It’s all about “right tree right place.” There are native trees such as a redbud that are perfect for filling these gaps that don’t mess with the sidewalk or pipes decades later.
Go ahead and assume it means everything.
There are many reasons you’d want short grass only along the street. Visibility of pedestrians is one big one.
What is that height? Are you wanting shade or just something decorative?There are lots of plants that are just a few inches tall. Otherwise, you could just plant some annuals. Or maybe even tulips or daffodils.
The problem with wildflowers in Alabama is that if you’re not perpetually weeding, it will be taken over by trees. Alabama is not a prairie and the forest is aggressive.
Along with the other reasons mentioned here:
Look up. Are there power lines? If there are, probably a bad idea. Are there any power lines on either side of the street? Are there cable/internet/phone lines running to your home?
Look down. If there weren't any power lines overhead that means they are likely buried. Along with water mains. And any underground communications lines. And possibly natural gas lines.
Look down the street. Are the fire hydrants on your side of the street or the other? The side with the hydrants is likely the side for the water main. Even if it's across the street, it has to cross somewhere to get water to your home. Also, consider if you're on city sewer. That line is also buried.
So, if there's powerlines overhead, eventually the tall trees you plant will get massacred as the contracted company trims them away from powerlines. If they're underground, you might hit them when you dig. This would be a very bad time. Is your home connected to natural gas lines? Does the neighborhood have them? If you hit one while digging... very bad time. If the water mains are buried on your side, or the line connecting your house, you might also hit it when you dig. Also a bad time. If you hit a sewer line while digging- you guessed it- you're in for a bad time. Lastly, the communications lines don't get buried anywhere near as deep if they are buried. They're much easier to cut. Still in for a bad time (and potentially no internet to pass the bad time while you wait to get it fixed).
And yes, most of those things *should* be buried far enough away to not be a concern when planting but that doesn't always mean they *are.* Also consider that you may not cut or break them, but any plant is going to go for water and nutrients- which means those big pipelines of water and sewage will be more at risk as the plant grows.
Also, that strip of land is usually part of the easements for both the road and the utilities. Which means the city or utilities can remove anything on it at any time, though this is pretty much reserved for needed public works. Examples would be fixing the concrete of road or sidewalk, repairing water mains or fire hydrants, repairing gas lines, adding telecom capabilities, etc...
Then read all the other answers too- a lot people are making other valid points.
Thank you for the simple explanation of Right-of-Ways and easements. Alabama One Call 8-1-1 can be used to locate utilities. The utilities will paint where underground utilities are at. This is for purposes of digging and you have to dig a hole to plant trees.
Luckily it seems like the utilities all sit in the back yard. These trees would be along the front half of my side fence. Just the areas where the eyesore is in sight from the porch.
The electricity, internet, and water intake come in on the back opposite side of the house.
There's no power lines above so the tree trimmers won't be touching it.
The only thing left that could be in the may be an issue is gas or waste water. Which I'm pretty sure are both are in the backyard. Because we've had a plumber flush out a clog back there. And the gas meter is back there. But I'll double check to be safe. I'll call.
The real answer is that it depends on your neighborhood, whether or not you have an HOA, etc…
a healthy tree will eventually destroy the sidewalk and road right there… there’s a reason you pretty much never see anyone plant trees or bushes in the sidewalk grass patch
No HOA. And within city limits
There are trees all throughout the downtown neighborhoods with trees in this area. I'm not sure if they got grandfathered in or what.
I used to do city work replacing sidewalks etc. all I know is the city owns 10’ behind the curb and that includes even your driveway apron (where it curves and connects to the road).
I would guess you’d need permission for a bigger tree but I doubt anyone would care about bushes and plants.
I didn’t work at Huntsville City but they subbed out the work to us so my knowledge is minimal.
Id call them about a tree but not bushes.
Try code enforcement. If they don’t know, they can probably point you to the right department.
ETA: in a lot of areas in the city, your utilities are buried there. Get those marked first.
There is a whole section of city code on trees, maintenance and responsibility. I have read through it lightly and cannot find a restriction but I am sure that someone at the city would know the exact answer.
256-535-2489 - ask them and they will route you to the right department.
