Evergreen trees to plant near house


Trees That Can Be Planted Close to Houses: 12 Best Choices

When designing a garden, you must be strategic with your tree placement.

While trees can provide shade and beautiful views when near your house, the wrong kind of tree in close proximity to your house can negatively impact your home.

Because of this, you need to be thoughtful about the best tree to plant close to your house.

Which trees can be planted close to houses? Trees with small, noninvasive root systems are best to plant close to your house to avoid any foundational damage. Trees that mature to a height of 25 feet or less, don’t pose any safety risks, provide year-round beauty, and are easy to clean up after are great choices. 

Choosing the right trees for your home requires you to pick specimens that look beautiful and do not negatively impact the structure or foundation of your house.

Read on to learn about several trees that may be just what you are looking for.

12 Best Trees To Plant Near Houses

When choosing a tree to plant near your house, you should always keep the needs of your property in mind. Here are some trees that generally work well in most circumstances.

Consider these as you pick trees for your property.

1. Japanese Maple 

There are several types of Japanese Maples. These small trees tend to have reddish-orange leaves, beautiful autumn foliage, and a delicate, graceful trunk.

2. Flowering Dogwood

This beautiful North American native produces white flowers. The trees are easy to care for, and they require very little pruning.

3. Crabapple 

This tree may not have the best reputation, but it is a much better choice than you may think.

You can get a lot of enjoyment from this tree all year round, especially when it bursts into bloom in the spring.

4. American Holly

This evergreen is a great choice if you want year-round privacy. The beautiful, glossy leaves and red berries are some of this tree’s beautiful features. 

5. American Hornbeam

If you love unique leaves, you may like the American hornbeam. This tree produces beautiful seeds and has a pleasing shape that is easy to maintain.

6. Eastern Redbud 

The Eastern redbud is a beautiful and delicate tree with plenty of small pink blooms in the spring. 

7. Pawpaw 

If you love the tropical look, this fruiting tree may be exactly what you want in your yard. 

8. Loquat 

This unique tree offers interest all year long with its colorful leaves and beautiful small white flowers.

9. Rose of Sharon 

This small, easy-to-grow option offers beautiful flowers throughout the summer and does well in a variety of conditions.

10. Crepe Myrtle 

This small tree has pink, crepe-like flowers and beautiful green foliage during the spring and summer. 

11. Serviceberry 

A true delight during all seasons, the serviceberry tree grows lovely white flowers in the spring, and its leaves turn beautiful shades in the fall.

12. Dwarf Fruit Trees

There are many different types of dwarf fruit trees. From olive trees to apple trees, you can get a beautiful garden component and a snack at the same time. 

Considerations When Selecting Trees To Plant Close to Your House 

There are many features you should look for in a tree when planting one close to your house. Always keep your own house’s needs in mind when deciding. 

Which Trees Should Not Be Planted Close to a House 

Several trees should be avoided to ensure the health of your foundation. Some of these trees include ash, oak, and poplar trees.

Each of these trees will try to grow in or under your foundation. You should also not plant willows too close to your house since their root systems seek out pipes. 

Related Questions: 

What Is the Best Tree To Plant Near a House for Shade? 

The answer to this will depend a lot on your unique situation and the needs of your home.

In general, opt for a small tree that will not get too big, such as a Japanese Maple or an ornamental fruit tree.  

What Are the Best Evergreen Trees To Plant Near a House? 

Some of the best evergreen trees to plant near your house include American Holly, Bronze Loquat, and some fruit trees.  

Conclusion

A tree near your house can offer many benefits, including shade, beauty, and privacy, and it can even improve your property values.

While this decision may seem overwhelming, there are plenty of ways to narrow down your options. Use the information above to help you choose the perfect tree to plant near your house.

The Best Evergreens to Plant Close to the House | Home Guides

By Janet Bayers

Evergreen trees and shrubs as foundation plantings dress up a house’s exterior year-round. The best plants are those with a narrow growth habit if your space is limited. Mounding evergreens are an attractive choice if width is not an issue. It’s also best to plant an evergreen whose mature size fits your space, so you won’t need to do much pruning.

Upright Conifers

  1. A number of conifers come in columnar shapes, suitable for a narrow planting bed at a house’s base. Yews (Taxus spp.) have soft, dark green needles and grow in sun or shade. The genus includes upright cultivars such as “Fastigiata” (Taxus baccata “Fastigiata”), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, which grows slowly to 20 feet tall and 3 feet wide in 30 years. Dwarf golden Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa “Wilma Goldcrest”) has bright yellow foliage and grows 8 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It thrives in USDA zones 7 through 10.

