The house tree… which one would you like?
A house tree can do much more than just add a little greenery to your home. If you look for the specific qualities you value in a tree, you'll quickly find your favorite. It has to be the right tree, but finding one requires clarifying a few questions beforehand. First and foremost, the house tree must be a good fit for your family and the house.
This is what house trees can do
A tree belonging to a house is not only a beautiful reminder, it also fulfills many important and pleasant functions. Trees are our major oxygen producers; they filter dust and bacteria from the air and provide cool, shady spots in the summer. What's more, on hot days, trees are true air conditioners, as they evaporate water through their leaves, increasing humidity. This evaporative cooling also lowers the ambient air temperature. This cooling effect is, of course, greater the larger the tree and the mass of its leaves. Trees also manage to mitigate extreme temperature fluctuations. Especially on paved surfaces that heat up considerably in summer, trees have a regulating effect on the ambient temperature. Trees also act as windbreaks, breaking the wind in their crowns and significantly slowing its speed. However, in particularly windy locations, make sure to only plant tree species that can cope with the wind and are considered sufficiently wind-resistant. A tree doesn't just stand on its own; it is also a habitat, breeding ground, and food source for many others. Birds build their nests in it and use it as a nursery and pantry. Flowers, leaves, and fruits, especially of native tree species, are an important food source for many insects and small animals, and often unnoticed by us humans, an abundance of beetles, insects, and fungi lives in the bark and trunk of the tree. A house tree is therefore not only a friend and companion to your own family, but also to many other garden residents. Anyone who wants to expand the tree into a living space for themselves or their children and is considering a tree house in the house tree will need patience, however. By the time a newly planted tree reaches the size needed, the next generation of tree house users may already have grown up. In this case, choose a tree species with a spreading crown that carries its branches as horizontally as possible along the trunk. Then you can at least place a freestanding stilt house anchored in the ground so that it extends into the treetop.
House and tree become one
The perfect house tree not only suits you, but also completes the design of the house and its surroundings. Ideally, the building and tree form a single design unit, complementing each other in style and proportion. The house tree can then either counterbalance the structure of the building or reflect the structure of the façade. With the appropriate growth or crown shape, it will complement and emphasize the architecture and formal language of the building or its surroundings. A façade with a rhythmically structured, elongated window front, for example, can be elegantly integrated with slender, columnar growth forms. A long entrance path, on the other hand, receives an exciting response with a loosely spreading crown. So, a tree crown is not just a tree crown; the different tree species develop very different, characteristic growth forms, from narrow and columnar to compact and egg-shaped to arched and widely overhanging. There is something for almost every location.
Keeping the form
If you're more the type for strictly trimmed topiary, then you might not particularly appreciate picturesque, sprawling growth forms. Conversely, for fans of bizarrely twisted treetops, formal trees are merely a rigid green element. So consider which shape you prefer and then take a look at your house and its surroundings. Because with the growth form, you can emphasize the individual image of your house and establish the house tree as a landmark for an entire row of buildings. Wide, sprawling crowns are, of course, the epitome of the striking house tree, but this is only really enjoyable if the garden is large enough. If the tree takes up too much space, it quickly becomes a nuisance, and it's a shame if it then has to be constantly tamed with laborious pruning measures. This not only costs money, but also robs the tree of its true beauty.
Small plot – small crown
Small-crowned trees are therefore suitable for smaller plots, as they still develop beautiful, distinctive crowns while remaining compact overall. The selection of these is constantly growing, not least because today's space constraints in streets, residential areas, and settlements demand it. So, feel free to choose the growth habit that suits you, the style of your house, and the surroundings. After all, there are others besides spherical and columnar shapes. Umbrella or trailing shapes, for example, make fantastic canopies, perfect for playing or hiding under. The winter aspect of trees should not be neglected. This is when the bark and habitus become clearly visible. A particularly beautiful growth habit, such as the bladdernut tree, leatherleaf tree, or pagoda dogwood, which bear their branches picturesquely arranged along the trunk, is a truly attractive sight even without leaves.
Design with tree colors
A beautiful unity is created when the facade color and the color characteristics of the tree are coordinated. This creates more than just the famous splash of color and creates a wonderful atmosphere in and around the house. Red-leaved trees often provide fantastic contrasts with light pastel shades. Dark facade colors, on the other hand, are given a more light touch by light foliage colors or delicate leaf shapes. Overall, light or silvery foliage colors appear transparent, lively, dynamic, and active, while dark foliage colors with large leaves tend to radiate calm and grandeur. A maple with dark red foliage therefore creates a completely different atmosphere than an aspen, whose small, light leaves are constantly bustling.
Additional color spectacle
A striking autumn leaf color is an additional spectacular firework of color for a few weeks, but one that becomes characteristic of the tree and thus of the entire house. Glowing autumn-coloring trees such as sweetgum, ironwood, tupelo, or copper serviceberry set reddish-orange torches in the garden. Others, such as maple, hornbeam, bladder tree, linden, or ornamental cherry, which don a coat of yellow leaves, are bathed in the autumn sun in golden light. Don't fret when the color spectacle is over and the leaves finally fall. And no—they're not trash, really. Spread the leaves on beds in the garden, where they perform useful decomposition and provide the soil with valuable nutrients. If you've also chosen a house tree with beautiful or even striking blossoms, you'll certainly look forward to it every year. The buds of ornamental cherries, magnolias, serviceberries, and catalpa trees open at a specific time each year, a time you'll surely eagerly await. There are beautiful details to observe. Some trees display their blossoms before the leaves sprout, so that the entire crown is enveloped in a cloud of blossom. Magnolias, ornamental cherries, ornamental apples, and Judas trees offer incomparable sights. Others open their buds at the same time as the leaves sprout, which often gives the tree a beautiful shimmer of color, as with maples or bird cherry trees. Some woody plants only begin to bloom when the tree is already in leaf, such as the medlar or the pagoda tree. Then the blossoms and leaves create a beautifully patterned tree dress. No matter what your favorite tree has to offer, whether it's a striking growth habit, stunning blossoms, attractive foliage, or fiery autumn colors: don't underestimate the effect a beautiful tree can have on its entire surroundings. In your front yard, your tree may be part of the streetscape, so it contributes to the greenery, revitalization, and enhancement of your neighborhood. Your tree also greets you every time you come home. And to that end, it even dons a new coat every few weeks.
