Worst trees for your yard

After 20 years in our Northern California home, I've spent thousands of dollars removing seven trees from our yard that never should have been planted in the first place. Eucalyptus, birch, privet, holly, cherry, Italian plum, and sycamore. Every one of them was a mistake by a previous homeowner, and every one cost me $800 to $2,800 to remove.

Here's what I learned the expensive way so you don't have to.

Eucalyptus

Our eucalyptus was the biggest tree in the side yard. It grew fast, which is exactly why the railroad companies imported them from Australia in the 1800s for railroad ties. They quickly discovered that eucalyptus wood is too soft for ties and needed constant replacement. By then, the trees were everywhere. No koala bears to eat the leaves, either.

The real problem: eucalyptus wood is soft and brittle. When it gets tall (and they get very tall), strong winds snap huge limbs. One near-miss with our roof was enough. I paid $1,500 to have it removed. The tree company needed a crane to lift limbs out from between the houses.

At least after my experience, there's one less eucalyptus in California.

Birch trees

We put up with three birch trees way too long. The previous owners planted them in the worst possible spot: right where the canopy would hang over the driveway, the front sidewalk, and the concrete patio by the front door.

Aphids love birch trees. Almost every year, these things coated our trucks, sidewalk, patio, and everything on them with sticky sap. Not just "a little sticky." The kind of sticky where you need a pressure washer. They also dropped flower-like growths into the gutters and shed leaves all fall.

If someone puts a gun to your head and says you must plant birch trees, put them in a far corner of your yard where you never walk. Better yet, don't plant them at all. Get a maple instead.

Privet

Our backyard privet looked beautiful in spring. That beauty lasted about three weeks. The rest of the year, it dropped crap on the roof, in the hot tub, on the deck, and across every surface underneath it.

Your love affair with a privet will be short-lived. If you see a small one anywhere in your yard, cut it now before it gets too big and you need to hire someone.

Holly

Every year my neighbor offered to split the cost of removing our holly tree because it hung over his yard too. The leaves have needle-sharp points (fun for barefoot kids), and the berries attract birds. Not five or ten birds. Hundreds. Feasting like there's no tomorrow.

Some would grab a berry and fly to the birch trees to eat it, dropping pieces on the sticky sap-covered ground below. And we all know what birds leave behind while sitting in trees. Both my neighbor and I celebrated the day the tree company showed up.

Sweet Gum (Liquidambar)

A neighbor down the street had five of these between her house and the one next door. After two incidents where huge limbs tore through the roofs of both houses, she had them all removed. Sweet gum trees shed limbs in high winds like they're trying to set a record.

The park at the end of our block is full of liquidambars. After every windstorm, the ground is covered with downed limbs. Add the spiky seed balls that roll underfoot like medieval torture devices, and you've got a tree that belongs in the "never plant this" hall of fame. Read more about why you should never plant sweet gum.

Pine and other evergreens (in yards)

Pine trees belong in forests, not residential yards. All year long, sticky needles litter the driveway, sidewalk, and clog the gutters. Assorted pine cones drop on your roof, your car, or your head.

It's the constant flow of needles that gets you. Not a dramatic once-a-year leaf drop you can handle in a weekend. A slow, never-ending drizzle of needles that you'll be sweeping from October to June.

Olive trees

Thank goodness we never had one of the olive trees that fill most of our neighbors' yards. When the fruit ripens, you're in trouble if one hangs over your sidewalk or driveway. The olives drop, get stepped on, and leave oily purple stains on everything. Birds eat the olives and distribute colorful droppings across your car and patio.

If you absolutely must have olives, get a fruitless cultivar like 'Swan Hill' or 'Wilsonii.' They cost more but save you years of cleanup.

Watch out for "heritage tree" rules

In our city, if the circumference of a tree's base reaches 50 inches, it becomes a "heritage tree." You can't remove it without permission, and permission is hard to get. You even need approval to trim it.

Translation: get rid of bad trees before they become legally protected bad trees. Check your local ordinances. Many cities have similar rules.

What to plant instead

My number one recommendation is a maple tree. They come in several varieties, have nice canopies for shade, turn color in fall, and drop manageable leaves only once a year. I planted one in the front yard after removing the birch trees, and it's already better than anything the previous owners chose.

Ginkgo trees are another excellent choice. The tree company owner on our block has one in his own yard. He tells everyone who'll listen that ginkgo is one of the best yard trees you can plant. He practices what he preaches.

The one-year test

Before buying any tree, walk your neighborhood for an entire year. Watch every tree through all four seasons. The best trees will be obvious: full canopy, clean ground underneath, no cracked sidewalks, no sticky driveways.

The worst trees will be obvious too. They're the ones surrounded by fallen fruit, with homeowners out on Saturdays sweeping and cursing.

Don't get stuck with one of the worst trees for your yard. And don't believe that gutter guards will save you from messy trees. I've tried most of them. They don't work. Even if they keep big leaves out, dirt and roofing grit will clog the gutters anyway, and now you can't reach inside to clean them.

Plant the right tree in the right spot, and you'll thank yourself every time you look out the window. Start with our best trees for your yard list.