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Gardening is a fascinating and rewarding hobby, especially for your yard. Planting and caring for a variety of greenery is calming and stress-relieving, and the improvements to your property can mean huge value increases and an increased “wow” factor. But you must be careful when dealing with certain plants. Some plants are dangerous to you, like hollies, which have poisonous berries, or poison ivy. Other plants, though, are actually a threat to your property. For example, they may starve other plants of nutrients or cause root damage to your foundation. Below are 6 trees that you should never plant in your yard as well as brief descriptions of why they can spell trouble for your property, no matter how attractive they may be. Cottonwood Cottonwood trees are handsome and low-maintenance, but they also happen to have very shallow and weak roots. These roots can easily rot or give way, which makes them incredibly unstable during stormy weather. The last thing you want is all or part of a mature tree falling onto your car or the house itself. Bradford Pear Common staples in suburban areas, Bradford pear trees have an attractive pyramid-like shape and grow very quickly, both excellent features. However, they have very brittle and weak branches and large growths can litter your property or even make impact with your house during windy weather. Mimosa Tree Like the drink that is their namesake, mimosa trees are pleasant in moderation but can spell trouble when you have too much. Mimosa trees, aside from being frail, produce large seeds in great abundance. Their seeds have a high success rate, meaning that you can have an entire yard full of mimosa trees before you know it. These numerous new growths can be troublesome for young and fragile plants, as the young mimosas will starve them of nutrients and sunlight. Popcorn Tree Officially named the Chinese tallow but referred to as "popcorn trees" because of their plump, yellow-white flowers, these beautiful and broad plants provide excellent shade and color for your yard. It is easy to see why gardeners and landscapers would be drawn to them. However, they have highly invasive roots. They grow quickly, interfere with the roots of other nearby plants, and can even send strong roots straight into your foundation, which can spell trouble for your entire house. A damaged foundation means an unstable home, cracks in walls and flooring, instability during bad weather, and much more. Lombardy Poplar Due to its distinctively tall and stalwart shape, the Lombardy poplar is extremely popular in American yards. It grows quickly and offers beautifully full branches. However, these trees can also be extremely problematic. First of all, they are vulnerable to a wide variety of plant diseases, many of which can discolor them and bare their branches. Worst of all, their root systems are highly complex, heavy, and problematic. Try as you might to keep their roots away from your foundation, they will fight back—and harder—digging deep under your foundation, sidewalks, driveway—anywhere you do not want them. Sweetgum What a beautifully colorful and leafy tree. Sweetgum trees are eye-catching, as are the quirky, spiky fruits they drop in their most fertile season. However, these sweet trees have a sour side, too. First of all, their fruit can impale itself into the ground, making it difficult to extract them. They can litter your grass and even other plants. Worst of all, though, are their extremely thick surface roots—roots that rival the trunk in thickness and strength. Their roots can penetrate nearby surfaces and make a beeline straight through your foundation. With enough damage to its foundation, a home can be condemned or considered too dangerous for human habitation. If you have any of the above trees in your yard or suspect that other plants on your property are not playing nicely, consider contacting experts to prune these plants, remove them, and repair the damage to your property. For example, consider enlisting foundation repair contractors to inspect your foundation for root damage.
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