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Root 77, Trunk 7 and Branch 4
Root: 77
These results are unusual because all but two were sent from National Parks/Recreation areas and the only data recorded was DBH (mean DBH 18.1 inches)
Trunk:7
Mean: DBH 20 inches, Age 101 years, Height 37 ft.
Mean distance above ground: 6 ft. Mean diameter of break 17 inches
Trees failed at 50 degrees in high winds
We have 131 reports on redwood failures. Branch 30, Trunk 65 and Root 36
Mean : Age 97, Ht 65 ft and DBH 30 inches
Moderate to high wind was a factor in 92. Remainder was low or unreported.
Branch failures were large..mean 11 inches at point of failure. high winds and rain contributed to the failures in 19.
Codominance and decay were the most commonly mentioned structural defects for the trunk failures.
We have 93 reports on Ulmus parvifolia. Branch 55, Root 26 and Trunk 12
Mean: Age 30 years, Height 36 ft. and DBH 18 inches.
BRANCH: 25 failed at attachment, remainder at a mean distance from attachment of 3 ft. Mean size of break 7 inches. No pruning in 9. No rain in 30. Decay: none 16, some 12, remainder unreported.
ROOT: Most commonly reported defect was leaning trunk. Some decay in 16, unknown in 10. Some pruning in 4, remainder none or unknown. Saturated soil in 15, rain in 16.
Not many Melaleucas...only 14. Among them are 8 quinquenervia. Of the quinquenervias there are:
3 branch, 1 root and 4 trunk All but 2 failed in southern CA locations.
Mean: Age 18 years, Height 23 ft. and DBH 13 inches
The most commonly mentioned structural defect was codominance.
Decay: present in 3, none in 3 and 2 unreported
Pruning: thinning in 7
Weather: moderate to strong winds in all, rain in 5, none in 3
We only have six reports of Washingtonia robusta failures. 5 trunk and 1 branch (frond). Decay: 5 none, some 1. The following is what five cooperators listed as cause of failure:
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Lightning |
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Lightning strike |
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Newly planted (8 mos in ground), high winds, anoerobic conditions, buried root crown |
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28"X28" opening in concrete parkstrip insufficient for eventual diameter of trunk |
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Damage to trunk caused by human or animal, weakened tree. |
We have 109 Sequoia sempervirens reports (175 needed to create a species profile). Mean: Age 49, Height 77 ft., DBH 29.6 inches.
BRANCH 30. Average size 6 inches at point of failure. No decay or unknown on all but one. The decay in that one was reputed to be due from squirrel damage to bark. No pruning or unknown in 26. Most failed in stormy conditions.
TRUNK 61. Mean: age 44, Height 77 feet, DBH 28 inches. Most commonly reported defects: co dominance 27, included bark 18, none 15. No pruning in all but 7. Most failed in high winds.
ROOT 35. Mean: Age 36, Height 57 ft, DBH 26 inches. Decay: Some 21, none 12, remainder unknown. Pruning: None 29, unknown 6. Restricted roots 6. Saturated soil 14. Most failed in high winds.
Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) is one of our most commonly reported species. A species profile was completed in 2015. Find it here under "Species Profiles and Summaries" The count at that time was 534. 39 reports have been added since then. A quick look at those 39 dosn't seem to alter the information in the profile much.
We only have 5 reports on Bishop pine (Pinus muricata). Root 4 and Trunk 1. Mean: DBH 21.6 inches, Height 56 feet and age 44 years. Decay:none 3, some 2. Pruning: none 3, some or unknown 2. Root failures all reported saturated soil and high winds.
There are 19 reports for Corymbia citriodora (syn Eucalyptus citriodora) 14 occurred in southern CA locations. Mean: age 36, ht 63 ft, DBH 23 inches.
Trunk 5, branch 12 Root is listed as 2 but the data entered looks like branch. One of the cooperators comments indicates one was a whole tree failure but the other one is unknown
Decay: none in 12, some in 3, remainder unknown
Pruning: none in 11, Mean temp 58 degrees, No precipitation in 13
Wind: high 10, remainder medium to low
Branch: mean inch at point of failure 10 inches, 5 failed at attachment, 4 unlisted, mean distance from attachment 4 ft.
None of that has been done by us. If you go to the Species and Profiles page you can review the 6 species we have profiled. The profiles point to factors that have contributed to the failures for each species. The hope is that some of the factors can be mitigated in order to prevent future failures.
No, we don't have any reports on Sitka spruce.
Currents stats on Monterey Cypress:556 total reports. Branch 242, trunk 107 and root 207 Mean age 59, Ht 64 ft and DBH 33 inches. 22 root failures were reported in January and February 2023 all associated with rain and saturated soil.
Go to the Species Profiles and Summaries page and click on Monterey Cypress 2014 There have been 93 reports submitted since then but the profile still tells an accurate story.
You should find an arborist to have a look at the tree. Go to the American Society of Consulting Arborists website at usca-consultants.org. There you can find a list of qualified arborists close to you.
This tree is native to the Channel Islands off southern California. I suggest that you contact Las Pilitas Nursery www.laspilitas.com for help in determining its age.
