Choosing Trees for Your Yard That Won’t Impact Your Underground Plumbing

Written by Kelsey W.

Planting a tree in your yard may mean getting to see that tree grow over many years or even decades while you own your home. The tree may change the entire character of your home as it grows and starts to become a noticeable part of the landscape.

However, sometimes trees can become troublesome for your plumbing when their roots start to grow out of control underground. Some trees have strong roots that can penetrate almost anything, from metal pipes to stone foundations.

Therefore, choosing a tree at the start that may have a much smaller chance of sending roots into your plumbing or toppling the fence or wall on the side of your house can save you huge headaches in the long run. 

Let’s learn about planting trees in your yard that will play nice with the underground plumbing system.

Some Initial Considerations for Planting Trees

A general rule of thumb when planting trees is that you can expect their roots to spread out about twice the size of their canopy. However, drought conditions may encourage some trees to stretch their roots even further in a hunt to find water.

However, you shouldn’t expect the roots to spread that far when the tree is young. In most cases, the tree won’t spread its roots to its full diameter until it grows near its adult size. Additionally, not every tree behaves the same way with a wide ring of roots around the tree.

In some cases, trees may prefer to send their roots deeper into the soil with a smaller diameter of roots spreading out around the base. In other instances, the quality of the soil can even impact the behavior of the roots by encouraging the tree to send tendrils deeper or wider.

While you can’t always entirely control what the roots of your new tree will do in the future, you can choose trees that will have a reduced chance of becoming problematic with a huge root system when they mature a few decades down the road.

Consider, too, that if you have an old plumbing system that’s leaking, the tree may sense that there is some water nearby and purposefully send its roots toward the pipes. It may not matter that you plant a tree that doesn’t have invasive roots. If your plumbing system isn’t functioning well, it may invite the roots into it.

Plumbing-Friendly Tree Options for Southern California

Western Redbud

If you have time to spare and want to spend several years watching your tree grow and become part of the landscape, you might choose the beautiful western redbud tree. The tree is native to parts of Southern California and isn’t a particularly giant tree, which means it may suit small yards.

The western redbud is found naturally in foothill areas and the mountains, so the tree will usually fare best in those areas of Southern California. If your home is in one of the hotter pockets or the desert areas of the region, the tree might need a little extra care with water and shade.

As far as caring for the tree goes, the western redbud needs to establish a strong root system while young, but will eventually become quite drought tolerant, making it a great addition to a Southern California yard. The soil should also drain well, so the tree doesn’t experience root rot.

For its root system, the western redbud tree usually grows a fairly shallow root system that grows pretty close to the surface rather than diving deep into the soil. However, sometimes a redbud can send a tap root into the soil, which is a single, thick root that grows downward.

Desert Willow

The desert willow is an excellent tree if you live inland from the coast and want a drought-resistant tree that will also play nice with your plumbing system. The root system of a desert willow tree is robust, but it’s not considered invasive to plumbing because it isn’t aggressive.

The main thing to know about the roots of a desert willow is that they dive deep into the ground rather than spread out wide. As such, you can plant these trees reasonably close to sidewalks and walls without the risk of negatively impacting the sidewalk.

The desert willow has deep roots because it’s a desert plant that must often look for water deep in the ground when it grows wild, so it finds moisture in the earth rather than from the sky. Conveniently, the deep roots of a desert willow mean it’s extremely drought-tolerant once it’s established.

When fully grown, a desert willow will usually reach a maximum height of about 30 feet, so it’s an ideally sized tree for inland homes in Southern California. You can even prune them to ensure they maintain a pleasing shape in your yard.

Scrub Oaks

Southern California is home to a few different kinds of oak trees, and a few are suitable options for a plumbing-friendly yard tree. One type of oak that you’ll find growing natively in the hills around Southern California is the scrub oak.

Also known as the California scrub oak, this tree will often grow around 15 or 20 feet tall but may grow up to 30 feet tall under ideal conditions. Scrub oaks actually have pretty extensive root systems since they’re adapted for drought conditions, but they grow deep roots rather than shallow roots that will seek out nearby plumbing lines.

You may want to consider other types of native oak trees for your yard since they tend to grow slowly and take many years before they will have an extensive root system that may impact plumbing, but it’s important to be aware that some types of native oaks can have root systems that will stretch out an incredible 100 feet from the base of the treet.

For example, the coast live oak, which is a grand and beautiful tree when it reaches maturity, will initially send a deep tap root into the soil but won’t start to grow its secondary shallow roots for many years as it gets established. 

If you plan well enough, you can plant one of these grand majestic trees without immediately impacting your plumbing, but only if you have a rather impressively sized yard where you can place the tree away from structures and plumbing lines.

Planting Advice for Keeping Your Plumbing Safe from Tree Roots

It’s important to remember that there’s no way to completely prevent tree roots from impacting your plumbing when you plant a tree. There is always a chance, even a small one, that a tree root may decide to grow near or into your plumbing lines.

With careful planning, however, you can usually avoid any catastrophic issues that might cause a plumbing emergency soon after you plant the tree. Simply identifying where your plumbing lines are in your yard can help you immensely with tree placement and the type of tree you choose to plant.

Green Thumb Nursery: Let’s Plant Beautiful Trees Together

Are you interested in beautifying your yard? Want to know what trees will fare best at your Southern California home? Interested in renewing your yard with some new shade trees or a different look? Visit one of our Southern California garden centers today for information on how you can use trees to beautify your home.

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