When you think about your home’s future landscape design plans, do you envisage making your back or front yard a leafy haven with the addition of trees? There are many beautiful trees in the world; they offer shade, flowers, a place for the birds to congregate or nest and sometimes even fruit to eat. Many people love to grow trees but not all trees are suitable for the suburban back yard.

Here are 7 reasons why it is not always a good idea to grow trees in the backyard – see guidelines.

1. Trees look great on the top, but it is what is underneath that can cause concern. Hidden away underground, roots can cause considerable damage to the plumbing or the driveway. Of course it depends on the kind of tree, but even those that have shallow roots can take over your garden as the roots seek water in a dry time. Deeper roots seek the condensation on the pipes caused from hot water going down cold pipes. They grow around the pipes and eventually may crack them. Then they grow up into the pipe and if not dealt with may even appear in your toilet bowl. And pavement that is cracked due to tree roots will eventually become a safety hazard.
2. As we have seen over and over on television, trees can fall over on a house, a car or a person during a violent storm. But it doesn’t have to be a storm for this to happen. Trees often have diseased branches and these can suddenly drop off even on a still day. Whatever happens to be underneath will be squashed. Some trees drop seemingly healthy branches unexpectedly to the point that they have been nicknamed ‘widow-makers’. Eucalyptus are in this category.
3. It is true that trees create shade and we like to enjoy this on a hot day. However, the lawn will not grow where the shade is dense. Even light shade will affect it. And of course, the nutrients in the soil will go to the tree, not the lawn. So unless you can find a groundcover plant that likes shade, you will have bare patches in your lawn.
4. Trees drop a great deal of debris; bark, dead leaves, seed pods and seeds and even dead flowers or berries. This can get into the guttering causing it to rot out or diverting the rain run-off to the walls instead of the downpipe or tank. Dried debris in the guttering can be a fire hazard.
5. Seeds from some trees germinate easily and can sprout up in your lawn. And others actually have seedlings grow from anywhere the root is disturbed or broken. This is annoying and can be difficult to deal with.
6. When trees have large flowers that fall when they die, it can cause a slipping hazard on the pathway if it is wet weather.
7. Another reason to take care of the kind of trees you grow is because if you want to use solar power, they may cast shade on the roof.

That said, in some cases having trees is fine. If you have a large property and can grow them not too close to the house, trees will certainly enhance your lifestyle. If your yard is small, grow smaller trees that do not tower over the home. There are many to choose from.