Ten Signs That A Tree Is Planted In the Wrong Place

Planting a tree in a location where it will fail to thrive, or where it will become a nuisance, can be a costly mistake.

Trees, shrubs and bedding plants provide many benefits to a residential landscape, including beauty, shade and a welcoming feel to outdoor living areas.  A handsome, functional landscape also adds value to the home and can put extra money in the pocket when the home is sold later on.  In order to maximize these benefits, it is important to properly plan, install and care for the landscape.

Unfortunately, far too many mistakes are made at planting.  In horticultural terms, it is a mistake to plant a tree where soil or environmental conditions will not favor good growth, where it will eventually need regular and heavy corrective pruning or where it may need to be completely removed within a few years.

Heavy corrective pruning destroys the natural form and beauty of the tree and opens it up to possible infection by plant disease organisms and insect pests.  Removing and replacing a tree results in the loss of the plant’s immediate value.  It also means a loss of the valuable time required to bring the tree to maturity.  By taking the time to do the project right the first time, the owner or manager of a valuable landscape can save both time and money.

Here are ten common signs that a tree has been planted in the wrong place.  If you are getting ready to install a landscape, a good first step would be to take a drive or walk into any residential or commercial area and learn to recognize these mistakes. Then, as you plan your landscape, make sure that they do not show up in your yard.

Sign number one: the tree is growing into a power line.  Tree limbs growing into electrical lines strung from power poles can be dangerous hazards to people and property.  Maintenance crews regularly trim out branches that grow into and around these lines.  Trees that have been trimmed for safety often have their natural form, and their value, either seriously damaged or destroyed.  Many times these trees end up being removed completely.  When siting a tree, place it in a location where it will can grow in its natural form without danger of growing into power lines.

Sign number two: the tree branches grow into the street.  Planting a tree too close to the street will cause the tree eventually to spread its branches into a place where bicycle, car, and truck traffic will either hit, or swerve around, the branches.  In either case, the tree becomes a safety hazard that will need to be severely pruned or removed.

Sign number three: the tree limbs and branches grow over the fence into the neighbor’s yard.  If the neighbor doesn’t mind the tree or the shade that the tree provides, this may not be a problem.  More frequently than not, however, the people next door would prefer that a tree not invade their space.  The hassles, problems and potential conflicts that could occur are easily avoided  by planting the tree in a location where it will not cross property boundaries.

Sign number four: the tree branches rub on the exterior walls or the roof of the house.  Branches blowing too and fro in the wind can scrape and damage brick, paneled, or stucco walls.  They can also rip asphalt shingles or break tiles on the roof.  Plant the tree away from the home to avoid expensive repairs.

Sign number five: the trees grow into each other.  Trees planted too close together compete for water, air, nutrients and sunlight.  A lack of proper nutrition or sunlight will often stunt plants and weaken their trunks and branches. Branches that cross and rub against each other can easily be damaged and ruined.

Sign number six: the tree is damaging water, sewer, or natural gas lines.  Some trees have aggressive, fast-growing roots that can overpower and damage underground utility lines.  Sewer pipes are particularly vulnerable, for example, to the invasion of mulberry tree roots.  Depending upon the type of line, the damage can range from a mere frustration to one of real danger.  It is important to know where the lines are on the property, and avoid them.

Sign number seven: the trees shade out lawns and flower beds and make them unproductive.   Dense shade from large trees will often prevent lawn grasses, bedding plants, shrubs, vines and other trees from properly growing as they shade out their smaller competitors. 

Sign number eight: the tree is in a place where it can heave and buckle sidewalks and fences.  The roots of large trees, if they grow too close to the surface of the soil, can push up sidewalks and fences.  This type of structural damage can be difficult, as well as expensive, to repair.

Sign number nine: a caliche layer or structural hard spot in the soil causes the roots of trees to grow up close to the surface of the soil.  Shallow, improperly rooted trees can more easily blow over in a windstorm.  This problem can be avoided by checking the percolation of water through the soil prior to planting and by properly preparing the planting hole.

Sign number ten: the tree cannot be properly irrigated in a timely manner because water on the property is unavailable or is too expensive for the budget of the person paying the water bill.  Trees will become seriously damaged, or even die, if they do not receive the proper amount of water during the growing season.

Planting a tree in the wrong location is one of the more obvious and expensive mistakes that is all too commonly made during landscape planning and installation.  By taking the time to plan and install trees properly, major landscape mistakes can be avoided.  This will result in savings of both time and money.

If you have questions, you can reach one of the Master Gardeners at the Cooperative Extension office, 820 E. Cottonwood Lane, Building C, in Casa Grande.  The telephone is (520) 836-5221, extension 204.  The author’s email address is gibsonrd@ag.arizona.edu.

The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.  The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities.

Rick Gibson
Extension Agent, Agriculture
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
820 E. Cottonwood Lane, Building C
Casa Grande, Arizona 85122
Voice:    (520) 836-5221
Fax:    (520) 836-1750
email:    gibsonrd@ag.arizona.edu