Five Worst Trees for Your Plumbing System in Sacramento

Sacramento is widely-known as “the City of Trees”. The tree canopy is thick with oak, elm, redbud, sycamores, and many more species that help shade Sacramento and give it the nickname “City of Trees”. 

Trees provide many benefits to the greater Sacramento area. Trees cool our homes, streets, and city. Trees also clean the air, increase property values, and attract some of our most beautiful feathered friends. 

But, the “City of Trees” could also be nicknamed the “City of Clogged Sewer Pipes”. Trees are a valuable asset to a home’s landscape, but some species of trees can cause big headaches for homeowners when the roots infiltrate old or damaged pipes and cause a major blockage. It’s Attack of the Tree Roots!

We’ve established the fact that trees are good. But there are some species you may want to avoid planting near your sewer line just in time for the fall planting season.

Here are the Top 5 Trees You Don’t Want to Plant:

Willow Trees

Planting a Willow tree might make you weep due to their notoriously wayward root system. There’s a reason they grow so well near ponds and rivers. The roots of a willow grow rapidly towards any moisture, especially moisture from a cracked sewer line. 

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Mulberry Trees

Fruitless Mulberry trees are growing all over the Sacramento area. They grow very quickly and so does their vigorous root system. They head straight for the old, leaky, nutrient-filled sewer line to continue growing faster than a weed! 

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Eucalyptus Trees

Another tree you may want to avoid planting is a Eucalyptus tree.  They have a shallow but rigorous root system that can spread out 100 feet or more. They can invade your pipes faster than you can say, “Call Bonney!”

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Elm Trees

Elm trees are adaptable in the city and the country. You see them all over the Sacramento area, however, they have a powerful thirst for leaky sewer lines. Avoid planting them. Throw in Dutch Elm Disease and you’ve got a real nightmare on elm street! 

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Silver Maple Trees

Silver Maple Trees are a big water hog with big, pesky roots. Their extensive roots are a pain in the neck for home owners and their sewer system. The tree roots also like to push up the sidewalks. Avoid planting a Silver Maple unless you live by a river or stream.

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Other Trees To Avoid

Other trees infamous for their invasive root system are Beech trees, Honey locust, Aspen, Empress, and Poplar trees. These trees are all a risky bet if you don’t want your water or drain pipes invaded by tree roots. 

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Call The Experts!

If you’re having frequent clogs…call Bonney! Our 5-star certified Bonney Sewer & Drain technicians can diagnose if tree roots are the culprit of your plumbing problems.