7. Fruitless mulberry

Originally brought to the US as food for a silkworm industry that never took off, the fruitless white mulberry quickly gained popularity as a shade tree for home landscapes. Being incredibly resistant to drought and hardy and reaching upwards of 60 feet, they were an obvious choice for homeowners and landscapers alike.

There are also smaller, weeping varieties of fruitless mulberries that get around 20 feet tall. All of this sounds amazing, but they are some of the worst trees to plant in a yard.

While fruitless mulberries are an improvement on the standard fruiting white mublerry due to being excellent shade trees and their lack of fruit, their benefits pretty much stop there.

Similar to other mulberries, fruitless mulberries drop their sterile flowers by the truckload, produce ample polen, and quickly destroy lawns and underground pipes in their search for water. Moreover, because of their extensive root system, they are able to damage nearby concrete and foundations, making them some of the worst trees to plant in your yard.

What to plant instead: Enter the white basswood, also known as American linden. With a height of about 100 feet in cultivation and large, shiny, round leaves, they make excellent, long-lived shade trees.

If you liked our article on the worst trees to plant in the yard, you may also want to read 6 Wild Animals Most Likely to Invade Your Backyard.