The Least Messy Trees to bring home

When choosing the trees to plant in your yard, must ask yourself what kind of qualities you are looking for. You probably envision your garden densely populated with short, fast-growing trees, or you may want more shrubs to your garden that can serve as privacy screens. Or maybe you want species that would survive the long, dry, hot climate of your region or a tree that survives well under shade. It is important to consider all of these and many more aspects when choosing a tree to plant near your home. If you ignore them, you'd probably end up having your yard populated with trees that bear several undesirable qualities. Promising young trees can bring huge proportions of work to your plate later on as they mature. One of the most common problems faced by home gardeners is the number of leaves, fruits, seedpods, and berries that litter the lawn time and time again. Homeowners, therefore, are often interested to know about the least messy trees that can be planted in a yard. A tree should add beauty to your yard rather than extra labor to your life. It is crucial to know about the features of the species you select, beforehand. To help you choose the trees that won't throw too much clean-up chores your way later down the road, below we have compiled a list of the least messy trees for domestic yards.

1. Arborvitae

Who doesn't know about Arborvitaes? The tall and elegant Arborvitae comes in several varieties and is well suited for hedges and screening purposes. The branches of this tree grow densely but can be easily shaped or pruned to your choice. It is the favorite of most gardeners out there for its low-maintenance attributes and high-quality returns. An Arborvitae would thrive in almost all kinds of soil and weather conditions. They bear a pyramidal shape and have a handsome height of 50 feet upon maturity.

2. Flowering Dogwood

Dogwood trees can be found in several varieties, and the flowering variety of Dogwood is the most commonly found variety among domestic gardens and landscapes. The best part about a flowering dogwood is its ability to attract attention all around the year. It yields large fragrant flowers during spring which are then followed by glossy green leaves during summer. By the time it's autumn, the foliage takes a maroon color and yields berries. It loses its leaves during winters but not the appeal – the unique branching pattern of this tree makes it the focal point throughout the year. A Flowering Dogwood grows quickly, reaching a height of 10-25 feet in only about ten years. It is well-adapted to full sun and well-drained soils. The flowering variety of this tree bears berries, but they are small enough and are the favorite of birds, so you don't have to worry about the littering of your garden.

3. Spruce

Spruce trees are one of the most common landscape trees that have sharp needles of the length of about half an inch. The Colorado Blue Spruce is native to North America and is loved by gardeners all around the world for its unique hues of blues and green. It has a handsome height of 30 to 70 feet. On the other hand, dwarf spruce varieties are great for ornamental purposes as they only attain a height of 15 feet. Spruce trees are slow-paced and would take enough time before they mature. The Colorado Blue Spruce only yields bluish-green cones upon maturity. These conifers are low-maintenance trees with only a few demands. They need well-drained, rich organic soil, which makes it necessary to add compost regularly. Once they form roots and are established, regular watering would do the rest. With spruce trees, you need not worry about pruning they do best with their branches grown to the full.

4. Maple

Thinking of maple trees online, the first thought to hit the minds of people is the sticky, sweet maple syrup – don't fret, you are absolutely not going to have a sticky tree to clean. Maple trees are famous for their aesthetic beauty and eye-popping show of colors during the autumn season. The autumn foliage of Maple trees takes rich shades of gold, orange, and maroon throughout the fall. During spring, the new leaves emerging on this tree are a great source of shade and privacy. The leaf fall during autumn would only require some raking as there are no berries or blossoms that may litter your lawn. With all of these qualities, maple trees are also categorized as the least messy trees. Maple trees come in different sizes and shapes, and there are various options to choose from. For example, the Japanese Maple is not a sap-producing maple tree. It grows up to a height of 25 feet, whereas a dwarf Japanese maple tree would only grow up to 2 feet tall.

What to Avoid

Talking about trees, the only tree that won't shed leaves is a leaf-less tree, and none of us would want a tree like that. However, certain choices among trees can rid you of the littering caused by shedding needles, pinecones, and berries. Some trees would have a lot of work to be done, whereas, other tree varieties would require less of your time and effort. If you're genuinely keen to avoid the hassle, must avoid the following species.

1. Sweetgum trees

Gardeners' experience with sweetgum trees has not been as sweet as the name sounds. These trees bear spiky, gumball-shaped seed pods that spread all over the lawn. Cleaning up loads of them time and time again can be a serious problem for homeowners.

2. Northern Catalpa Trees

The Northern Catalpa trees yield large leaves and bean-shaped pods. These trees are undoubtedly beautiful but with abundant leaves and pods, it gets super difficult to keep their surroundings clean.

3. Eastern White Pine Trees

This is the last choice you'd want to make for your domestic yard. In addition to shedding leaves (pine needles) in larger amounts, an Eastern White Pine Tree also produces a sticky sap. This sticky sap, known as pitch, can create too much of a mess for your yard that can only be removed with solvents like rubbing alcohol.

Bottom Line

The tree to be planted in your yard will have effects on your home and yard for decades to come- this decision, therefore, must be very well thought. Don't hesitate to seek a piece of tailored advice from an arborist or expert for more details into the pros and cons of planting a specific species in your yard.

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