Which trees work best under power lines?
When selecting a tree to plant on your street, consider selecting one of these species, which have been endorsed by the cities of Fife, Fircrest, Lakewood, University Place and Tacoma; and Tacoma's Metro Parks and Pierce County Parks and Recreation.
For planting strips 4 feet wide and up
- Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) WWN, DT
- Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) DT
- Swamp Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
- Skyrocket Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket')
- Vine Maple (Ater circinatum) WCN, T
- Serviceberries (Amelanchier alnifolia & A. canadnesis) T
- Amur Maple (Acer ginnala) T
- Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) DT, T
- Sentinel Crabapple (Malus 'Sentinel')
- Whitchazel (Hamamelis viginiana, H. mollis) T
- Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata) T
- Golden Desert Ash (Fraxinus excelsior 'Aureafolia')
- Loebner Magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri) T, HF
- Butterfly Magnolia (Magnolia 'Butterfly')
- Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) DT, HF
- Stewartias (S, koreana, pseudocamilia, mondadeipha)
- Amur Maackia (Maackia amurensis)
- Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulate)
- Chinese Dogwood (Cormus kousa)
- Dogwoods (Cornus)
- Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus)
- Redbuds (Cercis Canadensis, C. siliquastrum)
For planting strips 6 feet wide and up
- Japanese Maple (Ater palmatum)
- Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)
- American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus) DT, HF
- Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticullata)
For planting strips 8 feet wide and up
- Carriere Hawthorn (Crataegus x lavallei)
- Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crusgalli)
- Winter King Hawthorn (Crataegus virdis 'Winter King')
For planting strips 10 feet wide and up
- Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) DT, WCN
- Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) T
- Red Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red')
Abbreviations
- DT - Drought Tolerant
- WWN - Western Washington Native
- T - May Need Training, multi stemmed
- HF - Hard to find
- WCN - West Coast Native