25 years ago, the river otter was nearly extinct in Colorado and other western states, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently announced that the reintroduction of 120 young male and female otters a quarter century ago, the population has been growing.
With the arrivalt of Summer comes heat and, in many areas of the country, humidity. When those high temperatures hit, all we can do is think about being cooler. It's a seasonal irony....in Winter we can't wait for it to be warmer and in Summer we can't wait for some relief from the heat. Well, one way to find relief from the heat (and relief from your Summer energy bill) is to plant fast growing trees in the right locations!
Shade trees keep the sun's brutal rays from heating up the walls and roof of your home and prevent the rays of sun from coming in your windows. This, in turn, keeps your house cooler. If your house stays cooler, it takes less energy to keep it at the temperature you find most comfortable.
In fact, "A tree planted on the west side of a house can reduce net carbon emissions from summertime electricity use by 30 percent over a 100-year period." says Geoffrey Donovan, who is a research forester.
These fast growing trees come in all sizes, shapes and even colors. It all depends on your preference, climate, and whether you want a lot of colorful leaves in the Fall.
For instance, if you're in a climate where it stays warm the majority of the year, you may want to plant evergreen trees to shade your house year around. If you're in a colder climate, you may want deciduous trees so that the warm sun will help heat your home in the Winter.
Different trees also require different planting zones and, since most of us are very impatient, the tendency is to plant varieties that are fast-growing.
With that in mind, I have listed below 7 of the fastest growing trees that can not only add shade to your yard, but beauty as well.