Plants you should not grow at home

Garden lovers enjoy variation. And with trees mixed with plants to add beauty to the landscape, comes grandeur and splendor. While plants will fill up the ground cover, trees give shade while also acting as windbreakers among others. They also fill up a bigger space of the landscape compared to plants. However, before you decide on the tree or plant to add to your landscape, it is important you understand that not all are suitable for your home. Here are 10 trees and plants you should never plant in your home:

Umbrella trees

Many homeowners love the tree because its branches stretch out thus giving shade, which gets better the bigger they grow. However, Jane Ziriana Nakiryowa, a florist says such trees have a very invasive root system. “While the shade makes the compound look beautiful, it also harbours caterpillars that seem to be in plenty on each branch,” Aggie Namata, a homeowner attests. Besides that, their small leaves litter the compound a lot making it an inconvenience. Nakiryowa says if you must have an umbrella tree, then consider planting it in a pot and continuously reduce the roots if the plant outgrows the pot so you will have a beautiful bonsai umbrella tree.

Diffabanchia

Also called dumb cane, the plant has green cream laced leaves. With its beauty, it is a wonder to have in your compound or house. However, for parents with small children, this plant is a disaster. Denica Aine, a florist says apart from being bitter once eaten or put in the mouth, it can swell the tongue and can result into death in babies

In fact, its name, dumb cane comes from the temporal speechlessness it causes when one chews a bit of the stem. “Apart from babies, the plant is also toxic to cats. Other poisonous plants include but are not limited to desert plants that have poisonous sap hence causing blindness and burns in the mouth,” she shares.

Palms

While these are beautiful, you should keep some species far from your house such as the Alexandria Palm, which grows so tall that it is impossible to prune it safely. Nakiryowa says when grown, one must wait for the entire withered branch to drop on its own. “Planted near the house, this palm’s branch can break the roof tile, windows, cars parked near the house and even kill anything it lands on; people, and pets are all not safe,” she cautions. In case you need a palm near your house, she suggests the cane palm because it grows to reasonable heights and does not grow so big.

Another palm to watch out for is the coconut palm. “While it is dangerous to plant close to your house just in case the coconut falls and creates damage, you can plant it at the edge of the garden,” she shares.

Ficus ovate

As it grows through a crack of a veranda, it seems just like any other opportunistic plant that should not shake you at all. However, Aine says given an opportunity to sink its roots further, this tree, locally known as omukokowe is a home wrecker as far as plants are concerned. “With a complex root system that fervently seeks out water, the tree will not leave your house or perimeter wall standing. As it gets bigger, so does the havoc it creates. That is not forgetting the big fruits it produces that are smelly hence making your compound pungent. The only remedy is to uproot it otherwise the mess it creates is without end,” she advises.

Mulberry tree

It is rather large and offers ample shade in any home. However, the shortfall with it is it produces many fruit that Nakiryowa says are preceded by lots of pollen thus attracting very many insects. “While some may withstand the buzz from insects, the pollen also attracts silkworms that are a sure menace. The other issue is that the fruits stain wherever they drop,” she shares. Birds are also a common visitor to this tree thus lots of chirping and bird droppings depending on the type of birds that come around. Additionally, the tree (locally known as nkenene) grows straight from seeds and since these are in plenty, the homeowner will have lots of them growing around their compound.

Weeping willow tree

The name is derived from the long slender branches that make it look as though it is crying. These have very small red flowers that will litter your home thus becoming a menace because you will have to sweep continually. Deus Ampumuza, a homeowner shares the work it took to keep the compound clean more so when the wind blew. “The biggest hurdle was that all the ground around it was exceptionally dry. Inasmuch as there was shade around it, its roots suck out all the water making it impossible to grow even vegetables, spices or herbs,” he shares. No wonder, they look lush by the water shores rather than in our compounds.

Eucalyptus

While this tree has several medicinal properties, Aine says it is not suitable for any compound. “The tree grows so fast becoming tall with shallow and fast spreading roots that move fast in search of water. These roots will damage your house foundation. Additionally, their branches easily fall and given their height, these are dangerous, easily damaging the house and any other thing around them,” she shares.

Omusizi

Also known as maesopsis eminii, the tree, according to Nakiryowa has big roots which dig deep and and spread wide in search of water. “These are deadly to any foundation, easily creating cracks in it as they grow bigger,” she shares.

Mimosa tree

It is a very frail tree whose branches are soft thus unreliable. Nakiryowa says owing to this, they are prone to breakage. “Additionally, the tree also attracts webworm which further weakens the tree. Moreover, it produces large seeds that sprout fast. If found in a place where one does not pay much attention, within no time, the compound will have lots of mimosa plants akin to an invasion,” she shares.