Planting Near Property Line

We were advised by a landscaper to plant a row of alternating Cleveland Pear and Yoshino Cherry trees along our property line with a neighboring house. Can you please advise us as to how far from the property line these should be planted and how far apart they should be.

Our research shows these trees have about a 20-30 ft spread, so my husband is thinking the trees ought to be about 30 feet apart. Is that correct, or can we put them closer?

Also, our property line is about 5 ft from the neighbors driveway. How are the roots on these? We do not want to plant them or anything close enough to cause the neighbor’s driveway to buckle or crack.

Thank you,
Berni


Anne's Response:

Berni,

You need to plant the trees 30 feet apart. To protect the neighbors’ driveway they need to be at least 20 feet from your property line. The roots of the plant extend 30 feet or more from the base of the tree but the roots can be controlled by root pruning near the driveway before they become a problem.