Trees.... the good and the bad

I LOVE Weeping Willow trees. Always have. They are so graceful to me. But you ask my husband or some others and they will tell you that they are messy and a royal pain to care for.  I realize that the branches shed and they need to be trimmed and raked under frequently. But gosh... look at them! They are gorgeous!

Well, in my visiting various websites about trees in general I have learned from "Plant Care Today" that there are 11 trees that you should never plant in your yard. 

1. Silver Maple - weak, brittle wood that may break during severe storms. The shallow root system invades sewage pipes and drain fields, and is notorious for cracking driveways and walkways.
2. Ash - is threatened by the emerald ash borer, a tiny beetle that’s on track to wipe out the species. 
3. Quaking Aspen - its root system is insidious, sending up dozens of suckers that relentlessly try to turn into new trees.
4. Hybrid poplars - especially susceptible to diseases, and most won’t last more than 15 years.
5. Willow - has an aggressive, water-hungry root system that terrorizes drain fields, sewer lines, and irrigation pipes. The wood is weak and prone to cracking, and the tree is relatively short-lived, lasting only about 30 years.
6. Eucalyptus - has a bad rap for suddenly and unexpectedly dropping big, heavy, resin-filled branches.
7. Bradford Pear - highly prone to splitting and cracking when it reached maturity. And those blossoms? They’re on the stinky side of the fragrance scale.
8. Mountain Cedar - native to the south central U.S., releases massive amounts of pollen during the cooler months, causing severe allergic reactions in many people.
9. Mulberry - Big surface roots, lots of pollen, messy fruit, and shade so dense that grass refuses to grow underneath.
10. Black Walnut - It also produces pollen and plenty of fruit that will drive you, well, nuts when you have to clean it all up in the fall. It’s true sinister side, however, is that it secretes growth-inhibiting toxins that kill nearby plants, wreaking havoc on flower beds and vegetable gardens. 
11. Leyland Cypress - they require constant upkeep and trimming to keep them healthy, and as they get taller they’re increasingly likely to uproot during storms. The center of the tree forms a mass of dried twigs and branches that are considered such a fire hazard that many communities officially caution residents against planting them.

I never realized this about trees. I sure learned a lot! I've already planted a Willow tree and no one can tell me to get rid of it!  It's on the edge of the yard near a creek, so it will not cause the home plumbing any problems. We were considering a Black Walnut, but after reading the above info, that is no longer going to happen.  Go directly to this page to see 11 MORE trees to avoid putting in your yard. I'm going there myself right now! 

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