Trees That Work Best In Parking Lots

Some trees are a lot resilient than others. Some are decorative and dainty, while others are sturdy and hearty. If you’re looking for trees that work best in parking lots, you will want to get trees that are as rugged as possible. Contact an arborist if you want suggestions!

Benefits

A parking lot is a vast expanse of asphalt. There’s not a lot there. Trees can break up the monotony some and add shade. Adding trees to your parking lot stops soil erosion, adds oxygen to the earth, and enhances appearance. Trees offer numerous benefits to parking lots.

Summer shade in the parking lot

Challenges

One of the main obstacles to planting trees in your parking lot is that there’s usually not enough topsoil. The layer of soil beneath the topsoil is low in oxygen and not root friendly.

The other two main challenges to having trees in a parking lot are too much heat and lack of water. Since pavement is created to eliminate water as fast as possible, it can leave trees with an inadequate water supply.  

Depending on the angles and pavement, it can leave trees with too much water gathered around the roots. The heat is a serious issue since the pavement draws the heat and light from the sun, which is reflected from any nearby buildings.

Best Trees for Parking Lots

Elm – Once the most well-known street tree in the US, the elm was nearly eradicated when Dutch elm disease happens in the 30s. Once that was handled, it has been making a return and can be used in parking lots.

Zelkova – This tree is excellent for a city landscape since it’s very tolerant of drought, compacted soil, wind, and pollution.

Crape Myrtle – The Crape Myrtle has beautiful blooms in an assortment of colors. It might look delicate, but it’s quite strong. Crape Myrtles enjoy the heat, which makes them ideal for parking lots which get very hot.

Littleleaf Linden – Regardless if your parking lot is in partial shade or the blazing sun, this tree delivers a bright look and fresh scent with its fragrant flowers. The littleleaf linden is not bothered by compacted soil, poor drainage, or air pollution. Therefore, these trees do well in a parking lot.