We have 105 reports on Pyrus calleryana failures.
Trunk 31, Branch 57 and Root 17
Mean: Age 19 years, Height 27 ft and DBH 13 inches
TRUNK (31): Diameter at point of failure 9inches, mean height of failure on trunk was 4 feet. None failed at ground level. some decay in 13, remainder unknown or none. no pruning on 12, some on 13, remainder unreported.
Branch (57): 44 failed at attachment.Mean diameter at point of failure 7 inches Some pruning on 27, none on 21 remainder unreported. Decay: none 33, some 6, remainder unknown. Most commonly reported defects: Multiple branches at the same point and included bark. 37 failed in medium to high wind and rain was noted in 31.
Root (17): Decay: some 11, none 1 and remainder unknown. Some pruning in 9, none 1, rest unknown. Saturated soil in 7, rain in 9 and 11 failed in medium to high wind.
Yes, as long as you acknowledge the source.
We have 147 reports on Quercus kelloggii. Trunk 63, Branch 45, and Root 39
Mean: Age 111 years, Height 65 ft. and DBH 32 inches
Branch failures (45): We don't have a field for "sudden/summer branch drop" but two cooperators mentioned in their comments that it might be a possiblity.Mean diameter of the branches at the point of failure was 17 inches and 15 failed at the attachment. Decay was present in 32. No pruning on 21. The most commonly reported structural defect was heavy lateral limbs.
Trunk failures (63): Decay in most, 12 none or unknown. Mean diameter at point of failure 25 inches. Mean height of failure above ground level 9 ft. None failed at ground level.
Root failures (39): Decay present in all but 5. Another 5 unknown. Most commonly reported structural defect was lean 10. Saturated soil present in 19.
We only have five reports on Phoenix canariensis. Trunk 3, Branch (frond) 1 and root 1. Mean Age 47 years, Ht. 34 ft and DBH 25 inches. Decay and cracks were present in two trunk failures. The root was dead and decayed. One trunk failed 4ft above ground in strong wind and rain. The frond was dead. Mean temperature was 51 degrees.
There are only five reports on this species. Trunk 4 and Root 1
Wind: 1 high, two moderate and one low, Precipitation: rain 2, none 2 and one unreported. Mean temp: 53 degrees
Trunk:
Mean: Age 14, Ht. 20 ft., DBH 17 inches, failure above ground level 11 ft, diameter at break 13 inches
Decay present in all trunk failures.
Root:Cooperator reported that the cause of root failure was "inverted root cone"
Our data doesn't accurately measure that. Our old report form asks if the failed tree occurred alone, in a group or in an altered stand but the one we're using now does not. Also, other factors such as species, weather, age etc need to be included in determining cause of failure.
We have 31 reports on Brisbane box. 2 trunk and 29 root. Mean: Age 5.4 years, Ht 14 ft and DBH 4.1 inches. This is an unusual situation because 23 of the root failures happened on the same day at the same place....probably a cemetery property in Colma. The trees were irrigated more than 4 times per week and the soil was saturated. The cooperator commented "Extreme storm conditions. All 23 had shallow root extention to not more than 6 inches deep and all had circling and girdling roots"
The remaining root and trunk failures also failed in stormy conditions with similar problems at the root level for the root failures.
We have only 32 reports on Eucalyptus polyanthemos. Branch 21, Trunk 8 and Root 3. Mean Age: 27 years, Height 40 ft. and DBH 20inches.
BRANCH average branch diameter 8 inches. 11 failed at attachment, remainder mean two feet. One failed at 18 ft. Only 6 listed height of branch and the mean for that was 13 ft. Decay was noted in 3, none 11 and the remainder unreported. Most commonly noted other defects: Heavy lateral limbs 12, Codominance 7. No pruning on 8. 11 failed in high wind and 7 in moderate. Mean temperature at time of failure 48 degrees. 11 failed in rain.
There's only one report of Pinus eldarica. It was a branch failure on a 22 year old tree, 24 ft tall with DBH of 11 inches. It failed in moderate wind and was thought to be caused by end weight.
None. There are 58 Prunus, mostly P. ceracifera
We have 24 reports on Schinus molle. 13 branch, 4 trunk, 7 root.
Mean: Age 37 years, Height 39 ft. DBH 28 inches
Decay: some 16, none 6, unreported 2
Most commonly reported other defects: heavy lateral limbs and dense crown
Some pruning on all but 4, Mean temp 55 degrees, 17 failed in moderate to high winds, 14 in rain.
Soil: saturated 5, good 5, compacted 7 and the remailnder unreported
We have 89 reports of Cedrus deodara failures. 67 of them are branch failures.
Mean: Age 58, Ht 68ft and DBH 35 inches
None failed at attachment, mean distance from attachment 3 ft. Mean branch diameter at point of failure 11 inches.
No decay noted in most (noted 6 times and 3 unreported)
Pruning: 42 some, 22 none, 3 unreported
Defects: heavy lateral limbs 47
Weather: Mean temp 67 degrees, Windspeed 27 <5mph, 17 5-25 mph, 17 > 25 mph, 6 unrecorded, Precipitation 12 rain, 46 non, 9 other
We have 130 reports on Sequoia sempervirens. Trunk 64, root 36 and Branch 30.
