Re: Acacia at the fourplex
>>>front of a fourplex I own here in San Luis Obispo. It is a full grown
>>>mature tree. The limbs have me concerned because they are so big and long
>>>and hang over things that could be damaged if they broke off.
Acacia melanoxylon, the Black Acacia, is a very common 'weed' tree here
in the East Bay and around the SF Bay Region of California. There are
several around my son's school in west Berkeley, and there used to be one
in the school yard itself. Recently, it was removed as it was discovered
to be very rotten at the core by an experienced tree person. There was
little outward sign to the lay person that there was a problem lurking
within.
A few years back, one of these trees grew about a block away, alongside
one of the roads along which many parents traveled bringing their children
to school. I can recall vividly looking down the road from the school
itself, noting a friend driving towards us with her daughter in the car.
I happened to look away for a moment, and when I turned back in that
direction, I still saw their car advacing towards the school, but now,
suddenly, backed by a huge mound of foliage which shook back and forth
- that huge tree had suddenly falled into the street just moments after
they had passed beneath it!
Today, after the removal of each of these trees, there are still new
sprouts from the extensive root systems left behind, a common result of
cutting down one of these Acacias. There are several of these large,
fast growing trees around town, and they are occasionally know to fall
in such a dramatic fashion. But folks in Berkeley are so devoted to
trees, at whatever cost! It takes a permit to remove almost any tree
of size, regardless of what damage it might be causing or potential for
disaster. There are so many wonderful trees that should be planted more,
or trees that would be more appropriate for the space or circumstances.
It is amazing to me how people think a 'tree is a tree' - like deciding
whether to plant petunias or marigolds!
I would suggest that someone at the San Luis Obispo city planners office
read some of the ubiquitous literature about Acacia melanoxylon, which
makes a great country windbreak in open fields, but a very poor urban
tree for tight spaces between residential homes!
Sean O.
Sean A. O'Hara sean.ohara@poboxes.com
h o r t u l u s a p t u s 710 Jean Street
'a garden suited to its purpose' Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
