[Dgodin]

When our house was built, the landscaper installed 2 oak trees. In PA our house had a 40ft oak out front. Leaves galore.
When the landscaper came to do the irrigation system orientation I asked if he could just take them out. He replied that he was required to plant the 2 trees per some rule. But he did tell me the trees could be removed as the trunks were under 4in diameter. And that is just what we did. I have a nice flag pole where the front yard tree used to be.

[Rosebud2020]

Originally Posted by Pricey

One word: Bougainvilleas.
They have thorns, invade everything, and are impossible to remove unless they're dug up.
Word has it that the crown of thorns placed on the brow of Jesus Christ was the bougainvillea. I believe it.

Bougainvilleas do not invade everything!
Yes, they have thorns, and as long as you know that (you know that now!), they need to be planted responsibly, meaning in the proper place. They are beautiful, thrive on neglect (!), and are easily pruned back, if necessary.

The Crown of Thorns is a completely different plant from Bougainvilleas and the Bougainvillea was not the plant adorning the head of Jesus.

[Rosebud2020]

Originally Posted by Villageswimmer

You nailed it. And if anyone says their magnolia is “dwarf,” we’re talking 40 feet. I think TV has stopped planting them (and others) in residential yards. Right plant, right place.

Like an up thread poster, I would not buy a home with a live oak.

If someone desires a "dwarf" Magnoia, there are a few varieties. There is such a thing!

However, the caveat is that you purchase one from a reliable source, i.e. a garden center or a landscaper who is reliable and who knows what he/she is doing.

[Maryland Girl]

Petticoat palm trees. TV planted a line of them along the wall outside our property line and after every heavy rain or storm, our yard is full of their debris. I resent having to clean up after these trees that TV planted when they built the community. Some landscaper somewhere made this decision I am sure. They are ugly, too.

[Villagevip]

Originally Posted by Cheese

Agave Cactus is another one that should be added to your list. They multiply, get big and some have sharp points. Also, if they should flower they die and a mess to get rid of.

I wish, I read this post a three years ago...So true, finally had to rip it out, and the little baby ones still pop up in the lawn...

[dadoiron]

Originally Posted by bobdeb

Just my opinion, however, I do have some experience with the following.

These are some things I highly recommend you Do Not plant in your yard in The Villages. Please add whatever else you feel is appropriate.

1. Live Oak. Well, you may not have a choice here as one may already exist on your property. I love oak trees, and the shade they offer is welcomed from the heat of the sun.

However, you be forever dealing with relentless and testy little leaves and acorns that are difficult to control and clean up. They will ruin your lawn.

Personally, I would resist buying a home that already had an oak tree in the yard. And your nearby neighbor's live oak tree will also add to your endless yardwork.

They grow slowly but will eventually become enormous and offer yet more leaves and acorns.

2. Magnolia trees. These also grow very large and add to your relentless yard work. The flowers are lovely but I'm not a big fan of the huge leaves.

3. Citrus trees. Don't do it. It's tempting I know. Citrus trees take more care than one might imagine. So many of these grow unattended. There may be exceptions with some folks but the fruit will be beyond your ability to process or give away. It will fall and rot and attrack rats. And, in turn, the rats will attract snakes. Fruit trees are especially problematic for snow birds to manage.

The upside is that many citrus trees are quite attractive and the scent of the blossoms is exquisite.

4. Palm trees. I have four sylvester (king) palms, one pindo and one European fan.

The king and queen palms will grow beyond your ability to prune yourself. You will have to hire a crew annually to do that for you. Also, all palms have incredibly nasty thorns. You could lose an eye if not careful. The immature leaves are sharp spikes. Queen palm pods are extremely heavy and they will fall. The fruit from the king palms is significant to clean up.

European fan palms are full of needle like black slivers.

Face it, these trees evolved to protect themselves. It's tempting but don't plant palm trees. You'll thank me some day.

5. Anything else with nasty thorns unless you want a barrier between your home and your neighbors.

Must have dwarf ones only 3-4 feet tall and never enough limes or lemons for the wife. Easy to grow and very forgiving.

[Rosebud2020]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

Petticoat palm trees. TV planted a line of them along the wall outside our property line and after every heavy rain or storm, our yard is full of their debris. I resent having to clean up after these trees that TV planted when they built the community. Some landscaper somewhere made this decision I am sure. They are ugly, too.

I will assume you are speaking about Washingtonia Palms and what you have called a "petticoat" is called a skirt. I cannot imagine that your yard is "full of their debris" because they shed very infrequently (perhaps only one or two fronds) in high winds and that is why they have a skirt.
,
You will find Washingtonia Palms all over Florida and in California, interestingly, a variety of the Washingtonia Palm is their state palm!

I have a feeling those palms were there before you. If you resent having to pick up the fronds -- don't! Let your yard man pick them up..

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by Rosebud2020

I will assume you are speaking about Washingtonia Palms and what you have called a "petticoat" is called a skirt. I cannot imagine that your yard is "full of their debris" because they shed very infrequently (perhaps only one or two fronds) in high winds and that is why they have a skirt.
,
You will find Washingtonia Palms all over Florida and in California, interestingly, a variety of the Washingtonia Palm is their state palm!

I have a feeling those palms were there before you. If you resent having to pick up the fronds -- don't! Let your yard man pick them up..

