Ever wonder why certain types of trees are removed more often than others? The answer might surprise you. In this post we will talk about 7 of the most commonly removed trees from residential properties, and why they can be dangerous to keep around. From the Silver Maple to Pine Tree’s, let’s learn all about what can make them a hazard on your property and when it may be time to look at removal.
What Makes a Tree Species More Likely to Require Removal?
When it comes to which tree species are most likely to require removal, there are several factors that we look at. These include factors such as structural weakness, fast growth rates, invasive roots, susceptibility to diseases or pests, and potential safety hazards. Some tree species for example have weak wood, making them more prone to breakage during storms. Other species have aggressive root systems that can lead to damage on your properties foundation, sidewalks, and sewer lines. How many of these tree’s do you have on your property?
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
The Silver Maple is a tall, fast growing native tree of eastern North America. Its beautiful leaves, fast growing nature, and ability to thrive in multiple soil conditions often make it popular for lawns and homes. However, the Silver Maple also has weak wood, making it easily susceptible to storm damage and frequent branch breakage, which could lead to costly repairs down the road.
Ash Trees (Fraxinus spp.)
Unlike the Silver Maple, Ash Trees have strong wood that is used to produce high quality timber for flooring and other building materials. They are in the Olive and Lilac family and produce medium to large trees with a large, beautiful cover. But if you live in the midwest, it is very likely that your Ash Tree will be susceptible to Ash Borer infestation, which is a small beetle that reproduces inside of Ash trees and will lead to loss of bark and damaged branches. These damaged branches are then more likely to fall, potentially causing damage to your property.
Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)
The Bradford Pear, also known as Callery Pear Tree is a species of pear tree native to China and Vietnam, which has become increasingly popular to plant for ornamental purposes here in the United States. They have beautiful blossoms in the spring, but rather than a fresh floral smell they reportedly have a foul odor and the fruit is toxic and bitter. They’ve also been found to crowd out native plants and provide little to no food for insects, resulting in a damaged ecosystem. Because of this they are considered invasive and are even banned in some states such as Ohio.
Poplar Trees (Populus spp.)
Poplar Tree’s cover a wide range of species such as Poplar, Aspen and Cottonwood Trees. They are native to most of the northern hemisphere, and are widely used outside of landscaping for paper manufacturing. While this tree is perfect for inexpensive timber used for pallets and cheap plywood, it may not be a great option for your lawn. They have an incredibly invasive root system that can damage your property, messy seed dispersal, and fragile branches that are known to fall during storms.
Willow Trees (Salix spp.)
While a Willow Tree is one of the most iconic trees with their beautiful, hanging branches, they are often removed from residential properties for a few different reasons. Where you have the space for them to be far away from any structures on your property they can be a wonderful addition to your home, but due to their invasive roots system and weak wood they can cause many issues to any structure on your land from both above and below ground.
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
The Norway Maple is a large deciduous tree that can grow up to be between 40-60 feet in height. It was introduced to North America in the mid-1700s as a shade tree. While they put on a show in the fall with their changing colors, the Norway Maple is notorious for its surface roots, which cause issues in the form of bumpy lawns and busted patios. Also because of it’s invasive nature and the dense shade it provides it outcompetes many native plants which can be harmful to your local ecosystem.
Pine Trees (Pinus spp.)
Last but not least on our list we have Pine Trees. Pines have slender needles and are native to northern temperate regions. But if you’ve ever had a real Christmas tree in your home, you know that needle drop can be a messy hassle that no one wants to deal with. The dropped cones can cause problems for mowers, sticky sap is a mess to handle, and some pine needles are toxic to animals and humans. With regular maintenance these hassles can be minimized, however many people choose to have the tree removed to save time and money over the years.
Trees that Commonly get the Axe
In summary, the biggest reasons that we generally see these trees removed are often tied to weak wood, attraction of pests, invasive nature, and aggressive root systems. While this doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of every one of these trees from your property immediately, it is good to stay informed so that you can be prepared and take any safety precautions necessary to protect yourself and your home.
Do you have any of these tree’s on your property? Or is there another that you think that we should add to the list? Let us know in the comments below! And if you are looking to have a tree removed from your property fill out our Estimate Request form here and let Land Tree Removal connect you with an expert arborist in your area.
