Willow Trees
#1
09-15-15, 10:28 AM
Willow Trees
Hey Everybody -
I've got a couple Willow trees that are right next to my house, but I'm concerned they'll dig into my basement wall. They provide some shade, but I was wondering if I should get them removed? Here's a pic:
The one on the left wasn't even there when I moved in three years ago. Thanks for any help.
I've got a couple Willow trees that are right next to my house, but I'm concerned they'll dig into my basement wall. They provide some shade, but I was wondering if I should get them removed? Here's a pic:
The one on the left wasn't even there when I moved in three years ago. Thanks for any help.
#2
09-15-15, 10:35 AM
Group Moderator
I've seen too many of those things go down in the storms we have around here, I'd take them down.
#3
09-15-15, 10:37 AM
Member
In a word, YES!
The only saving grace about willow trees is that they soak up a lot of water so the ground will tend to stay dry. But they grow like weeds and will crush drain and water lines. And yes it may affect your foundation. Not to mention the mess they make.
The only saving grace about willow trees is that they soak up a lot of water so the ground will tend to stay dry. But they grow like weeds and will crush drain and water lines. And yes it may affect your foundation. Not to mention the mess they make.
#4
09-15-15, 12:15 PM
Group Moderator
You have a third vote to remove the trees and do it before they get any bigger. They don't provide a lot of shade and they are pretty easy to remove now.
#7
09-15-15, 04:32 PM
I can't see them clearly, but Willows attack sewage lines.
They do have a redeeming feature as you can chew some of the leaves as a substitute for Aspirin . . . . but that's only if these are really Willows.
And they draw Mosquitoes.
They do have a redeeming feature as you can chew some of the leaves as a substitute for Aspirin . . . . but that's only if these are really Willows.
And they draw Mosquitoes.
#8
09-15-15, 05:19 PM
Group Moderator
#10
09-15-15, 05:29 PM
Member
I'm not racist but trees belong in there own area, like the forest. Maybe a few decorative types are OK to have around.
Boy oh boy I'm bad.
Just kidding folks, please don't take me seriously.
Boy oh boy I'm bad.
Just kidding folks, please don't take me seriously.
#11
09-15-15, 05:48 PM
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It's definitely not a willow. They're graceful with tiny leaves.
From what I can see, it looks more like the invasive Tree of Heaven:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tree...wcBZY&dpr=1.75
Sometimes their leaves smell like peanut butter.
They drop seedlings and sprout freely. They do need to be taken out; but probably they've already seeded elsewhere. Expect to see their children sprouting up around the property next year.
The easiest way I kill trees is to strip the bark all the way to below the soil line. It doesn't hurt to use an axe or long handled mallet with a wedge splitter to cut slices in the trunk. Cut off the top of the tree and leave the debarked trunk to be exposed over the winter. Generally the trunk will die over one winter's season.
You can also cut the tree down, to below the soil line, and strip the bark of the remaining stump a few inches so that it too is exposed to soil.
Stripping the bark deprives the tree of winter protection, especially in frigid areas, making it more vulnerable to dying.
From what I can see, it looks more like the invasive Tree of Heaven:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tree...wcBZY&dpr=1.75
Sometimes their leaves smell like peanut butter.
They drop seedlings and sprout freely. They do need to be taken out; but probably they've already seeded elsewhere. Expect to see their children sprouting up around the property next year.
The easiest way I kill trees is to strip the bark all the way to below the soil line. It doesn't hurt to use an axe or long handled mallet with a wedge splitter to cut slices in the trunk. Cut off the top of the tree and leave the debarked trunk to be exposed over the winter. Generally the trunk will die over one winter's season.
You can also cut the tree down, to below the soil line, and strip the bark of the remaining stump a few inches so that it too is exposed to soil.
Stripping the bark deprives the tree of winter protection, especially in frigid areas, making it more vulnerable to dying.
#13
09-19-15, 07:02 AM
Originally Posted by NorthernWinds
". . . it looks more like the invasive Tree of Heaven . . ."
If the leaves are elongated lobes (in eight pairs plus one at the end) then it may be a Black Locust. The Tree of Heaven has pointy leaves,arranged similarly.
The Tree of Heaven has Yellow Flowers, a Black Locust has White Flowers.
The Tree of Heaven has individual seeds, each equipped with a wing for floating on the wind (like an Elm) while the Black Locust has a heavy flat seed pod, like beans.
There's probably a parent tree in the neighborhood, whose seeds were randomly blown, or carried by birds, up to your foundation and allowed to sprout. I'd drive around the neighborhood and talk to the Owner of the Parent Tree.