Mean: Age 50 years, Height 77 ft. and DBH 30 inches
105 received no pruning. 120 failed in medium to high winds, 86 in the rain and mean temp 50 degrees.
Branch: Mean diameter 6 inches. 21 failed at the point of attachment. Most common defect is heavy lateral limbs 12. Only 2 reported decay, rest none or unknown.
Trunk: Mean height at point of failure: 32 ft above grade. Mean diameter at point of failure 17 inches. Most commonly reported defect: multiple trunks/codominant stems 28 and included bark 15. No decay in 33.
Root: Decay 18, Defects:None apparent or other 16, multiple trunks/codominance 8 and kinked and girdling roots 6. Some irrigation 20, saturated soil 14.
As of today there are 28 reports. 11 Branch, 6 trunk and 11 root. Mean age 23 years Height 46 ft and DBH 20 inches. Heavy lateral limbs was the most commonly reported defect. No pruning noted in 15, most failed in medium to high winds, no precipitation in 11.
The median diameter of the branches was 7 inches, all failed away from attachment. 7 mentioned heavy lateral limbs, no decay noted in all but 1.
No pruning on the whole tree in the root failures, there was decay in 4. Root bound, girdling and too close to trunk root pruning also mentioned
We have no reports on Agonis flexuosa.
The database only contains 3 reports of Phoenix canariensis, so it can't be much help. One was a root failure and two above ground level. Decay was suspected in two and a sudden high wind in the other.
You would need the assistance of an arborist. Check the American Society of Consulting Arborists at asca-consultants.org to find one in your locality.
This site is collecting data on tree failures (broken trunks, branches and uprootings) so we can't help with your Magnolia. Help is available in Napa at the UC Cooperative extension office. 707-253-4221 or cenapa.ucanr.edu. Usually you would be able to bring in photos or samples to the office for someone to look at at no charge. Some offices are temporarily closed due to the virus but you can find out by calling. If you'd prefer to hire an arborist to come and examine your tree you can find one in your area by going to the American Association of Consulting Arborists at asca-consultants.org
You are wise to consider that root pruning might compromise the stability of the tree. We do have some examples of this in the database. A careful evaluation by a certified arborist who has expertise in risk evaluation is needed. To find a qualified person in your area go to the American Society of Consulting Arborists website at ASCA-consultants.org
Only 6. Two trunk and 4 root. Mean age 24 years, Height 25 ft and DBH 14 inches. Decay present in 4. No pruning on 3. One failed in high wind...low to moderate for the others. No precipitation in 4 and rain in 2.
We only have 3 reports on Jacaranda. Two branch and one root. Here's some of what the cooperators had to say about the cause of the failures.
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Root pruning for park sidewalk. |
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Previous heading and/or flush cuts and flush of growth partially due to overwatering. |
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Tree was topped 3 different times, very poor taper, weak brittle wood, high wind. |
It's perhaps a good idea rather than choose a species for your project to take a close look at the trees you are considering and determine if they are free of defects that might cause failure. A consulting arborist who has expertise in risk assessment can help. You can find one in your location by going to the American Society of Consulting Arborists website at asca-consultants.org Also, Orange County Cooperative Extension could help. 919-245-2050 or ceorange.ucanr.edu.
You should go to the American Society of Consulting Arborists website. asca-consultants.org There you can find someone near where you live to evaluate your tree. Be sure to choose an arborist who has expertise in tree risk assessment. If his/her report agrees with your assessment, it will help your case.
We only have 12 reports on the genus Juglans. 3 hindsii, 2 nigra, 5 regia and 2 unknown.
Of the 5 CA black walnuts the mean age is 63, Ht. 52 ft and DBH 31 inches. 3 branch
1 trunk and 1 root. Decay noted in 3. Not enough data to say much more.
There are 78 records of Douglas fir in the database. Mean age 100, Height 104 ft., and DBH 37 inches.
TRUNK: 28, Mean age: 80, Height 92 ft. and DBH 33 inches. 19 reported some decay, 7 were dead, no other defects in 10.No pruning in 26. 23 failed in med to high winds with some precipitation in 19.
BRANCH: 7 Mean age 97, Height 99 ft. and DBH 44 inches. 6 failed away from attachment and 1 unknown. All 7 reported heavy lateral limbs, no decay noted in all. No pruning in 5 and no precipitation in 3.
ROOT: 43, Mean age 73, Height 95 ft. and DBH 36. Decay noted in 15, remainder none or unknown. Other defects: lean 10. No pruning in 10. Saturated soil noted in 22. All but 4 failed in mod to high winds with rain noted in 26.
Sorry for the delay in response. Most of our reports come from urban areas where P sabiniana isn't common. We only have 37 reports on the species. 14 root, 13 branch and 10 trunk. Mean age of the trees is 64 years. No defects were apparent in 7 cases and heavy lateral limbs (13) was the most common defect mentioned.
Sorry about the delay in responding. Platanus racemosa is another species with few reports (24) 8 trunk, 12 branch and 4 root. Probably because it's a species not often found in cities unless the property abuts a creek.
