Worms And Nuts And Limbs — Oh My! Two Landscape Trees That Drop Things On Your Head
Who doesn't love trees, oaks, and maples with their beautiful summer shade and colorful fall leaves, or evergreens standing tall and green when everything else is stark and bare? Some trees, however, are not as friendly to your yard, your landscape, or maybe your head as others.
Catalpa Tree
Also known as the catawba tree, this tree is absolutely spectacular when in bloom. Its large, heart-shaped leaves make for a lush canopy perfect for summer shade — but wait! Those voluminous blossoms fall like snow on your lawn and lead the way to thousands of seed pods, which open and spew seeds out everywhere, then fall on your lawn as well.
Then there are the catalpa worms. Yes, this tree has its own worms, and a large, mature tree can have thousands of them. They are prized by fishermen, but not so much by homeowners that find them covering their sidewalks and falling on their cars and even their heads as they walk underneath.
To top it all off, those huge leaves can bury your lawn in the fall, and that's not all! These trees also drop twigs and large chunks of bark continually.
So beware the catalpa if you don't like creepy crawlies and other undesirable things constantly falling out of your trees.
Pecan Trees
What could be bad about having a tree that has yummy pecans on it? Lots of things, actually. The pecan tree not only drops twigs, but the wood is also very brittle, and entire limbs the size of small trees can fall in a strong thunderstorm. They don't like ice and snow at all, and it's difficult to make it through a harsh winter without major limb loss and damage.
But the nuts, you say! Pecans do fall from the trees, but so do the hulls they are enclosed in. These hulls are hard and sharp enough to puncture a tennis shoe, and they are difficult to rake out of grass..
Speaking of raking, pecan trees drop their leaves all at once, as if on command from Mother Nature. They are small enough to clog gutters and can even stick in crevices of your car or slip through the grill and plaster themselves on your radiator.
So if you don't want a troublesome tree, buy your pecans at a roadside stand and leave pecan trees in the orchards where they belong.
If you're looking for low maintenance trees, contact a local tree service or landscaping company like Greatland Tree Service for recommendations on suitable low-maintenance trees for your area.
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