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Eucalyptus Tree

gushammer6gushammer6 Posts: 1
in Plants
My neighbours planted a eucalyptus tree some 9 years ago. They only trim and look after it when we ask it sits on the border wall and is 8 metres from the house . It is now 30fr tall!! Last summer I had to relay and grout my potion as they had become dislodged. I’m concerned if it is to close to the house in respect to foundations and public drains. Also it seems very unstable in high winds additional worries concern if it was to come down it could hit rear of house or our sheds in the garden. 
Looking for any advise and who I get in contact with to look at this problem:
thank you
Gus

Posts

  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    It does sound as though your neighbours took little care when considering the placement of the tree in relation to existing buildings.

    Grafton Nursery specialise in hardy eucalyptus and their website has a useful advice page on planting distances from houses. Here's the link, you'll need to scroll down to section 2 for relevant information. https://www.hardy-eucalyptus.com/where-to-plant

    Your first port of call would probably be your council's tree officer.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I agree  - it does sound too close.
    I planted a tiny sapling eucalyptus many years ago at a cost of £1.99.
    This is how it looked when it was about 20ish yrs old


    The tree surgeon thought it was at least 100ft tall and after his visit it looked like this- at a cost of £1,100!


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    You have good reason to be concerned.
    Eucalyptus trees have white roots that grow a long way from the tree to seek water.
    This could cause you to have settlement problems to your foundations...especially if it is clay soil.

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/eucalyptus/eucalyptus-tree-root-damage.htm

    I would recommend you discuss all your concerns with your neighbour in an amicable way.  If they understand, they may volunteer to cut down the tree/kill the roots of this menace..before it grows even taller/bigger.
    I doubt anyone from the council would get involved.
    If it was a tall Leylandii hedge then they would.

    Sadly Eucalyptus does not appear in this list of tree/recommended distances .

    https://www.bickersinsurance.co.uk/about-us/latest-news/property-owners-news/a-list-of-trees-and-the-recommended-safe-distance-from-buildings/

    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited January 2021
    I've no idea how true this is, but the tree surgeon said a rough & ready way to get some idea of how far tree roots extend is to stand with your back to the tree, bend down and look through your legs and see if you can see the top of the tree.
    When you can, then where you are standing is roughly how far the roots may have travelled.

    Of course he may just have been having a laugh..

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ValleysgirlValleysgirl Posts: 344
    Our next door neighbours have a Eucalyptus in their garden as you can see in the picture, they are a young couple and even with a lot of land with the house they don't at the moment have any real gardening aspirations. it's probably 100 + tall and waves about in the high winds a LOT and another thing is the waxy hard leaves fall around June/July ! I sweep them up off our paths and they don't rot down on our compost piles.
  • ValleysgirlValleysgirl Posts: 344

    A little bit off your threadgushammer6 said:
    My neighbours planted a eucalyptus tree some 9 years ago. They only trim and look after it when we ask it sits on the border wall and is 8 metres from the house . It is now 30fr tall!! Last summer I had to relay and grout my potion as they had become dislodged. I’m concerned if it is to close to the house in respect to foundations and public drains. Also it seems very unstable in high winds additional worries concern if it was to come down it could hit rear of house or our sheds in the garden. 
    Looking for any advise and who I get in contact with to look at this problem:
    thank you
    Gus
    This Eucalyptus has a visitor if you look carefully, we took this a 12 month ago when we were staying with our daughter in Australia , Coffs Harbour,  Toormina , on our daily walk with Zimba their dog and I spied it ! Everyone said we were very very lucky to actually see one , even the locals said it's very rare !
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1029269/tree-roots-and-drains/p1
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2049040#Comment_2049040

    I havent read through the above again but there might be something useful 
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