So you have a long driveway you want to spruce up? Adding some beautiful trees to the long drive is the perfect way to add dramatic beauty to the landscape and help the environment at the same time. But which trees should you use to line your driveway? Honestly, you can’t go wrong with most low-maintenance trees, but I have a list of some of the best trees that just make sense!
1. Dogwood
Dogwoods are excellent trees for lining a driveway because they offer four-season interest, manageable size, and natural beauty.
In spring, they produce showy blooms that add a striking welcome. In summer, their layered branching and green foliage provide soft shade. In fall, many varieties turn brilliant red or orange. And in winter, certain species show off colorful stems.
Most dogwoods stay under 25 feet tall, making them well-suited for narrow borders and driveways where space is limited. Their roots are generally non-invasive, and many types tolerate partial shade and varied soils.
2. Crape myrtle
Crape myrtles are a great choice. These small to medium-sized trees offer long-lasting summer blooms in vibrant shades of pink, white, red, or purple, adding bold color right when many other trees are fading. In fall, the foliage often turns shades of orange or red, and in winter, the smooth, mottled bark provides visual interest even after the leaves drop.
Crape myrtles are drought-tolerant, heat-loving, and well-suited to urban and suburban landscapes. With a naturally upright form and mature height typically between 15–25 feet (depending on the cultivar), they work beautifully in rows along a driveway without overwhelming the space. Just make sure to choose a cultivar that’s well-suited to your climate zone (ask your local Master Gardeners).
3. Columnar oak
Columnar oaks are specific cultivars of different oak species that have been bred to be tall and skinny. Most people don’t have room for full-sized oaks on either side of their driveway, but a line of columnar oaks is much more reasonable. As an added bonus, oaks keep their leaves long into winter, so if your tree-lined driveway is doubling as a privacy screen, this can be an added benefit.
4. Aspen
Aspen is one of the fastest-growing trees driveway landscaping trees available. They’re also quite narrow, making them great for space-limited properties. The quaking aspen tree (Populus tremuloides) can grow up to 5 feet per year in optimal conditions, eventually reaching a mature height of 40′-50′ tall.
5. Birch
The birch is a very charming and ornamental tree. It is a thin tree that doesn’t grow to be overly huge. The most attractive part of the birch is the peeling bark that develops over time.
As the tree ages, its bark becomes less white/tan and more of a salmon color. The Heritage® River Birch (Betula nigra ‘Cully’) is a modern variety bred to be resistant to common plant diseases and tolerant of different soil types (including clay soil).
6. Flowering pear
If you are looking for a more upright style of tree, flowering pear trees are beautiful when they mature and bloom. While they don’t produce fruit because they aren’t female trees, they do smell amazing. The flowers that bloom are white and the canopy created by the trees is a lovely oval shape.
The Cleveland Pear Tree (Pyrus calleryana ‘Cleveland Select’) is one of the best ornamental pears beside a driveway. They tend to grow about 2 feet every year and resist damage from ice, wind, and snow if you live in colder climates.
7. Red maples
The Red Maple is a tree you may want to choose if you have a very large yard and can distance it from your driveway. The tree is fast-growing and gets very tall and wide. The tree roots are more invasive than others and may cause your driveway or sidewalks to crack as they get older. They get to be about 50 to 60 feet tall and their root system reaches around 30 feet. They are beautiful trees, especially the October Glory and the Red Sunset varieties. Their red and orange leaves are so beautiful when in bloom.
8. Flowering plum trees
The flowering Plum Tree is a very pretty tree to have planted on your property and is always a good choice. The flowers bloom pink in the spring against purple leaves. It’s such a beautiful sight as the weather warms up. This type of tree has a fast growth rate and a nice round shape. It’s an average-sized tree that grows somewhere around 15 to 25 feet. They aren’t super fast growers but they certainly aren’t the slowest either.
9. Poplar trees
Poplar Trees are extremely narrow trees, perfect for lining your driveway. Once mature, they are about 40 to 50 feet tall. Poplars thrive in full sun and are one of the fastest-growing trees available. These large deciduous trees are a welcome sight in any yard or driveway. You may see them often in the mountains or high plains.
10. Arborvitae
The Emerald Green Arborvitae is an amazing tree to use along a driveway if you want privacy. These evergreen trees are in the family of Cypress trees. They grow extremely quickly, about 3 to 5 inches per year. They are however easy to grow and maintain along your drive. You may see them in parking lots near shops and restaurants as they provide a great wall to block trash cans and electric boxes.
The Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata x standishii ‘Green Giant’) is an extremely popular hybrid Arborvitae known for being easy to grow and maintain. If you have enough space, these trees are lovely to plant close to the house. They help block windows or cover up siding you may not want showing. They aren’t overly huge and can be pruned to any size you want.
11. Honeylocust
The Honeylocust tree is the most beautiful in the fall when the leaves turn yellow. The leaves are small and dainty, making them easy to clean up if you need to rake or blow your lawn and drive. The delicate leaves form a beautiful canopy with dappled shade to enjoy. This type typically grows about 2 inches each year.
The Shademaster Honeylocust Tree (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’) is a specialty cultivar that is resistant to common pests and disease and also thornless and seedless. This variety typically grows about 2′ each year, making them quite a fast grower for a tree with a rounded canopy.
If you have a small yard or minimal space for your driveway, there may be better choices than the Honeylocust. The roots of this tree are fairly invasive and can disrupt any pavement you have laid down.
Leave a Reply