Evanston
Are You Considering Evanston Tree Care?
Evanston is a delightful place to live. Not only are you a short drive or walk from beautiful beaches no matter where you are in the city, but the neighborhoods here have a delightful forest feel with plenty of mature trees.
If you own property in this city, you surely own a few trees as well. You may not think as much about Evanston tree care as you do about your lawn and garden, but good tree care can make a huge difference in how your home looks and feels. Here's what you need to know about Evanston tree care to help you decide whether it's a worthwhile investment.
About Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a true jewel of the North Shore. It has its entire eastern border along Lake Michigan, with some of the best beaches in all of Chicago’s suburbs. The North Shore Channel cuts through the northern part of the city. Evanston is a highly desirable place to live because of its proximity to Chicago, only 12 miles from downtown.
Despite being so near the city, it manages to offer a delightful suburban neighborhood feel. This, combined with how near it is to Lake Michigan and the many pleasant beaches along the shoreline here, makes Evanston one of the most desirable places to live on the North Shore.
Evanston has the zip codes: 60201–60204, 60208–60209. It is in Cook County, bordered by Skokie to the West and Wilmette to the north. Evanston is a fairly large city with a population of around 78,000.
History of Evanston
Evanston has a long history going back to the 1850s. Although some Native American tribes used trails in the higher areas, it was mostly swampy wetlands and uninhabited until it was settled by Europeans.
Several acres of high land were purchased by Methodist Business Leaders to found Northwestern University and begin to establish a town. Evanston was incorporated in 1863, but declined to become a city in 1869. It was organized into a city in 1892. As time has gone on, the university has grown up along with the town, initiating a range of social good experiments such as guaranteed income for some residents.
Why You May Want to Consider Evanston Tree Care
If you live in the beautiful community of Evanston, you probably take pride in your home. Houses here are not extremely large, but they are beautiful and surrounded by lots of lush landscaping and mature trees.
How you take care of these trees can make a big difference in how your property looks and how you experience it. Here are a few of the reasons why Evanston tree care might be a good idea for you.
Deter Pests
Evanston's proximity to waterways and natural areas is one of the most delightful things about living here. Not only does Evanston border Lake Michigan, but also the North Shore Channel cuts through it. This channel is surrounded by forested areas all the way along its length.
Not far to the west of Evanston, there is an extensive woody area composed of the Edgebrook Woods, Sidney Yates Flatwoods, Miami Woods, and more. While all of this natural area and water is lovely for residents to enjoy, it can have some problems as well.
In fact, in the early 1900's, rat infestation was a serious problem on the beaches of Evanston. While the beaches are mostly rodent-free today, Evanston still has some of the same attractions to rodents, possums, raccoons, and other animals you'd probably rather not have on your property.
The beaches offer a constant source of food and the water is an essential drinking source and place to cool off in hot weather. The heavily forested neighborhoods of Evanston provide cover for foraging and nesting. It isn't at all necessary for you to completely get rid of the trees on your property to deter unwanted pests. Keeping the canopy high and eliminating underbrush and deadwood keep pests from nesting or foraging on your property.
Deter Thieves
An unfortunate downside to a close proximity to Chicago is being a target for opportunistic criminals. It's an easy commute from Chicago to Evanston. People are drawn into the area to go to Northwestern University and enjoy the beaches.
While Evanston isn't as affluent as some areas on the North Shore, it is well known for being a well-off community primarily populated by professionals from the city. This can make it a target. Thieves tend to look for homes with heavy tree cover that can shield them from view as they look for an open window or back door.
Eliminating low branches and patches that provide too much cover make it more likely that thieves will look somewhere else for an easier target. Qualified tree care professionals know how to eliminate tree cover that may shield thieves while also providing plenty of privacy.
Enjoy Your Home More
You surely take pride in the look of your Evanston property and have a little bit of friendly competition with your neighbors to have the best-looking house on the block. This is a neighborhood with plenty of porches and grassy lawns where kids play.
Evanston tree care can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy your property. Raising the canopy enables you to enjoy all of the ground under the tree without worrying about bumping your head. Furthermore, a high, light canopy enables grass, ground cover, and flowers to grow easily. This kind of canopy provides the perfect kind of filtered light for many garden plants and grasses to thrive.
A well-pruned tree can be a beautiful addition to your landscape. Signature trees that thrive in this area, like flowering dogwood and crab apple, can bring tremendous definition and a signature style to your yard.
What Kinds of Trees are in Evanston?
The area around Chicago supports a wide range of different kinds of trees in many sizes, colors, and looks. Unfortunately, there is a high population of invasive and undesirable trees in the Chicago area. In fact, 42% of tree species in the Chicago region are invasive.
Not only do these kinds of trees fail to provide the food sources and nesting areas to native wildlife that native trees do, but they are less useful for people too. Many of these trees, such as the invasive European Buckthorn, doesn't provide the highly desirable filtered shade across a wide canopy that native trees do.
A certified arborist can examine the trees on your property and let you know which should be removed and offer some great options for replacing them. Here are some of the most attractive trees you can choose that do well in Evanston:
-Dogwood. The beautiful flowering dogwood is a unique signature tree that only grows to be about 25 ft tall. These trees are distinguished by clusters of stunning white or nearly white flowers. They also produce fruit that's a valuable food source for wildlife
-Sassafras. The sassafras tree that's native to the areas around Chicago can grow from between 15 to 40 feet high, making it a versatile option. Sassafras are known for their distinct fragrance, which can be a lovely odor in the neighborhood.
-Crab Apple. Crab Apples are charming, with their colorful spring flowers and their small, compact growth habit. While the fruit isn't usually particularly good, it is a valuable source of food for wildlife.
-Eastern Red Cedar. This tough juniper tree can be pruned in just about whatever size you like, from a small shrub to a giant tree. If you have a difficult landscape this is a great tree to choose, because it is incredibly tough. It also keeps color through the year and can develop stunning shapes in the trunk and branches as it gets older.
-Holly. The distinctive holly tree is found throughout the world, but the evergreen varieties common around Chicago have beautiful, bright red berry fruits and dark green leaves, often with white edges.
How to Find the Best Tree Service Near Me
Once you realize how much good tree care services can do for your property, you're sure to start looking out for affordable tree service for your Evanston home. You'll be glad to learn that certified arborists are available to provide the best possible Evanston tree care for a reasonable price.
Kinnucan Tree Experts & Landscape Company has been working in the North Shore and suburbs of Chicago, including Evanston, since 1970. Whether you need tree removal, stump grinding, or regular tree pruning and other tree service, we have you covered.
In fact, we offer a lot more than tree service. We can also provide landscape maintenance and architecture, superb care for your lawn and any other plants on your property, and even snow and ice management in the winter. We go further than care, also providing holiday lighting and decor and seasonal interest pots to make your home look it's best.
Get in touch with us today so we can learn what kind of Evanston tree care you need and talk to you about all of the services we provide.