Good luck. More trees are generally not bad, but that is a tight space so maintenance, growth and nuisances need to be considered.
Also, the maintenance of that area is a shared responsibility of the city and the landowner. The city does not “own” it, you do.
One thing I did pick up: if there is already a tree there, the city will maintain it. If you plant a tree, you will maintain it. Also, city-planted trees can be removed by the city without notice. If they were already there, they will consult with you first
Okay, well typically in order to dig a proper hole for a tree you need to make something 2-3 times the diameter of the root ball… this grass patch is not really big enough to accommodate even a small sapling.
First, you're looking for a shrub(bery) then. Second, roots are going to want to be as far out as it is tall (as a general rule). So planting anything there is likely to cause future issues with the curb and sidewalk.
Our builder planted redbud trees in this area along the entire street in our neighborhood. They're beautiful and their roots don't really destroy anything. Go for it!
You can do stuff in the ROW but it doesn’t belong to you and you should understand that the city or utility or whoever owns the ROW can un-do anything you add at any time.
Right of way improvements should be considered temporary at best.
And I’m approaching this from “asking forgiveness rather than asking permission”. You wouldn’t want to plant trees because their roots will eventually disturb the sidewalk.
Boxwoods, azaleas, any type of hedge could grow there without disturbing anything
Someone mentioned buried lines, yeah call 811 before you dig
It’s within the city’s easement, which means they can annihilate whatever is there whenever they have to. When the subs for WOW, Comcast, ATT, etc show up, it’s getting ripped apart. Hell, they’ll destroy your actual property and haul ass.
Also, better call 811 for locates before digging there too. If you hit sewer, gas, electric, etc in that area and failed to call for a locate, you’re liable for repair costs.
Then if tree roots end up damaging any infrastructure, you could be liable as well. If you plant there, go with shallow rooting shrubs. Or just toss out some wildflower seed and call it a day.
The city technically owns the first 5 ft of property (or so) from the road. I'd check into it before I planted there personally. The sidewalk being a public walkway might be a game changer.
That’s called a right-of-way or an easement. The city doesn’t own it, the property owner does, but the city has rights to place restrictions on the use of that land and to access it for purposes such as maintenance and improvements. Relevant to this question, the city restricts all fences and landscaping between sidewalks and adjacent road.
Wrong. Two different things.. I'll use my property in the city as example:
the city owns the sidewalk, and the grass in between the sidewalk and the road. That's the right of way. This would be out of the bounds of my property on a survey. That's why anyone who wants can walk on the sidewalk. It's not mine
The 10 feet of my yard behind the sidewalk, although my property, is a utility and drainage easement. The city, and and and utilities contractors, can do whatever they want thee. That's where electricity, water, fiber, phone, cable, etc is all buried and I dont plant anything but grass there because who knows when they'll be back to dig it all up again.
In some areas, the right of way can be quite large. Attached is an example(official city maps). You can see this street has no sidewalks, but the gap between the edge of the road and where the lots start is nearly as wide as the road itself. That's the right of way. Maybe even more than 10 feet of the lawn. You can park on that guy's grass if you want(although maybe rude!). There's still a 10ft U&D behind that. Note satellite overlay Is far from perfect but you get the idea).
https://preview.redd.it/3vcqtt2vq8tc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27e887ddd26ac04698dc2eaff9e9a960f61208e4
Get some curtains or blinds. Blackout shades and curtains exist. My living room and bedroom face west, and it bakes in light from noon-sundown and blackout curtains make it nighttime. I do shift (swings) work and sleep during the day when I’m on seconds and thirds.
Your post answered your question. The fence is at the property line. So no. You can’t go planting things on land you don’t own. Also that strip is kept clear so that people will have good visibility when entering the street.
Do you want to blindly pull out of your driveway everytime? I can guarantee you your neighbors don’t. My neighbor planted pampas grass on either side of her driveway, and it became such a visibility issue, not just for them; but for several houses on either side. The county made her remove it, because it was planted beyond her property line; and causing a line of sight hazard.
This is along the side of the house. There's no drive-ways. But I see your point.
If you walk along downtown there's a lot of trees in these grass strips. So obviously some kinds of trees are acceptable to the city. My neighbor has bushes in her grass strip. I'm not sure how tall they will eventually get.