Mean age 56 years, Height 55 ft. and DBH 29 inches Most of these are not related to winter storms, 18 failed in the months April through October and 10 with little or no wind. some decay was noted in 13. The most commonly mentioned other defects were lean 8 and heavy lateral limbs 7.
48 reports on Quercus douglasii.Trunk 15, Branch 13 and Root 20 Means for all: Age 125 years, Height 50ft and DBH 29 inches.
TRUNK: Mean failure point above ground level 4 ft. 5 failed at ground level. Some decay was a factor in all. Other defects: 6 dead, 6 multiple stems. No pruning in 7. Precipitation: 8 none, 7 rain. 11 failed in moderate to high wind.
BRANCH: Mean inch at failure point 18 inches. 8 failed away from attachment and at a mean of 5 ft. away. Decay present in 8. Heavy lateral limbs noted in 11. No pruning in 7. 6 failed in moderate to high wind and 6 in rain or snow.
ROOT: Decay present in 18. Other defects: 4 dead and 5 leans. 9 failed in saturated soil, 4 in compacted soil an 4 in dry soil. 13 failed in moderate to high wind and 13 in rain or snow.
There are only 19 Lombardy poplar failures in the database. Trunk 8, Branch 4, and Root 7. Mean age 38 years, Ht. 56 ft. and DBH 23 inches. One trunk failed at ground level, the others 1-12 ft above. Decay was a factor in all of the trunk failures. Mean diameter of failed branch 18 inches. Decay present in 3 branch failures. Decay present in 4 root failures. No pruning in 13 cases. 14 failed in moderate to high winds. 14 failed in rain, 2 in none and 2 unknown.
We have 135 reports of Q. kelloggii. Trunk 60, Branch 41 and Root 34. Mean age 112 years, mean Ht 66 ft, and mean DBH 32 inches. 55 failed with no precipitation. Average temperature at time of failure is 50 degrees F.
TRUNK. Mean ht. of failure is 9 feet above ground. 11 failed at ground level (ht. of failure not reported in 6 cases.) No decay noted in only 5 cases. Lean is a factor in 31 cases.
BRANCH. Mean diameter at point of failure 17 inches. 14 failed at point of attachment. Mean point of failure away from attachment is 7 ft. No decay noted in only 7 cases. (decay unreported in 6 cases) Heavy lateral limbs is the most commonly reported other defect.
ROOT Decay reported in all but 6 cases. Lean is a factor in 13 cases.
Only 40 reports on 6 Ficus species....18 of those were F.microcarpa.
Not many...only 5 in all. 2 araucana in Alameda and San Francisco, 1 columnaris in Los Angeles, 1 cunninghamiana and 1 heterophylla in Santa Barbara. 2 trunk, 2 branch and 1 root. Not enough data here for more summaries.
Our data can't answer this question. It is generally known that many redwoods grown away from coastal locations were severely affected by drought conditions and many did not recover despite a subsequently better rainy season. Your county UC Cooperative Extension office should be able to help. If you don't know where it is, just search on line for UC Cooperative Extension plus the name of your county.
There are 44 branch failure reports in the database that are within the parameters of: Temperature 80 degrees F or above, no or unknown decay, winds less than 5mph, no precipitation and the failure was out on the limb (not at the point of attachment.) 14 genera are included: Calocedrus 1, Catalpa 2, Cedrus 4, Hesperocyparis 3, Eucalyptus 7,Juglans 2, Liquidambar 3, Pinus 5, Platanus 1, Pyrus 2, Quercus 8, Salix 1 and Ulmus 3.
This is a complicated question that CTFRP can't answer. I suggest that you contact EBP again and ask for a written copy of their rules on the subject. Also ask whose responsibility it would be if any of those branches failed.
You are best advised to seek more local expertise to solve your problem. Contact University of California Cooperative Extension for San Diego County at cesandiego.ucanr.edu or 858-822-7711
This site deals with tree failurres...broken trunks, branches and uprootings. Other matters are best dealt with by experienced horticulturists. You can find excellent free advice by contacting your county UC Cooperative extension service. To find them, Google UC Cooperative Extension plus the name of your county. If you're willing to pay for a consultant, you can also get excellent assistance from the American Society of Consulting Arborists. Go to www.asca-consultants.org to find one in your locality.
Our program focuses on tree failure issues....trunk or branch breaks or uprootings. For disease diagnosis or other management problems you can get free help from the University of California Cooperative Extension. The number for the Orange County office is 949-653-1809.
A tree can have defects that are not obvious to a casual observer. Root decay is often a cause for failure of a normal appearing tree. If you have a tree that you are concerned about you should contact an arborist who has expertise in structural analysis. You can find one for your region at the American Society of Consulting Arborists website at www.asca-consultants.org.
We only have 37 reports on Pinus ponderosa probably because this species doesn't occur in the metropolitan areas where most of our reports originate. 26 failures occurred in National Park Service sites or other rural areas.
19 Trunk, 1 branch and 17 root. Mean age 96 years, Mean Height 120 ft. and Mean DBH 32 inches.
All the trunk failures were above ground level, the mean was 22 ft. above ground. The mean diameter at the break was 23 inches.
