Driveway Trees

Trees along a driveway have a tougher job than trees anywhere else in the garden: they must grow close to concrete, clear car doors and mirrors, survive reflected heat off the paving and still look neat from the street. This page gathers varieties with the upright habits and well behaved root systems that the job demands.

Three measurements decide whether a driveway planting succeeds. Setback: keep trunks at least 1 to 1.5 metres off the edge of the concrete, more for larger growing varieties, so roots and pavement stay out of each other's way. Clearance: choose trees that can be lifted to a 2 to 2.5 metre clear trunk so vehicles pass underneath without scraping. Spacing along the run: 4 to 6 metres between trunks suits most small to medium upright trees, closer for narrow columnar forms, wider for spreading canopies. Reflected heat off a driveway can add several degrees in summer, so favour tough, sun hardy varieties on north and west facing runs.

• Measure your run and divide by your spacing to get tree numbers before you order
• Buy every tree in the run at the same size and grade so the row matures evenly
• Prune for a single clear leader early; a driveway row is only as good as its worst tree
• Irrigate with a dripper at each trunk for the first two summers, since paving sheds rain away from roots

Deciduous flowering options are covered in the crepe myrtle care guide, a favourite for shorter suburban driveways thanks to its compact size and summer colour. If concrete and pipes are a worry, the non invasive root trees collection filters for gentle root systems, and for longer rural entrances see avenue planting, which tackles rows at a grander scale. Unsure what height tree comes in each bag size? The pot and bag size guide has photos and dimensions for every grade.