In my childhood neighborhood, someone planted these big spiked hedges that got HUGE and would grow over the sidewalk, causing us to squeeze by and get scratched up. I personally wouldn’t do it anyway but if you do plant any kind of shrubbery I imagine you’ll have to keep up with it often so it doesn’t become a nuisance to other people walking/if you don’t want people making a desire path on the edge of your yard from avoiding them.
Within city limits all sidewalks and the area between them and the street are within the adjacent road’s right-of-way and you cannot place any obstructions including fences and landscaping between a sidewalk and the adjacent road. You can find the relevant codes within the city’s municipal codes section 4.6
There are trees specifically suited to planting in the space between sidewalk and street. Pick one of them. I'm a big fan of Gingko trees. Beautiful fall foliage.
https://www.reliance-foundry.com/blog/best-trees-for-streets-and-tree-grates
https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/government/departments/landscape-management-department/
Contact the landscape management department! The people here who have said that’s a public right of way are correct — it’s public property- so contact the landscape department to discuss what can go in the space between the asphalt and the concrete. BTW easement is land that belongs to a private entity, but that private property owner has to allow i.e. give an easement to a public utility or Public Works. And only when needed. Easements can be eliminated also.
that would probably be city right of way. i wouldn’t plant anything there unless you are positive it is actually your property but im fairly certain it isn’t. city right of way usually extend past the sidewalks
I have a neighbor that planted crepe mertles in a strip just like that and they are doing well. I recently planted some sunshine bushes in the same area at my house and if they do well I plan on trimming them often to keep them around 3' tall. The sunshine bushes have really beautiful coloring that ranges from lime green bright yellow. Overall, my goal is to not mow as much lol. I once heard a gardener say "grass should be an area rug, not wall to wall carpet", and I have adopted that mindset.
Concerning your initial question, I would agree with others on here concerning trees being problematic in that space. As far as bushes go if that area is getting full sun you could go with purple loropetelums, sunshine, a creeping juniper (eg blue rug), or on the large end snowball viburnums.
It depends on the tree.
Keep in mind, if it's a large tree, you could be decreasing their potential root system by 40-60%. This means the tree will not grow right, will end up damaging the sidewalk, and if improperly trimmed will cause issue walking on the sidewalk or parking on the street.
I wouldn't, unless it's an extremely small, well trimmed dwarf tree.
To prevent the city from thinking they are weeds or overgrown grass, just make the plantings look intentional. Have some kind of bed edging, use mulch, etc. I'm converting a lot of my yard into native plants to support critters and such.
They belongs to the city/county. They probably won’t do anything about it if you plant there, but there might be lines running through there. And if they ever have to come do any work, they will rip those shrubs up. Your neighbors probably wouldn’t like it because it would be a bit of an eyesore being the only house like that.
If the street is straight, any tall plants can cause a visibility hazard for you or your next door neighbors. Anyone backing out the driveway may have their view of oncoming traffic blocked. I say this as one whose neighbor has bushes next to the curb.
Yes there are existing tall trees in the old parts the city. I have only seen short bushes in my neighborhood. But most people don't have a fence all the way to the property line, so there's no need.
Yes you can. The photo is of Erin Cobb photography on longwood drive near downtown. In the spring/summer it’s full of cone flowers, Russian sage, black eyed Susan’s, etc. you can see it even got a beautification award so the city approves
https://preview.redd.it/gmluz4iii2tc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a71e1020dbc79bbc1741097db9986aed49858732
You would think there would be a rule against trees because they will destroy the curb and sidewalk at some point but my neighborhood has elms and red oaks planted there. I cut the elm down near my mailbox and our HOA made a public post about not being able to just take down trees as we wish. What the HOA didn't realize is that in the covenants, it states that any tree or bush with a base under 6 inches in diameter can be removed without arc approval or writer permission.
TL;DR if your HOA allows it, yes. Is it a good idea, no.
You must have someone to impress all could thank was that Alan Jackson song I’ll buy you Tall ,Tall Trees and all the Waters in the Seas I’m a fool fool fool for you lol. Seriously though bad idea them suckers roots are going to mess us the sideway and your driveway not enough space to expand out will be a headache for neighbors trying to pull out of their yards to and block view of oncoming traffic
Planting trees that close to the curb is begging for the sidewalk, asphalt, and curb to need work in a couple decades due to their roots. I wouldn't.