Mounding Conifers

  1. Mugo pines form dense, rounded cushions, spreading slowly and needing little care other than deep watering to establish. “Slowmound” (Pinus mugo “Slowmound”) grows 3 by 3 feet, while “Pumilio” (Pinus mugo “Pumilio”) reaches 5 by 10 feet. Both are hardy in USDA zones 2 through 8. False cypresses (Chamaecyparis spp.) grow in USDA zones 5 through 7. “Golden Mops” (Chamaecyparis pisifera “Golden Mops”) is a dwarf, yellow-foliaged kind that reaches 5 by 5 feet.

Upright Broadleaf Shrubs

  1. Columnar hollies such as “Sky Pencil” (Ilex crenata “Sky Pencil”) slowly grow to 10 feet tall and 2 feet wide and are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. If pollinated by a male plant, female hollies produce attractive red or black berries. Boxwoods (Buxus spp.), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9, are popular foundation plants because of their ease of care and tolerance of shearing. An upright form, “Graham Blandy” (Buxus sempervirens “Graham Blandy”) grows slowly to 20 feet by 2 feet but can be kept to any height. Both hollies and boxwood thrive in full sun to part shade.

Mounding Broadleaf Shrubs

  1. For shade, fragrant sweet box (Sarcococca ruscifolia) provides not only attractive, dark green leaves but also sweetly scented, white flowers in winter. It is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 9, thrives in shade and grows 5 by 5 feet. Euonymous japonicus varieties offer quick growth, drought tolerance and attractive leaf variegation patterns in gold, green and white. Euonymous is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9. Larger cultivars can be kept small with pruning, while the dwarf “Sunny Delight” (Euonymous japonicus var. microphyllus “Moncliff”) grows 2 by 2 feet.

References

Resources

Writer Bio

Since 1981 Janet Bayers has written on travel, real estate trends and gardening for "The Oregonian" newspaper in Portland. Her work also has appeared in “Better Homes & Gardens,” “Traditional Home,” “Outdoor Living” and other shelter magazines. She holds a Master of Arts in linguistics from Michigan State University.

list of plants for garden landscaping

When choosing evergreens for the garden, most prefer needles. There is nothing surprising in this, because coniferous plants retain their appearance for a long time, they are easy to cut, so they are perfect for creating hedges or “living” sculptures. However, needles are not the only crop that can please the eye in winter, because there are many horticultural crops that perfectly tolerate even severe frosts.

Evergreens adorn our gardens in any season, at any time of the year

Evergreens in landscape design

Western

  • Yew
  • Cedar
  • Hem
  • Juniper
  • Cypress
  • Deciduous trees and shrubs – description with photo

    The most spectacular garden compositions are based on a harmonious combination of various forms of evergreens

    Winter-hardy plants are planted not only in open areas, but also in flowerbeds and flower beds. Evergreens are combined with many annual or perennial crops. In flowerbeds, it is better to plant them in such a way that they act as the main decoration of the created composition. This is important, because otherwise they will not be noticeable against the background of those plants that “fall asleep” for the winter.

    Evergreens can improve the microclimate. Such cultures relieve the site of monotony, go well with other garden crops.

    Coniferous evergreen trees and shrubs - description with photo

    The choice of evergreens is very rich. Among them are not only conifers, but also evergreen deciduous shrubs and trees. Different in size, growth rate and height, evergreen crops will be appropriate not only in large areas. Low-growing varieties are no less popular, especially when the size of the plot does not allow planting other types of crops. The list of evergreen conifers is long, consider the most common.

    When choosing conifers, you should pay attention to the most unpretentious plants that do not require special care.

    The popularity rating among conifers is headed by spruce

    Pine

    Despite the dense crown, pines begin to thin out over time. The trunk of the tree is quite long, and the bark has a dark brown tint. As a rule, there are no problems with pruning, only the crown is given the desired shape in the summer, until the movement of the juice has stopped. To obtain side shoots, pinching is carried out in the spring. It is not recommended to choose pine trees for making a hedge, as they thin out, which can ruin the entire composition as a whole.

    Pine trees are drought-resistant and thrive on poor sandy soils

    Mountain pine with a squat crown is often planted on alpine hills. Thanks to a large selection of varieties and a variety of decorative forms, arborvitae today can be found in almost every landscape project.

