The 4 Best Trees to Plant Along Property Lines and What to Know Before Getting Started

With today’s growing concern with privacy, it’s no surprise that a homeowner might like to have a little extra buffer between house and neighbor. Even if you and your next-door neighbor are buds it’s still nice to have a tree or something leafy to hide behind when you check the mailbox in your robe or nightgown.

Planting trees along zoning borders can be a bit of a touchy subject. We’ve all heard horror stories about property owners suing their neighbors for picking peaches off land that doesn’t belong to them. Don’t let planting a tree become a major catastrophe! Let’s take a look at some of your options when it comes to planting trees and plants along property lines.

Know The Lines, Know the Law

Before we do any planting we want to make sure we are doing what is in our ethical and legal bounds as home and property owners. And we also want to be sure that we are being neighborly and not causing a major feud that could ruin our peaceful living experience and make our mortgage feel like a death sentence.

A tree will belong to the owner of the land where the trunk is located. But don’t assume that just because you mow the grass that you own it. Check with a land surveyor or consult your deed to make sure you aren’t planting a tree that your neighbor may have the right to take down or take issue with.

You’ll want to avoid planting anything directly on the boundary of course unless you want to share joint custody of your sapling or shrub with your neighbor. Unless you two are friends for life and have made some sort of pact... It’s just not a great idea. Your neighbor does have the right to trim branches that stretch onto their boundaries but not to the point of killing off your beloved tree.

You’ll want to pick a tree or a shrub that doesn’t interlope onto neighboring land to avoid causing problems. Fruit trees seem to be a point of contention. It is illegal to collect fruit from a tree or shrub that doesn’t belong to you but if you plant a large nut tree and the nuts fall into their neighbors land he may have the right to collect those nuts. You could be giving away the juicy fruits of your labor and could be missing out on those delicious pecans if you plant your fruit-bearing tree too close to property lines. Consider this before choosing which species you’d like to grow.

There are other things to consider like how tall the tree may grow, if you are blocking your neighbor’s spectacular view, and if you’re prepared to do the maintenance to keep the trees from falling or leaning onto a neighbor’s home, carport, or utility lines. Always remember to choose a species that will add to the value of your property, and is non-evasive. A mulberry tree seems like a lot of fun but the berries make a mess when mowing, can ruin your shoes or stain your windshield and have a relatively short lifespan while sometimes growing quite tall. I will never forget my embarrassment when my neighbor casually complained about the “stupid mulberry tree” in my backyard.

*Tips**

1. When in Doubt- It’s better to just ask! Be a good neighbor and ask first.

2. Laws change from state to state so make sure you do a bit of research to ensure that you are adhering to local law.

Choosing the Right Location

All right. Now we know what not to do but we came here to plant a tree right? So let’s talk about choosing the right location when planting near property lines. We have talked about what planting a tree could mean for your neighbor but let’s talk about the things that could affect you, your home, and property value.

Have your property tagged and zoned to make sure that you won’t dig into a utility line or pipe. In most places, you can simply dial 811 on your phone and you’ll be connected with your local call-before-you-dig center. They will assist you, letting you know where it’s not okay to plant. It’s important to consider how far the roots will extend. Make sure that the roots will not be boring into your plumbing, foundation, fencing, and other patios and pathways. There is nothing worse than building that new fence only to have it damaged by thick roots down the road.

Now that you know where not to plant I like to sketch out my property to choose the perfect location. This also helps if you are planning other projects on your plot like patios, pathways, or water features. You don’t have to be an artist to do this, you can just draw basic lines and circles to layout your vision.

*Tip** A nursery specialist will be able to tell you about how the roots of the tree will grow if you have a small to mid-sized lawn and are concerned with root span and growth

Choosing the Right Tree

Okay so now you have your landscaping blueprint and you’re ready to plant. You have selected a location where the tree roots won’t damage your home’s foundation or your freshly placed walkway (or your neighbors’). Well, what kind of tree works best along property lines?

Here are four of my favorites:

1. Hybrid Willow Tree

• Perks: Reach maturity in 5 years. Only grow to about 35-45 feet

• Blocks out view of neighbors and noise

• Disease-resistant and dense

• Tip: Make sure to plant these trees at least 5 feet apart so the willow doesn’t grow too tall

2. Spartan Juniper

• Perks: Width range is just 3-5 feet

• Height of 15 feet

• Plant about 5 feet apart for a wall of privacy

• Great windbreakers

3. Green Giant Thuja (Arborvitae)

• Fast-growing, cold hardy

• Width range is just 5-8 feet in rows

• Not affected by pests or disease

• Grow 30-40 feet tall

4. Goldspire Ginkgo

• Height range: 14-16 feet

• Width range: 5-6 feet

• Gorgeous gold color

• Durable and smog-resistant

Let our knowledgeable specialists at Metro Materials help you decide what medium to plant your new tree in. We will be able to tell you how much stone, gravel, or mulch you’ll need for your next landscaping project.

Happy Landscaping from all of us at Metro Materials!