It occurred to me that many plants are not suited to today’s small gardens. A recent article in RHS The Garden magazine highlighted this fact with a story about invasive bamboo causing huge damage to a home in the UK by growing up through the floorboards. Running bamboo is a prime suspect, but I want to warn our readers about other dangerous weedy plants.
All willows, African olive, evergreen alder, and Rhus species are prone to aggressive suckering. Be wary of golden honey locust (Gleditsia ‘Sunburst’), golden robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia), and some crabapples and ornamental pears.
Grafted trees can avoid this issue because the rootstocks are vigorous, hardy, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and resistant to water inundation. Therefore, they are often a far better choice. Examples include Japanese and American maples, flowering gums, and ornamental ash (Fraxinus). Most roses, citrus, and stone fruit trees are grafted, but always check before you buy!
However, grafted trees are also susceptible to damage from line trimmers, mowers, excavators, insects, and diseases. Forking and digging around the surface roots can result in a proliferation of suckers. This is my warning about all grafted plants. I'm not cancelling them, but I am issuing a caution about their care and maintenance.
Why are problematic trees being recommended in the first place? It's challenging to get good, reliable horticultural advice, especially as horticultural education is in decline. When I retired from teaching at the Ryde School of Horticulture in January 1980, every certificate and diploma student was taught and examined on 5,000 plants. Over recent decades, this plant list has been significantly reduced. In light of this, it’s crucial to take good care of your trees, as they will provide shade for your children and grandchildren.
Good gardening and go safely,
