{"id":2709,"date":"2021-10-30T00:03:57","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T07:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/pal\/pal-question-497\/"},"modified":"2024-04-11T10:34:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T17:34:27","slug":"vine-maple-roots-and-potential-damage","status":"publish","type":"pal","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/pal\/vine-maple-roots-and-potential-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"Vine maple roots and potential damage"},"content":{"rendered":"

I moved into a house built in 2001 on a cement slab (slab<\/strong>
\nheight = 18″). Around 1 foot from my foundation is planted a Maple tree.<\/strong>
\nI have been told that it is a Vine Maple. It is around 15 feet tall. My<\/strong>
\nneighbor told me to pull out the tree because the roots will crack the<\/strong>
\nfoundation of my house. I don’t want to get rid of the tree unless this<\/strong>
\nis true. I went to a nursery today, and they said that it is very<\/strong>
\nunlikely that the tree will damage the foundation (unless the foundation<\/strong>
\nis already cracked and the roots make these cracks worse). What do you<\/strong>
\nthink? I have no idea if the foundation has cracks that the tree could<\/strong>
\nexacerbate or if a Vine Maple in general would crack a foundation like<\/strong>
\nthis.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I do think that planting anything one foot or less from the house is not
\nideal, especially a tree. However, vine maple roots have a low potential
\nto cause damage, according to the database of the Urban Forest Ecosystems
\nInstitute<\/a> (see full tree record for Acer circinatum<\/em>).<\/p>\n

On the question of how close to a house a tree can be planted, I found
\nthe following from New Mexico State University Extension<\/a> site, in answer
\nto a question like yours about root damage potential:<\/p>\n

“A more important consideration is keeping the branches from rubbing
\nagainst the house and damaging the stucco, siding, or paint and shingles.
\nBy planting the plant a distance greater than the expected mature crown
\nradius from the house, you will avoid damage to the house by branches.
\nYou will still benefit from shade if the tree is properly positioned.<\/p>\n

“Many trees are planted so that their branches are trimmed to be higher
\nthan the roof and then grow over the roof. Remember, if one of these
\nlarge branches breaks in a wind storm, it can damage the roof, so
\ndistance from the house is the best protection from such damage. Learn
\nhow widely the branches spread from the trunk when the tree is mature and
\nplant at least that distance from the house. Yes, you can break this
\nrule-of-thumb, but the hazards increase when you do.”<\/p>\n

You may want to consult a certified arborist to evaluate the situation,
\nand see if you can keep the tree where it is. To find a certified
\narborist, contact Plant Amnesty<\/a> or the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.<\/a><\/p>\n

Acer circinatum<\/a>, <\/span>Tree roots<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I moved into a house built in 2001 on a cement slab (slab height = 18″). Around 1 foot from my foundation is planted a Maple tree. I have been told that it is a Vine Maple. It is around 15 feet tall. My neighbor told me to pull out the tree because the roots will crack the foundation of my house. I don’t want to get rid of the tree unless this is true. I went to a nursery…<\/p>\n

Continue reading Vine maple roots and potential damage<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","keyword":[659,548],"class_list":["post-2709","pal","type-pal","status-publish","hentry","keyword-acer-circinatum","keyword-tree-roots"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pal\/2709"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pal"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/pal"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=2709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}