9 Trees You Shouldn’t Plant Near Your Michigan Driveway

While some trees work well near driveways, providing both shade and aesthetic appeal, others can cause pretty serious problems. In fact, these kinds of tree-driveway conflicts play a role in a lot of the tree removal requests we receive each week. 

We’ll try to help you avoid some of these problems by sharing a few of the tree species you should never plant near a driveway, as well as some species that generally work well on these kinds of sites. But first, we’ll lay out some of the ways some trees can present issues when planted near driveways. 

How Do Trees Cause Problems Near Driveways?

Trees can present a variety of different problems when grown near driveways. Some of these problems relate to safety, while others may cause property damage or create maintenance headaches. 

Shallow Root Systems

One of the most common causes of tree-driveway conflict is that shallow roots can grow beneath your driveway, slowly lifting portions of it over time. The extent of the damage may be pretty minor at times, but major damage necessitating complete driveway replacement does occur in some cases. 

It is sometimes possible to protect driveways by installing root barriers along the edge of the driveway, but this should be done early in the tree’s life. Otherwise, you’ll likely have to sever critical roots to install the barrier, which may put the tree’s health and stability at risk. 

In addition to the damage shallow roots can cause to driveways, it’s also important to recognize that shallow roots can be a problem for your nearby landscaping. They may also create dangerous trip hazards. 

Fruit, Cones, or Nuts

Every tree produces some kind of litter, even if that only takes the form of shed leaves and flowers. But many tree species drop copious amounts of seed pods or messy fruit, which can cause maintenance headaches. 

Even worse, some trees shed heavy fruit or nuts, which can not only damage cars but also cause injuries if they fall on people or pets near the driveway. Even after they’ve hit the ground, some fruits and nuts can make it difficult to walk safely on and around the pavement. 

It’s also worth considering the fact that some tree fruit may rot in the summer sun, causing unpleasant odors. Some fruit even attracts stinging insects, such as yellow jackets and other wasps. 

Honeydew

Honeydew may sound like something delightful or even delicious, but names can be deceiving. Honeydew is actually the semi-liquid waste secreted by aphids that have been feeding on plants or trees. While it’s neither dangerous nor likely to harm your driveway, it can accumulate on surfaces, creating a sticky mess that’s hard to wash off (especially cars). 

Honeydew also creates a second-order problem, known as sooty mold. This fungus colonizes surfaces coated in honeydew, leaving them looking dark and dingy.  

Branch Drop

Trees drop branches for a variety of different reasons. Any tree can lose branches due to things like high winds or heavy snow loads, but some species tend to shed branches for other reasons, too. 

For example:

• The lower and interior branches of some trees die and fall off as they’re progressively shaded by other limbs.  
• Some trees simply have weak, brittle wood, making branches more likely to fail in even calm weather.  
• Some species tend to produce tight, V-shaped branch junctions, which are at increased risk of failure. 
• A few species are prone to sudden limb failure due to rapid growth, internal defects, or moisture-related loading.

Given the obvious safety concerns falling branches present, it is important to both choose the species you plant by a driveway carefully and have your trees pruned regularly by a professional arborist. 

Saps and Resins

Sap and resin both present the same kind of problem that honeydew does — they’re sticky, messy, and hard to wash off cars.  Most trees will keep these substances contained within their interior vascular system, but wounds, insect attacks, and other stressful stimuli can cause sap or resin to ooze out, coating anything below. 

Pines are usually the biggest offenders when it comes to sap-related problems, but they’re not the only trees to create these issues. Maples can release sap if pruned too early in the season, and several members of the rose family may develop a problem called gummosis, which results in sticky sap being released from the wood.   

Nine Trees That Cause Problems Near Driveways

Now that you know how some trees create issues when grown near driveways, we can discuss some of the species that are most problematic in these situations. 

1. Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum): Silver maples produce shallow, highly aggressive root systems and a lot of narrow V-shaped branch junctions that frequently fail. Their wood is also relatively weak, raising their risk profile even higher. 
2. Norway Maple (Acer platanoides):  Norway maples are not only invasive in Michigan, but they also produce shallow, aggressive roots, which sometimes grow around the trunk base. These “girdling roots” can kill the tree or cause the trunk to snap at the base.  
3. Red Maple (Acer rubrum): The red maple presents many of the same problems that the Norway and silver maple do, including shallow root systems, girdling roots, and a preponderance of narrow branch junctions that often contain bark, making them even weaker.  
4. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra): Black walnut trees tend to have much deeper root systems than some other trees on this list, but they present an entirely different issue: They drop very heavy nuts, which can stain driveways, dent car hoods, and even injure people. 
5. Chinese Chestnuts (Castanea mollissima): The biggest problem Chinese chestnuts present is the spike-covered nuts they drop — you don’t want one of these falling on you from above. Additionally, these trees tend to produce widely spreading limbs, which can create access conflicts. 
6. Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua): Sweetgums are infamous for dropping spiky gumballs on the ground, which create trip hazards and lawn maintenance headaches. But they may also shed large branches suddenly and without any warning. 
7. White Mulberry (Morus alba): White mulberries produce fruit that can stain cars and driveways, and they attract birds, which can cause an entirely different kind of “litter” problem. They are also invasive in Michigan, making them a poor choice to begin with.  
8. Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides): Like most other trees with an extremely fast growth rate, the eastern cottonwood has very weak wood, which can lead to falling branches. Cottonwoods also have shallow, aggressive root systems that can damage driveways. 
9. Black Willows (Salix nigra): Speaking of weak wood, black willows also produce very brittle wood, which may snap during even calm weather. Black willows (and most other willow species) also produce very shallow, very aggressive root systems.  

Seven Trees That Work Better Near Driveways

While the species discussed above often cause problems when planted near driveways, the following species tend to produce a lot of benefits while creating minimal conflicts. 

1. Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea): A relatively small tree that rarely exceeds about 40 feet in height, the downy serviceberry produces beautiful flowers, feeds native wildlife, and has non-aggressive roots, which rarely cause problems. 
2. Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos): While wild-type honey locusts can be problematic, as they produce giant (up to 6 inches long) thorns and huge seed pods, there are a few cultivars available, which don’t produce thorns or seed pods. 
3. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba): The ginkgo tree is remarkably well-adapted to urban and suburban lots, and it tolerates salt quite well, making it especially attractive to Michigan homeowners. Just be sure to get a male clone, as females produce foul-smelling fruit.  
4. White Oak (Quercus alba): One of the most beloved trees in the entire U.S., the white oak can work well near driveways, given the fact that its roots usually grow relatively deeply and its wood is quite strong. However, acorns can create some maintenance issues. 
5. Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus): Though it does produce large seed pods that contain toxic compounds, the Kentucky coffeetree is an otherwise great tree that rarely produces shallow roots and suffers from relatively few pest and disease problems. 
6. Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana): A remarkably hardy evergreen, the eastern redcedar works well in many locations, including alongside sunny driveways. It produces small, berry-like cones, but these are generally eaten quickly by birds.  
7. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida): The flowering dogwood can be finicky with regard to site selection (they grow best in partial shade), has non-aggressive root systems, and produces true four-season interest, given their flowers, fruit, fall color, and attractive bark. 

Trust Treemendous Tree Care for All Your Tree Service Needs

Tree conflicts should ideally be handled preventatively, before safety hazards and property damage start to be a threat. That’s especially true for trees growing near driveways, given the costs involved with driveway repairs and the amount of time your cars and family spend in the area.   

If you have one of the problematic trees discussed above growing near your driveway, contact the professional arborists at Treemendous Tree Care. We’ll be happy to schedule an evaluation and help you determine whether they should be retained or removed and replaced.