Trees play a crucial role in landscaping, providing both functional and aesthetic benefits to outdoor spaces. They add structure, shade, and greenery while improving air quality and supporting local ecosystems.
Whether used in residential gardens, parks, or commercial properties, trees enhance the overall appeal and usability of a landscape.
Enhancing Aesthetics, Property Value, and Environmental Benefits
- Aesthetic Appeal – Trees add natural beauty through their varying shapes, colors, and textures. Flowering trees create seasonal interest, while evergreens provide year-round greenery. Well-placed trees can create focal points, define spaces, and complement architectural elements.
- Increasing Property Value – A thoughtfully designed landscape with mature trees can significantly boost property value. Studies show that homes with well-maintained trees sell faster and at higher prices. Trees improve curb appeal, making properties more attractive to buyers.
- Environmental Benefits – Trees contribute to a healthier environment by absorbing carbon dioxide, filtering pollutants, and reducing urban heat. They provide oxygen, offer habitat for wildlife, and help control soil erosion. Additionally, trees contribute to sustainable landscapes by reducing the need for excessive watering and energy consumption.
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Key Factors to Consider When Selecting Trees (plants) for Landscaping
The success of landscape design with plants depends on how to choose the appropriate plants for a particular situation. Thoughtful selection of the trees, shrubs, climbers, bulbs, foliage plants, grass, groundcover and aquatic plants transform the barren landscape into meaningful landscape.
Efforts should be made to select an appropriate plant material for the given situation based on the following criteria :
- Habit
- Colour
- Season of flowering
- Form
- Rate of growth and Environmental considerations.
Trees
The selection of trees should be based on season, size, form, situational preferences of surroundings and artifacts.
i) Flower Colour
White : Alstonia scholaris, Baiiasea minor, Magnolia pterocarpa, Milingtonia horternsis and plumeria acurmnaata.
Yellow : Cassia fistula, Bauhinia tomentosa, Saraca indica, Peltophorum pterocarpum and Tabebuia spectabilis.
Red : Bombax ceiba, Amberstia nobilis, Cassia marginata
Scarlet : Barningtonia monandra, Cassia pavarnica Crennigena, Kelnbovia hospita.
Purple : Lagerstroemia speciosa, Bauhinia purpurea, Melia azadirach, Pachira, rosea and Tabebuia rosea.
Orange, Red, Crimson, Scarlet : Butea monosperma, Colvia racemosa and spathpdea campanulata.
Blue, Mauve, Violet : Jacarpanda aquisatifolia, Guaicum officinale, Millenia avaliolia and Solanum grandugkirum
Greenish Yellow : Monodora grandiflora,Casealpnia.
Creamy White or Yellow : Michelia champaca, Madhuca Indica, Magnolia grandiflora, and Terminalia Arjuna.
Season of blooming
Ever blooming : Callisetermon lanceolatus, Mimusops elengi, Plumenia acuminata and Thespesia populnea.
Winter blooming : Bauhinia purpurea, Butea monrosperama. Monodora grandiflora
Spring blooming : Tabebuia, Amheristia niobilis, Bombax ceiba, Jacaranda, Saraca indica, Spathodea
Summer Blooming : Erithrina indica, Cassia, Jacaranda, Lagerstroemia spp.
Rainy season Blooming : Plumeria alba, Anthocephelus cadamba, Barringtonia raccemosa, Casia Marginata, P. rubra, Covillea raccemosa.
Range of Tree sizes
Dwarf trees (3 to 5m tall) : Albizia lebbek, Bisantha, Bixca orellana, Brownera grandeeps, Crodia sebestena. Wevthrnia blackein Parkinsonia acuminata, Plumeria rubra.
Medium size (6 to 10m tall) : Caesalpinia, Lagerstromia throreli, Melia azadirach, Plumeria accmnata, Saraca Inidica, Tabeulia spectabilis.
Tall tress (more than110 m tall) : Peltophorum roxburghii, Bombax malabaricum, Cassia monisia, Chorisia speciosa, Jacaranda, Millingtonia hortensis, and spatholea campanulata.
Giant trees : Ficus bengalensis, Bombax ceiba, Colvillea racemosa,
Growth Habit of Trees
Oval : These plants are suitable for frame or screen.
Populus alba, Albizzia julibrissin, Crataeqs cerusoalli Cornus sp., Betula pendula Cassia fistula
Vase shaped : They can be used above the large shrubs or small trees.
Melia azadirach, Plumeria acutifolia. P.alba. P.obtusa, Saraca Indica, Almus Americana.
Pyramidal : It can be used as an accent plant.
Pinus roxburghii, Araucaria cooki. Thuja compacta, Quercus palustris, Stercula foedtida, Polyalthia longifolia.
Round : These plants can be used in the lawn as specimen.
Plumeria alba,Chorisia speciosa Mimusops elengi. Morus rubra, Quercus.
Columnar : They frame the views and structure in the landscape setting.
Juniperus chinensis, Betula pendula, Quercus robustaj Eucalyptus robusta, polyelthia pendula.
Weeping : It can be used as a focal point.
Salix Babylonica, S. alba. Putranjiva roxburghii, callistemon lanceolatus Tecomelia.
Round to spreading : These plants mass well to create grove effect.
Dalbergia sisso, Dillenia Indica, Ficus glomerata, Thespesia populnea.
Fan shaped : They can be used as a focal point.
Cycus revoluta, Borassus fladellifer, Oredoxa regia.
Trees with scented flowers
Anthocephilus cadamba, Alstonia scholaris, Cananqium odoratum Michelia champaca, Mimusops elengi, Dillenia indica, Gardenia latifolia, Custravia augusta, Magnolia grandiflora, Nyctanthes arbortristis.
Wind Resistant trees
Eugenia jambolana, Caesalpinia pulcharima, Peltophorum pterocarpum.
Salt Resistant trees
Azadirachta Indica, Acacia sp., Butea monosperma, Azadirachta. Indica, Bassia Latifolia, Eucalyptus
citriodora, Phonix dactylofera and Phyllanthus emblica.
Drought Resistant
Butea monosperm, Acacia sp., Albizzia lebbek. Casuaria equisetifolia. Crataeva religiosa. Tecomelia.
Wet Land trees
Nyctanthes arbortristis, Dillenia Indica, Michelia champaca, Saraca Indica, Thespesia populnea, Salyx Babylonica, Ecualyptus eostata, Guaicum officinalis.
Fast Growing Trees
Pongamia glabra, Sesbania grandiflora, Cananqium odoratum, Erithrina Indica, Thespesia populnnea, Populus sp., Salix sp,. Euclyptus sp., Thuja compacta.
Shade givers
Pteropsperum acerifolium, Albizzia lebbek, Pelptophorum, Michelia champaca, Anthocephalus cadamba, Dalbergia sisso,. Glyricidia Maculata accer sp., Cornus florida.
Trees tolerant to Dust and Smoke
Acacia auriculiformis, Alstonia soholaris, Butea monosperma, Ficus Benjamina, F. benghalensis, Madhuca Indica, Pongamia glabra, Ficus religiosa, Terminalia Arjuna, Albizzia llebbek, Bombax ceiba.
Trees for Noise Reduction
Terminalia Arjuna, Alstonia scholaris, Azadirachta Indica, Butea Monosperma, Mangifer Indica, Madhuca Indica, Juniperus chinesis, Eucalyptus Citradora, Kigelia pinnata