Fifteen years ago, when I planted this pine this close to my house, I didn’t think about how many needles I’d be cleaning out of the gutter every year. And as I think about it, some trees have a number of characteristics that I’d avoid if I had to do it over again.
Shallow exposed roots like this are not necessarily ugly, but they’re hard on your lawn mower and in fact, your lawn mower is hard on them, when you damage them this way. Some maples and sweet gums are prone to this sort of thing. I’d avoid it.
The messy fruits of sweet gum are another characteristic I’d like to avoid; even though they grow fast and have nice fall color. I’d also look out for hedge apples and some of the crab apples – they’re just as bad.
Here’s another messy fruit-no it isn’t snowing! It’s the seed of a female cottonweed tree. Do you know in some cities it’s even illegal to plant these things? What about trees that produce foul-smelling fruits? A female ginkgo produces fruit about this big that smells like something you’d want to wipe off your shoes.
This hackberry is a good example of a tree with a weedy nature. It seems as if every seed that falls off that tree about 50 yards over there in the neighbors’ yard, comes up in my little garden, and I’ve got to dig it out.
There may not be a perfect tree; but knowing what characteristics to avoid …
Trees To Avoid…
- Pine trees have needles to clean up every year
- Maples and Sweet gums have shallow, exposed roots that are hard on your lawn mower
- Trees that produce messy fruits are good to avoid
- Trees that produce foul-smelling fruits such as the female ginkgo
- The hackberry is an example of a tree with a weedy nature