to “leafy suburbs” to characterise a desirable neighbourhood. We have repeatedly spoken of the relative dysfunctionality of our built environment. A systematic sustained state sponsored tree planting programme is one relatively inexpensive and simple way of addressing it. Will it ever happen? Probably not. It makes far too much sense to ever be embraced on an official level.
There was a nice line doing the rounds on social media a few months ago. It went something like “Imagine if trees gave off free Wi-Fi. We’d all be planting like crazy. Too bad they only give us the oxygen we breathe”. And a lot more besides.
So go plant a tree. There’s no excuse, especially this time of year when you can buy a bare root fruit tree for as little as five or six euro. If you can’t plant one go hug one that someone else has planted.
There’s nothing funny about hugging a tree once in a while.
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