There are crucial factors to take into account before getting out the shovel if you’re planning to sell your home someday or if you want to add a new tree to your yard. For instance, some trees require labor-intensive maintenance, or you risk unintentionally planting invasive species that harm your land.

 

According to Legends Tree Service, my driveway at my first house was shaded by a huge and stunning Ginkgo tree. “In the fall, the tree would produce these tiny orange fruits, which would all fall to the ground within a week. They would discolor my stonework or, worse, my automobile if I didn’t clear them off right away. If the cold weather arrived sooner than expected, it would harden the pulp, leaving that muck glued to my car all winter.

 

Steckel advises against planting trees within 10 feet of your home if at all possible since some trees, such as willows, American elms, and silver maples, have invasive root systems that have a propensity to develop horizontally and aggressively. Because these root systems are hydrophilic—that is, they love water—they can enter drains and sewer systems as well as lift roadways and sidewalks in their quest for moisture.

 

Researching which trees to avoid when choosing which ones to plant is important since one mistake could turn away potential purchasers after the tree has grown to maturity. Here are seven trees that homeowners should not plant, from Cottonwood to Female Ginkgo.

 

 

Red Oak

 

The Red Oak is a lovely but troublesome to maintain tree that makes acorns and difficult-to-clean leaves. Steckel cautions that the tree also produces tiny blossoms called catkins, which are challenging to clean up when they fall.

 

 

Silver Maple

 

Fast-growing Silver Maple trees can damage concrete and turf because of their shallow root systems.

 

 

Mulberry

 

Mulberry trees are notorious for being untidy since its fruit stains practically everything, including your patio, porch, and driveway. The invasive roots of the mulberry are big and shallow, and they regularly harm irrigation systems, home foundations, break pavement, and upend landscaping in addition to drawing dozens of birds to the fruit.

 

 

Cottonwood

 

Due to their quick growth, Cottonwood trees have fragile wood structures, which make them vulnerable to storm and wind damage as well as limb breakage. Cottonwood trees lack the resilience to endure prolonged exposure to the weather. The trees constantly shed leaves and sticks, as well as fluffy, cotton-like seeds in late spring or early summer that attach to just about anything.

 

 

Female Ginkgo

 

Parker warns against planting a female ginkgo tree, sometimes known as a “maidenhair tree,” in your yard since it will produce small, rounded fruits that are not only slippery and mushy but also have an extremely offensive smell. Male Ginkgos, on the other hand, are a robust, low-maintenance kind of tree to have in your yard. It’s crucial to acquire the right sex when purchasing a Ginkgo because it has a big canopy and a long lifespan due to its resilience to pests and disease.

 

 

Bradford Pear

 

The Bradford Pear is notorious for having frail branches that are simple to fall off in bad weather. This plant is exceedingly invasive and has unappealingly fishy-smelling blossoms that drive out native flora.

 

 

Sweet Gum

 

The “gumballs”—sweet gum seed pods—that fall in the autumn and winter are exceedingly challenging to rake up. The tree’s surface roots can also cause problems throughout the grass, and these seed capsules have a rounded, pointed, and prickly appearance.