Plants reduce energy costs
Would you like to reduce the cost of heating and cooling your house? Trees, shrubs and vines can help, and they come with the bonus of a more welcoming landscape for both people and birds.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that carefully positioned trees could save up to 25% of the energy used by the typical household.
Start by planting dense evergreens on the north/ northwest side of the house to block winter winds. If space allows, plant your windbreak evergreens at least two times as far from the house as the mature height of the trees you select. If you’re planting junipers that are expected to grow 15 feet tall, for example, plant them at least 30 feet from the house. A 40-foot spruce should be 80 feet from the house.
Near the house on the north/northwest plant evergreen shrubs for an added layer of protection from wind. Check plant tags for mature width of these shrubs, then place them so they’ll be about a foot from the foundation when fullly grown.
Next, think what you can plant to reduce the cost of air conditioning in summer. According to the Department of Energy, daytime summer temperatures average about 6 degrees cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods than in treeless areas. That’s impressive.
Planted on the south of the house, a tree with a high spreading crown such as a Kentucky coffee tree or an American elm will eventually shade the roof of the house. (For this spot, though, avoid an oak or other tree that holds onto leaves much of the winter. In cold months, you’ll want all the sunlight you can get.)
On the west side of the house, energy and landscape experts advise blocking the lower angle of the summer sun by planting a tree that has a lower crown. Maybe serviceberry, ironwood, pagoda dogwood, or hornbeam?
Shading the air conditioner will increase its efficiency. Plan and plant for shade on the patio or deck, too.
The driveway, sidewalks and other concrete areas retain summer’s heat, so plant some small shrubs that will shade these surfaces. Choose deciduous plants that will lose their leaves in autumn, so the concrete surfaces get the sun needed to melt winter ice.
While you wait for your new energy-helping woody plants to grow, you can depend on annual vines for some quick summer shade. The summer my family spent in a small trailer while we built a new house was made more bearable by a row of morning glories shading the trailer’s west side.