PLANT the RIGHT TREE in the RIGHT PLACE Trees Provide Beauty and Shade, Managing Vegetation Along High-Voltage Power and Clean Our Air

CHELAN COUNTY PUD’S TREE HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM PLANT THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE Trees provide beauty and shade, Managing vegetation along high-voltage power and clean our air. But trees that lines is a top priority for Chelan County PUD. Trees touch or fall on power lines can and power lines do not mix. Trees contacting cause outages and fires. Chelan power lines are a leading cause of power outages, PUD’s Tree Health and Safety can start fires and are a public safety hazard. Program is designed to avoid these Chelan County PUD asks its customer-owners to tree hazards. look up and around before they plant. It is best This booklet provides suggestions not to plant under power lines, but if necessary, on types of trees and where to the mature height of the tree or shrub should be a plant them. More information on maximum of 25 feet. tree selection and placement is If planting next to underground electrical available at chelanpud.org/trees. equipment, a minimum open space of 3 feet on Customers with concerns about the sides and back and 10 feet in front is required. existing trees can contact a PUD Vegetation blocking transformers or other arborist at (509) 661-4508. equipment makes it hard to locate the equipment, usually extending the length of outages.

2 3 A tree requires space to grow both above and How to plant trees and shrubs: below the ground. It is important to know the mature size and growth characteristics of what • State law requires contacting the Dig Council you are planting. by calling 811 prior to digging to locate underground utilities (this is a free service). Location of critical items and objectives to consider before planting: • Dig the planting hole two to three times the width of the root ball, with sloping sides of • overhead and underground utilities the hole and the same depth as a root ball • building foundations, sidewalks, driveways or plant container. Loosen the soil on the and other hardscapes sloped sides of the planting hole to promote root growth. Install the plant making sure • drain fields the trunk flare is level or slightly above • maintaining a defensible firewise space existing grade. (Trunk flare is the location on around structures the plant where the trunk enters the dirt). • energy conservation of shading in the • Before planting, remove all material summer and windbreaks in the winter wrapped around the root ball such as burlap Evergreen trees on and wire or the planting container. the northwestern sides block winter • Carefully inspect the roots, making sure they winds. are loose and spreading. If circular roots Plant deciduous exist, use a knife or shovel to cut and spread trees on the south Plant shrubs or the roots apart, creating a healthy root zone. and west sides of small trees that your home to block grow to a maximum intense summer height of 25 feet sun, making your when planting near house cooler power lines. in summer. As deciduous trees lose leaves in the fall, solar radiation TOP SOIL can warm your home during winter. Allow at least 25 feet when planting COMPACTED a medium-sized, SUBSOIL spreading tree near 3 TIMES ROOT BALL DIAMETER a walkway, or at least 10 feet if the mature tree shape will be columnar or pyramidal.

POWER LINES 4 5 RECOMMENDED UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES AND SHRUBS

These are suggested species for planting under or near power lines. Several cultivars of these species are power line-friendly.

Acer ginnala Acer palmatum AMUR MAPLE JAPANESE MAPLE

Deciduous tree/shrub, 10-20 ft tall, Broadleaf deciduous tree or shrub, multi-stemmed, rounded but variable. 15-25 ft tall, multi-trunked, variable Leaves opposite, 1-3 inches long, forms. Leaves fresh green above but 3-lobed, relatively long central lobe. color varies with cultivar, fall color scarlet, orange or yellow. Sun to part shade, very adaptable, very hardy, performs best in well-drained Sun to part shade, well-drained soil, soil. Relatively free of disease and pest protect from winds. problems.

6 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 7 Carpinus japonica Cercis canadensis JAPANESE HORNBEAM EASTERN REDBUD Deciduous tree, 20-25 ft tall, often Deciduous tree, 20-25 ft tall, spreading, multi-stemmed, wide spreading flattish top. Leaves are 5-7 inches branches. Leaves 2-4 inches long, across, heart-shaped, lustrous dark doubly serrate, 20-24 deeply impressed green color; fall color is usually mixture vein pairs, dark green in summer and of pale green and yellow. yellowish in fall. Small, showy, rosy-pink flowers in Sun to shade. Tolerates various soil spring before leaves appear. types, best in moist, well-drained soil. Sun to part shade. Does well in many soil types, except permanently wet.

8 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 9 Cornus florida Forsythia x intermedia FLOWERING DOGWOOD BORDER FORSYTHIA Broadleaf deciduous tree/shrub, 20- Deciduous shrub 8-10 ft tall and wide, 25 ft tall, low branching, spreading upright. Leaves 3-4 inches long, dark horizontal. green above, lighter below.

Leaves opposite, 3-5 inches long, oval Flowers 1-2 inches long, showy, pale or ovate, 6-7 vein pairs. to deep yellow, and appear in early spring. Flowers are showy, flat 3-5 inches across, white, pink or red. Sun to maximize flower production. Prefers a loose soil, but will perform Sun to part shade. Does best in well well in almost any soil. Needs drained acid soil with sufficient organic grooming; prune after flowering matter. Mulch to maintain a cool, moist by removing oldest stems or to the soil. Needs summer water. This species ground. is susceptible to a number of pests.

