Tree of Heaven <\/strong><\/h2> (Ailanthus altissima)<\/strong><\/p> The tree of heaven (pictured above) doesn\u2019t exactly live up to its name in Kansas City.<\/p>
As Alan Branhagen, director of horticulture at local botanical garden Powell Gardens notes<\/a> in a guide of invasive exotic plants, the woody tree of heaven has become problematic in northwestern Missouri and has become a real pest in other regional woodlands.<\/p> Because it self-sows its seeds so prolifically, the plant invades the area around it, surviving especially well in disturbed urban sites. The Missouri Department of Conservation even marks<\/a> the tree as a skin-irritating invasive.<\/p> So don\u2019t be drawn in by its long clusters of flowers, which in male plants are even \u201cill-scented.\u201d Instead, Branhagen and Powell Gardens recommend planting a Chinese Toon tree or a Pecan tree.<\/p>
Green Ash <\/strong><\/h2> (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)<\/strong><\/p> ![\"Emerald](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/emerald-ash-borer-delaware-agriculture-cc20.jpg\")
Emerald ash borer<\/figcaption><\/figure> Unfortunately, the green ash is on this list not because of any intrinsic problem with the tree itself, but because of an invasive insect that targets ash trees exclusively: the Emerald Ash Borer. Plant an ash tree in your yard and you\u2019re inviting trouble to Kansas City.<\/p>
The Kansas State University lists<\/a> the Green Ash as a tree not recommended for planting thanks to the insect, and the Missouri University Extension explains<\/a> why, explaining it as \u201can exotic, invasive wood-boring insect that infests and kills native North American ash trees.\u201d<\/p> The EAB is expected to decrease ash population in the Show-Me State\u2019s forests to a very low level, the extension says, and it won\u2019t spare your landscape trees either.<\/p>
Once it finds its way to a particular area, it kills the trees and leaves them standing dead. That poses a serious threat to public safety and represents an expensive cost for removal. Save your worry and your money by planting something else.<\/p>
Bradford Pear <\/strong><\/h2> (Pyrus calleryana)<\/strong><\/p> ![\"Bradford](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/1280px-Bradford_pear_tree-wikimedia-1024x682.jpg\")
Bradford pear tree. Credit: Wikimedia<\/a>, CC by S.A. 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Kansas State lists the Bradford Pear as another tree to avoid in the Kansas City area, calling it \u201cweak-wooded and invasive,\u201d not to say anything of their particular aroma in spring.<\/p>
An article titled \u201cStop the Spread!\u201d from the Missouri Department of Conservation compares<\/a> the trees to an alien invasion from a sci-fi movie, saying the pears were supposed to be sterile in the U.S., but turned out to be anything but.<\/p> Brought over from China in the 1960s, they were originally a favorite choice. People liked their thick coat of spring flowers, dark glossy leaves and the ability to thrive virtually anywhere.<\/p>
They thought then the Bradford pear could not reproduce. That meant no messy fruit to contend with. But even that misconception isn\u2019t the only issue with the trees.<\/p>
Fifteen or 20 years later, homeowners began seeing damage to their pear trees when the trunks and branches started splitting and breaking in storms. Then came the realization that they were indeed reproducing and spreading quickly. Don\u2019t fall into that 60-year-old trap. Plant something else.<\/p>
Silver Maple <\/strong><\/h2> (Acer saccharinum)<\/strong><\/p> The silver maple is spectacular once days start shortening and leaves start turning colors. It gets its name from the silvery hue on the underside of its leaves. But if you plant one, you won\u2019t be able to enjoy its beauty for long.<\/p>
The Kansas State extension says it\u2019s a bad choice for local homeowners due to its weak wood. It has another problem<\/a>, according to the extension, because it doesn\u2019t show those trademark spectacular fall colors maples are known for until it\u2019s mature.<\/p> So if you plant a silver maple, you\u2019ll have to wait until it grows up to get the most of its fall color show. But at that point, its limbs will be very susceptible to breaking in storms or ice. Those open wounds invite further problems. They include decay, disease and the unwanted cost of cutting it down and hauling it off.<\/p>
