STREET TREES (bad choices)
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- čas přidán 8. 02. 2019
- So many expensive mistakes were made in the past for street tree choices. Here are two bad ones that should have been better thought out--- but years ago, decisions were made based on "pretty". Cities all across the nation need to hire Arborists in the decision process.
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I grew up around magnolia trees. But they were always placed in the middle of a big lawn with plenty of room to spread. Never ever ever a sidewalk tree!
There was an astonishly HUGE magnolia in the Willow Glen area in San Jose, but after checking on Google it's no longer there. At my father's house is a magnolia that was planted in 1970 and now it's in outstanding condition. Never been topped, only lightly pruned over the years and never got too big. Very nice tree.
Just Me I love to see success story trees.
Couple years back our town cut down the ash trees on our block as well as others to try to control the spread of the ash boring beetle. They planted some other trees in their place but it totally changed the aesthetics of the neighborhood. With that said I totally understand why it was done but it was shocking at first to see the difference.
I know a yard in Eugene, Oregon where the city planted 2 sequoias between the sidewalk and street, decades ago. Those trees are big, now, and causing so much trouble. But the city won't let the homeowner cut them down. The biggest diameter tree on the planet -- as a street tree, lol.
ThankYou for sharing! Magnolia are some of my favorite trees for all year color.
I drive by that tree every day and as a woodworker always wonder what the burl would look like cut open. Magnolias have black heart wood and I imagine that there would be many black eyes under the bark.
The city of Fairfield, CA also planted tons of Modesto Ash. I have seen some very bad examples. They have begun a large scale project removing them. Very consistent work for us, for now..
I have enough trouble with roots from my beloved silver and sugar maples.I agree with your assessment.
we have the same issue in long island, NY with red maple trees they were planted as street trees and then butchered for power lines and they rot extremely fast and fall on the roads and the towns have had to finally cut them all down
Our neighborhood is full of bad street tree choices. There's about 4' of parkway and I guess 50 years ago the county planted some trees. Nowadays they are giant 100' tall trees and their root system has completely overtaken their parkways.
Oh, and a street tree Modesto ash failed during that big windy storm recently four doors down from us. When I looked at it the roots were rotted out and there were honey mushrooms growing at the base. Luckily the family and their four kids were all inside and not playing in the yard like they normally do. Also it fell right along the main path that the middle schoolers take and if it had failed a couple of hours earlier it might have been fatal.
I did roadside right away tree work for a number of years it was not a fun job especially the stump removal all the utilities were Underground between the curb and sidewalk what a nightmare nice video you had some good observations
Great insight! 👍
Thank you
Stopped at 2:36 to ID that tree, and based on the bark I called it a magnolia. Got it right! Interesting burl there. Years ago I had to replace sidewalk broken by a pair of sycamores and I narrowed the sidewalk by the trees (as was done here) and someone from the city called me to thank me for doing that. It was either that or cut major roots, which I didn't want to do.
very interesting much enjoyed
We have magnolias up here in the top left corner of California. It's dark and cold most of the time, but they don't seem to care.
As for poor decisions, many years ago the city (Arcata) planted flowering cherries around the central plaza, in little 36" squares cut out of the narrow sidewalks. 🙄
Southern Magnolia! Thanks, Blair, I've been wondering what the name of these were for a long time now, people kept saying Magnolia but research kept turning up the Saucer Magnolia.
That burl is amazing!
What's the best way to extract a burl like that without damaging it?
A question, do you know if the Arizona ash has the same problem as the Modesto ash you mentioned ?
I've turned some of the Magnolia burl and the wood, the burl can be nice but like you mentioned it needs to be stained to give it some character.
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
I think maybe worse. I had one in my front yard and didn't like any of the habits. Surface roots, weak wood and branch litter and prone to splitting as it got older- not a fan.
