Which Trees It’s Better to Not Have Growing Next to Your House

Living in a big beautiful house with a yard is a dream for a lot of us. And you might want to add a couple of flower beds, bushes, and trees to make the view even more enjoyable. But beware, instead of pleasing the eye, some trees can be such a headache!

Bright Side wants to spare you the trouble of cutting down trees that didn`t meet your expectations. Here are some of them that you shouldn`t plant near your house in the first place.

1. Bradford pear

If you want to have a pretty white tree near your house, you might want to avoid the Bradford pear. Although it is durable and requires little maintenance, it is very fragile, so strong winds and storms can easily break its branches.

Apart from making a mess, it can also damage your house, your car, or anything that you keep outside. And, much to everyone`s disappointment, the white flowers that look so lovely, actually smell like fish.

2. Mimosa

This tree might catch your eye with its fluffy pink flowers. However, they last for only about 2 weeks. Then they are replaced by tons of ugly brown seed pods that stay there for the rest of the year. Mimosas also attract webworms and their branches are easily broken.

3. Cottonwood

Cottonwood is another tree that is pleasant to the eye and low-maintenance. Some of the downsides are its shallow and soft root system and wood that is prone to rotting, which makes it very unstable during strong winds and storms. Overall, it is pretty brittle, so you might see plenty of broken branches and twigs.

In the summer, this tree produces fluffy seeds that fill up the yard and can stick to the walls of your house, your fence, and your car. It is also very prone to insect infestations and diseases.

4. Ginkgo

With its beautiful saffron yellow leaves in the fall, a Ginkgo Biloba tree can actually be a good choice for your yard. However, if you decide to plant it near your house, make sure to opt for the male tree. The female gingko trees are problematic because of their fruit, which are messy and unbearably smelly.

5. Silver maple

Another tree that can become a nuisance is the silver maple. The reason many people plant it near their houses is that it grows fast and its foliage provides good shade. It is also inexpensive and easy to maintain. However, because the silver maple grows fast, its wood is softer and more brittle, so the branches can break very easily. The root system, on the other hand, is very strong and invasive, which can damage your lawn, water lines, and even crack your pavement and sidewalk.

6. Mulberry

Just like silver maple, the mulberry has aggressive roots which can damage your lawn and crack your walkways. The male trees produce a lot of pollen that can cause allergies. Furthermore, its berries attract birds that can invade your yard and leave your porch and car dirty with poop.

7. Sweetgum

Although sweetgum's foliage has a very lovely color in the fall, this tree is very messy and can be high-maintenance. Sweetgum drops sharp pods that are difficult to remove from the ground. It also has large surface roots that can disturb your lawn and even the foundation of your house.

8. Weeping willow

Weeping willow also has roots that are aggressive and strong. So strong that they can heavily damage water lines and crack pavement. And it might not be a good idea to plant anything else in your yard, since the roots can suck a lot of the water from the soil. Additionally, this tree is very susceptible to pests and disease.

9. White pine

White pine trees are high-maintenance trees, and they don`t do well in cold climates. They are very messy, and you will have to rake up the cones, which decompose very slowly, and remove the pine needles from your yard. Additionally, their pollen becomes a problem in spring, which is hard to get rid of, especially if it gets stuck in places like car windshields. Another thing that is difficult to remove is the sticky pitch can stain your car and clothes. White pine trees also attract pests.

10. Red oak

Red oaks are messy for several reasons. Apart from the large leaves that they drop in the fall, they also drop acorns. And if dropped from a big height, they can even make dents in your car or anything you leave outside. Besides, you can slip on them and injure yourself. Red oaks are also messy in the spring when they shed a huge amount of catkins.

What trees do you have planted in your yard? Have you had any problems with them? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!