A new study found that temperature is the most important factor in determining how high a tree will grow. Not how warm or cold the temperature is, but how much it varies. The tallest specimens of the world's nine tallest tree species were found to grow in climates with an unusually small seasonal temperature variation, regardless of their distance from the equator, altitude above sea level and distance from each other.

The importance of trees in a living landscape cannot be overstated. Much of the surrounding greenery depends on them, because trees offer shade and protection, not to mention being homes, shelter and food to birds and animals that benefit the ecosystem.

According to the city of Chandler, Arizona's Water Conservation Program, trees deserve priority when it comes to water and all other maintenance. If trees are lost, it increases the surrounding temperature. They are also expensive to replace. A lack of maintenance may not kill a tree outright but it could set it up for more serious diseases or insect infestations in following years.