5 Trees You Shouldn’t Plant in Your Yard

When buying a new tree for a yard or garden, there are a lot more aspects to consider than just how much sun they get and how fast they grow. There are a lot of popular trees South Calgary homeowners think they love until they own one. Whether it’s because of how many leaves they have to rake or how they attract harmful pests near homes, homeowners need to know what to avoid when choosing a new tree so they don't end up with one that causes more harm than good. Here is what all homeowners need to know about bad trees and how to avoid them.

Troublesome Root Systems

All plants have roots, and trees are no exception. Some trees have root systems that will spread out over a large distance, and some have root systems that dig deep into the earth. Roots can cause a lot of damage as they grow. If they grow beneath a cement sidewalk, they can cause it to crack and become uneven. Roots can even break underground pipes or cause damage to a home’s foundation. When choosing a tree for a yard or garden, homeowners need to research the type of root system each species they’re considering has.

Leaf Litter

Most trees will shed their leaves every year during the fall, but some trees shed a lot more than others. Homeowners who want to make raking leaves as easy as possible for themselves should chose trees that have fewer leaves to shed. Some popular trees with lot of leaves include:

• Oak trees
• Northern catalpa trees
• Sweet gum trees
• Southern magnolia trees
• Pecan trees

Homeowners who want to avoid trees that drop leaves entirely should avoid deciduous trees. Instead, they can plant coniferous species like pine trees.

Mess and Debris

Many species of trees produce pollen, fruits, or seeds of some sort in order to produce more trees. Most debris that falls from trees needs to be picked up before a homeowner can mow their lawn - or else they risk damaging their lawnmower. Black walnut trees are a good example of a tree that drops a lot of inedible nuts that need to be picked up. Another popular tree, the common cedar, produces an exceptional amount of pollen in the spring. This pollen can agitate people who have pollen allergies and even threaten the lives of people who have asthma.

Insect Attraction

Some trees naturally attract insects to a yard that can then go on to harm the home or kill the tree. A perfect example of this type of tree is the ash tree. Ash trees are extremely common in North America, but they attract a beetle called the emerald ash borer. These beetles are known to destroy ash trees by devouring the inner bark of the trees. This inhibits the trees from carrying water from the roots to the rest of the organism, and the trees die. Currently, these beetles live in five Canadian provinces and 35 American states.

There’s a lot more that goes into picking a good tree for a yard or garden than just choosing which one looks the nicest. Some of the most attractive and popular trees are bad trees. When looking for a tree at a local nursery, try asking a sales representative to help select the best tree for your yard.