Norway Maple trees are the trees nobody wants, for good reasons.

Norway Maples on the MA list of species prohibited from sale or propagation, but they reproduce on their own in such great numbers that the idea anyone might buy one seems silly. Go to most people’s yards in the Boston area and you can have dozens for free.

They grow fast, shading out the competition. They also spread roots near the surface in such a thick mat that it can be difficult to dig through with a shovel, let alone for a plant to get a healthy start. And it isn’t just under the drip line. In the photo to the right you can see a 1″ root 26′ away from the tree. At that diameter, the root is certain to go several feet further with dozens of side branches coming off the root and contributing to the dense mat underneath these plants.

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