Before selecting a tree for you yard, it’s important to consider the maintenance requirements (or “nuisance factor”) of a particular species. Some trees, for example, require seasonal care, while others can be left alone for several years before they need attention. Some trees have known disease issues; others are recognized as being pest-free. To some homeowners, the benefits or special features of a particular tree may outweigh its drawbacks, so it’s best to be an educated consumer and decide for yourself which tree you’d like to have growing in your landscape.
The Southern magnolia produces beautiful large flowers, but the seedpods it sheds in fall create treacherous walking conditions if they aren’t continuously picked up.
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
Pines, for instance, require little follow-up maintenance once they’re established in the ground. Of course, they shed pine needles, but most folks consider that a free source of mulch. (And depending on where you live, some broken limbs may result from heavy snowfall weighing on the evergreen branches, so just be aware of where you park the family car.)
Deciduous trees, such as maples, drop their leaves in fall – some providing a spectacular color display between the green and brown stages. Leaving the fallen leaves on the lawn is sometimes acceptable, but in most cases, they should be removed by raking or chopped with the lawn mower for composting. If the grass is covered with a blanket of leaves, it can’t get sunlight or air circulation, which will hinder lawn growth and promote disease.
Fruit trees may need to be netted to protect the ripening fruit from hungry birds, or they may need to be treated with pesticides to prevent insect and disease problems. Fruit trees also require some pruning to ensure that adequate light can reach the developing fruit. Some fruit trees, like peaches, should be thinned when the fruit is about the size of a golf ball (or earlier). This is necessary because multiple fruit start to grow in tight clusters. By removing all but one or two young fruit from each cluster, those remaining will grow larger and sweeter.
Of course, there are some trees that develop undesirable fruit. The gingko tree, for example is a beautiful plant with paper-white bark and bright green, fan-shaped leaves. It’s a dioecious tree, meaning that there are male trees and female trees of this type. The female gingkos produce a fleshy fruit that gives off a noxious odor that’ll have you looking for a pooper-scooper. You definitely want to avoid stepping on the gingko fruit. (The lesson is: Buy a male tree!)
Some trees produce more than leaf litter. For example, the catalpa tree drops 6-inch-long bean pods, and the sweet gum tree drops “gum balls” – spiky, 1-inch-diameter seedpods – both of which can create hazardous walking conditions on a sidewalk.
While Bradford pear trees remain popular for their oval canopy of white flowers, the tree is known to be weak-wooded, a common problem of fast-growing trees. Strong winds can break away half of a nearly mature tree, leaving an unsightly shape, but maybe the profuse flowers and the tree’s disease resistance are worth the risk of a wind-damaged tree – it’s a choice that’s up to you!
Finding a great tree is not a difficult task; the key is finding a great tree that fits your landscape. Before choosing a tree based on one fabulous characteristic, do a little research to see if there are some less-fabulous features to consider. A little homework might save a lot of headaches and help you avoid an unpleasant surprise after the tree is well-established in your yard.
