What is the NUTS rule? NUTS stands for: Noxious, Unstable, Troublesome, Spreading. “Noxious” means that the plant in question can have an adverse impact on one’s health. Some plants cause rashes, others are toxic if ingested, while still others are the bane of allergy sufferers. The plants that are “unstable” are those that at first seem robust enough to the newbie but then prove themselves to be surprisingly susceptible to storm damage. This category is primarily reserved for trees and shrubs. Plants subject to the charge of being “troublesome” cause an undue amount of work. For example, they may be messy or they may demand constant landscape maintenance. Finally, there are the plants guilty of “spreading.” Not that spreading is always a bad thing: sometimes, we really do want to have a plant spread. But the plants in this final category are those that spread against our wishes. Then reality settles in during the next year. And the next after that. And…well, let’s just say for an indeterminate period of time. Sweet autumn clematis self-seeds, dropping a number of seeds in nearby soil, allowing it to spread all over the place. It will self-seed where you least expect it to, the seedlings lurking under the dense foliage of some shrub until you finally discover it one day while inspecting your garden. This game of hide-and-seek will take years to play itself out. Nor is it alone in this regard. Another vine not classified as invasive in North America (where it’s a native) but that is overly aggressive for small yards is Virginia creeper. There’s another disincentive to growing the latter: it can give some people a rash (thus it doubles as a noxious plant). White ash trees can be beautiful in the fall. Remember, NUTS spelled backward is “stun,” and some of these plants can exhibit stunning beauty. If you’re not an allergy sufferer, white ash may be a wonderful choice for your yard. But if you (or a family member) tend to suffer from seasonal allergies, this beautiful tree should be avoided. The dropped fruit is particularly messy to clean up, and the rotting fruit also emits an acrid odor that is similar to vomit. Consequently, this is not the type of tree you would want to plant near a patio or driveway, where you would have to worry about cleaning up the dropped fruit, or too close to the house, in the event you want to open your window to enjoy a fresh breeze. Ginkgo biloba is a great tree for your yard—if you stick with the male. There is an alternative if you want one. Many suburban homeowners would be better off eliminating at least some of the lawn and using the freed-up space to enlarge flower borders, for example. Other gardeners may cite environmental or conservation reasons for ridding themselves of a traditional lawn. Depending on your climate, a rolling lawn requires a large amount of water to keep it lush. But they have a fatal flaw: weak branches. You may end up losing your specimen to winter damage just after it comes into its prime—a disappointing turn of events, for sure. If you require extra disincentive to grow Bradford pears, note that they bear bad-smelling flowers. Combine that with the fact that the trees are susceptible to canker and it’s easy to conclude that it may be best to stay away from Leyland cypress if you have a good alternative (arborvitae will be a good substitute for some folks). Normally, when a plant starts looking bad, you can get rid of it. Not with this tree. The root systems, which are infamous for pushing up suckers, can be very difficult to eradicate. Those roots can also damage drainage systems. For all these reasons, the consensus is that Lombardy poplars are one of the worst plants to grow in your yard.
