Some trees have hungry and thirsty roots that can endanger any other plant that grows nearby. These trees will take all of the nutrients so there is nothing left for other plants. Other trees come with their specific problems, such as being over-sensitive to temperature changes or having toxins that can endanger other plants. For the obvious reasons, these trees are not candidates for your home garden.

Hungry and Thirsty Roots

Some trees have strong roots that are very thirsty or hungry. These roots can easily take all of the nutrients or water from the soil. It means that any other plant nearby cannot get these nutrients and water. It is difficult to grow these trees if you also wish to grow other plants in your garden.

Trees known for hungry or thirsty roots include:

Weeping Willow

Weeping willow is also known as Golden Weeping Willow. It is famous for its long, slender branches that makes it look like tree is crying. This tree is both interesting and very effective so many people wish to grow it in their gardens.

However, there is a problem with the Weeping Willow. It has very thirsty roots, which can cause a lot of trouble. The roots can quickly such out all the water from the soil. It means that there will be no water left for other plants you may want to grow in your garden.

This is why a Weeping willow might not be the best choice for your garden. Another problem is that Weeping willows tend to be high: the average height of the Weeping willow ranges between 75 and 100 feet. As such, it may be a good choice only for very large gardens.

Quaking Aspen

Quaking Aspen is a versatile, strong tree that will look great in any garden. It is known as one of the most durable trees you can grow. These things make Quaking Aspen a good candidate to grow in your garden.

However, keep in mind that this tree has a thirsty root system. It takes nutrients quickly and fully. In turn, it can end up weighting tons. This is hardly an ideal situation for your garden. This is why Quaking aspen is not the best tree to grow in your backyard.

Sweetgum

Sweetgum is a beautiful tree but it has one big problem: large surface roots. These roots can grow to huge size and can even endanger your home's foundation. The roots of this tree will also ruin your lawn, patio, pool or any other nearby surface.

Another problem with a Sweetgum tree is that it produced awkward trees that are very difficult to remove from the ground. For these reasons it is best to avoid growing this tree in your backyard.

Other Problems

There are some additional problems that make certain trees a bad choice for your garden. Here are some popular trees and various problems you can encounter if you choose to grow these trees in your backyard:

Black Walnut

Black walnut is a beautiful tree but you should never grow it in your garden. It produces dangerous toxins that will kill other plants around it. These toxins can kill flowers, vegetable and many other plants.

Another issue that black walnut has is similar to female Ginko Biloba tree. It has fruits tat get very messy when they fall down on the driveways and other parts of your garden. These are very difficult to clean so it's best to avoid planting a black walnut tree.

White Pine

White pine is a gorgeous tree but it is not a good choice of a garden plant, particularly for the busy people. This tree requires a lot of maintenance so you need to dedicate time and effort to make it thrive.

This tree is very sensitive in numerous ways. It doesn't tolerate cold climates and can suffer injuries due to ice damage or winter burn. Another issue is that this tree attracts a lot of pests that you don't want in your garden. This is why it's best to avoid planting a white pine in your backyard.

White Birch

Birch trees are very attractive and they can add a luxurious touch to your garden. However, it is best to avoid one specific type of birch: white birch. This tree is susceptible to bronze birch borer that can kill the tree quickly.

Also, white birch doesn't tolerate hot and dry weather, so it is not a good choice for those living in hot areas. Another issue with this tree is that it has a shallow root system, which makes the tree unstable. For these reasons, it is best to avoid white birch and plant another birch type in your garden.

Photo credit: Doug Ford