Willow <\/strong><\/h2> (Salix)<\/strong><\/p> There\u2019s no denying the beauty of an elegant willow tree, but like the silver maple, that beauty comes with fragility.<\/p>
The tree of heaven (pictured above) doesn\u2019t exactly live up to its name in Kansas City.<\/p>
As Alan Branhagen, director of horticulture at local botanical garden Powell Gardens notes<\/a> in a guide of invasive exotic plants, the woody tree of heaven has become problematic in northwestern Missouri and has become a real pest in other regional woodlands.<\/p> Because it self-sows its seeds so prolifically, the plant invades the area around it, surviving especially well in disturbed urban sites. The Missouri Department of Conservation even marks<\/a> the tree as a skin-irritating invasive.<\/p> So don\u2019t be drawn in by its long clusters of flowers, which in male plants are even \u201cill-scented.\u201d Instead, Branhagen and Powell Gardens recommend planting a Chinese Toon tree or a Pecan tree.<\/p> (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)<\/strong><\/p> Unfortunately, the green ash is on this list not because of any intrinsic problem with the tree itself, but because of an invasive insect that targets ash trees exclusively: the Emerald Ash Borer. Plant an ash tree in your yard and you\u2019re inviting trouble to Kansas City.<\/p> The Kansas State University lists<\/a> the Green Ash as a tree not recommended for planting thanks to the insect, and the Missouri University Extension explains<\/a> why, explaining it as \u201can exotic, invasive wood-boring insect that infests and kills native North American ash trees.\u201d<\/p> The EAB is expected to decrease ash population in the Show-Me State\u2019s forests to a very low level, the extension says, and it won\u2019t spare your landscape trees either.<\/p> Once it finds its way to a particular area, it kills the trees and leaves them standing dead. That poses a serious threat to public safety and represents an expensive cost for removal. Save your worry and your money by planting something else.<\/p> (Pyrus calleryana)<\/strong><\/p> Kansas State lists the Bradford Pear as another tree to avoid in the Kansas City area, calling it \u201cweak-wooded and invasive,\u201d not to say anything of their particular aroma in spring.<\/p> An article titled \u201cStop the Spread!\u201d from the Missouri Department of Conservation compares<\/a> the trees to an alien invasion from a sci-fi movie, saying the pears were supposed to be sterile in the U.S., but turned out to be anything but.<\/p> Brought over from China in the 1960s, they were originally a favorite choice. People liked their thick coat of spring flowers, dark glossy leaves and the ability to thrive virtually anywhere.<\/p> They thought then the Bradford pear could not reproduce. That meant no messy fruit to contend with. But even that misconception isn\u2019t the only issue with the trees.<\/p> Fifteen or 20 years later, homeowners began seeing damage to their pear trees when the trunks and branches started splitting and breaking in storms. Then came the realization that they were indeed reproducing and spreading quickly. Don\u2019t fall into that 60-year-old trap. Plant something else.<\/p> (Acer saccharinum)<\/strong><\/p> The silver maple is spectacular once days start shortening and leaves start turning colors. It gets its name from the silvery hue on the underside of its leaves. But if you plant one, you won\u2019t be able to enjoy its beauty for long.<\/p> The Kansas State extension says it\u2019s a bad choice for local homeowners due to its weak wood. It has another problem<\/a>, according to the extension, because it doesn\u2019t show those trademark spectacular fall colors maples are known for until it\u2019s mature.<\/p> So if you plant a silver maple, you\u2019ll have to wait until it grows up to get the most of its fall color show. But at that point, its limbs will be very susceptible to breaking in storms or ice. Those open wounds invite further problems. They include decay, disease and the unwanted cost of cutting it down and hauling it off.<\/p> (Salix)<\/strong><\/p> There\u2019s no denying the beauty of an elegant willow tree, but like the silver maple, that beauty comes with fragility.<\/p> Green Ash <\/strong><\/h2>
Bradford Pear <\/strong><\/h2>
Silver Maple <\/strong><\/h2>
Willow <\/strong><\/h2>