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5 Trees That Are a Problem in Capital Region Yards, and What to Do
Not every tree in your yard is doing you any favors. Some species that are common across Clifton Park, Saratoga County, and the greater Capital Region come with a track record of storm failure, invasive spread, or expensive problems down the road. Having one of these trees doesn't automatically mean it needs to come down today, but it does mean it's worth a closer look from someone who can tell you what shape it's actually in.
Here are the five trees we get called about most often, and what we recommend doing about each one.
Why Some Trees Cause More Problems Than Others Here
Every region has species that struggle with its particular soil, climate, and pest pressure. In the Capital Region, that means sandy soils around Clifton Park and parts of Saratoga County, heavy clay in sections of Albany County, harsh winters, and an Emerald Ash Borer population that has been working through the area for over a decade. Certain trees, whether because of weak wood, shallow roots, invasive habits, or vulnerability to a specific pest, come up again and again as the trees homeowners call us about.
1. Silver Maple: Fast Growth, Weak Wood
Why it's a problem: Silver maples grow quickly, which is exactly why they were planted so often decades ago. That fast growth comes at a cost, though. The wood is weak and brittle, and branch unions often split under wind, ice, or heavy snow load.
What to watch for: V-shaped forks with bark trapped inside the union, large limbs extending over the roof or driveway, visible cracks where a limb meets the trunk, and a canopy that seems to drop branches in nearly every storm.
What to do: A silver maple isn't automatically a removal candidate. Structural pruning to reduce weight on vulnerable limbs, and cabling in some cases, can extend its safe life considerably. A tree with several of these defects close to a house is a different conversation, and that's where a professional opinion matters.
2. Ash Trees and Emerald Ash Borer
Why it's a problem: Emerald Ash Borer, often shortened to EAB, has been moving through the Capital Region for years, and it kills ash trees from the inside out. A tree can look mostly healthy from the ground while the larvae underneath are already compromising the wood, which means an infested ash can become structurally unsound well before it looks dead.
What to watch for: Canopy dieback that starts at the top and works down, small D-shaped exit holes in the bark, noticeably more woodpecker activity than usual, since woodpeckers feed on the larvae, and bark splitting to reveal S-shaped tunnels underneath.
What to do: If you have ash trees near your home, driveway, or anywhere people gather, get them assessed sooner rather than later. Some healthy ash trees can be treated with insecticide injections to resist EAB. Once decline is advanced, removal is usually the safer and more cost-effective path, since dead ash wood dries out and becomes brittle fast, raising both the cost and the risk of waiting.
3. Bradford Pear: Built to Fail
Why it's a problem: Bradford pears were planted heavily through the 1980s and 90s for their fast growth and spring flowers, but the variety has a structural flaw built in. Nearly all of its major limbs originate from close to the same point on the trunk, creating tightly angled unions that split apart as the tree matures, often without much warning.
What to watch for: A tight, symmetrical branch structure with limbs emerging from close to the same height, prior limb loss during a storm, and a canopy that looks heavy relative to the width of the trunk.
What to do: Most Bradford pears eventually split. It's less a question of if than when. Many arborists, including our crew, recommend proactive removal or replacement once a Bradford pear reaches maturity, particularly if it's near a home, driveway, or parking area. A newer, more structurally sound flowering variety makes a good replacement if you want to keep the spring bloom.
4. Weeping Willow Near Structures
Why it's a problem: Weeping willows are attractive, fast-growing, and thirsty, which is exactly the combination that causes problems near a home. Their aggressive, water-seeking root systems can work their way into septic lines, foundations, and underground pipes, and the wood itself is soft and prone to breaking.
What to watch for: A willow planted within roughly 50 feet of your home, septic system, pool, or underground utilities, surface roots lifting nearby pavement or lawn, and large limbs that hang low and break easily in wind.
What to do: A willow in an open area, away from structures and utilities, can often stay put with routine pruning. One planted close to a house or septic system is a different situation, and depending on its size and location, removal is often the more practical long-term choice.
5. Norway Maple: Invasive and Shallow-Rooted
Why it's a problem: Norway maple is classified as an invasive species in New York State. It spreads aggressively, its dense canopy shades out grass and native plants underneath, and its shallow, competitive root system can make it difficult to grow much of anything else nearby.
What to watch for: A dense, symmetrical canopy that casts heavy shade, surface roots that make mowing difficult, seedlings coming up throughout the yard and nearby natural areas, and a simple identification trick: broken leaf stems ooze a milky white sap, unlike the clear sap of a native sugar maple.
What to do: An established Norway maple isn't necessarily an emergency, but many Capital Region homeowners choose to remove them over time and replace them with a native species that supports the local landscape instead of spreading into surrounding woods and yards.
What to Do If You Have One of These Trees
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Don't assume the worst, or the best. Having one of these five trees doesn't mean automatic removal, and it doesn't mean you're in the clear either. Condition matters more than species alone.
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Get a professional look before storm season. Late fall and winter, once leaves are down, is often the easiest time to assess structure and schedule removal if it's needed, though we work year-round.
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Prioritize trees near people and structures. A problem tree in the back corner of a large lot carries a different level of urgency than one hanging over a driveway, patio, or roofline.
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Ask about treatment, not just removal. For ash trees especially, catching EAB early can mean the difference between a treatable tree and a removal.
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Get it in writing. A written arborist assessment gives you something concrete to plan around, and it's useful documentation if a tree later causes damage.
We offer free estimates throughout our service area, and that visit is exactly where this kind of species-by-species judgment call gets made. Call (518) 557-5519 or request an estimate through our website.
