Any yard can benefit from having trees in it. There are many advantages, such as providing shade, privacy, and beauty. You can even get ones that provide fresh fruit to eat! Not only do trees benefit you, but they also help the local wildlife, like birds and small animals. Even though there are a lot of amazing trees out there for you to choose from to plant in your yard, there are actually some that you will want to avoid planting. Our team at Five Star Tree Services wants to go over these trees you should avoid.
Reasons Some Trees Can Be Problematic
Whenever you go to plant a tree, you should do some research first in order to before jumping into planting just any tree. You need to properly understand what you are getting into before it’s too late. Planting a tree involves careful planning and certain preparation if you want your tree to thrive. We have a few reasons that you need to consider before planting certain trees.
Water Seeking Tendencies
Certain trees have a strong water seeking tendency which causes their roots to search far and wide for a good water source. Due to this, it can lead to tree roots causing major plumbing issues. They will find the water in your pipes and septic tanks, wreaking havoc in their wake. If this happens, it usually costs a lot of money to fix the pipes and can also lead to the total removal of the tree at fault.
Dense Shade
Some people and plants like dense shade, and that’s ok! It’s when you don’t want a lot of shade that some trees present a problem. Trees with an exceptionally dense canopy can cause some plants and even grass to die because they completely block the sunlight from getting to the ground under them.
Messy
If you are someone who doesn’t like a messy yard, there are some trees that are particularly messy. They will shed their bark and leaves on a regular, annual basis, which can involve a lot of tidying up and cleaning. Other trees, such as fruit bearing trees drop their fruit at the end of every fruiting season. Leaving your yard littered with its fruits. As your tree gets bigger, so does the mess, which also means you will be taking longer and longer to clean it up. So, if this task is not for you, we suggest avoiding these particular types of trees.
Allergy Causing
Certain trees produce a lot of pollen, so, if you have bad allergies, this will aggravate it. Flowering trees are one of the major pollen producers in the spring. To avoid allergic reactions, avoid these trees.
Susceptible to Diseases & Pests
Certain trees are more prone to infestations and infections than others. If you pick one of these trees to plant, you can be putting your other trees at risk.
Affects Soil
There are trees that can impact soil. For instance, extreme water seeking trees can prevent other trees from getting water. While other trees, like pine or black walnut, have the ability to change the acidity in the soil around them. Making it toxic and killing other trees and plants around them.
Prone to Damage
There are some trees which are naturally brittle and not as strong as others. With this natural weakness, they can easily break in strong winds or from snow. This poses a risk for property damage and potential harm to people or pets standing under them.
Less Desirable Trees to Avoid
Here is a list of trees you should avoid:
Mimosa
Not to be confused with the drink, these trees produce beautiful, fluffy, pink flowers and frilly leaves. But that’s where the positives end. This tree is weak, has a short life span, is prone to diseases and pests, and its roots are invasive. It’s essentially the worst tree you could possibly plant. The roots are not the only thing that is invasive about this tree, it also produces and spreads seedlings everywhere.
Bradford Pear
This is a quick growing tree that is good for providing shade. In the spring, they also produce beautiful white flowers. But these flowers, although beautiful, do not smell beautiful. They have been compared to smelling like rotten fish. This tree is also known for having fragile branches that can easily break during winter with snow and ice accumulation. Some places view this tree as an invasive weed.
Weeping Willow
This is quite a majestic tree, straight from a fairy tale. But unlike the fairy tails, this tree is troublesome. It has very aggressive water seeking tendencies and a strong root system to boot. These trees usually only grow right beside a lake or river due to how water hungry they are. When seeking water, they have been known to crack pavement, destroy pipes and sewer lines, and kill off other nearby trees. They also only have a 30-year life expectancy. As it ages, it also becomes more and more brittle, making it an increasing hazard to be around.
Red Oak
This is a very messy tree. In autumn, they shed all their leaves and drop acorns all over the place. If anything is under it, there is a chance of getting hurt or in the instance of a car, getting dented. These trees also produce flowers and shed a lot of these as well. These flowers also trigger allergies, can get pollen all over everything, and even damage electrical elements in your car.
Lombardy Poplar
This is another fast-growing tree that is good as a windbreaker. It’s also a good privacy tree. But this tree is very susceptible to numerous diseases and pests. Once infected and infested, this tree can be destroyed in a very short time. Not to mention its roots are very invasive and hard to get rid of.
Mulberry
These trees are great for shade. But with their thick canopy, other plants and grass that are under them will not survive. The roots are also aggressive but shallow, making it so that it will crack pavements, upend landscape fixtures, and ruin your grass. They are also messy and considered invasive. Pollen allergies can be triggered by male Mulberry trees.
Silver Maple
This is a large, shade producing, fast growing tree. But the wood is weak, which is not good during storms and high winds. It also tends to have shallow roots and is water seeking. Meaning it also gets into pipes and sewers. It will tear up your yard and destroy your plumbing in no time.
Sweetgum Trees
These are beautiful trees in the fall but produce messy seed pods that will end up all over your yard. They are round, hard, and spiky. Not good for walking around without shoes on.
How Five Star Tree Services Can Help
Planting trees is not all about aesthetics. It needs to be about their overall qualities. Unlike the trees we have discussed above, there are plenty of perfectly good trees to choose from to plant in your yard. When you plant a tree, you are harboring a good investment and that means picking the best tree species possible. Our team at Five Star Tree Services would love to help you with our tree planting services in Toronto! Give us a call today at (416) 990-3355 if you are interested!
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