Size matters
Lindens, oaks, beeches, and chestnuts – these are trees that reach impressive heights. They may take many decades to achieve this, but after just a few years, it's clear that they'll take up a considerable amount of space. Because a house tree isn't a piece of furniture that's no longer needed after a few years, its growth is an important consideration that should be carefully considered when selecting a tree. Every tree has a maximum size it can reach. You'll also find a height specification for each tree species in this book. However, this always depends on the location. If a tree has as much root space, light, warmth, moisture, and nutrients as it prefers – in short, if it has the ideal location – then it will likely reach the specified height. However, always factor this height in, even if it's often hard to imagine when planting that the young sapling will become a decent tree in the foreseeable future, and this often happens faster than you think. But even among trees, there are some that are quick to grow and grow relatively quickly, such as black locust trees or purple alders, while others grow more slowly, such as the sweet chestnut. However, the site conditions always determine how quickly the tree develops.
Keep your distance
In this context, you also need to keep an eye on the distance to the neighboring property. Each federal state has different regulations regarding how large this distance must be. Ask the building inspectorate in your city or municipal administration; they will tell you the applicable boundary distance you must maintain with your tree. Be sure to allow enough root space for the tree. Only then can your new friend become established. Some trees have shallow roots, others develop deep roots, and some spread out with widespread branches. A narrow front yard, therefore, needs a tree whose roots don't immediately spread into the neighboring property. Some shallow-rooted trees, such as the serviceberry or the bladder tree, however, don't take kindly to having their root space compacted or even covered with a covering. Also check whether there are any cables or sewer pipes in the area that the tree's roots could come into conflict with. Protective measures may be necessary for these.
Well placed
Two criteria are crucial for choosing the right location for your house tree: First, it must be where you can best enjoy its beneficial qualities. Should it be an attractive focal point from the living room, or have you planned a spot for it in the front yard where it marks the entrance? It's best to first place a long wooden slat at the potential location, as this makes it easy to determine where your tree would fit best. This way, you can see how your tree will look in the garden from different angles—especially from inside. Especially when it has beautiful blossoms or autumn colors, it provides particularly beautiful views. At the same time, it also becomes clear where it would be inconvenient to place it, perhaps shading rooms or blocking views. Therefore, keep the growth of the crown in mind. If the tree bears fruit, don't forget that you might want to harvest it relatively easily, or you don't necessarily want to supply the adjacent sidewalk and your neighbors with falling berries.
The right location
The second criterion is the location conditions. Is the soil sandy or loamy, acidic or alkaline? What is the water supply like? Is the soil always slightly moist or does it dry out quickly? What are the lighting conditions like – mostly sunny or is the tree in the shadow of the house? And is the location sheltered or should the tree be placed in a windy, cool corner? These questions are crucial for determining which tree species will thrive in your home. A sun- and warmth-loving tree needs a sheltered spot. However, if it is exposed to cold winds, it will grow poorly or even die soon. Likewise, a tree that needs light and permeable soils simply cannot take root and develop healthily in heavy loam and clay soil. This spoils the enjoyment of a house tree, which is why the location conditions are the uncompromising selection criterion to ensure that the right tree gets the right comfortable spot. Fortunately, there are woody plants that are relatively adaptable to the soil and the initial conditions, such as cornelian cherry, maple, or hawthorn, which are considered undemanding. Climate change also influences the right choice, as trees are increasingly exposed to extreme conditions and must cope with prolonged drought as well as heavy rainfall. The selection in this book therefore represents a cross-section of the possibilities, including both well-known and newly tested trees for the home garden.
Trees bring joy
Of course, your house tree will need a bit of care and attention until it's firmly rooted in its environment, especially at the beginning. The best time to plant is fall or early spring. Your nursery will supply you with a high-quality house tree, along with the appropriate planting substrate and fertilizer recommendations. In dry summers, it may need a little extra watering, but your house tree will quickly become a loyal friend for life for you and your family.
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The content of this article is from the book:
Bärbel Faschingbauer
The house tree
ISBN: 978-3-8354-1706-9
Price: €(D) 18.00 / €(A) 18.50 / sFr 25.90
Publisher: BLV Book Publishing
In "The House Tree" (BLV Buchverlag), Bärbel Faschingbauer shows how to find the right tree that will give you long-lasting enjoyment. The author addresses all garden sizes and presents suitable options for entrances, front gardens, and medium and large gardens. The magnolia, for example, is a capricious yet incomparable beauty that makes a perfect house tree in the front garden. The hornbeam finds its place in small and medium-sized gardens. It is a true all-rounder: robust, tolerates pruning, is undemanding, and impressive in its size. Larger gardens, for example, are suitable for a walnut tree. This is a classic among house trees and can live up to 150 years.