You are so wrong so let me correct you. We bought our home NEW and TV planted the PETTICOAT palms when they built our house and community. We have watched these trees grow from small trees to very tall trees of about 35 ft. The squirrels love to jump from the wall into the trees and then chase each other jumping from one tree to another. I assure you, we are not imagining the long palm fronds and other debris that we pick up after heavy winds and/or storms. I DO resent, which is my prerogative, having to clean up this mess from trees not on our property. I don't have a 'yard man' but would be happy to have you come over. May I suggest you PM your name and phone number so, after the next storm, I can call you so you can come over and clean up. I'll leave the gate open. Thanking you in advance for knowing more about my situation than my husband or I do.

PS TV landscape workers told us that they are called PETTICOAT palms so if you don't want them called that, perhaps you should contact TV and register your complaint.

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by John_W

Here's what landscaping can do for property. This is the home I sold in 2011 in the Baltimore suburbs to move to TV. I bought the home new in '98 and over the 13 years I bought some shrubs every spring when I bought new bags of mulch, and did all the landscaping myself. The tree in the middle was the only thing I saved from the original builder's landscaping.



Since I sold the home about ten years ago, it has been resold three times. The most recent seller posted this photo on zillow. They basically removed everything but the tree.

John, are you by any chance from Harford County? We also moved here in 2011 and I remember seeing posts by you saying you were from Harford County. We still have family there. The past ten years (almost for us) have gone by so quickly.

[Villageswimmer]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

You are so wrong so let me correct you. We bought our home NEW and TV planted the PETTICOAT palms when they built our house and community. We have watched these trees grow from small trees to very tall trees of about 35 ft. The squirrels love to jump from the wall into the trees and then chase each other jumping from one tree to another. I assure you, we are not imagining the long palm fronds and other debris that we pick up after heavy winds and/or storms. I DO resent, which is my prerogative, having to clean up this mess from trees not on our property. I don't have a 'yard man' but would be happy to have you come over. May I suggest you PM your name and phone number so, after the next storm, I can call you so you can come over and clean up. I'll leave the gate open. Thanking you in advance for knowing more about my situation than my husband or I do.

PS TV landscape workers told us that they are called PETTICOAT palms so if you don't want them called that, perhaps you should contact TV and register your complaint.

You are 100% correct. They are copernicia macroglossa—petticoat palms, and they are exactly as you describe.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

John, are you by any chance from Harford County? We also moved here in 2011 and I remember seeing posts by you saying you were from Harford County. We still have family there. The past ten years (almost for us) have gone by so quickly.

Yes, we sold our home to the new Wegman's manager. They were a couple from NY, one managed Hunt Valley Wegmans and the other was assistant manager of the one that was still under construction in Abingdon at the time. I lived just about across the street from the new Wegmans, we were in Constant Friendship. When go west on 24 from I-95 toward Bel Air, they were the homes on the right that you would see the back of. We went back in 2013 on the Autotrain and we finally got to shop at the new Wegmans. I don't know if you can tell, but the cap in my avatar is a Ravens hat.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

You are so wrong so let me correct you. We bought our home NEW and TV planted the PETTICOAT palms when they built our house and community. We have watched these trees grow from small trees to very tall trees of about 35 ft. The squirrels love to jump from the wall into the trees and then chase each other jumping from one tree to another. I assure you, we are not imagining the long palm fronds and other debris that we pick up after heavy winds and/or storms. I DO resent, which is my prerogative, having to clean up this mess from trees not on our property. I don't have a 'yard man' but would be happy to have you come over. May I suggest you PM your name and phone number so, after the next storm, I can call you so you can come over and clean up. I'll leave the gate open. Thanking you in advance for knowing more about my situation than my husband or I do.

PS TV landscape workers told us that they are called PETTICOAT palms so if you don't want them called that, perhaps you should contact TV and register your complaint.

To be honest, I would just throw all the rubbish back over the wall, and let TV maintainance clear up.
Their trees, their problem!

[SteveT]

Originally Posted by JerseyGurl

Hi all, new to FL and TV. So what would you suggest planting in a small area for privacy? The landscaper suggested 2 Bougainville. After reading your comments I told him definitely not. Thank you.

Podocarpus is perfect for privacy, it's an evergreen shrub/hedge. Low maintenance, cold hardy, and used everywhere as a privacy hedge. You can see a large podocarpus hedge in front of Target to the right of the entrance.

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by John_W

Yes, we sold our home to the new Wegman's manager. They were a couple from NY, one managed Hunt Valley Wegmans and the other was assistant manager of the one that was still under construction in Abingdon at the time. I lived just about across the street from the new Wegmans, we were in Constant Friendship. When go west on 24 from I-95 toward Bel Air, they were the homes on the right that you would see the back of. We went back in 2013 on the Autotrain and we finally got to shop at the new Wegmans. I don't know if you can tell, but the cap in my avatar is a Ravens hat.

That is what I remember about your earlier posts; the fact they had built a new Wegman's near your home. We go to Wegman's whenever we go north and there is one nearby. We haven't been back to Bel Air for several years. The last time we were there the amount of growth was staggering. We lived in Linthicum near BWI in the same house from 1976-2011. My sister and her family and my mom lived across the street. Eventually my mom died, my niece and nephew went away to college and then got married and my sister and brother-in-law sold and moved to Bel Air to be near their daughter and her family. I'm not a big football fan, but my husband is a Raven's and Oriole's fan. He has an Orioles cap and a Raven's sweatshirt.

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

To be honest, I would just throw all the rubbish back over the wall, and let TV maintainance clear up.
Their trees, their problem!

We do that, too but sometimes it is just easier to clean and bag it ourselves.