Decay was a factor in 23 cases ( 11 of 17 root). Few other defects mentioned except Failed Portion Dead (11). Fire and insect damage was commonly associated with the failures.
All but 9 failed in moderate to high winds, 17 with no precipitation.
Mean temperature 46 degrees.
We only have 20 reports of Corymbia (Eucalyptus) citriodora. All but two failed in southern California locations. 12 branch, 5 trunk and 3 root. Mean age 31 years. Mean height 63 ft and Mean DBH 27 inches.
Mean branch diameter of the failed limbs is 18 inches. The majority of the trees (15) were unpruned,
Decay was a factor in 3 of 20. 10 failed in high winds and there was no precipitation in 13 cases.
We have no reports for the genus Taxodium.
Our database contains 5994 reports and only 3 reports of Casuarinacea. One C. equisitifolia (now C cunninghamiana) and two C. stricta (now Allocasuarina verticillata). two branch failures and one root.
The book "A Californian's Guide to the Trees Among" Us by Matt Ritter gives a description of the group and its use in California. Another reference is the Selectree website selectree.calpoly.edu
There are only reports of 22 palm failures in the database. They are as follows: 5 Caryota urens, 5 Phoenix (3 canariensis, 1 dactilifera, 1 robelenii), 6 Syagrrus romanzoffiana and 6 Washingtonia robusta.
Of the Washingtonias, 5 were trunk failures and one branch (frond). One trunk reported decay, the rest none. 6 failed in high winds, one moderate. 5 with precipitation, one none. None of the reported causes of failure was due to structural defects. It was things like lightning, newly planted, trunk damage etc.
Of 5902 total reports to date 61 are Calocedrus decurrens. Trunk 30, Branch 12, Root 18, one missing data. Mean age 67 years, mean DBH 31 inches, and mean height 68 ft.
28 cases reported decay. trunk 14, branch 1 and root 13. Most commonly reported other structural defects are multiple trunks/codominance 19 cases and included bark 9 cases. 13 reported none (non-decay defects)
20 of these failures happened in Alameda County, 11 in Mariposa and 5 or fewer in 10 other counties.
49 failures occurred in the months of November through March. 42 in residential locations and 9 in parks.
39 failed with some precipitation, 41 in winds over 25mph and 1branch in winds < 5mph.
The database has 45 entries for E. camaldulensis. 7 trunk, 5 root and 33 branch. Most of the branch failures happened in the winter with stormy conditions. Two, however, occurred in warm weather and were considered by the contributor to be summer branch drop.
One suggestion about overhanging branches which might avoid costly litigation is to ask your neighbor if they would agree to mediation. That sometimes works.
On the subject of statistics on deaths and injuries, the question has been asked once before. Check our "Post a Question" Archives for August 26 and 27, 2008. You are unlikely to get to the species level, however.
This site is dedicated to questions about structural tree failures...trunk and branch breaks and uprootings. You can get phone or e-mail advice for your diseased tree from the University of California Cooperative Extension/SanDiego County at cdsandiego.ucanr.edu. For a home visit by a certified arborist go to the American Society of Consulting Arborists asca-consultants.org
Call University of California Cooperative Extension Central Sierra for some advice about appropriate trees for South Lake Tahoe. 530-542-2571
Your best bet is to find the UC Cooperative Extension office in your county to get expert advice.
You should contact University of California Cooperative Extension Central Sierra (cecentralsierra.ucanr.edu) for expert advice. That office covers Amador, Calaveras, Tuolomne and El Dorado Counties.
There are 91 cases of Pinus halepensis in the database. Trunk 43, Branch 20 and Root 28.
36 reports are from southern California locations.
Mean age: 33 years, mean DBH 24 inches and mean height 49 ft.
No decay was noted in 75% of cases. Other commonly noted structural defects include: Multiple trunks/codominance 17%, Lean 19%, Heavy lateral limbs 14%, Kinked/girdling roots 11%, Dense crown 10%.
60% of the failures occurred in the months through November and April.
59 % failed with no precipitation. 49% failed in winds over 25mph
Of the branch failures 55% failed at the point of attachment. Of the trunk failures 33% failed at ground level.
This site is primarily use for inquiries about tree failure issues. It may be the case that someone reading your question may wish to answer it, but our database can't. You should contact the University of California Cooperative Extension office in your county for expert advise on horticultural matters.
Thank you!
We need many more reports from southern California! There are only 11 reports on Erythrina. 2 E. coralloides and 9 E. caffra. All 11 failed in southern California cities. Mean age 19 years, mean ht. 22ft and mean DBH 19 inches. Trunk 5, Branch 5 and Root 1. Decay was present in the root failure and one trunk and one branch. Most commonly reported other defects were multiple trunks and heavy lateral limbs. Some wind was noted in 9 cases. All failed with no precipitation.
CTFRP data can't help with your problem. It's certainly true that redwoods growing away from coastal zones are showing damage from drought. Contact UC Cooperative Extension in Tulare County for advice. Go to Tulare County Cooperative Extension
Information about consulting arborists can be found at the American Society of Consulting Arborist website www.asca-consultants.org. If all you need is species identification, the University of California Cooperative Extension office in your county can help. Their assistance is free.