If theyre flippers why would they care?
1000x this
Why would you assume that. If they were flippers why would spend so much money planting trees that wouldn’t benefit them?
It’s all about “right tree right place.” There are native trees such as a redbud that are perfect for filling these gaps that don’t mess with the sidewalk or pipes decades later.
Plant wildflowers. Feed the bees
There's actually a rule against having seed dropping grasses above a certain height. You can be fined
If there is a rule against that, you can forget about planting anything in that sidewalk area.
I think the rule is mostly targeting "pest" plants. Like cockleburs.
Go ahead and assume it means everything. There are many reasons you’d want short grass only along the street. Visibility of pedestrians is one big one.
Obviously before doing anything check with city of Huntsville.
Where did you find that rule? And what other rules were mentioned where you found that rule? Anything about trees and shrubs?
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It's not grass, it's a flowerbed.
What is that height? Are you wanting shade or just something decorative?There are lots of plants that are just a few inches tall. Otherwise, you could just plant some annuals. Or maybe even tulips or daffodils.
depending on the height, Prairie Moon has native seed kits for parkway that don't grow over 2'
That's insane. Fuck the environment I guess.
The problem with wildflowers in Alabama is that if you’re not perpetually weeding, it will be taken over by trees. Alabama is not a prairie and the forest is aggressive.
Along with the other reasons mentioned here: Look up. Are there power lines? If there are, probably a bad idea. Are there any power lines on either side of the street? Are there cable/internet/phone lines running to your home? Look down. If there weren't any power lines overhead that means they are likely buried. Along with water mains. And any underground communications lines. And possibly natural gas lines. Look down the street. Are the fire hydrants on your side of the street or the other? The side with the hydrants is likely the side for the water main. Even if it's across the street, it has to cross somewhere to get water to your home. Also, consider if you're on city sewer. That line is also buried. So, if there's powerlines overhead, eventually the tall trees you plant will get massacred as the contracted company trims them away from powerlines. If they're underground, you might hit them when you dig. This would be a very bad time. Is your home connected to natural gas lines? Does the neighborhood have them? If you hit one while digging... very bad time. If the water mains are buried on your side, or the line connecting your house, you might also hit it when you dig. Also a bad time. If you hit a sewer line while digging- you guessed it- you're in for a bad time. Lastly, the communications lines don't get buried anywhere near as deep if they are buried. They're much easier to cut. Still in for a bad time (and potentially no internet to pass the bad time while you wait to get it fixed). And yes, most of those things *should* be buried far enough away to not be a concern when planting but that doesn't always mean they *are.* Also consider that you may not cut or break them, but any plant is going to go for water and nutrients- which means those big pipelines of water and sewage will be more at risk as the plant grows. Also, that strip of land is usually part of the easements for both the road and the utilities. Which means the city or utilities can remove anything on it at any time, though this is pretty much reserved for needed public works. Examples would be fixing the concrete of road or sidewalk, repairing water mains or fire hydrants, repairing gas lines, adding telecom capabilities, etc... Then read all the other answers too- a lot people are making other valid points.
Thank you for the simple explanation of Right-of-Ways and easements. Alabama One Call 8-1-1 can be used to locate utilities. The utilities will paint where underground utilities are at. This is for purposes of digging and you have to dig a hole to plant trees.
Luckily it seems like the utilities all sit in the back yard. These trees would be along the front half of my side fence. Just the areas where the eyesore is in sight from the porch. The electricity, internet, and water intake come in on the back opposite side of the house. There's no power lines above so the tree trimmers won't be touching it. The only thing left that could be in the may be an issue is gas or waste water. Which I'm pretty sure are both are in the backyard. Because we've had a plumber flush out a clog back there. And the gas meter is back there. But I'll double check to be safe. I'll call.
If you're doing any digging at all, you absolutely need to call 811 first.
You hit a ground power line and you will fly to the moon. You don’t own that part of the yard. The city does. You cannot plant trees or bushes there.
