Helpful Tips for Planting Trees or Shrubs by Power Lines
If you can, try not to plant trees close to power lines. If you must, please consider these planting guidelines.
- Call 811 to have lines marked to see if you have underground lines by your property before planting trees. (
- Trees planted too close to underground lines can suffer root damage
- Trees planted too close to overhead lines may need to be pruned, or even removed by the utility as deemed necessary.
- Recommended mature height of trees near overhead power lines is 15-20 feet tall.
- For both Overhead and Underground power lines, if a tree is expected to grow:
- 20 feet high or less, than it should be planted at least 10 feet away from utility poles and power lines.
- 20-39 feet high, than those trees should be planted at least 25-35 feet away from utility poles and power lines.
- 40 feet high or more, that type of tree should be planted at least 50-60 feet away from utility poles and power lines.
List of Recommended small trees or large shrubs
- Amur Maple
- Apple Serviceberry
- Eastern Redbud
- Smoke Tree
- Dogwood
- Magnolia
- Japanese Tree Lilac
- Dwarf Crabapple
- American Hornbeam
- Chokecherry
- Snow Fountain Cherry
- Arborvitae
- Dwarf Upright Juniper
- Dwarf Spruce
- Dwarf Pine
- Witch Hazel
- Staghorn Sumac
- Burning Bush
- Forsythia
- Lilac
- Viburnum
- Weeping Pea Shrub
