PLANTS: A VALUABLE COMMUNITY RESOURCE
Economic
Benefits:
• Landscaping adds an average of 14.8 percent to a home's value.
• Homes with attractive landscaping sell quicker-by as much as five
to six weeks.
• As home improvements go, landscaping is an excellent investment.
Recovery value at selling time can be 100 to 200 percent.
• Landscaping enhances property values, which add to the community's
tax base
• Proper placement of shade trees and evergreen windbreaks reduces
cooling and heating costs.
Environmental
Benefits:
• Trees moderate urban "heat islands!' created by extensive
paved areas. Lawns cool a home at the same rate as a one-ton air conditioner.
Lawns also trap dust, absorb noise, and provide outdoor living areas for
children and adults.
• One tree removes 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air every
year and releases about 13 pounds of oxygen-enough for a family of four
on a daily basis.
• Plants reduce noise pollution up to 50 percent.
• Plants control runoff and erosion. They allow soil to absorb water,
returning it to aquifers, Decreased runoff means less urban flooding.
• Lawns slow the spread of wildfires to homes.
• Plants provide food and habitat for wildlife, which contributes
to biodiversity and a healthier environment.
• Landscaping creates green space for human rest, recreation and
renewal
