Do I need to cut down Silver Leaf Maple tree?

[Cegg]

10 years ago I planted a silver leaf maple tree in my backyard in south central Texas. It is now about 35' tall with a 15"diameter trunk--not full grown for sure. The yard is small and the tree is about 15 feet away from the back of my house in the middle of my yard. I didn't do my research at the time and now I think it's too close to my house and could do some damage both above and below ground. Unfortunately, this tree has made some "don't plant this tree" lists available on the internet. Most sites agree that it's not the tree for a "small yard" (30' x 60'). The sites say that the tree branches become weak and could break during a windstorm. It also states that the roots can cause havoc on the house foundation, plumbing, etc... Do I believe what I read on the internet and have this tree cut down? Is there anyone that can help me make this decision? I live in a small city and I don't think we have an arborist available. Cutting down a tree that has been growing for 10 years is a difficult thing to do, but I'm nervous about it ruining the stability of my house (and other things). I would appreciate any advice you have to give me....thank you so much!

 

[Raintree]

A few questions;

Septic rear yard?

Slab or full basement?

Soil type & water table?

Tree exposed or sheltered?

Pics are helpful, treatments are available to slow growth & strengthen tree.

 

[Cegg]

answers to your questions

Thanks.....

House is on a slab. As far as the septic system, the house is in a subdivision and connected to the city sewer system. I know the water meter is in the front of the house by the street. Other than that, I would have to call and ask someone. The yard is black dirt and clay. Not sure about water table, I'll have to call someone to find out that info. The subdivision is small and houses are close (probably 10-15 feet apart). There are privacy fences around the backs of each house, so I'd say there is some shelter from fences and surrounding trees and houses. Most yards have a tree in the front and a tree in the back. I'm afraid I just chose a tree that didn't belong in a smaller space. There are many live oaks around. But they don't seem to get the negative reviews that the silver leaf maple gets (the oak is stronger?) I guess I'm just wondering if all the negative things I have read about the silver leaf maple tree are really true. So many sites have said not to plant it! If so, I'll probably remove it. Thanks for trying to help.

 

[Raintree]

Silver Maples are a common planted tree for it's fast growing, quick shade. The trade off is they are prone to storm damage. Here in NE that would be ice & early snow, not sure about Victoria Texas.

Are you seeing surface roots around the stump area? If so being on a slab the tree should go. If not I would try to manage the tree with treatments & proper pruning.

 

[arborealbuffoon]

Silver maples are very common here in the midwest. They were favored over a century ago by farmers who built big balloon framed houses out in the open. Quick shade and some cover for their new buildings was the idea then.

I have literally dealt with hundreds of these trees here as an arborist, and they are bad news in the urban environment. With multiple co-dominant leads and a tendency to grow with very tight angles (weak) in the crotches, their structural integrity is inherently weak because of their natural growth patterns. No amount of pruning can do much good after a point, and these things get HUGE in a great big hurry. Additionally, once reaching the 48 to 60 inch DBH range they are almost inevitably hollow. Heartwood rot as well as being very tasty for carpenter ants makes them guaranteed to have compromised stems at some point.

Raccoons especially seem to like to den inside the cavities, and I have had several very unpleasant critter encounters while working on them.

I would tend to group them together with the Cottonwoods and Willows. They are fine trees, as long as they are NOWHERE near life, property, or the power grid. Hazard trees are a huge liability in the urban forest.

Sorry if this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I always support the Truth.

 

[Cegg]

that wraps it up!

Thank you both so much for your knowledgeable replies.....this site is awesome! No, I'm not looking forward to cutting it down, but I'll do what I have to do. Next time I'll be more careful and do my research before I plant. I bought it at a big box store because it said "fast-growing" but I've learned that there's a price to pay (often times) for fast growing trees. It seems like they are typically weaker. Again, I can't thank you enough for your help. I plan to call someone tomorrow to cut it down.....and I WILL research the company before I hire them

 

[Rudedog]

Silver maples are very common here in the midwest. They were favored over a century ago by farmers who built big balloon framed houses out in the open. Quick shade and some cover for their new buildings was the idea then.

I have literally dealt with hundreds of these trees here as an arborist, and they are bad news in the urban environment. With multiple co-dominant leads and a tendency to grow with very tight angles (weak) in the crotches, their structural integrity is inherently weak because of their natural growth patterns. No amount of pruning can do much good after a point, and these things get HUGE in a great big hurry. Additionally, once reaching the 48 to 60 inch DBH range they are almost inevitably hollow. Heartwood rot as well as being very tasty for carpenter ants makes them guaranteed to have compromised stems at some point.

Raccoons especially seem to like to den inside the cavities, and I have had several very unpleasant critter encounters while working on them.

I would tend to group them together with the Cottonwoods and Willows. They are fine trees, as long as they are NOWHERE near life, property, or the power grid. Hazard trees are a huge liability in the urban forest.

Sorry if this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I always support the Truth.

Sage advice. Thanks for your knowledgeable input. Where were you when I planted that river Burch right on top of my waste pipe.

 

[darkbyrd]

No help to the OP, but I'll add my septic drain lines were ruined by sliver maples 30'+ away.

 

[arborealbuffoon]

As consolation, a 10 yr old silver maple would be just about the right size for some excellent firewood chunks. Not the best, but burns ok and dries fairly quickly.

Now, that being said, once they are as big around as the pickup and full of dirt and rot in the middle, they just aren't anything but a giant turd that no one wants.