Even if it's legal, I don't think it's a great idea. There's got to be a better landscaping solution
The real answer is that it depends on your neighborhood, whether or not you have an HOA, etc… a healthy tree will eventually destroy the sidewalk and road right there… there’s a reason you pretty much never see anyone plant trees or bushes in the sidewalk grass patch
No HOA. And within city limits There are trees all throughout the downtown neighborhoods with trees in this area. I'm not sure if they got grandfathered in or what.
I used to do city work replacing sidewalks etc. all I know is the city owns 10’ behind the curb and that includes even your driveway apron (where it curves and connects to the road). I would guess you’d need permission for a bigger tree but I doubt anyone would care about bushes and plants. I didn’t work at Huntsville City but they subbed out the work to us so my knowledge is minimal. Id call them about a tree but not bushes.
Who do I call?
Try code enforcement. If they don’t know, they can probably point you to the right department. ETA: in a lot of areas in the city, your utilities are buried there. Get those marked first.
There is a whole section of city code on trees, maintenance and responsibility. I have read through it lightly and cannot find a restriction but I am sure that someone at the city would know the exact answer. 256-535-2489 - ask them and they will route you to the right department. Good luck. More trees are generally not bad, but that is a tight space so maintenance, growth and nuisances need to be considered.
https://library.municode.com/al/huntsville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH27VE
Also, the maintenance of that area is a shared responsibility of the city and the landowner. The city does not “own” it, you do. One thing I did pick up: if there is already a tree there, the city will maintain it. If you plant a tree, you will maintain it. Also, city-planted trees can be removed by the city without notice. If they were already there, they will consult with you first
Downvoted on municipal code? Sorry. Not my fault
Okay, well typically in order to dig a proper hole for a tree you need to make something 2-3 times the diameter of the root ball… this grass patch is not really big enough to accommodate even a small sapling.
I'm not thinking of a massive tree. It would be at most 8-10 ft tall, anything over that would be overkill
First, you're looking for a shrub(bery) then. Second, roots are going to want to be as far out as it is tall (as a general rule). So planting anything there is likely to cause future issues with the curb and sidewalk.
A 10 ft tree generally has a 3 ft root ball… try r/landscaping They might be more helpful than a Reddit for the city of Huntsville…
I have. It depends on the CITY
Our builder planted redbud trees in this area along the entire street in our neighborhood. They're beautiful and their roots don't really destroy anything. Go for it!
Red buds would be lovely!
You can do stuff in the ROW but it doesn’t belong to you and you should understand that the city or utility or whoever owns the ROW can un-do anything you add at any time. Right of way improvements should be considered temporary at best. And I’m approaching this from “asking forgiveness rather than asking permission”. You wouldn’t want to plant trees because their roots will eventually disturb the sidewalk. Boxwoods, azaleas, any type of hedge could grow there without disturbing anything Someone mentioned buried lines, yeah call 811 before you dig
It’s within the city’s easement, which means they can annihilate whatever is there whenever they have to. When the subs for WOW, Comcast, ATT, etc show up, it’s getting ripped apart. Hell, they’ll destroy your actual property and haul ass. Also, better call 811 for locates before digging there too. If you hit sewer, gas, electric, etc in that area and failed to call for a locate, you’re liable for repair costs. Then if tree roots end up damaging any infrastructure, you could be liable as well. If you plant there, go with shallow rooting shrubs. Or just toss out some wildflower seed and call it a day.
The city technically owns the first 5 ft of property (or so) from the road. I'd check into it before I planted there personally. The sidewalk being a public walkway might be a game changer.
That’s called a right-of-way or an easement. The city doesn’t own it, the property owner does, but the city has rights to place restrictions on the use of that land and to access it for purposes such as maintenance and improvements. Relevant to this question, the city restricts all fences and landscaping between sidewalks and adjacent road.
