Hello,
I saw your article on weeping mulberry trees that mentioned the roots are invasive, but it didn’t mention how far they reach. How far away from a house/driveway/etc. does a weeping mulberry need to be planted to ensure they won’t cause any damage?
Thank you.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners with your question about how far to plant a weeping mulberry away from the foundation of a house.
A landscaping guideline for trees with mature height of 0-25 feet recommends planting trees a minimum of 8- 10 feet from a building or structure. For more information, you can also check out this Landscape Tree Planting Guide from Landscape Ontario: https://landscapeontario.com/assets/1570803523.Ontario_Landscape_Tree_Planting_Guide-2019_updated.pdf
While it is not considered a good idea to plant a tree or bush extremely close to a building, tree roots are not usually the cause of foundation problems as explained in this post by The Morton Arboretum: https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/tree-root-problems. Although most home foundations won’t be damaged directly by encroaching roots, moisture removed from the soil by trees and shrubs can cause subsidence (movement of the ground) that can damage the foundation. As well, too much water around the foundation (from watering the trees), could cause damage.