5 Messiest Trees in the Washington DC Area
Trees are lovely when in the right setting. There are some trees that are a slight nuisance when dealing with spring or fall clean up. Here I will go over the 5 messiest trees in the Washington DC area and the reason behind why they are called messy. For those of you who will be planting a new tree, choose wisely because you don’t want to be cleaning up after you tree for the coming years. The Washington DC area has rich temperate soil that allows a unique group of trees to flourish.
The Problem with Messy Trees
In a forest setting, these messy trees are fine because you don’t clean up the forest floor from leaves and fruits or nuts. On a manicured landscape, messiness should be a consideration for choosing a tree to plant. The problem is one would have to clean up after the tree. One would expect some level of messiness when dealing with a tree since deciduous trees shed their leave every season. These trees listed dirtier than most trees which will require extra clean up. Some of the fruits or nuts could also be trip hazards under the right conditions.
Criteria For Messiness
Messy trees are trees that have large fruits or nuts falling onto your lawn. Even trees that secrete an excessive amount of sap could even make it a messy tree. Large leaves could even be considered messy trees when cleaning up during the fall. Even bark that exfoliates could even be considered messy because it will cause some extra clean up.
Top 5 Messiest trees in The Washington DC Area
Sweet Gum
Sweet Gums are common in the Washington DC area. This tree is prized for its timber and sweet gummy sap. The height of the tree varies from 60-90 feet. With a spread of 50-75 feet. The reason sweet gum makes the list is due to its fruit which are green capsules which are the shape of balls. When the balls ripen, they turn a brown color. They are tough to rake up and could be a tripping hazard for those around the drip line or outer edge of the canopy.
White Mulberry
The White Mulberry is a small deciduous tree that reaches 30 to 50 ft in height. In this area, the White Mulberry is considered invasive. Originally from China, they were used as a food source for silkworms during Chinese colonial times. The reason why the White Mulberry is on the list is due to its fruits. The white mulberry produces tons of seeded berries, and they can range from color to black to pink. Their fruits are known to stain driveways and sidewalks. The red mulberry is native to this area and commonly mistaken for the white mulberry. The White Mulberry has glossy leaves while the red mulberry does not.
Black Walnut
The Black Walnut is a tall straight trunk tree, reach heights of 100-130ft. Black Walnut is a desired wood for its deep brown color, and it can be easily worked with woodworking tools. The reason this tree makes the list is due to its large fruits. Their fruit is a green spherical shape where the seed is small and very hard. The husk of the seed can cause trip hazards and is rather large in terms of fruit size. If you have a yard that is being used a lot, make sure to keep the ground clean from the fallen fruits because they can be a serious trip hazard.
Shagbark Hickory
The Shagbark Hickory is a common hickory in the eastern part of United States. Grows well over 100 ft tall and can live for more the 350 years. They can be easily identified due to the shaggy bark. The reason why this tree makes the list is due to its large fruit. The fruit has a hard, bony shell contained in a thick four sectioned husk which turns dark and splits off at maturity. These fruits can be trip hazards. If you have this tree and use your yard a lot, make sure to keep up the fruit during the year.
Northern Catalpa
The Northern Catalpa grows to 40-60 ft in height. Known for there for their cigar like bean pods, the Northern Catalpa has large heart shaped leaves. Also, the wood is quite soft in terms of wood density. This tree is on the list due to its bean pods. Once they fall from the tree, they can be quite a mess. Also, you may find broken limbs due to the wood structure being so soft. Very messy tree when one must clean up after the tree.
In a forest setting, these trees are fine, but in a manicured landscape they prove to be quite messy to pick up after. AAA Tree Service highly recommends not planting these trees in your yard unless in a forest setting. These trees will require more work throughout its lifespan.