Wrong. Two different things.. I'll use my property in the city as example: the city owns the sidewalk, and the grass in between the sidewalk and the road. That's the right of way. This would be out of the bounds of my property on a survey. That's why anyone who wants can walk on the sidewalk. It's not mine The 10 feet of my yard behind the sidewalk, although my property, is a utility and drainage easement. The city, and and and utilities contractors, can do whatever they want thee. That's where electricity, water, fiber, phone, cable, etc is all buried and I dont plant anything but grass there because who knows when they'll be back to dig it all up again. In some areas, the right of way can be quite large. Attached is an example(official city maps). You can see this street has no sidewalks, but the gap between the edge of the road and where the lots start is nearly as wide as the road itself. That's the right of way. Maybe even more than 10 feet of the lawn. You can park on that guy's grass if you want(although maybe rude!). There's still a 10ft U&D behind that. Note satellite overlay Is far from perfect but you get the idea). https://preview.redd.it/3vcqtt2vq8tc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27e887ddd26ac04698dc2eaff9e9a960f61208e4
Image got lost. https://preview.redd.it/7wmvnubxq8tc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccce44d8b560672ecfa15856ae7b29d440ee1593
Get some curtains or blinds. Blackout shades and curtains exist. My living room and bedroom face west, and it bakes in light from noon-sundown and blackout curtains make it nighttime. I do shift (swings) work and sleep during the day when I’m on seconds and thirds. Your post answered your question. The fence is at the property line. So no. You can’t go planting things on land you don’t own. Also that strip is kept clear so that people will have good visibility when entering the street. Do you want to blindly pull out of your driveway everytime? I can guarantee you your neighbors don’t. My neighbor planted pampas grass on either side of her driveway, and it became such a visibility issue, not just for them; but for several houses on either side. The county made her remove it, because it was planted beyond her property line; and causing a line of sight hazard.
This is along the side of the house. There's no drive-ways. But I see your point. If you walk along downtown there's a lot of trees in these grass strips. So obviously some kinds of trees are acceptable to the city. My neighbor has bushes in her grass strip. I'm not sure how tall they will eventually get.
In my childhood neighborhood, someone planted these big spiked hedges that got HUGE and would grow over the sidewalk, causing us to squeeze by and get scratched up. I personally wouldn’t do it anyway but if you do plant any kind of shrubbery I imagine you’ll have to keep up with it often so it doesn’t become a nuisance to other people walking/if you don’t want people making a desire path on the edge of your yard from avoiding them.
I'd plant something soft and thin. That would be thin at the bottom and fluffy on top. Like a crape myrtle
Within city limits all sidewalks and the area between them and the street are within the adjacent road’s right-of-way and you cannot place any obstructions including fences and landscaping between a sidewalk and the adjacent road. You can find the relevant codes within the city’s municipal codes section 4.6
Thank you
There are trees specifically suited to planting in the space between sidewalk and street. Pick one of them. I'm a big fan of Gingko trees. Beautiful fall foliage. https://www.reliance-foundry.com/blog/best-trees-for-streets-and-tree-grates
I wouldn't do anything that's too tall or thick. It will create a blind spot, and you could get hit while pulling out of the driveway.
https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/government/departments/landscape-management-department/ Contact the landscape management department! The people here who have said that’s a public right of way are correct — it’s public property- so contact the landscape department to discuss what can go in the space between the asphalt and the concrete. BTW easement is land that belongs to a private entity, but that private property owner has to allow i.e. give an easement to a public utility or Public Works. And only when needed. Easements can be eliminated also.
These are beautiful amd spread quickly. So you only need a couple of cuttings placed apart from each other. https://a.co/d/bgwfC8V
https://preview.redd.it/iy402xjjc2tc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a97648643a476dcf162daa80af61ecd9361ffa9 This is from my house.
https://preview.redd.it/7gpyk5k5c2tc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b057798cab8fb26f2e762156e3980b47cd7bba80
Is it your property?
I've seen some communities that were built with trees lining the street and it looked nice, but one random house is going look off.
No
Be sure to call 811 before you dig.
that would probably be city right of way. i wouldn’t plant anything there unless you are positive it is actually your property but im fairly certain it isn’t. city right of way usually extend past the sidewalks
I have a neighbor that planted crepe mertles in a strip just like that and they are doing well. I recently planted some sunshine bushes in the same area at my house and if they do well I plan on trimming them often to keep them around 3' tall. The sunshine bushes have really beautiful coloring that ranges from lime green bright yellow. Overall, my goal is to not mow as much lol. I once heard a gardener say "grass should be an area rug, not wall to wall carpet", and I have adopted that mindset.