I enjoy your video's, while not an arborist or involved with trees. I just feel the enthusiasm and love of the subject that you have. I do notice you point out problems and thats a good form of education. But I cant help but think its only half of the knowledge you have. It might be a good idea to also point out what could have been planted in place of a problem tree and mention things like "other options" in the title . If just one person watches a video and saves themselves from a future problem, or a city planer avoids a problem for a whole area it might be worth a few seconds of a video.
Blair one of the things I Don't Understand is the choice of trees that cities will plant in the median meaning the sidewalk and the streets. Where I live in Redlands, that seems to be a common practice or choice. I don't get it. Another great video. Thank you Rick
I'm one who dislikes magnolias passionately. They tend to be planted in front gardens, in a lawn, and need a lot of keeping tidy for a brief, dowdy, annual display. They reach about 15 feet tall, have a mass of ugly off-white or pale pink flowers for a couple of weeks, then drop petals and leaves everywhere around them, and then remain devoid of leaves for most of each year. The branches are untidy-looking, and have dull red or brown 'candles' on them after the flowers have died. Wrong climate, perhaps?
Our city in So. Cal. Was developing rapidly in the 1970’s - 1990’s. The predominate street trees were Italian stone pine and canary island pine, both beautiful trees but terrible choices for the subway location. Stone pine roots lift side walks, driveways as well as the roadbed itself. Canary island pines drop hand grenade like pine cones that will dent autos as well as sticky sap and mountains of annoying yellow pollen. Most of our electrical power is underground but a stone pine fell during a last November Santa Ana wind and it took out the tv cable telephone and main power line. The trunk was about 6’ in diameter and is still partially in the ground untouched. The canary island pine yields beautiful, straight grain hard as nails lumber. A few specimens are 3-4’ diameter and 30’ to the first side branch with no taper. They get lots of water as well as lawn fertilizer in the locations they were planted and have grown to 70-80’ tall. Beautiful trees but not without bad habits!
X Papi I also have milled C I Pine
the leaves on them like never decay or denigrate there like plastic so you cant even use the leaves as mulch
could be nice table tops in that !
another bad choice is the shamel ash OMG our city took them all out most were 60 feet tall in 20 years broken sidewalks everywhere and driveways. If they were in the bay area people would have tried to sleep in them to get them to stay. IF they are so much tree huggers they need to live in the country where they can be green. Cities are not green places. Replaced them with crepe murdle. IDK probably better root system but they sure are small for the most part after 10 years only 10 ft to 12
It makes you think 🤔 was there a city planner... And if there was one, oh boy...
Anyways thank you for sharing, cheers my friend.
Agnos Jr. a city planner needs to ask the right people for decisions. Need to look up. Need understand roots and growth habits.
arboristBlairGlenn Exactly! City planners aren’t arborists. They need to consult with the experts before making mass plantings. I think it’s driven by economics in many cases. What trees are available for cheap.
X Papi I don’t believe it’s economics at all. I think it is more about someone’s vision of a tunnel of trees or a steer in full bloom. Concepts of beauty are often decided upon based on what someone believes will be attractive without expert advice.
Southern Magnolias grow well in Alabama and neighboring states. I planted one near the back of the yard far from the house and concrete slabs. In bloom the whole yard has the sweet scent of Magnolia and a great shade area. The only issue is our mini Australian Shepard likes to bring the crispy fallen seed pods inside to chew up, more messy canine than tree issue.
Should have planted a ---"Dogwood"
@@arboristBlairGlenn
Oh punny you, punny you ! ☺️
@@arboristBlairGlenn I wanted a Dogwood, seem to do well "in the wild" around here but not in subdivisions. The Magnolia pods are a minor inconvenience, the Peach tree was a real mess and dropped pits that were a toxic hazard to the dog chewing them . My 1/2 acre lot "forest" still has thriving: 2 Paw-Paw, Japanize Maple, Ginko , Southern and Teddy Bear Magnolias, Smoke tree, 2 mini Spruce, 3 Rose of Sharon trees, 6 Crepe Myrtles , and lots of flowering bushes.
