Swamp maple - Ask Extension
Have a swamp maple about 200 years old. Very large trunk. Many off shoots . Can I safely cut off 2of these trunks on one side of tree
Knowledgebase
Swamp maple #399516
Asked May 12, 2017, 11:29 AM EDT
Have a swamp maple about 200 years old. Very large trunk. Many off shoots . Can I safely cut off 2of these trunks on one side of tree
County Indiana
Expert Response
I can see why you need to do some pruning, considering how the tree is coming into contact with the roof and gutter of the house.
My major concern with this is that you will be creating an extremely large wound near the root system of this tree. "Swamp" maples (also known as Silver maples) have very soft wood, which rots quickly. Since this tree is almost 2 separate trees, it may not be a big problem, as far as decay and balance of the tree are concerned.
If you decide to do this, I would suggest having an arborist examine the tree every 2 or 3 years, to be sure that the decay is not making the tree unsafe.
My major concern with this is that you will be creating an extremely large wound near the root system of this tree. "Swamp" maples (also known as Silver maples) have very soft wood, which rots quickly. Since this tree is almost 2 separate trees, it may not be a big problem, as far as decay and balance of the tree are concerned.
If you decide to do this, I would suggest having an arborist examine the tree every 2 or 3 years, to be sure that the decay is not making the tree unsafe.