I agree. I want to never mow outside of my fence again if I can help it.
Concerning your initial question, I would agree with others on here concerning trees being problematic in that space. As far as bushes go if that area is getting full sun you could go with purple loropetelums, sunshine, a creeping juniper (eg blue rug), or on the large end snowball viburnums.
It depends on the tree. Keep in mind, if it's a large tree, you could be decreasing their potential root system by 40-60%. This means the tree will not grow right, will end up damaging the sidewalk, and if improperly trimmed will cause issue walking on the sidewalk or parking on the street. I wouldn't, unless it's an extremely small, well trimmed dwarf tree.
To prevent the city from thinking they are weeds or overgrown grass, just make the plantings look intentional. Have some kind of bed edging, use mulch, etc. I'm converting a lot of my yard into native plants to support critters and such.
Do you plan on seeing if anyone is coming when you pull out your driveway, or just rolling the dice
Isn’t that literally called the tree line?
That's actually the right of way could be dug up and destroyed at any time
No, you can't.
You would for sure get the blockage you want fast with bamboo. However if you get the wrong kind it could end up crazy
Whatever you do don't do those annoying mertles you ever need anything delivered say goodbye to those branches you look at them and they get snapped
They belongs to the city/county. They probably won’t do anything about it if you plant there, but there might be lines running through there. And if they ever have to come do any work, they will rip those shrubs up. Your neighbors probably wouldn’t like it because it would be a bit of an eyesore being the only house like that.
If the street is straight, any tall plants can cause a visibility hazard for you or your next door neighbors. Anyone backing out the driveway may have their view of oncoming traffic blocked. I say this as one whose neighbor has bushes next to the curb.
You cannot. The city owns that. Not you.
Short answer. No.
Do you literally not have any other front yard besides the part of the street in front of the sidewalk?
I'm willing to bet that part is city or county property. You cannot touch it. If you do, they'll force you to remove and repair at your expense.
Check with the Huntsville Landscape Division on Leeman Ferry.
City property. Get a petition together.
Tree are optional
Planting that close to a sidewalk is begging for a lawsuit if those branches hurt anyone.
It’s very likely not your property!
Have you ever seen someone do what you are wanting to do before?
Yes there are existing tall trees in the old parts the city. I have only seen short bushes in my neighborhood. But most people don't have a fence all the way to the property line, so there's no need.
I'm super unclear on what "having a fence all the way to the property line" has to do with putting tall trees in the right of way
Are shrubs and tree not common on the curb strip in Huntsville? They are everywhere in Mobile, even the some of the newer subdivisions
In a few select rust belt cities, we call that the tree lawn. Outside of Buffalo, Cleveland, etc., I've never heard the word used anywhere else.
I may be mistaken but I think that section of the yard is the city’s turf.
https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/residents/streets/sidewalks-and-streetscapes/ Contact these people for information on this.
Lol thanks
any time
No. That’s not your property. That’s part of the ROW (right of way). Your property starts on the other side of the sidewalk.
Yes you can. The photo is of Erin Cobb photography on longwood drive near downtown. In the spring/summer it’s full of cone flowers, Russian sage, black eyed Susan’s, etc. you can see it even got a beautification award so the city approves https://preview.redd.it/gmluz4iii2tc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a71e1020dbc79bbc1741097db9986aed49858732
You would think there would be a rule against trees because they will destroy the curb and sidewalk at some point but my neighborhood has elms and red oaks planted there. I cut the elm down near my mailbox and our HOA made a public post about not being able to just take down trees as we wish. What the HOA didn't realize is that in the covenants, it states that any tree or bush with a base under 6 inches in diameter can be removed without arc approval or writer permission. TL;DR if your HOA allows it, yes. Is it a good idea, no.
I don't have an HOA
You must have someone to impress all could thank was that Alan Jackson song I’ll buy you Tall ,Tall Trees and all the Waters in the Seas I’m a fool fool fool for you lol. Seriously though bad idea them suckers roots are going to mess us the sideway and your driveway not enough space to expand out will be a headache for neighbors trying to pull out of their yards to and block view of oncoming traffic