    Western thuja does not do well as an ornamental shrub and natural hedge

    Along with tall thujas, there are low-growing and spherical plants. The latter grows well in the shade of tall trees

    Thuja occidentalis is the best suited for creating a green hedge. It grows rapidly and after 3-4 years allows you to get a full-fledged "live" fence.

    Since the thuja has a shallow root system, it can be transplanted at any time of the year. However, the ideal period for this would be spring. You need to know that thuja does not grow quickly in order to get an even crown, it needs uniform lighting.

    Yew

    This plant can rightly be called a long-liver among evergreen crops. The tree has been growing for three millennia. It is characterized by rich green needles, as well as small red cones. Yew loves the shade, so a site where there is not enough sun will be an ideal place for him.

    Yew is the leader among conifers in terms of shade tolerance and unpretentiousness to the soil

    Bark, needles and cones contain toxic substances, it is strictly forbidden to eat them. Wash your hands thoroughly after completing the work.

    The yew is easy to cut, which makes it possible to give it absolutely any shape.

    Cedar

    Like other conifers, cedar is decorative all year round. Of course, this is a real decoration of the site, because its bright green branches look especially beautiful against the backdrop of white snow.

    Siberian and European cedar are distinguished. The first is more suitable for mild climates, the second can easily withstand the most severe frosts

    Cedar is considered an unpretentious plant, its stem is small but powerful. In height, the tree can reach 40 m, and its diameter is about 2 m.

    Despite its impressive size, this evergreen tree will look good not only on a large plot. A free-standing cedar will also become a real decoration of even a compact area.

    Hem

    This is a small evergreen tree from the pine family. Despite the fact that hemlock is a short tree, this evergreen plant attracts attention with its beautiful wide crown. In landscape design, hemlock is often chosen if it is necessary to add zest to a rocky area.

    Canadian Hemlock has a weeping crown shape and prefers moist, fertile soils

    Even in a small area, this conifer will look great. Hemlock can be planted both separately and together with other conifers.

    Many people make the mistake of planting conifers too close together. Despite its large growth, hemlock takes a lot of nutrients from the ground. It's worth considering!

    Juniper

    There are coniferous plants that have both shrub and tree forms. Juniper is one of them. Its height can reach 3 m, but the tree can grow up to 12 m. The bark of seedlings is mostly reddish-brown in color, in an adult plant it is brown in color.

    Junipers grow well both in sun and partial shade. The photo shows a spectacular composition of juniper and fern

    Rocky junipers look great as single compositions

    The needles of the juniper are in pairs, between the conifers you can see large cones that look like berries. Ephedra can be planted together with other ornamental plants, such as tapeworm. Juniper fits perfectly into various styles of landscape design. It is planted in flower beds, lawns are filled with it, and the conifer also looks great as a hedge.

    Cypress

    When planting cypress on the site, you should know that this conifer does not like shade. Otherwise, the tree is unpretentious, can be planted on any soil, easily tolerate drought. Separately, it is worth highlighting the types of cypress that have a pyramidal and curved crown. Very often, a monumental cypress can be seen on the territory of sanatoriums and recreation centers.

    Cypress - a resident of the southern regions and does not tolerate severe frosts

    Deciduous trees and shrubs - description with photo

    Evergreen deciduous trees and shrubs native to tropical countries, most of them require warmth. Consider the most popular types.

    Boxwood

    This is a small tree, rarely exceeding 10-12 m in height, the leaves are small and dense. In the axils of the leaflets you can see small white flowers forming a spikelet. Boxwood is ideal for framing roads, and thanks to easy pruning, the tree can be given a variety of shapes. However, it grows rather slowly.

    Boxwood is often recommended for beginners, because it is extremely difficult to ruin it by negligence. The plant is not afraid of both short-term drought and waterlogging of the soil

    Guayacum

    This is a low plant (6-10 m) with a diameter of 0.7 m. The tree has many curved branches that form a dome shape. The leaves are a rich green hue, leathery dense. Guayacum is unpretentious, tolerates drought well, and can be planted on any soil.

    Guaiac tree is cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes

    Laurel

    A low tree with dense glossy leaves that have a pleasant aroma. All parts of the laurel contain essential oils. The flowers are small, the fruits are similar to berries.

