Invasive trees on slope

by Jessica
(Fairlawn, VA)

Hello, I love your ideas about landscaping slopes. Our problem is we have a neighbor that has a hill full of Paper Mulberry trees. These trees are sprouting up all over our property, even up through our deck! If we did propose some sort of landscaping on our hill I'm afraid those trees would take over. Is there a way I can get rid of them? I've already cut down two big ones to stumps and the stumps are now sprouting! Please help...thanks.


Doug says what you're really asking is how to kill or control weed trees. Here on my property, I have locusts and they self-sow with abandon. I mow them down. That takes care of them.

If mowing isn't an option, then keep cutting them down to the ground when you see them. The older ones will continue to try to sucker but keep cutting suckers off - whenever they leaf out - do not allow them to stay there to send energy to the roots. Your objective is to prevent the roots from getting energy so they run out of it and die.

Or grubbing these trees out (digging) is another option.

I'm sorry but there's no magic solution to tree seedlings. These are the most successful at invading space - they're genetically suited to fill a space and defend it. That's what they do in nature and that's what they do in our gardens. I've seen trees invade darn near any garden space you can think of - there's nothing that will stop them. Cracks in pavement (you've seen that in cities) - through landscape fabric (easy) and mulch (preferred) :-)

The only permanent solution is to convince the neighbor to remove the tree and offer to give them a better variety for your area that won't self sow so badly. Good luck with that. ;-)

Killing tree seedlings isn't romantic nor easy but it's a necessary part of the landscaping.