Ken Gamble bark bark
I have a wild tree on my property that i only found last yeat with an enormous burl at ground level just like that one. Only its only about 15 feet tall with a 3 foot diameter burl
👍🙏👈 Blair that's caused by stress fungus or virus or something that causes that I never seen that one big on a tree before that's interesting thank you.
Magnolia are great and beautiful if you have about a quarter acre you dont want to do anything with.
It seems as if those ash trees suffer from the same problems that Arizona ash does. I live in Central Texas where they have planted a lot of Arizona ash. They all have included bark, are susceptible to Ash anthracnose, and are planted in the wrong places. Continual topping makes the trees way heavier and destroys the integrity of them . Even without topping, after about 40 years they start to self destruct.
I'm very familiar with the southern magnolia and have worked with many. So i have to ask who is picking up all the plastic like leaves that they relentlessly drop? Those are bigger ones so where are all the fallen leaves i didn't see a one nor even a seed pod? A good substitute for the nasty magnolia grandiflora is magnolia macrophyllum. The big leaf magnolia is a little known tree that isn't as messy or big but has the same flowers almost. Instead of evergreen plastic pain in your ass leaves that drop year round it has deciduous almost 2 foot long leaves. This tree, it or the umbrella magnolia is the tree that started my life long autistic obsession with trees. These 2 magnolias and a couple others are native to the Appalachians but sorta look outta place in the forest. They have such a tropical appearance they look outta place in the forest here even tho they are native! Beautiful trees that need to be used more often!
I’ve seen a lot of trees in towns that are growing in the middle of those stupid metal grate thingz and most of the trees are restricted and guirtled and are growing into the metal. The trees would last so much longer if they just put a little mulch around it and let it grow unrestricted.
Regarding the Modesto Ash; widely planting a recently discovered untested and of unproven worthiness, species along public thoroughfares was certainly a bad idea. ~ As for the Magnolia roots; M. Grandiflora in nature is a deep rooted tree. Seedlings grow tap roots followed by more thick roots that dive deep into moist, well draining soils that don’t have a high water table. As you noted, this species likes water but it doesn’t tolerate long periods of saturated, water-logged ground. There are a few possible reasons for it to develop lots of surface roots. High water table, poorly draining, heavy soils, shallow irrigation practices where the surface few inches of ground are kept moist during prolonged dry spells and the deeper ground dries out. Then there is the issue of how a tree is cultivated. If a species that naturally grows a tap root is grown in a pot from seed , the tap root isn’t able to develop properly. If it is field grown, the tap root is cut and thus stunted, when the tree is dug up. If it is grown from a cutting it likely won’t develop a tap root at all. Thus, with this and many other species, nursery grown plants are compromised when purchased and may never be able to truly thrive. As with many plants, the best way to get it to reach its full potential is to grow it from seed in situ.
LOVE OF PLANTS 🌻 appreciate additional feedback, thanks
Why is it that there arent many fruit trees use in the street? I have seen a few old fruits trees in my neighborhood but mostly apple and lemon. So why cant we plant fruit tree?
Glossy long "liquid-like" leaves is magnolia. I guessed right!
The fact you heard my laugh is absolutely amazing to say the least
Treerich we all need to stay tuned in
What tree would you use instead that is available in nurseries and doesn't reduce the diversity of the urban forest? Oh, and it must also be a drought and pest resistant, preferably native, tree that does not drop stuff on cars and won't be a source of allergens. It must also resist compacted and alkaline soils.
www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/~recurbtrees.pdf
I have never seen magnolia trees used as street trees in the east/southeast. Weird as hell
The Sunnyvale city came and took that unhealthy tree near the driveway down.
Magnolias are spectacular!
But messy and with destructive root systems.
