There’s something incredibly rewarding about planting a tree. It’s an investment in your landscape, your home’s value, and your connection to the land. But when done without planning, those beautiful trees can become future headaches, especially when it comes to property damage or insurance claims.
As we enter prime tree planting season here in Missouri, let’s take a look at what you should know before digging in.
Plan Before You Plant
- Trim what you already have.
Healthy trees start with regular maintenance. Removing dead limbs keeps your property safer during windstorms and encourages new, healthy growth. It’s one of the easiest ways to prevent avoidable damage.
- Look up. Look down. Then call.
Before you trim or dig, check for overhead power lines and underground utilities. You should always call 811 before planting to have underground lines marked. Also check for sewer or water lines, septic tanks, or buried cables. One quick call can prevent a very expensive misstep.
- Think about tomorrow, not just today.
We get it—those little saplings are hard to resist. But before you plant, take time to learn how big that tree will get. As a general rule, for every inch of trunk diameter (measured six inches off the ground), the root ball will grow out about 10 to 12 inches. That means even a small tree can affect foundations, sidewalks, or fences if planted too close to structures.
- Choose native trees for less stress.
Missouri-native trees are built to thrive in our soil and climate. They generally require less watering, less upkeep, and handle storms better than imported species. A few top choices include:
- Eastern Redbud – Stunning spring blooms and compact growth make it perfect for smaller yards.
- Bur Oak – A slow grower with a massive lifespan, ideal for long-term shade.
- Serviceberry – Provides year-round interest and supports birds and pollinators.
- Flowering Dogwood – Missouri’s state tree, with showy blooms and strong disease resistance.
Native trees don’t just grow well here—they belong here.
What About Tree Damage and Insurance?
We often get questions about how insurance handles falling trees. Here’s what you should know:
- If your healthy tree falls onto your neighbor’s property due to a storm, you are not automatically liable. Your neighbor would file a claim through their own insurance.
- If a tree were obviously dead or neglected, then you could be held responsible, which is why keeping limbs trimmed and trees maintained is so important.
- The same goes the other way. If a healthy tree from your neighbor’s yard damages your property, your own insurance may cover it, not theirs.
In short: Maintenance matters, and good planning now can help you avoid insurance surprises later.
Your Trusted Partner in Property Protection
At Lincoln County Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, it’s our job to make sure your property is protected. Because we are a mutual company that is owned and managed by the policyholders, this means we are constantly assessing the risk in our charge. We want to offer the guidance that allows you to care for all that you work so hard for!
That community of farmers formed this company to do just that — protect each other. Since that time, the members expanded into Pike County, MO, Warren County, MO, and Montgomery County, MO… and just kept going. We are now one of the top mutuals in our home area and can cover any property within the borders of Missouri.
Community is everything. Check back with us as we continue to inform, support, and protect in any way we can. We’re small enough to know you but strong enough to serve you.
