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A few years after moving into our house in Palo Alto, I decided to remove a large silver maple from the backyard. It was planted close to the house so the maple’s canopy shaded both the yard and the rooms inside, making the home dark. Moreover, each fall I had to get up on a ladder every few weeks to clean out the gutters. That tree was not my favorite.
I hired an arborist, Kevin Raftery, to come by to look at the maple, and he agreed it made sense to remove the tree. But then, to my surprise, he suggested taking out about ten other trees. They were too close to the house or the fence, or they were not getting enough sun, or they were not going to be able to grow to size, or … At the same time, he suggested letting a Chinese Elm near the edge of the backyard grow to its full size, which would save money over keeping it pruned. (The elm and maple had both been pollarded to keep them smaller.)
He saw things I wasn’t able to see, namely how the trees should be growing if they were healthy, what they needed to be successful, and what it would cost to maintain them. The yard was much nicer after Raftery’s crew did their work and, importantly, it has stayed nice over the past fifteen 15 years. I still have three big trees, and they grow well with little maintenance.
Sometimes fewer trees is the right choice.
At the same time, the city is concerned that there aren’t enough trees here in South Palo Alto. Trees provide a host of benefits — cooling shade, leafy beauty, bird habitat, life-nurturing mulch, and more. People love living in leafy neighborhoods with cool sidewalks and lots of birdsong. Property values in such places are higher. So what is the right number of trees?
Palo Alto has partnered with the non-profit Canopy to grow more trees in the southern part of the city. Canopy will purchase and plant trees for free in South Palo Alto. They will inspect and care for the trees while young. And the city will maintain trees near the street for life. Owners just need to water them.
It’s a great deal. Many of my neighbors rave about the program (“The whole program is fantastic” and “I’d highly recommend reaching out if you’re at all interested”). But I’ve also come to better understand why we have fewer trees here and why it is important to plant them thoughtfully.
For one thing, lots in South Palo Alto tend to be smaller. There’s less space for trees, especially when you factor in the underground gas, water, and sewer lines. (Canopy requires that trees be ten feet from underground utilities.) There’s only so much room to plant something.
But it’s not just that it’s hard to find room to plant trees.
It’s also harder to maintain them on smaller properties. Trees are more likely to overhang the house when the yard is less spacious. That means more work for the homeowner, not just raking the leaves but also clearing the roof and gutters of leaves and dealing with overhanging limbs. Few of my neighbors have gardeners to take on this work.
Pruning is another type of maintenance that incurs cost, especially for bigger trees. If trees are not pruned properly when young, or if they are planted in an awkward place, or if they are storm-damaged, then an arborist needs to prune them when they are big. That can cost thousands of dollars. Big trees can mean big bills. Even people who love trees may have second thoughts about incurring this expense.
So how can you reap the benefits of trees without incurring much of the cost? Here are a few tips.
- Choose a location carefully. Consider where you might plant a tree. Consider the view from the house and from the yard. Where will you be able to enjoy the tree? Where will it get light? Where will it create shade? For example, you might consider a tree to the south or west of the house, where its shade will cool the house during the hot time of day. Or a tree near the street where it will get plenty of sun.
- Consider what size tree is best. Big trees provide terrific shade and habitat, yet are increasingly in short supply in our area. If you are considering one, will it have room to grow? Will you be able to leave the leaves (great for the soil and environment), or will you need to rake some? A tree by the street can almost always be a big tree, and the city will maintain it.
- Be thoughtful about tree species. Look around to see what trees are growing well in your area. What do you prefer in terms of fall color, flowers, biodiversity support, etc? Do you have concerns about sap or pollen? Consider that the climate is warming, with less predictable precipitation. Can you use a locally native tree, which supports biodiversity for local species and uses a minimum of summer water? Trees last a long time, so it can make sense to consult with Canopy or an arborist to select an appropriate tree.
- Find a healthy young tree. Get your tree from a reputable grower. Make sure it is healthy, with good structure, good roots, and no broken limbs or damaged trunk.
- Plant in the fall if possible. This is a good time for planting, when trees are dormant and the temperatures are not too stressful. Make sure the tree is planted properly — wide basin, visible root crown, no girdling roots — and oriented nicely in the basin. Don’t forget to give it a deep water every week or two for the next few years so it develops a strong, deep root system
- Prune the tree when it is young. Pruning is cheap when a tree is young, yet it has long-lasting benefits. A tree with a good branching structure will be healthier and need much less pruning over time.
I love trees. I love how they look. I love how they smell. I love all of the birds. I love the shade in summer. I love the crunchy leaves in autumn. I have even learned to love sweeping up the leaves on the patio and depositing them around the yard. But you can love something and still want to minimize the work and cost it incurs. Trees last a long time, growing more beautiful as they age and also more costly. Do the work up front to minimize the expense and maximize the beauty.
The other morning, just before sunrise, I heard two great horned owls hooting outside of my house. It was a beautiful thing to hear, and I am grateful for all of the big trees around here that support the owls (and much of their prey). One of my neighbors took this picture of two owls in a large ash tree.
I’d love to hear any other tips that you have for choosing and planting trees in our area.
Notes
- If you are a Palo Alto resident and you have or are aware of a street tree that needs attention, please see https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Public-Works/Public-Services/Palo-Altos-Urban-Forest/Programs-for-Public-Trees/Street-Tree-Pruning-Program. You can also call them to request a new street tree.
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