6:35 Ahhhh yes. I see this far too often as a LCTT. In my area it's usually silver maple and locust that the cities decide to plant under or directly next to the power lines.
Yes, it looks stupid after it's been trimmed. But the power company has clearance specifications for the different voltages. And they have auditors that come through afterwards to make sure the work they're paying for is getting done correctly. So some trees will get butchered their entire life due to poor planning.
Also homeowners need to pay attention to what they're planting and where they're planting it. I hate having to top a spruce. It looks bad and isn't good for the tree. But maybe don't plant it under the wires.🤷🏼♂️ Same with arborvitae, cause you're not going to like what's going to happen. And no, you didn't plant that mulberry directly under the wires. Stop trying to tell me you did😂
Where do you live? Do you do tree work?
@@arboristBlairGlenn I do line clearance tree trimming in Michigan. Typically they want 2ft minimum clearance for secondary lines. 10ft minimum for 4.8kv, 7.6kv and 13.2kv and 15ft minimum for 40kv.
You know the value, I know the value and most woodworkers know. But the Plastic and Cement People look at it as ugly. You'd think with all the ornamental tree sp. with known heights etc. today cities would choose wisely, but I bet the few folks the make the decision are not "TREE PEOPLE.""
I just listened to you're podcast with the educated climber that was awesome great story's.but on the other hand I hate seing big beautiful monster trees getting bunchered by line clearance.but you gotta have you're electric just wish homeowners and landscapers put more though into the traits of the tree thier planting
john Hildebrand Thanks John. That was fun doing a podcast with Patrick. Have not heard it yet. (I wonder what I said?)
@@arboristBlairGlenn it was good I work in a restaurant in the winter and the restaurant staff listened to it to lol and I also hate the Chuck and duck at work
john Hildebrand I’m laughing at thinking about a group listening to the podcast
I've suffered from brittle crotch myself.
Magnolia is considered bad luck in some parts of Texas.
The tree is considered bad luck? Why? Never heard this before. But hey, Texas-
Southern Magnolia. Ugh. One of the worst choices for a lawn tree. The roots come up and make mowing almost impossible. Those leaves and fruits are more than a nuisance. These trees belong on the plantation, not in residential lawns or as street trees. Terrible choice.
I know what a cherry tree and weed tree look like the others look the same to me.
I guessed Magnolia!
My wife is originally from Sunnyvale Ca:)
We work there often. Been taken over by Google types. Those companies have caused house prices to be absurdly high
Silver maples are the predominant street tree here. Many are a real mess and never properly maintained.
Yes. I guessed right!
My city street trees are Quercus suber dark oak
The Great Pineapple you mean cork oak?
People have got to far away from the land.
Tim Henry agreed
After claiming a bunch of grant money , they "revitalized" our 1920's mainstreet .Pushed the sidewalks out a bit further , turning it into all parallel parking where each business had two parking places
and then planted Live Oaks in 3 foot circles of loam, surrounded by a few thousand feet of asphalt and concrete . Yeah , mulch it , that's ticket !
Magnolias, some of the worst roots ever. Horrible for maintenance crews.
aljawisa agreed
Oh there were planners, unfortunately they rarely grew up in California and were enamored with all that could grow here, unconsciously incompetent in fulfilling their task.
Little 'Southern Gem' Magnolia would have been a better choice if they desired a Magnolia's along the street.
tazmankb26 a newer cultivar?
@@arboristBlairGlenn it may be (magnolia grandfilora) but have been popular in North Texas (Dallas/ Fort Worth) for last 15 years or so. I have two in my yard that are several years old and are about 6' wide by 12' tall and still growing. Mature size can reach 12' wide by 25' tall but I have not seen many in my area that large. Must be the summer heat that keeps them a bit smaller.
Obviously not thinking about the future and what it inevitably brings. Guess you don't have to have brains to be a city planner.....Thanks for the video.
They should replace every 20th tree every year.
The trees name is Edward but everyone calls him Nancy.