A gardener is warning Australians about a popular landscaping plant that wreaks havoc in yards and inflicts costly structural damage to homes, urging residents to “remove them before it’s too late”.
Warren Yaghmour has visited dozens of homes in Sydney where Yucca trees have caused headaches for homeowners. Despite the plants not growing an extensive root network or being particularly tall, their threat lies in their sturdy trunks, which are notoriously difficult to remove once established.
The trunks can dominate yard space and are even capable of pushing down retainer walls or fences.
“People don’t know how big the actual base of the trucks grows,” the owner of True Blue Tree Lopping told Yahoo News. “They don’t have a big root system, but they do have a big base. The trunk is huge in diameter. I’ve seen some grow up to above two-and-a-half-metres in diameter.”
It was once popular to place Yuccas in planter boxes close to dwellings, but gardeners and residents are now starting to realise how destructive they can be.
“Pretty much 90 per cent of the jobs I get, the Yucca trees have already caused damage, and that’s why we’re getting a call,” Warren said. “They can cause structural damage, usually by pushing over retaining walls or fences… They look nice when they’re small, but they’re real aggressive.”
Homeowner set back $4,000 after retainer wall damaged
Warren recently removed a Yucca tree from a property in Padstow, in Sydney’s southwest. The homeowner is looking at a hefty bill — “upwards of $4,000” — after the retainer wall had to be completely replaced, he explained.
“The tree was pushing over the retaining wall and was also pushing onto the neighbour’s fence.”
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Invasive species continue to cause problems for Australians
Yucca plants originate from North America and were first introduced to Australia in the late 1800s. They are included in a long list of invasive plant species that continue to cause problems in Aussie yards and parks, much like the Gazania daisy, which have prompted calls for nurseries and garden centres to stop selling the “lovely-looking” plants.
The Mexican bean tree is also a highly-invasive species that authorities are urging Aussies to keep out of their garden.
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