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Portland is a Sanctuary City

6.0 to 8.4 Foot Wide Planting Spaces Without High Voltage Power Lines

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This list provides options for tree selection when planting in 6.0 to 8.4 foot wide planting spaces without high voltage power lines.

Measure the width of the planting site from the inside of the curb to the edge of the sidewalk. Use this list for 6.0 to 8.4 foot wide planting spaces without high voltage power lines. Other types of overhead wires are okay to plant under unless specified. Trees on this list are generally 40 - 75 ft (height) x 30 - 55 ft (width) at maturity. 

Tree Type
Common Name
Scientific Name
Size
(height x width)
FeaturesDescription
Bald Cypress
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
65 x 30fall colorDeciduous conifer. Feathery foliage turns orange/cinnamon in fall.
Beech

Fernleaf Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'

Copper Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Atropurpurea' 

Rivers Purple Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii'

60 x 50

60 x 45

60 x 45

wildlife
fall color

Grand, stately tree with smooth, silver-grey bark. 'Asplenifolia' features interesting leaf shape, while 'Atropurpurea' and 'Riversii' have summer leaves in shades of purple. Beech nuts support wildlife.

Catalpa
Hybrid Catalpa
Catalpa xerubescens 'Purpurea'
50 x 50wildlife flowersFast growing tree with big leaves and large clusters of white and purple, orchid-like flowers. New leaves appear purple.
Northern Catalpa
Catalpa speciosa
40 x 30wildlife flowersFast growing tree with very large leaves and large clusters of white and purple, orchid-like flowers.
Kentucky Coffeetree
Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus

60 x 40

fall color

Large, double-compound leaves give a tropical appearance during summer months. Straight species will produce seed pods. Cultivars are seedless.

Dove-Tree
Dove-Tree
Davidia involucrata
50 x 30fall color part shadeMedium sized, spreading tree with delicate white flower bracts that resemble doves fluttering in the springtime breeze.
Elm
Jefferson American Elm
Ulmus americana 'Jefferson'

65 x 55

fall color

Classic American elm form with faster growth rate, glossy green leaves turning yellows in the fall. These cultivars selected for good Dutch elm disease resistance.

Accolade® Elm
Ulmus 'Morton'
60 x 50fall colorAsian elm hybrid with moderate growth rate, classic elm shape and yellow fall foliage. Resistant to Dutch elm disease.
Triumph Elm
Ulmus 'Morton Glossy'
55 x 45fall colorAsian elm cultivar, with moderate growth rate, initially upright becoming more vase shaped with age.
Patriot Elm
Ulmus 'Patriot'
50 x 40fall colorThis larger-form Asian elm cultivar has dark green leaves, exceptional yellow fall foliage, and a moderate growth rate. Drought, pest and Dutch elm disease resistant.
Frontier Elm
Ulmus carpinifolia x parvifolia 'Frontier'
40 x 40fall colorUnique elm hybrid with exfoliating bark revealing colorful patches. Reddish-purple fall color. Resistant to Dutch elm disease and tolerant of soil compaction.
Fir
Spanish Fir
Abies pinsapo
50 x 30evergreenSlower growing, pyramidal conifer with dark green bristly needles covering branches and twigs for an interesting visual effect.
Ginkgo

Autumn Gold Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold'

Magyar Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba 'Magyar'

45 x 35fall colorSlow growing but unique and elegant tree with golden yellow fall color. These fruitless cultivars are the right size for medium planting strips.
Hackberry
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
50 x 45wildlife
fall color unique bark
Faster growing and adaptable to poor soil conditions. Yellow fall color and interesting rough corky bark with age.
Honeylocust

Halka® Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos 'Christie' 

Shademaster Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos 'Shademaster'

Skyline® Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos 'Skycole'

45 x 40fall colorFast growing, thornless cultivars with bright yellow fall color. Very tolerant of poor soils. 'Christie' produces seed pods.
Hornbeam

European Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus 

Pyramidal European Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'

