Knowledgebase
Invasive trees? #763174
Asked July 22, 2021, 8:50 AM EDT
Carroll County Maryland
Expert Response
These are native trees, though each can self-seed with abandon in habitats that suit them well. In that sense, they can be weedy, but they are not invasive (which would require them to be non-native).
The first photo looks like an American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). A cousin called London Planetree, which is a hybrid with a Eurasian species, looks similar, but we are not aware of them being weedy, and the foliage in your photo looks like our native.
The second and third pictures show Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), which is also sometimes called Tuliptree or Yellow Poplar. They are not the same plant as the tulip-flowered Magnolias, but they are related (and not related to actual Poplars).
Both trees thrive in moist soils, and tend to be found near rivers, streams, or damp ditches in the wild.
Miri