    Laurels are ideal for shearing, suitable for creating hedges and garden compositions of the most diverse forms. The leaves are dark green in color. Inflorescences in diameter no more than 6 cm. This is a heat-loving plant, all year round in open areas can only be located in the south, where the air temperature does not fall below + 8 degrees.

    Oleander is used as a specimen, in group plantings, when decorating alleys, stairs and terraces

    Star anise

    An evergreen shrub that can grow up to 15 m in height. Leaves are dense, their length reaches 15 cm. Flowers come in different shades: burgundy , red, yellow. Star-shaped fruits. The plant is unpretentious, but prefers partial shade. To form a beautiful bush, it is regularly pruned.

    Star anise prefers partial shade, blooms from March to May

    Camellia

    This evergreen shrub will make a spectacular addition to any garden. Dark green foliage retains its appearance throughout the year. Camellia flowers, which are very similar to roses, come in different shades: red, white, pink. Due to the rapid development, the shrub will embellish the site in a short time.

    Blooming camellia brings life to any corner of the garden

    Japanese camellia often used as a hedge

    Ivy

    With this climbing plant, you can create amazing compositions that will transform any site. The plant is tall, grows up to 30 m. More often, common ivy or the Hedera helix species is used in landscape design. Another famous species is Hedera colchica. Ivy has large leaves (up to 25 cm) of green, yellow color, and brown color is also found. In autumn you can see umbrella-shaped inflorescences, in spring black berries appear.

    Many landscapers choose ivy for vertical gardening

    This evergreen creeper is often used to decorate fences, terraces and balconies.

    Holly

    The leaves of the holly are dense with teeth on the edges, saturated green. The plant also ripens berries, which come in different shades: black, white, yellow, red. Among the decorative forms, it is worth highlighting the common holly, which has a domed shape. The culture is not demanding, it makes excellent hedges. Planted singly or in groups with other plants.

    Bright holly berries remain on the branches until spring

    Olive

    Deciduous shrub resembling a small tree. It reaches a height of 2-4 m, the branches are grayish-brown in color, on the shoots there are spines 5 cm long. The foliage is silvery in color and has an ovoid shape.

    European olive can grow in one place for hundreds of years

    This is quite a spectacular plant, so it can often be seen on the site. It is used both for single plantings and in a group with other crops. Thanks to the unusual color of the leaves, the plant can act as a background, making other plants look advantageous.

    When planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the site, they should be properly cared for. Only in this way will plants decorate the site all year round.

    Video: A hedge of evergreens

    Photos of examples of the use of evergreens in landscape design

    Which trees can be planted 🏡 on the plot near the house, and which ones cannot

    It is difficult to imagine a private house without a single tree on the plot. It is plants that create a sense of harmony in any space where people are going to live or already live. Usually, seedlings are selected and planted at the stage of building a house - this is done by a landscape designer, and sometimes by the owner of suburban housing.


    For many years, green spaces have been pleasing the owners of the house with flowering, aroma and even delicious fruits. However, each plant requires a certain approach and affects everything that surrounds it. Some of them have even acquired superstitions, and the Internet is full of information about the energy properties of certain breeds. As for their location, distance from each other and from other objects, this is regulated by the requirements of SNiP.

    Which tree species are best planted near the house and why?

    The first thing you should pay attention to before planting seedlings is the climatic conditions in which you place the plant. They determine which tree is best planted in the garden. In the northern regions, it is rare to see fruit varieties that simply die in inappropriate conditions. In the south, acacias, yews, lindens and firs are common.


    When choosing a garden plant, owners usually rely on its appearance. However, do not forget about the features of the root system and the structure of the trunk - they allow you to understand whether the plant is suitable for a residential area.

    Based on the characteristics of the climate, it is better to choose a plant for your garden from the following unpretentious representatives.

    • Birch. This well-known tree can be planted in a variety of soils, but it should be remembered that it hardly tolerates transplants. Birch is an easy-to-care plant that easily tolerates even severe frosts. Planting is best done in early spring, and if your garden is small, choose low species, such as Karelian birch. Many consider this plant to be typically Russian, but this is not entirely true. Birches are common in Europe and in some regions of the United States. In "one-story America" ​​they often decorate the gardens of numerous private houses.

    • Spruce. The evergreen coniferous tree is often used for hedges. It perfectly protects from the wind and creates a beautiful green barrier between the private area and the street. In addition, this plant has beneficial properties: the phytonicide contained in its aroma stimulates the work of the heart, nervous system and respiratory organs. According to the sign, the tree protects the inhabitants of the dwelling from quarrels and helps to control raging emotions. Only in one case it is better to refuse spruce - it is highly flammable and poses a danger to wooden houses.

