Every spring, a few varieties of trees found in New England release seed pods called samaras that spread through the wind and germinate into saplings where they land, often in lawns. You can identify samaras and their saplings for their winged shape and spinning motion they make as they fall through the air, commonly off of Maple trees. These saplings can be as pesky and unsightly as regular lawn weeds, but don’t fret! No weed control is required to stop these tree saplings in their tracks. Once you mow over a sapling, it will die off and not return. Saplings in areas that can’t be mowed can also be pulled out of the ground by hand.
Raking up as many samaras as you can as they fall can be helpful in preventing their germination in the first place. Also, keeping your lawn on a regular mowing schedule into the summer will regularly take care of any possible seed germination until they stop falling from trees for the year.