Your best bet is to call the University of California Cooperative Extension office for Los Angeles County for advice. 626-586-1973
Your best bet is to call the University of California Cooperative Extension office in Santa Clara County for their advice. The number is 408-282-3105
Reply from Larry Costello: Both water and salts could be the problem. However, other factors may be involved as well. I recommend that you contact UC Cooperative Extension in Ventura County for their assessment. One note: If you think salts may be involved, a soils test for salt content would be required to make a determination in this regard. Also, if recycled water is being used in any areas with symptomatic trees, it should be investigated as being a possible cause.
Our data show only one tree (not a redwood) that failed during an earthquake. If you have concerns about the structural stability of your tree, you should have it evaluated by a consulting arborist with expertise in structural evaluations. See American Society of Consulting Arborists.
www.asca-consultants.org
First, the failure reports CTFRP receives are only a sampling of the number of failures that occur statewide. Numbers vary year to year and depend on weather and the willingness of cooperators to send in reports. Many cities keep their own statistics regarding their street trees and how that is done will vary. It may be the case that severe structural defects are included in the diseased category. So, you should check with your own municipality for answers.
Also, CTFRP data doesn’t have a field for “Healthy”. We do ask about decay and other structural defects such as lean and multiple trunks. In those cases “None” or “None apparent” can be answered. Sometimes a whole tree will fail when it appears to be healthy (no diseases obvious) and no significant structural defects. These cases are usually associated with stormy weather and saturated soil or conditions such as eroding slopes. The cooperator may then call it a “soil failure” in the narrative section of the report. It is also true that healthy appearing trees sometimes fail due to root decay or girdling or cut roots..all factors that were not obvious prior to the failure.
The decision to remove a tree should be made with the advice of a consulting arborist who has expertise in structural analysis. Check American Society of Consulting Arborists, www.asca-consultants.org, to find one near you.
Contact the UC Cooperative Extension in your county for expert horticultural advice.
Our data can't help with that. Please contact the University of California Cooperative Extension in your county for pest control information.
We only have one report on that species.
There are 89 reports of Pyrus calleryana failures. Trunk 28, Branch 48, Root 13. Mean age 17 years, mean DBH 13 inches and mean Height 27 ft.
63% failed during thee months of October - March, 75% in high use areas and 20 % in medium use areas.
Main structural defects not including decay: Multiple trunks 24%, Multiple branches at the same point 16%, Included bark 16%
Decay: 61 % reported no decay.
Branch failures: 77% failed at the point of attachment. 42% of branch diameters were in the 5-12 inch range.
Wind speed; Only 48 reports included wind speed, but of those: < 5 mph 11, 5-25 mph 14 and >25 mph 23.
Precipitation: only 43 reports included precipitation, but of those 25 reported none and 18 reported some.
There are 116 reports of coast redwood failures out of 5776 reports to date.
Trunk 58, Branch 24 and Root 34
No structural defects were noted in 18% of cases and the most commonly reported defect was multiple trunks/co-dominance in 27% of cases. No decay was noted in 59% of cases,
77% of branch failures were between 5-12 inches in diameter.
85% of failures occurred in months of November-April and 15% in May-October. None of the cooperators mentioned summer branch drop as a cause of the failure.
73% (out of 102 reports) were planted trees, not natural stands.
75% failed in high (25mph or over) winds.
Precipitation was noted in 68% of cases.
The genus Fraxinus accounts for 202 reports out of 5776 reports to date,
F. velutina 141
F. udei 18
F holotricia 16
F. angustifolia 15 Less than 5 each for species unknown or five other species.
Branch 115, Trunk 33, Root 54
Mean age 35 years, DBH 23 inches , Height 40 ft.
Ages: 74 missing, less than 10 years 10, 11-25years 39 and 25 years and over 79
Most of these are cool weather failures, only 20% failed between May and September.
75% occurred in high use areas.
71% reported no decay present.
Most commonly reported other defects:
Multiple trunks/codominant stems 43 (24%)
Heavy lateral limbs 43 (24%)
Included bark 24 (13%)
Of the branch failures, 78% failed at the point of attachment.
89% failed in medium to high wind and 60% with some precipitation.
It may be the case that others are noticing this phenomenon, but our data doesn't show it. We only have one report of an ash failure in 2015. From the data on ash as a whole only 5 reports mention cracks as a defect. See the next question for a more complete report on Ash.
Question referred to L. Costello.
Good question, especially from Hawaii where temperatures can be high year round. CTFRP only collects data from California locations and there are only 11 E. citriodora branch failures reported. Only one of those is attributed to summer limb failure and only four occurred in the summer (July) with temperatures in the 80's. A suggestion for the long term is for arborists from Hawaii to collect data on tree failures and report them to the International Tree Failure Database http://svinetfc8.fs.fed.us/natfdb/
Your county or municipality may have guidelines regarding trees and adjoining properties, so try them first. You also may want to solicit advice from a consulting arborist who has expertise in tree risk assessment. Go to ASCA-consultants.org to find one in your area. It may also be wise to include your neighbor in your discussions.