60 x 40

40 x 25

fall colorSlower growing, yet long-lived tree with silvery gray bark and bronze-yellow fall color. Tolerant of poor soil conditions.
Incense Cedar
Incense Cedar
Calocedrus decurrens
60 x 20evergreenAromatic evergreen conifer with a naturally narrow form. Grows best in full sun with well-drained soil.
Katsura
Katsura
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
50 x 30fall color part shadeHeart shaped leaves turn gold, orange, red and smell like cotton   candy in the fall. Performs better with moist, well-drained soil and a site with partial shade as bark is susceptible to sunscald.
Linden
Redmond American Linden
Tilia americana 'Redmond'
45 x 35fall colorStrong pyramidal form. Heart-shaped leaves are dark green in summer and yellow in fall.
Greenspire® Littleleaf Linden
Tilia cordata 'PNI 6025'
50 x 40fall colorModerate with pyramidal form and yellow fall foliage.
Silver Linden
Tilia tomentosa 'Sterling'
45 x 35fall colorFast growing with silver green foliage.
Myrtle
Oregon Myrtle
Umbellularia californica
60 x 60evergreen wildlifeBroadleaf evergreen with bay-like scent. Native to southern Oregon.
Oak
Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor
60 x 50wildlifeModerate growing oak with leaves turning yellow, bronze, and red in the fall. Bark becomes deeply furrowed with age.
Canby Oak
Quercus canbyi
45 x 40evergreen wildlifeFaster growing, evergreen oak with holly-like leaves and excellent drought tolerance.
Canyon Live Oak
Quercus chrysolepis
55 x 30evergreen wildlifeFaster growing, evergeen oak with excellent drought resistance.
Scarlet Oak
Quercus coccinea
60 x 45wildlife
fall color
Slower growing oak which displays brilliant shades of bright scarlet fall color.
Forest Green® Oak
Quercus frainetto 'Schmidt'
55 x 30wildlifeGlossy deep green summer foliage and amber colored fall color.
Oregon White Oak
Quercus garryana
65 x 45native wildlifeNative, slow-growing oak which eventually develops a capacious crown and a stately presence.
Silverleaf Oak
Quercus hypoleucoides
50 x 35evergreen wildlifeFaster growing with lance-shaped leaves are silvery white below and dark green above.
Holly Oak
Quercus ilex
50 x 50evergreen wildlifeFaster growing evergreen oak with holly-like leaves and excellent drought tolerance.
Shingle Oak
Quercus imbricaria
60 x 60wildlife
fall color
Hardy, drought tolerant when established. Leaves are oblong and bright green in summer and turn a subdued red in the fall. Acorns are small and black with green stripes when mature.
California Black Oak
Quercus kelloggii
60 x 45wildlife fall colorFaster growing oak with golden fall color.
Valley Oak
Quercus lobata
50 x 40wildlifeLarge, spreading canopy and picturesque twisting limbs.
Chinkapin Oak
Quercus muehlenbergii
50 x 45wildlifeFaster growing with dark green foliage.
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos
50 x 40wildlife fall colorFaster growing with bronze fall foliage.
Monterrey Oak
Quercus polymorpha
55 x 50evergreen wildlifeSemi-evergreen with bluish green foliage.
Shumard Oak
Quercus shumardii
75 x 55wildlife fall colorFaster growing with red, copper, bronze fall foliage.
Cork Oak
Quercus suber
60 x 60evergreen wildlifeFast growing evergreen oak with thick, corky bark.
Southern Live Oak
Quercus virginiana
70 x 70evergreen wildlifeMajestic, long-lived evergreen tree.
Interior Live Oak
Quercus wislizeni
50 x 40evergreen wildlifeEvergreen, slow growing, heat and drought tolerant.
Japanese Pagodatree
MillstoneTM Japanese Pagodatree 
Styphnolobium japonicum 'Halka'
45 x 35wildlife flowersFaster growing when young. Attractive compound foliage and fragrant late summer flowers. The Millstone cultivar is canker resistant.
Pine
Austrian Pine
Pinus nigra
60 x 35evergreenHardy tree, drought and heat tolerant once established. Long, dark-green needles in bundles of two, medium-sized cones, bark is light gray with dark fissures. The tree has a classic conical shape when young then spreading to a tall, ranging canopy with a flat-top when mature. 
Bosnian Pine
Pinus heldreichii/P. leucodermis
40 x 20evergreenPyramidal to tall and columnar form, with unique purple-blue cones when young, maturing to brown. Heat and drought tolerant when established.
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa
150 x 30evergreen wildlife unique barkNative large tree in Oregon. Long needles in bundles of three and large cones. Saplings have gray trunks that gradually turn a lovely orange with irregular plates, surrounded by dark fissures as it matures. Hardy, heat and drought tolerant when established. Adapted to future climate.
Southwestern White Pine
Pinus strobiformis
50 x 30evergreenPyramidal when young, becomes open and spreading with age. Medium-long needles in bundles of five are a soft blue-gray color. Hardy and drought tolerant, this tree is future climate adapted.
Planetree

Bloodgood London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia 'Bloodgood' 

Columbia London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia 'Columbia'

Liberty London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia 'Liberty' 

Exclamation™ London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia 'Morton Circle'

Yarwood London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia 'Yarwood'

55 x 40unique barkFast growing with a stout trunk displaying bark peeling in colorful patches of cream, brown and grey. These cultivars are anthracnose resistant. Tolerates pollution and heat, future climate adapted. Drought tolerant once established. Overall, these are great city trees that require ample growing space from root to shoot. 
Redwood
Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
75 x 30fall colorDeciduous relative to coast redwood. Needles turn yellow to orange before dropping in the fall. New bright green foliage emerges in early spring.
Tanoak
Tanoak
Notholithocarpus densiflorus
75 x 50evergreenBroadleaf evergreen native to southern Oregon with acorn-like fruit.
Walnut
English Walnut
Juglans regia 'Carpathian'
50 x 50wildlife unique barkA noble tree with distinctive silver-grey bark, aromatic leaves, and edible nuts.
Yellowwood
American Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
40 x 40flowers
fall color
Clusters of fragrant white flowers in spring. Yellow foliage in fall.
Zelkova
Green Vase® Japanese Zelkova
Zelkova serrata 'Green Vase'
60 x 50fall color unique barkModerate growing tree with vivid orange fall color, patchy gray, orange, brown trunk and graceful vase shape.
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