By Bill Roper, Forsyth County Extension Volunteer
As a long-standing resident of Forsyth County, I really appreciate our beautiful neighborhoods, parks, and various other natural areas. Because of our location in the southeast, we have a climate that accommodates a very broad and diverse range of both native and non-native plant and tree species. We have a lengthy growing season that allows us to grow some of our own vegetables as well as fruits such as apples, pears, plums, blueberries and grapes. Spring is always gorgeous with trees and shrubs bursting with flowers and new growth. Fall offers a cacophony of brilliant colors that decorate our yards and border our roads and sidewalks. Each year, I marvel as one season morphs into the next with new and changing life.
Like me, many of you moved to Forsyth County to take advantage of the quality of life we found here. Some bought new homes with new landscapes and may have planted trees themselves. Others bought existing homes and inherited a landscape that may have shown various stages of maturity. All of us might have found trees on our property that were unfamiliar, especially if we relocated from another state. As long as these trees and shrubs remained healthy and didn’t cause issues, we saw no need to concern ourselves with learning more about them.
Knowledge helps anticipate issues
As I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate the old saw “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and I find it helpful to apply that maxim to my landscape. To the extent that I can anticipate a problem before it develops, I can avoid the pain of having to correct the problem later and save myself some money. With landscape trees, avoiding problems starts with identifying the trees on your homesite. Once that is done, you can learn more about each species and decide what care and preventive actions to take to avoid extensive and expensive corrective actions later.
Consider the native ecosystem
Every living thing in our landscape is linked together. Conditions, elements, or actions that impact our trees frequently also affect our turfgrass, shrubs, groundcovers, and flowering plants. Those impacts ripple further to our pollinators, birds, and wildlife. Over time, these components of the natural ecosystem have evolved together and adapted to our clay soils, summer heat and humidity, occasional winter freezing temperatures, and level of rainfall. Moreover, they have developed dependence on one another for food, shelter, habitat and nesting materials, and protection from diseases and pests. As a result, trees that are native to our area are more drought resistant and more shade tolerant than non-native species, and they require less fertilizer and fewer pesticides. This translates into lower maintenance costs for the homeowner.
Not all trees are good neighbors
Trees are a valuable component of your landscape, but we need to recognize that not all species are suitable for all residential sites. A site’s size, slope, amount of sun vs. shade, soil conditions, and other elements of a landscape – as well as personal preferences – need to be considered to determine what tree species fit best into our homesites. In assessing your existing trees or deciding to add or replace a tree, here are some points to keep in mind.
Some trees have dense foliage and attain heights of 60 to 80 feet and widths of 25 to 35 feet, creating large areas of shade. When planted in a front yard, this shade will negatively affect surrounding turfgrass lawn and may also reduce flowering and growth of nearby shrubs and flower beds. If the home is in a subdivision with a homeowner’s association, the homeowner may be fined for failure to keep the turfgrass alive and growing.
If branches of a landscape tree spread over the roof, there will be an ongoing need to clear fallen leaves from the roof and gutters. These branches also provide an easy way for squirrels to get on the roof, where they can cause damage to the roof and gutters and gain access to attic spaces.
All trees flower and create products, including aroma, seeds, edible fruit, nuts, acorns, and/or pinecones. While these products are all valuable to some or another species of wildlife, homeowners find the output of some trees objectionable. Some trees drop berries that stain walkways, shed nuts that roll underfoot and cause stumbling, or release unpleasant odors.
Some trees have brittle trunks and limbs that make them susceptible to periodic damage from windstorms and ice storms. Broken branches injure the tree and present hazards for people and property. The resulting downed wood must be cleaned up, and the damaged tree remains unsightly and susceptible to disease.
There are right places and wrong places for every species of tree. Most trees thrive only if their environmental requirements are met. Some need full sun, while others need dappled shade that provides protection from the sun’s blaze. Some tolerate dry conditions, but others wilt without frequently moist soil. When planted in the wrong site, trees may not survive and certainly will not be as healthy as they could be if planted in the right place.
Trees need water, and this has become increasingly important as we experience more frequent periods of drought. Many trees require regular watering to survive in our hot summer months, and outdoor watering means higher water bills.
Some trees are more susceptible to diseases and/or pest damage than others. Those species require costly and time-consuming care to treat and protect them.
Learn native trees with and educational tree identification walk
The Forsyth County Master Naturalist Extension Volunteers offer free, educational tree walks in county parks throughout the spring, fall, and winter. You can visit the UGA Extension Forsyth County website to see the Educational Tree Identification Walk schedule and register for a session at a park near you. In addition, the Forsyth County Extension Office has experienced and knowledgeable staff available to help you with any questions that you may have about your trees, landscape, and other interests.