Select the Right Tree

Plant a Better Future When choosing a tree, there are a lot of things to consider including appearance, mature size, health, hardiness, and soil conditions. Our Right Tree guide offers information about selecting, planting and caring for trees. It comes in two versions, to correspond with the hardiness zones of our service area.    North version (3.6 MB PDF) - Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan South version  (3.6 MB PDF) - Colorado, Texas, New Mexico   Tips for selecting and positioning the right tree

• Appearance:  When choosing a tree, you should consider its appearance and how it fits into your landscape. Trees vary widely in size and shape. Some drop their leaves in the fall and others stay green all year.  You may look for lots of blooms, showy fall color, or interesting bark.
• Size: The small sapling at the nursery that might seem to fit well under power lines can grow very rapidly-taller than you might anticipate. Our Right Tree guide lists only trees that may be planted under or near some distribution power lines. See planting zone guides for details.
• Health: Another consideration in tree selection is the long-term health of the tree, which can be affected by soils, climate, and susceptibility to disease and insect pests.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: Select trees that are hardy in your area so they will withstand cold winters and the heat of summer. Trees listed in our Right Tree guide are identified by their cold hardiness zone.
• Soil: Soil conditions can affect the health of your trees. Some trees don't do well in boggy, poorly drained, clay or heavily compacted sites. Others have problems in sandy soils that don't hold moisture. The pH of the soil can affect growth in some trees. Most trees listed in our guide are widely adaptable to a variety of soil types.

Tree planting and care