Roots Cause House to Sink – Is the City Responsible?

A retired couple in Ottawa, Canada, says the city is partially responsible for the damage done to their home from an Emerald Ash tree in their front yard. The roots of the tree have encroached on the foundation of the house, causing significant structural damage. The couple contends that because the city has maintained the […]

Rubber Sidewalks in Vancouver

The Hough neighborhood in Vancouver has recently switched to rubber sidewalks to solve the problem of sidewalk uplift from their large, old trees. Sidewalk uplift causes frequent, costly repairs and can be a tripping hazard. The co-chair for the Hough Neighborhood Association, Melissa Tiefenthaler, started looking at the rubber sidewalk option after the topic of […]

Saving 350-Year-Old Bur Oak

John Sam Williamson from Missouri has been working to save a 350-year-old bur oak, probably the largest of its kind, by hauling 1,600 gallons of water to the tree each week. Missouri has had one of its hottest summers on record, with 99.29 percent of the state in extreme drought or worse. Williamson gets his […]

The Seedpods of the Invasive Australian Blackwood

The Australian Blackwood (in the Mimosa family) is cultivated in a range from California to Chili, but in most of these areas, the tree has spread further than it was originally intended, making it an invasive species. The dispersal of the seeds of the tree is largely responsible for its ability to spread into new […]

Town Plans Final Sidewalk Repairs Before Homeowners are Responsible

Last year the town of Robbinsville, New Jersey, adopted an ordinance that makes sidewalk maintenance the homeowner’s responsibility, but the town is fixing the sidewalks one last time that are already a problem. This is because the town is worried about the possibility of trip-and-fall lawsuits caused by sidewalk uplift. To fix the sidewalks, the […]

Tree Roots Damage May Cause Plumbing Problems

Plumbing and underground building foundations may be slowly sustaining damage from tree root systems in the landscape. Roots can burrow into minute cracks in pipes and foundations, but not all trees and shrubs have root systems that are as likely to cause problems. Many problems can be avoided if the tree or shrub is given […]

Village Considers Replacement Trees

Yellow Springs, Ohio, has been considering the best replacement trees on a street where power lines are being buried and the existing Bradford pear tree roots will be cut. The Bradford pear trees are already severely topped to keep them from impacting the power lines they are under, and the trees are about 35 years […]

Trees Cut and Sidewalks Repaired in Napa

Napa California has been working on repairing sidewalks in a two-block area that tree roots have uplifted. At an uplifted sidewalk on Montgomery Street, a pedestrian had tripped, so city crews reviewed the sidewalks and trees in the area. What they found was that there were many instances of uplifted sidewalks due to tree roots. […]

Whitefly: Attacking Plants and Leaving a Sticky Mess

Fort Lauderdale residents are noticing an increasingly pervasive nuisance pest in the rugose spiraling whitefly. These pests have invaded South Florida, originally spotted in 2009 in Miami-Dade. The pest lays eggs in a spiral pattern on leaves. When the eggs hatch, the flies feed off leaves and then secrete a sticky goo that covers leaves […]

Will LA Homeowners be Responsible for Sidewalks?

The Los Angeles City Council is considering shifting all responsibility of sidewalk care to property owners. Currently, the city takes care of the tree roots, which is considered the biggest problem, while the property owner takes care of the sidewalk. The proposal would also make the homeowner legally liable for any trip-and-fall claims from sidewalk […]