How Much Do Mature Trees Cost?

Mature trees included in an arrangement give it a unique look that captures everyone’s attention through the harmony of solitary plants in structure with complementary medium and small plants.

By using high-quality planting material, including extra-large plants and trees (5-10 feet tall) and turf rolls, we can quickly create green spaces that look as if they were made many years ago.

How Much Do Mature Trees Cost?

The average cost of planting a mature tree is anywhere between $320 and $3,500, depending on factors such as its type, size, geographical location, and the place you buy it from. This cost will not include the delivery and planting of the trees in your yard.

In the table below you will find the average costs for some of the most popular mature tree species you can find at the nurseries across the United States.

What is going to be included in the planting cost?

Once you purchase the tree, the contractor will transport it to your property and plant it using their own equipment. Planting includes digging a hole with a volume 30% larger than the pot or tree ball, extracting the tree from the container, fixing the tree in a vertical position in the planting hole, adding planting material around the tree ball, compacting the soil around it and making the “dish” for collecting and keeping water at the root of the tree.

The work of planting mature trees is mostly carried out mechanized, with special planting equipment.

What are the additional expenses?

As they are full-grown trees and can not be planted by a single person, 99% of the time mature trees are transported to your property. Depending on the nursery and distance, you will have to pay $320 to $1,100, or even more for delivery and planting. This cost also depends on the price of moving it and the price of the tree.

For instance, Popular Mechanics says that you should be prepared to pay a minimum of $200 for transporting a single tree of seven to ten years old. As an example, for blue spruce, you will have to pay anywhere between $370 and $550. The moving costs are around $120 and the tree costs almost $140.

You might also like our articles on the cost of an oak tree, transplanting a tree, or removing brush.

According to the same website, some companies may charge by the hour for moving a larger tree using a tree spade, and this would be anywhere between $65 and $75. In general, a bulk discount will be applied if you have to transport more than one tree.

Important things when you plant a large tree

Before digging in your own yard, contact the energy, gas, and water companies. There may be cables, wires, and pipes buried in your yard, and if you dig in the area where this equipment is located, you risk serious injury or costly repairs if you damage unmarked utility equipment.

Place the trees strategically, so that you save money on utilities. Don’t plant trees randomly, but use a certain strategy to reduce utility costs. If the yard is big enough, plant three large shade trees on the west, east, and north side of your house. Trees planted in these places put the house in a shadow area during the summer, while in the winter they protect the house from the wind. Adopting this strategy, you will pay almost 50% less for energy consumption.

It is very important to water the new tree properly because too much water or not enough water can damage the tree very easily. It all depends on the type of the soil. For instance, clay soils will not absorb water as well as topsoil because they are heavier.

In order to be considered “mature”, a tree should be at least three to five feet wide and five to ten feet tall.

Saving on the cost to plant a tree

Take into consideration going to a nursery during the offseason because in this period they will have many trees on sale. Also, you should check their official websites to see if they have any promotions or deals going on. If you are lucky enough, you may find coupons that you can print out and bring to your local nursery to get a discount.

As large trees can increase the value of your house, purchase the right mature tree for your property. According to Yardener, the value of your house can be increased by $3,000 or more if you plant a medium tree that is taller than twenty feet while planting a small tree won’t add any value.

Ask for price quotes from multiple nurseries and choose the one that comes with the best offer for your needs.