Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - April 10, 2009
From: Orange, CT
Region: Northeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Fast-growing evergreen tree to hide power lines
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Live in Orange Connecticut and need a tree that grows fast and tall to cover the power lines which are quite tall. I'm thinking evergreen type trees so that the during the winter it provides the coverage too.ANSWER:
Here are some candidate tall evergreens that are native to Connecticut:Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic white cedar) 40 to 75 feet with medium growth rate
Ilex opaca (American holly) 25 to 65 feet, but slow-growing
Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) 30 to 90 feet with moderate growth rate
Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) to more than 100 feet with fast growth
Picea glauca (white spruce) up to 100 feet and medium growth rate, photos from Vanderbilt University
Pinus resinosa (red pine) up to 100 feet and medium growth rate, photos from Vanderbilt University
Pinus rigida (pitch pine) up to 100 feet, medium growth rate, photos from Duke University
Picea rubens (red spruce) up to 100 feet, slow to medium growth, photos from Virginia Tech
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock) up to 100 feet, slow to medium growth rate
You will need to check the "Growing Conditions" area on each species home page to see if they meet the conditions at your site. I don't know how close the trees will be to the power lines, but you need to keep in mind that power companies usually have the right to trim trees away from their lines if they are perceived to pose a threat to the lines, so plant the trees so that there is plenty of room between them and the power lines.
More Trees Questions
Southern Magnolia Damaged by Deer
April 16, 2015 - I have a young Southern Magnolia (about 6 feet tall) that was damaged by deer on the main trunk. The bottom 2 feet looks okay, but where they damaged it and tore branches off, and above that, the leav...
view the full question and answer
Native alternative for Japanese Red Maple in Oklahoma
October 12, 2009 - Mr. Smarty Plants, I am looking for a native alternative to a Japanese Red Maple. I would like a small tree that I can put in my front garden that will not pose a security risk my being overgrown and ...
view the full question and answer
Trimming back freeze damage from Anacacho orchid in Liberty Hill TX
May 17, 2010 - When is it safe to trim back what I think is dead wood on my Anacacho orchid trees (that were hit hard this past winter)? Is there any harm done if I cut back living wood?
view the full question and answer
Why do my Possumhaw Holly berries fall of in the summer in Euless, TX?
June 28, 2011 - My possumhaw holly has LOTS of green berries in the spring but they fall off in summer, so that I have only a handful of red berries in the winter. What is going wrong?
view the full question and answer
Cedar trees dying in CO
July 18, 2011 - We have mature cedar trees at the home we bought in SW Colorado. The large ones have begun to die. Can too much water kill a cedar tree and is there anything I can do to keep them alive?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |