Being a homeowner means making sure your house has "curb appeal." That usually comes in the form of great landscaping. If you're thinking about sprucing up your yard by planting a tree, make sure you avoid certain ones. According to David Steckel, home expert at Thumbtack...you shouldn't not plant trees within 10 feet of your home, since some trees have invasive root systems that tend to grow laterally and aggressively like Willows, American Elms, and Silver Maples. Also...some trees like Italian Cypress or Eucalyptus are considered highly flammable...so you don't want them too close to your home.
Here are seven trees homeowners should steer clear of planting.
Red Oak
The Red Oak produces hard-to-clean leaves and acorns. “The tree also produces these little flowers called catkins that when they fall, they’re also quite difficult to clean up,” warns Steckel.
Silver Maple
The Silver Maple is a fast-growing shade tree with a shallow root system that can cause turf and concrete issues. Experts say it also doesn't sustain snow and wind very well.
Mulberry
Mulberry trees are known to be messy because their fruit stains just about everything — like your driveway, walkway, porch, or patio.
Cottonwood
A Cottonwood tree’s rapid growth leads to a weak wood structure, making it susceptible to limb breakage and damage from storms and wind.
Female Ginkgo
This tree will bear small round fruits that are not only slippery and fleshy but emit a very foul odor.
Bradford Pear
The Bradford Pear has weak branches that can easily break off in severe weather. Its flowers smell fishy and its thorny seedlings are invasive.
Sweet Gum
Sweet Gum seed pods or “gumballs” fall in autumn and winter and are very tough to rake up.
Source: Apartment Therapy