Negatives for having trees in your yard
I love trees. I run a website about planting them. But I've also spent thousands removing bad trees from my yard, so I'm not going to pretend there aren't real downsides. Here's the honest list.
Gutter and roof damage
If a tree hangs over your roof, leaves and debris fill your gutters and settle in the roof valleys. Clogged gutters cause water damage to fascia boards and siding. Debris in valleys traps moisture against the shingles and shortens their life.
Budget for gutter cleaning twice a year ($100-200 per visit, or a weekend on a ladder) if you have trees near your roof. Gutter guards help with large leaves but still clog with small debris, seeds, and roofing grit.
Root damage to hardscape
Trees with shallow, aggressive root systems crack sidewalks, lift driveways, and invade foundations. The worst offenders: willows, silver maples, sweetgum, and most ficus species.
Repairing a raised sidewalk section costs $500-1,500. Foundation repair from root intrusion starts around $5,000.
You can avoid this by choosing trees with deep, non-invasive root systems and planting at least 10 feet from any pavement or structure. Our sidewalk tree guide lists species that behave themselves.
Professional trimming costs
A mature shade tree needs professional trimming every 3-5 years. Depending on the tree's size and access, expect to pay $200-800 per tree per visit.
Skip the trimming and you'll pay more later. Untrimmed trees develop weak branch attachments, overgrown canopies that catch more wind, and dead wood that falls on whatever's underneath. Knowing how to choose the right arborist can save you money and prevent bad cuts that make things worse.
Storm damage liability
A large limb that falls in a windstorm can land on your house, your car, your neighbor's property, or someone walking on the sidewalk. If a healthy tree drops a limb during an unusual storm, your homeowner's insurance generally covers it. If the tree was dead or visibly diseased and you ignored it, you may be personally liable.
Get trees inspected before storm season. Removing a hazardous tree proactively costs $500-2,500. Removing it from your neighbor's living room costs more and comes with a lawsuit.
Pest attraction
Certain trees attract specific pests:
- Aphids love birch, linden, and tulip trees. They excrete honeydew (sticky sap) that coats everything underneath the canopy.
- Birds flock to trees with berries (holly, mulberry, crabapple). Hundreds of birds means bird droppings on your car, deck, and sidewalk.
- Carpenter ants colonize dead wood in older trees and can migrate to your house. Learn more about how pest infestations can compromise your home's safety.
- Nuisance birds like crows and starlings roost in large trees and create noise and mess issues.
Messy droppings
Sap-producing trees (pine, birch, maple in spring) drip sticky residue on cars, walkways, and outdoor furniture. Fruit trees drop fruit that rots on the ground and attracts yellow jackets. Sweetgum drops spiky seed balls. Oaks drop acorns. Some mess is manageable. Some is not.
The worst mess-makers are all trees I recommend avoiding. See worst trees for your yard for the complete list.
Leaf cleanup
Deciduous trees drop their leaves every fall. For a single moderate-sized maple, that's one or two weekends of raking. For a row of oaks, it's a month-long project. Leaves left on the lawn smother grass. Leaves left on the driveway get slippery when wet.
A leaf blower ($50-200) or mulching mower makes this manageable. Bagged leaves make excellent compost if you've got the space.
Shade kills grass
Dense shade trees like oaks and maples make it hard to grow grass directly underneath. Between the shade and root competition for water, the grass under a large canopy often thins out or dies.
The solution: don't fight it. Replace the grass under the canopy with mulch, shade-tolerant groundcover, or a landscaping project that works with the shade instead of against it.
Heritage tree restrictions
Many cities protect large trees with "heritage tree" ordinances. In my city, any tree with a base circumference over 50 inches can't be removed without a permit, and permits are hard to get. You even need permission to trim them.
This means if you inherit a terrible tree from a previous homeowner and it's already large enough to qualify, you may be stuck with it. One more reason to remove bad trees before they grow too big.
The bottom line
Every one of these negatives can be avoided or minimized by picking the right tree for the right spot. Plant a non-invasive species 10+ feet from structures, choose low-mess varieties, and budget for regular maintenance.
Trees are still worth it. The positives outweigh the negatives by a wide margin, as long as you don't plant the wrong tree and ignore it.