What trees can be planted close to a house?
For starters, if you plan to plant a tree at home, the first thing you should do is dress in patience.
A fruit tree, on average, takes between five and ten years to grow of course, this can vary depending on the type of tree.
Planting a tree is not just about looking for space, opening a hole, and putting the seed or plant inside. There are many factors to consider.
For example, look around your neighborhood and you will see that somewhere there is a tree that affects power lines, the roofs of houses or creates some danger for passers-by.
So, before you see which tree to plant, follow these tips before doing so:
1. Inform yourself with the environmental authorities which trees they recommend to be planted as well as those that should not be planted.
In general, this follows rigorous environmental criteria regarding the species that are most suitable and beneficial for each site, depending on their characteristics.
2. You must be committed to caring for the tree during its early stages of development.
This means watering, pruning, and cleaning.
3. Make sure that your front yard or solar has a good space.
Allow a safe distance between your house and the tree (about 6 meters).
4. When growing the tree, you have to make sure it does not interrupt the electrical lighting.
Otherwise, you will have to commit to cutting its branches before they come to damage public property.
Types of trees according to the weather:
Warm weather:
If you live in a tropical climate zone, the ideal is to plant leafy trees. This will soften the impact of the sun, especially in the dry season.
But they must be trees whose foliage and roots do not harm buildings or streets.
It is better to plant native species, which are adapted to dry climates.
In the Caribbean, for example, where the hot climate and humidity predominate, tropical dry forest species can be planted, such as:
- The Oak.
- Acacia.
- The earmuff.
- The mouse killer.
- The covalongo.
- The icaco, among others.
Other trees that can be planted and that also produce fruit are:
- The lemon
- The handle
- Persimmon
- The grenade
- Avocado
- The orange tree
Among others.
These trees are also easy to plant from a seed.
The following trees are suitable if you live in the Mediterranean, as they are deciduous.
That is, they lose their leaves in winter.
This will allow the solar rays to pass and will give us shade during the summer:
- The Oak
- Maple
- Ash
- Birch
Cold climates:
In very cold areas, it is more advisable to plant evergreen trees.
These help protect you from the cold winter wind. These might be:
- The fir
- Pine
- Spruce
Remember, fruit and flower trees are very pretty and provide you with fruit.
However, also keep in mind that these trees also require frequent cleaning and pruning.
It is very important that you are responsible and do not neglect them once you have planted them.
What trees can be planted close to a house?
Delonix regia (Flamboyant)
The Flamboyant is a very ornamental tree, growing very fast in frost-free climates whose red flowers are very striking.
It grows to a height of 12 meters.
Although the young specimens do not give much shade, the adults do give enough, since the Delonix regia, already from an early age, has a greater tendency to grow in width, taking out increasingly longer branches, than thickening the trunk.
The carob tree
Whose scientific name is Ceratonia siliqua, it is an ideal tree for low or no maintenance gardens.
Distributed throughout the Mediterranean, it can reach a height of 6-7 meters, with a glass of approximately the same as the height: about 5 meters.
It is a very long-lived, medium-fast growing species.
Resistant to pruning, we can form it as we want. We can even let it grow calmly, and once it’s fully grown you can trim the branches that you consider to be too long.
The Acacias
These trees grow as bushes or small trees also distributed throughout the equator.
Most of them do not provide shade, but there are some such as Acacia tortilis or Acacia saligna, once grown, they provide very good shade.
All Acacia are very fast-growing, and very resistant to drought.
So much so that some species are naturalizing in the Mediterranean, where rainfall does not reach 400 liters per year.
Oak (Quercus robur)
Oak is a majestic tree that can reach a height of 40 meters, with a width of 10 meters.
It is a deciduous tree that likes to feel the passing of the seasons in temperate climates.
It does not tolerate excessive heat or drought.
It is distributed throughout Europe, but we can only find it from 600 meters of altitude, in slightly acidic terrain and with frosty winters.
In the garden, it will look spectacular as an isolated specimen, where it has enough land to develop properly.
Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse Chestnut, whose scientific name is Aesculus hippocastanum. It is a deciduous tree that can reach 30 meters in height, fast-growing.
Native to Albania, Bulgaria, and the former Yugoslavia. Currently acclimatized by all the places that enjoy a temperate climate.
It likes acidic terrains.
It does not resist drought, nor the warm or dry winds typical of more coastal climates.
The Bauhinia
Known as Orchid Tree, Camel Leg or Cow Leg, they are deciduous trees originating in Asia that reach a height of about 6-7 meters.
They have a dense glass and a more or less aparasolated bearing, so over the years, they give an interesting shade.
In addition, its flowers are a true wonder.
Plant them in full sun and enjoy them throughout the year.
They bear light frosts down to -7ºC.
Cercis siliquastrum
Known by the common names Tree of love, Tree of Judas, Tree of Judea, Ciclamor or Locust, it is one of the most planted species in parks and streets.
Native to Southern Europe and Western Asia, it only grows to a height of 6-12 meters, making it perfect for small gardens.
Its leaves are expired, and its lilac flowers are amazing.
These appear before the leaves, in spring.
The most interesting thing is that not only does it give good shade, but it can also be pruned in autumn or late winter.
And, yes, it also resists the cold down to -18ºC.
Ligustrum lucidum
It is an evergreen tree native to China and Japan that reaches a height of 12-15 meters.
It has fast growth, so if you are in a hurry to get that precious shade, this tree will be one of your best options plus it flowers, which sprout in spring, providing your backyard with a pleasant aroma.
Its resists pruning and frost down to -12ºC.
The Acer Negundo
It is a tree of American origin perfect for creating shade it can measure up to 12 meters high and 3 meters wide.
It prefers an Atlantic, Mediterranean, continental and mountainous climate to develop properly.
It is frost resistant and needs fertile, moist, clayey, sandy, and well-drained soil.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (sequoia)
It is one of the fastest-growing shade trees that grow up to 2 feet per year and can reach maturity at 15m in height and 4m in width.
It is a tree of Asian origin with deciduous leaves that develops perfectly in acidic or alkaline soils, being able to live in humid or dry environments.
It must be placed in full sun to avoid negatively impacting its normal growth.
It is not frost resistant and its leaves may turn reddish and brown in the fall before falling.
The Tree of Paradise
Whose scientific name is Melia azedarach, it is a tree plant that has the qualities that you always try to find in a garden.
Its growth rate is quite fast, it produces very decorative flowers and provides very good shade.
But also, during the fall its leaves turn yellow before falling.
The Jacaranda
It is a spectacular flowering tree widely used in gardens and to decorate the streets of cities and towns.
Growing to a maximum height of 20 meters, it is ideal to protect yourself from the sun during the summer.
The leaves are bipinnate, with a length of 30 to 50 centimeters, green in color.
The flowers appear in spring, grouped in terminal panicles of 20 to 30 centimeters, and blue-violet in color.
The fruits are woody capsules of about 6 centimeters that contain winged seeds.
Banana
It is a tree that can grow up to 40 meters high. It has a fast growth rate, and a very long life expectancy.
In fact, it can live no more and no less than 300 years.
The bark of its trunk is very peculiar, as it breaks into plates of different shades.
This is a great garden tree, simply needing to be located in an area with direct sunlight, regular watering, and pruning in late winter.
I hope this article was helpful.