Since Rio Linda is in Sacramento County you should contact the University of California Cooperative Extension Sacramento County Horticulture Advisor Chuck Ingels 916-875-6527 or the Sacramento County Master Gardeners 916-876- 5338. The Cooperative Extension does accept samples and the service is free. Call first. A photo would help....what you describe sounds like damage by a bird called a sapsucker.
There are 107 reports of Eucalyptus sideroxylon out of 5776 total reports in the database. Branch 72, Trunk 29 and Root 6. Mean age 26 years, mean DBH 18 inches, mean height 41 ft. and mean crown spread 25 ft. The most commonly reported structural defects are heavy lateral limbs 35%, multiple trunks 16%, Included bark 13% and dense crown 12%. No decay was noted in 30% of trunk failures, 46% of branch failures and 4% of root failures.
Of the branch failures 35% failed at the point of attachment and 48% were 5-12 inches in diameter.
86% failed in medium to high use areas.
73% of failures occurred in the months of November -March. Precipitation was a factor in 58% of cases and medium to high winds in 85 % of cases.
The tree failure database can't help with your inquiry, but we suggest you try Colma city government. Try Public Works at publicworks@colma.ca.gov They might already be aware of problems on the property.
There are only 10 reports of Cupressus sempervirens, Italian cypress. 7 root, 2 branch and 1 trunk. Mean age 44 years, mean Height 51 ft and mean DBH 21 inches. Decay was noted in 4 cases (1 trunk, 1 branch and 2 root).All failed in northern CA locations between November and February in mostly stormy conditions.
I'm sorry. We have no reports on Eucalyptus ovata.
Sorry, CTFRP data can't help with this. Suggest you find your county Cooperative Extension office and ask for help there.
Platanus is a genus that is known to experience a phenomenon called "Summer Branch Drop" Suggest you google "Journal of Arboriculture April 1983 Summer Branch Drop" for a detailed discussion of the phenomenon. This may have been the case with your tree, but you should also have it inspected by an arborist who is experienced in hazard assessment.See the American Society of Consulting Arborists to find one in your area.http://asca-consultants.org
We have 86 reports of Cedrus deodara failures. 66 (77%) are branch failures. The average diameter of the branch at point of failure is 11 inches. 47 failed away from the attachment (average distance from attachment is 4 ft.) The mean age of the trees with with branch failures is 58 years and trunk diameter is 35 inches.
Heavy lateral limbs is the most commonly reported structural defect and no decay was noted in 50 (76%) of branch failures.
There are 60 reports of wind speeds for branch failures. < 5mph 26, 5-25mph 16 and >25 18.
29 reports (cooperators comments) attributed the failures to heavy lateral limbs with end weight and 8 of those suggested "summer limb drop" For discussions of this phenomenon see Archives, 7/26/2006 and 7/31/2009
We have 56 reports of incense cedar failures. Trunk 29, Branch 9 and Root 18. The root failures occurred in the following cities. Berkeley 1, Alameda 1, El Cerito 3, Oakland 3, Placerville 1, Sacramento 3, San Francisco 4, San Jose 1, San Mateo 1, Santa Rosa 1, Sunnyvale 1, Tiburon 1 and Yosemite Valley 1.
CTFRP data can't help with your question. Try contacting UC Cooperative Extension for Los Angeles County at http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu
We have 114 reports of Sequoia sempervirens. 57 are trunk failures. Of those, 28 listed codominance (18 with included bark) as the primary defect that led to failure. The reasons for the codominance are not always known. Some mention intentional topping, some accidental factors such as lightning strikes.
Four more reports since then. All branch failures away from attachment. Mean height 36.25 ft. Mean DBH 16.5 inches. No decay noted. All failed in high winds and rain.
There are reports of 161 Pinus pinea failures to date. Trunk: 50 (31%), Branch 48 (30%) and Root 63 (39%).
Mean: Age 42 years, DBH 32 inches, Height 47 ft. and Crown 44 ft.
Defects (not decay):
Multiple trunks/codominance 20% (occurred in 21 of 50 trunk failures)
Dense crown 21%, Heavy lateral limb 13%
Lean 13% (occurred in 15 of 63 root failures)
Kinked/girdling roots 9% (occurred in 11 of 63 root failures and 3 of 50 trunk failures)
Decay: None 78%, some 22% (occurred in 11 of 63 root failures)
60% of branch failures occurred at the point of attachment. 44%of trunk failures occurred at ground level.
61% of failures occurred in the months November-March.
Precipitation: None 44%, some 56%
Wind: 25mph 39% (occurred in 30 of 63 root failures)
CTFRP data can't help with this problem. An analysis of the damage to the trees can be done by a consulting arborist. Find one at http://asca-consultants.org. If you and your neighbor are unable to come to an agreement over this issue, an independant arbitrator might help.
There are only 6 reports on Washingtonia robusta. Four from northern CA and two from Los Angeles. 5 Trunk, 1 Branch
Mean Ht. 51 ft. Mean DBH 25 inches. All failed in high use areas between December and March in mostly high winds.
