Trees beautify. Planted in the right spot they can also lower energy bills. But the wrong tree in the wrong place can be a dangerous hazard, especially to power lines. Here’s some tree planting and maintenance tips to help.
Tips for Safe Planting & Power Line Safety
- Avoid planting near power lines.
- Place plants where limbs will never come in contact with power lines or transformers, even when the tree matures.
- For primary distribution lines, keep it clear 15 feet on both sides of the lines, and all the way to the ground.
- Lines leading to your meter need 4 feet of clearance on either side of the lines and to the ground.
- Research tree varieties for their expected height and width before planting.
- When planting within close is unavoidable, select trees and shrubs that have a small mature stature.
- Shape and trim your trees as they grow to avoid drastic and lop-sided pruning later.
Tree Recommendations
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine the future size of a tree. If you’re looking to plant a new one there are great selections that are much more “power line friendly” because of the reduced reach and height. Some of those include:
- Carolina Cherry Laurel
- Dwarf Crepe Myrtle
- Flowering Dogwood
- Fringe Tree
- Japanese Maple
- Mesquite
- Mexican Buckeye
- Mexican Plum
- Texas Redbud
- Texas Mountain Laurel
- Vitex
- Yaupon Holly
Call Before You Dig
Before planting, know what’s below. Call 811 before you dig!