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The Right Tree for the Right Place
1 Sep, 2008 By: Janet Aird LivescapesPLACEMENT WILL DETERMINE THE BENEFITS OR DETRIMENTS OF TREES IN LANDSCAPES.
Plant a tree in the right place and it will add beauty to the landscape and provide habitat for birds and animals, as well as reduce erosion, pollution and stormwater runoff. But plant one in the wrong place and it can be a nightmare. It can crack pavement, drop messy fruit on patios and knock out power lines if it falls or catches fire.
 1 Trees are the No. 1 cause of power outages. |
"There are no perfect trees out there," says Nolan Rundquist, a certified arborist with the City of Seattle. "Go with something you like, but look around first. You don't want to plant them in an area where you're going to have conflict with other uses. Try very hard to find the best tree for a particular site."
It's especially important to choose the right trees for limited spaces and for areas in the paths of wildfires and heavy winds.
 2 Concrete can girdle trees when they grow too large. |
The Right Tree for the Property
Decide if the tree is for shade, flowers, fall or winter color, or to attract birds. Use a tree selection guide for your area to choose one that's either a native or very well-suited to the area in terms of temperature, amount of rainfall, soil type, pH and drainage. If you use an imported species, make sure it won't become invasive.
Also use the guide to find out the height of the tree and its canopy span at maturity in your area so it won't outgrow the space, says Tina McKeand, a certified arborist with The Davey Tree Expert Company. "A tree in one area might get much larger than the same tree somewhere else."
According to the Arizona Public Service (APS), which published a booklet on choosing the right tree for the right place, trees should be planted so their branches will be at least 5 to 10 ft. from buildings when they're mature. Trees that grow taller than 40 ft. should be planted at least 35 ft. away.
Trees are the No. 1 source of power outages, according to the APS. It's safe to plant trees that grow up to 20 ft. tall within 15 ft. of utility lines, but keep trees that grow to 40 ft. tall at least 20 ft. away, and ones that grow taller than 40 ft. at least 50 ft. away.
Plant deciduous trees on the south or southwest side of the house to help keep it cool in the summer. There will still be a little warming in the morning, but it'll be shaded as the rays become more intense, Rundquist says. The taller the tree, the more shade it will provide when the sun is high in the summer. Shade the air conditioner, too, if possible, to make it more efficient.
In the winter, sunlight will filter through the branches and help warm the house, he says. In colder climates, plant evergreens on the north side as a windbreak.
 3 Not giving roots enough room to grow, and not encouraging them to grow deeply, can cause damage. |
Looking Deeper
Planting the wrong tree near pavement, including sidewalks, driveways, patios and parking lots, can cause all kinds of problems. Some trees have shallow or aggressive roots, or both, and can lift and crack asphalt and concrete. According to Virginia Cooperative Extension, many trees, including liquidambar, beeches and silver maples shouldn't be planted near paved areas.
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