April 27th

By Mutt Mulligan

TurfMutt celebrates trees in honor of Arbor Day

To commemorate Arbor Day (April 27), TurfMutt is sharing his top dog reasons why trees are tops! Trees are an important part of the living landscape, providing a number of environmental, economic and health benefits.

Money Trees
Trees are good for your pocketbook. According to research published in the Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, each front yard tree adds 1% to a homeowner’s sale price, while large specimen trees can add 10% to property values. Additionally, strategically placed trees can save up to 56% on annual air conditioning costs while evergreens that block winter winds can save 3% on heating (Midwest Community Tree Guide). Lastly, research indicates that people shop more frequently, take longer shopping trips, and are willing to spend 12% more for goods in tree-lined commercial districts.

Trees are Cool (literally)
Urban forests help keep cities cool. In fact, large parks or tracts of urban trees can cool daytime summer temps by about 10˚. Shaded ground can be up to 36˚ cooler than unshaded ground.

Trees & Air Quality

Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for one person to breathe over the course of a year. A 100-foot tree, 18″ diameter at its base, produces 6,000 pounds of oxygen. And that’s not all! In L.A. alone, the USDA Forest Service estimates that trees remove nearly 2,000 tons of air pollution each year.

Want to learn more about the benefits of your trees? Use the National Tree Benefit Calculator to estimate the economic and environmental value trees provide on an annual basis.