What Trees Add the Most Value to Your Home?

Frangipanis are small succulent deciduous trees with fragrant white, pink or apricot flowers in summer and autumn. If you live in a warm area, citrus fruits, palm trees, magnolias, and anything with aromatic, exotic flowers (think frangipani) are great options. The weeping cherry tree is a small and manageable species, making it ideal for smaller properties and New York homeowners with little time to care for their trees. Once established, red maples are resilient and easy to care for, and thrive throughout New York.

Lilies are popular in New York because they adapt well to the climate and urban environment. They add beauty to any landscape and are relatively easy to care for.

Live oak

thrives in many conditions, including those in New York. Most buyers will love the impressive appearance of this species, and the ease of care once established helps them reinforce the value of the properties.

The towering trees on your property offer more than beauty: they increase the value of your home. There is a scientific formula (opens in a new tab) for calculating the precise value of each tree (although it is not frequently implemented). That said, while some trees are majestic in their flowering period, they may appear less than radiant in their lethargy. Several recent national surveys show that mature trees in a well-landscaped yard can increase the value of a home by 7 to 19 percent.

We recommend planting tall, narrow trees, as they can serve as privacy screens between neighboring houses without taking up too much space. Plant hardiness zones describe which trees and plants can thrive in an area depending on climatic and geological factors, and New York ranges from 3a to 6b. Trees in the driest areas of the country need to survive with very little water, full sun and high temperatures. For practical shade, plant medium and large trees 15-20 feet away from the house, which has the added benefits of keeping roots away from the foundation of the house.

Jeff Edgar, president and owner of Silver Creek Nurseries in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, says that choosing trees involves other considerations, such as soil pH. A landscaped courtyard full of trees and other green areas can improve the curb appeal of your home, which in turn can increase the value of your property. Well-maintained patios with mature trees and shrubs that provide privacy not only have higher prices, but sell faster than homes with little or no landscape, and she noted that they provide maximum curb appeal by impressing buyers even before they enter a home. Fruit trees are very valuable, and if cherry, plum, or apple trees thrive where you live, you can't go wrong with a mini orchard (or even a single tree).

After the first year, many types of trees benefit from additional fertilizers, such as a multi-purpose plant food, to supplement the nutrients naturally present in the soil. No matter where you live, trees that will increase property values will always be species that can thrive in your hardiness zone. A lush lawn with flower gardens is nice, but it doesn't increase the value of a home according to surveys. So if you live in an area where houses generally cost more, adding a mature tree will increase its value even more.