Let’s be honest, some trees can be really messy. Fallen leaves aside, you also often have to deal with dropped flowers, fruits, and seeds, making some trees completely unsuitable for a low-maintenance garden. If you’re looking for a feature tree that provides a focal point without creating a mess, here are three that won’t disappoint.
Grass Trees
Although not actually related to grass, grass tree canopies have an evergreen, grass-like appearance that earned the tree its name. It goes without saying that evergreen trees are what you need if you want to avoid dealing with fallen leaves, but beware that many evergreens do still shed leaves, albeit in smaller amounts, through the year.
This is where the grass tree differs – rather than shedding its old leaves, they form a skirt around the tree’s trunk. You can remove this if you want, but it’s a great way to add an extra wildlife habitat to your garden.
Even better, grass trees don’t flower very often, meaning that petals and seeds would be a rarity. A grass tree usually needs to be at least 20 years old before it’s even able to flower. However, if you do notice a flower spike appearing, then prepare yourself for a messier-than-average year – one grass tree can produce up to 10,000 seeds!
Dragon Trees
Another evergreen species that offers beautiful architectural qualities, the dragon tree is a relatively neat tree to keep. While it can be messy when it flowers, this only happens every ten years or so. Plus, when it does, the sight is so spectacular that the tidying up will be more than worthwhile!
In terms of leaf fall, it’s true that the dragon tree does shed its old leaves. However, you can stay ahead of the game by snipping these away yourself every few weeks. This won’t damage the tree, and it’ll save the leaves from being scattered around your garden.
Beaked Yucca Trees
There are several yucca varieties out there, and some are much messier than others. The Beaked Yucca is on the neater end of the scale. Just like the grass tree, this one also holds on to its old and dead leaves, using them to form a protective skirt around its base. While leaf drop is very rare with this yucca, its leaves are also much softer than other yucca varieties, meaning that picking up stray leaves won’t be painful!
When it comes to flowers, the Beaked Yucca usually blooms every few years, although it could become an annual occurrence if you treat your tree well. The flowers are visually stunning, and you won’t need to worry about any mess. Each tree produces just a single flower stalk, which you can easily snip off in just a couple of seconds before the plant sets seed.
If you want to keep your garden looking neat and tidy with the minimum amount of effort, then these three feature trees are well worth considering. They’re low-maintenance to care for and generally keep to themselves, while at the same time providing a dramatic focal point wherever they’re planted.