It’s every DIY landscaper’s first instinct to opt for planting a tree in the yard, but while trees may seem like a low-maintenance no-brainer, there are some trees you don’t want anywhere near your property. Learn more about the trees that drip on cars, drop seeds and stinky fruit, and leave too much debris in your yard before you settle on the trees you plant. Trees are beneficial plants to foster in your yard, particularly for homeowners trying to cut down their carbon footprint. Having a tree, you can care for in your personal yard is just one way of giving back to the earth. But you should be wary of a few trees that are more trouble than they are worth in the long run. Here are the trees that top the list for what you don’t want in your front or back yard.
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1. Maple Trees That Drip on Cars
You probably know maple leaves the best from the maple syrup you put on your favorite breakfast foods. Maple trees are gorgeous and have iconic leaves, but a maple tree’s downside is trademark sugary sap. While it might seem like a fun idea to have your own maple tree to tap for syrup, the thing about maple trees is the fact that the sap gets everywhere. Maple trees that drip on cars can also eat away at your paint job.
2. Female Ginkgo Trees That Drop Stinky Fruit
Ginkgo trees are golden beauties with uniquely shaped leaves, but the major drawback about the female ginkgo tree is that it drops slippery, stinky fruit all over your yard. If you’re deadset on having a ginkgo tree, make sure you’re planting the male variety, which has the same golden leaves but does not produce the smelly fruit.
3. Cottonwood Trees That Drop Sticky Seeds
Cottonwood trees are fast growers, able to shoot up about 6 feet a year. But these trees are overachievers in other less-desirable ways, too. The cottonwood tree’s primary disadvantage is its pollination season, which can see thousands of cotton-covered seeds drop down and stick to everything. Cottonwood trees make yard maintenance more difficult.
4. Mountain Cedar Trees That Pollinate Everywhere
If you’re an allergy sufferer, then you’ll want to steer clear of mountain cedar trees. The mountain cedars have a rugged beauty that is decidedly less charming when the tree releases literal clouds of yellow pollen that attaches themselves to your yard, your patio, your car, and you. Even if you don’t have allergies, cleaning up this pollen is a hassle best avoided.
5. Walnut Trees That Drop Heavy Seeds
Walnut trees might seem like a good way to have a low-maintenance fruiting tree, but the truth is that walnut trees can be difficult to care for and difficult to place. On top of heavy walnuts that can drop onto cars and unsuspecting heads, walnut trees also produce critter-attracting sugary sap. If you must have one, place it in the farthest corner of your backyard.
6. Poplar Trees That Drip on Cars and Drop Branches
Poplar trees are giants that can grow up to 100 feet tall, but they also bring significant issues. On top of the branches being brittle throughout the year, which means you’re constantly cleaning them up, poplar trees drop leaves that produce sticky sap that can eat away at your paint – that is, if the leaves don’t shrivel and burn under heat first.
Planting a tree in your yard can be a huge undertaking if you wind up planting a high-maintenance tree. Avoid these six problematic trees and rest easy knowing you’re doing your part for the environment when you plant a tree that will work for your yard.