10 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 11 Styrax japonicus Philadelphus lewisii JAPANESE SNOWBELL WILD MOCK ORANGE Deciduous tree, 15-25 ft tall, similar Deciduous shrub, 5-10 ft tall and width, low and horizontal branching. wide, multi-stemmed. Flowers white, 4-5 petals, fragrant. Leaves medium to dark green, glabrous above. Flowers May – June, Sun to part shade, understory plant, flowers are bell-shaped, 1 inch long, thrives in almost any garden soil, white with yellow stamens. prune after flowering.

Sun to part shade, best in acid soil Very hardy native plant, drought supplemented with organic matter. tolerant.

12 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 13 Pinus mugo Taxus × media MUGO PINE HYBRID YEW Conifer, evergreen shrub, Conifer, evergreen shrub, variable in multi-stemmed , low growing form, height, 3-20 ft tall (depending upon wider than tall, less than 8 ft tall x cultivar), spreading, shoots olive green, 16 ft wide. often reddish on the sunny side.

Dark green needles in pairs, 1-2 Sun or shade, moist, well-drained soil. inches long, cones 1-2 inches long as well. There are several cultivars; here are two:

Sun to partial shade, prefers well- ‘Dark Green Spreader’ - dark green drained soil. foliage, compact, 4 ft tall, greater width, resistant to “winter burn”

‘Hicksii’ - probably the most common, narrowly columnar, 10-12 ft. tall, branches ascending, often narrower at the base than the peak.

14 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 15 Chamaecyparis obtusa (dwarf forms) Syringa vulgaris DWARF HINOKI COMMON LILAC FALSE CYPRESS Deciduous shrub, 10-15 ft tall, upright, multi-stemmed. Leaves Conifer, evergreen shrub or small tree, dark green to almost bluish green. 8-20 ft. tall, pyramidal form, there are Flowers bloom in spring upright numerous dwarf and/or slow growing clusters, lavender or white, very forms. fragrant.

Leaves are dark green. This is a hardy Sun, very hardy species, moderately species that tolerates some drought. drought tolerant. Can aggressively fill in an area producing new shoot growth off roots.

16 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 17 Crataegus phaenopyrum Amelanchier × grandiflora WASHINGTON SERVICEBERRY HAWTHORN Deciduous tree/shrub, 25 ft tall and 20-30 ft wide, often grown as a clump. Deciduous tree, 15-30 ft tall, twigs Leaves green, becoming yellow and thorny. Leaves lustrous dark green, orange in fall. Flowers small, white fall color orange to scarlet. Showy and blooms in mid- to late-spring. white flowers with pink anthers, Fruit blue-black, sweet, juicy. blooms profusely. Bright red glossy fruit, 3-5 nutlets (seeds) per fruit; Sun or part shade. persisting all winter.

Sun, moderate root system easy to garden under. Hardy tree, can tolerate some dry soil.

18 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 19 Rhus typhina Fraxinus pennsylvanica Leprechaun™ STAGHORN SUMAC LEPRECHAUN GREEN ASH Deciduous tree/shrub, 15-20 ft tall, Deciduous tree/shrub, a true genetic open spreading, new growth, stout dwarf, often sold grafted to a standard velvety stems (the “staghorn”). trunk at a height of 6 ft from which Summer foliage dark green, but it develops into a dense, compact, yellow-orange and scarlet in fall. rounded tree about 20 ft tall with slightly less of a spread. Does not Sun; a hardy plant that tolerates produce fruit (seeds). dry soil. Rejuvenate by cutting to the ground. Direct sun; a good, hardy small tree.

20 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 21 Acer platanoides ‘Globosum’ Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’ GLOBE NORWAY MAPLE THUNDERCLOUD Deciduous tree, 15 ft tall, 18 ft spread, FLOWERING PLUM, very densely branched, compact, THUNDERCLOUD PLUM formal globe (“lollipop”). Leaves red- brown in spring, developing to green Deciduous tree, 15-20 ft tall, similar in summer, and yellow in fall. width, shrubby, twiggy and rounded, pale pink to white flowers appear before leaves. Often does not set a crop of fruit.

Sun. Any average well-drained soil. Prune after flowering to keep trees vigorous.

Spring flowering.

22 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 23 Robinia pseudoacacia Twisty Baby™ Sambucus racemosa (‘Lady Lace’) RED ELDERBERRY TWISTY BABY BLACK Deciduous large shrub or small tree, LOCUST, LADY LACE 6-20 ft tall. Flowers yellowish-white, BLACK LOCUST fruits bright red, not edible when raw, but when cooked make a good Deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or jam, pie, and wine. small tree, zigzag branching, especially Sun and part shade; prefers moist on new growth, some spines on soils. branches, height of 8-10 ft with a somewhat greater spread. Leaves dark green, some curling of mature leaflets, turn yellow in fall. Produces few flowers or seed pods.

Sun to part shade.

24 UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES UTILITY-FRIENDLY TREES 25 As customer-owners of Chelan County PUD

If you have concerns about a tree on your property or other properties, contact the Vegetation Management Department at (509) 661-4508. One of our arborists will contact you and schedule a site visit.

The PUD recognizes that people value their trees, but if you have a tree in the power lines and would consider permitting the PUD to cut it down for free, please contact us.

Chelan PUD has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation, achieving the Tree Line USA award for many years.

Pinus densiflora ‘Umbraculifera’ DWARF JAPANESE RED PINE Conifer, evergreen tree/shrub, slow growing to 12 ft tall, mushroom shape, usually multistemmed.

Sun; well-drained, slightly acid soil.

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