People add trees to their landscaping for a variety of reasons. Trees are great for improving privacy, as we discussed in our previous article. They also can bring life and color to your yard and attract birds and pollinators. When you’ve decided it’s time to add a tree to your yard, how do you select the correct one for your space? We’ve rounded up some of our best tips to help you out.

Some things to consider before purchasing a tree

One thing to consider when adding a tree to your yard is how much space the tree will need. If the tree is too tall it may conflict with power lines, or other tall trees nearby. It could also impact your view. There is a fine balance between creating privacy in your space and blocking your view of everything behind the tree. If the tree is too wide it could take over too much of the yard or envelop the house. It’s better to choose the right size tree vs fighting nature. The right tree can provide a canopy or shade for your yard if it’s not too big or invasive.

Even the most beautiful tree can create a not-so-beautiful mess. After all, what goes up must come down. When selecting a tree for your yard consider how much time you have to invest in clean up and maintenance. Some trees can drop branches, fruit, pods or nuts even with the lightest of winds. Other trees require frequent debris clean up, have interesting odors, and can even attract specific pests.

Trees thrive when they’re planted in the right hardiness zone, with the right soil. Here in the San Joaquin Valley, some examples of trees that do well in Visalia and the surrounding areas include:

• Bay Laurels
• Chinese Pistache
• Flowering Plums
• Crape Myrtles
• Arbutus Marina
• Trident Maple
• Australian Willow
• Japanese Blueberry

Some other things to consider are the type of tree you’d like to plant such as: evergreen, deciduous, ornamental, or shade tree. You also would want to select a tree that will thrive in a given set of site conditions. What is the drainage situation like? How much watering will the tree require? What is the amount of pruning and other maintenance? Will the tree get more sun in morning? All day? What will the root system be like? Are there underground utilities and other drainage pipes that could be infringed upon?

Keeping this information in mind will be helpful when selecting the perfect tree. It also helps our staff if you bring a picture of the area, measurements of your planter or ground space, and let us know how much sun the area gets a day. Planting trees not only helps to clean the air, prevent erosion and provide shade, but they also increase your property value.

Come over to our nursery and talk to our experts and we can provide you with advice on finding the perfect tree for your yard.