Michael Kahn

This site exists so you don't repeat my mistakes. Every article comes from real experience, real dollar amounts, and real frustration with trees that cracked sidewalks, clogged gutters, or dropped sticky sap on everything underneath them.

Why trees matter in your yard

Trees serve three purposes in a residential yard: practical, aesthetic, and personal. Most people think about looks first. They should think about function first.

The practical case for trees

A well-placed deciduous tree on the south or west side of your house cuts summer cooling costs by shading walls and windows. In winter, after the leaves drop, sunlight passes through the bare branches and warms the house. Evergreens on the north and west sides block winter wind, reducing heating costs.

A mature tree in your front yard increases your property value by up to 10% and can add 1% to the selling price of your home. That's real money on a $500,000 house.

Trees also do environmental work you can't see. After ten years of growth, a single tree absorbs about 48 pounds of CO2 per year and produces enough oxygen for two people. One sugar maple along a roadway removes measurable amounts of cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead from the air.

The aesthetic case

Trees engage every sense, and the experience changes with the seasons.

• Sight: Blossoms in spring, green canopy in summer, color in fall, and bare branch structure in winter. Even bark varies from the deep ridges of an oak to the smooth gray of a red maple.
• Sound: Wind through leaves, birds in the branches, the rustle of a quaking aspen. Evergreen hedges planted low to the ground also block street noise.
• Smell: Balsam fir, lilac, magnolia. If a tree's scent reminds you of your childhood, planting one in your yard is worth more than any landscaping trick.
• Touch: Every species has a different leaf texture and bark pattern. Kids notice this. Let them.
• Taste: Fruit trees, nut trees, even olive trees (though I'd recommend against olives in most yards). Grow what you'll actually eat.

The personal case

People plant trees when kids are born. They hang swings from low branches and build treehouses in the crotch of a strong oak. Decades later, that tree is in every family photo, and the kids bring their own kids back to see it.

A picnic table under a shade tree is where families eat dinner on summer evenings. It sounds simple because it is. That's the point.

What this site covers

Every article on this site falls into one of these categories:

• Buying trees: Which trees to buy and which to avoid. Species recommendations with honest opinions.
• Planting trees: Where and how to plant. Bare root tips, site selection, and avoiding expensive mistakes.
• Tree care: Keeping your trees healthy through storms, droughts, and seasons. When to fertilize, when to water, when to call a pro.
• Trimming trees: When and how to trim. Why you should almost always hire a certified arborist.

A tool worth bookmarking

The National Tree Benefit Calculator estimates the economic and ecological value of your trees based on species, size, and location. It's free, and it'll give you a real number for what that oak in your front yard is worth.

If you want to plant more trees and need starter stock, the Arbor Day Foundation ships trees to members for a minimal membership fee.

My experience with trees

I've been a Sacramento homeowner since the early 2000s, gardening in USDA zones 9a and 9b. Over that time, I've planted and cared for 30+ trees across multiple properties. Japanese maples, valley oaks, crape myrtles, fruit trees, and a few expensive mistakes I'd rather not name.

I've hired certified arborists for removals, disease assessments, and structural pruning on mature trees. Those conversations taught me more about trees than any book. When I reference arboriculture research on this site, I pull from the International Society of Arboriculture and UC Davis.

I'm not a certified arborist. I'm a homeowner who's spent two decades learning what works and what doesn't in a Northern California yard. That perspective is exactly what most homeowners need: someone who's already made the mistakes and can tell you which trees are worth your time and money.

Have questions or suggestions? Get in touch.