    • Linden. This plant is often used to create alleys, however, a lonely linden tree looks beautiful. In the 10th year of life, it begins to bloom. Linden flowers, like its bark, leaves and buds, are widely used in folk medicine. This tree can be cut and molded at any time in its life. Linden makes excellent hedges, balls, pyramids and other shapes. The plant is shade-tolerant and can improve the condition of the soil in which it grows: linden leaves contain many useful substances that fertilize the soil.

    • Rowan. Among the ancient Slavs, this plant was considered a symbol of fertility and prosperity. Rowan looks very impressive even in the cold season due to bright red fruits. It is better to plant a tree where there is more sun, and make sure that the soil is not too wet. Rowan berries contain a lot of vitamin C, which makes them indispensable for folk recipes for colds and flu. Official medicine also uses the healing properties of mountain ash - mainly to create multivitamin products.

    • Iva. The biggest advantage of willow is how easy it is to plant. Chopped shoots are simply stuck into the loosened earth, then they take root just as easily. Often this tree is planted next to a pond or garden path. Willow branches are also used to create arches. From several willows, you can make a beautiful alley that will protect you from the scorching rays of the sun in summer, and in winter it will become an excellent basis for a garland.

    • Cherry. This profusely flowering plant in spring is surprisingly unpretentious. Cherry does not require special care, and the pleasure of contemplating it will bring many pleasant minutes to the inhabitants of the house. On the side of the cherry and folk signs - the tree is considered to bring prosperity and prosperity. At the same time, the belief says that a fire built under it increases the chances of the owners for wealth. Therefore, cherries should be planted where it is planned to organize a place for barbecue.

    • In addition to trees, you can often see acacia and viburnum near houses. These are shrubs with a spreading crown, which perfectly protect the windows from the sun's rays. Acacia is unpretentious, blooms beautifully and exudes a wonderful aroma. Kalina grows very quickly, and its fruits contain many medicinal substances.

    We have sorted out suitable plants, but which trees should not be planted near the house? There are not so many of them, and the reasons for the negative impact have different grounds.

    Tree species not best planted near the house

    • Poplar. This plant rightfully occupies the top of the anti-rating. Poplar is extremely undesirable in a small private garden: its trunk is hollow and fragile, so a strong gust of wind can easily break it. This is fraught with consequences for the house and its inhabitants, as well as for the car, gazebo and other objects in the garden. In addition, many people are allergic to poplar fluff.
    • Oak. Esotericists and pragmatists converge here. On the one hand, the belief says that the oak is a danger to the head of the family - if he is not too strong in body and spirit, the plant will take away his vital energy. On the other hand, this tree cannot be planted near the house: its powerful roots can violate the integrity of the foundation.
    • Walnut. This plant also has a powerful root system, which poses a danger to the foundation of the house. Nuts falling from a tree can damage the roof of the house and garden buildings. The average height of a walnut is 18 meters, its crown creates a shadow under which little can grow.
    • Willows and aspens are trees that esotericists and Old Believers do not recommend planting. It is believed that these plants feed on living energy and are able to "survive" from people's homes. Believe it or not - it's up to you, because there are no objective reasons to dislike willow and aspen.

    So, you have decided which tree to plant in your garden. In addition to your personal preferences and natural features of plants, there are a number of rules that determine their location. The distance between plantings and their distance from the neighboring allotment are indicated in special SNiP.

    Green space requirements

    SNiP 30-03-97 - a regulatory document containing the rules for the development of land plots. It is in it that the distance between plantings and their remoteness from construction sites and neighboring properties are indicated. The rules also take into account the distance between the plant and underground utilities.

    • According to SNiP, it is recommended to plant trees at a distance of 1.5 m from the garden path. The distance from the main building should be at least 5 m, from communications - at least 2 m.
    • The distance between plantings is determined by their type and ranges from 2 to 5 m. This is necessary for the plant to develop normally. For example, coniferous trees should be 2.5 m apart, and fruit-bearing species - 5 m. For shrubs, a distance of 1-2 m is sufficient.
    • According to the requirements of SNiP, the distance of plantings from the fence is at least 1 m. The same applies to small buildings.

    In order to accurately calculate planting sites, topographic surveys are sometimes required. It takes into account all the objects on the territory, determines their exact coordinates and provides comprehensive information about the area.


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