Of the trunk failures two failed at ground level and three at 30-40 ft.
No decay noted except for one of the trunk failures. Cracks/splits noted three times. Cause of failure for two trees was lightning strikes.
Sometimes branches with no obvious defects fail in the summer in calm conditions. Oaks, in particular Quercus lobata (valley oak), are subject to this phenomenon. See a discussion about this in "Post a Question /Archives" on July 26, 2006.
It's a wise practice for any old tree to have it inspected periodically by an arborist who has expertise in hazard assessment. See American Society of Consulting Arborists http://asca-consultants.org to find one near you.
There are 113 reports on Sequoia sempervirens failures. Branch: 22 (20%), Trunk: 57 (50%) and Root 34 (30%). Mean age:50 years, Mean DBH: 29 inches, Mean Height: 75 ft.
Defects (not decay)multiple trunks 28 (27%), others noted at 6% or less. Decay: none noted in 59 cases (58%)
81% failed in medium to high use areas (51% residential). Some precipitation in 66 (67%) cases and 77 (76%) failed in high (over 25mph) winds.
Branch failures: 22 of 113. Mean branch diameter at point of failure: 6.3 inches. 17 (77%) failed at point of attachment in high (over 25mph) winds. Primary structural defect (7 cases): heavy lateral limb. No decay noted in 88% of cases. No pruning observed in 79% of cases. 13 (62%) failed in the rain.
There is little new information on redwood failures, but see Comment #35 for an update of general information and branch failures. You also asked about root failures. Of a total of 113 reports 34 (30%) are root failures. Mean DBH 27 inches and mean Height 57 ft. Root decay was noted in 19 (61%) cases. 91% of failures happened in the months of November-March. Saturated soil was reported in 13 (45%) of cases. Some precipitation was present in 66% of cases and 73% failed in high (over 25mph) winds. An additional note on trunk failures: 86% failed above ground level and 20% mentioned multiple trunks/codominance as a defect.
Of 92 trunk and root failures of Sequoia sempervirens two reports attribute the presence of burls to the failure.
Comment #1: "Heavy rain, gusty wind up to 50mph combined with a defect in the base of the trunk: the top of the root system formed a bowl of burlwood with the tree trunk sitting in it like a ball in a socket connected only by a small area of decayed inner wood."
Comment #2: "Inspection had noted good taper. Inspection after failure noted that taper was in fact burlwood with no roots beneath the trunk."
There are only five reports on Pinus torreyana in the database. Four from the SF Bay Area and one (branch failure) from San Diego. We need more reports from southern CA!!
One trunk, two branch and two root (whole tree).
Mean Age: 66 years, mean DBH 38 inches and mean Height 74 ft.
One of the whole tree failures had a severe lean and the other one was on a slope and had root decay on the uphill side. Both failed in winds of 5mph or less. There was no precipitation at the time of any of the failures.
You have important decisions to make about your trees and our recommendation is that you do it with the advice of an arboricultural consultant with expertise in hazard assessment. See http://ascaconsultants.org to find one in your area.
There are 82 cases of Cedrus deodara failures in the database. 61 are branch failures. The mean diameter of the branches at point of failure is 11 inches. 45 failed out on the limb and 16 at the attachment. No decay was observed in 48 of the branch failures and the structural defect "heavy lateral limbs" was reported in 31 cases. 41 branches failed under conditions of no precipitation. 26 branches failed in winds less than 5 mph, 25 in winds 5-25 mph and 15 in winds over 25 mph.
There are only 5 reports of E. cladocalyx. Four came from southern California locations. Mean age 44 years, mean Ht 68 ft., mean DBH 34 inches and mean crown spread 49 ft.
One root failure and 4 branch failures. All branch failures occurred away from the point of attachment. Defects listed are heavy lateral limbs, dense crown, and uneven branch distribution. No decay for all five. 3 failed in winds below 5mph. Precipitation: 3 none and 2 rain. One branch failure was thought to be "summer limb drop"
Unfortunately, total population information for any species in any location is hard to come by, so we aren't able to look at the data that way. The best way to look at it is "Report numbers for species do not provide an assessment of the frequency of failure for the species (i.e., how often a species fails relative to its occurrence in a population of trees). Rather, it is likely the data reflect the relative abundance of a species in the areas from which reports are being received" You may notice that the majority of reports originate from the San Francisco Bay Area and that's not because failures occur more often there, but because more cooperators send in reports from there.
If you are interested in comparing species, rather than ask "Are oaks more likely to fail than euks?"you might ask "How do the failure patterns differ between oaks and eucalyptus?" Look at the "Species Profiles" page for examples.
The 50plus list is derived from the current database which includes all the reports received dating back to 1987.
Bark inclusion and decay are commonly associated with limb failure, but I don't know which photo(s) you are talking about.
There are 82 Cedrus deodara failures out of 5415 reports to date. Trunk 6 (7%), Branch 61 (74%), Root 15 (18%). Mean Age: 55 years, Mean DBH: 33 inches, Mean Height: 65 ft. and Mean Crown spread: 44 ft.
Structural defects (not including decay) reported are mainly heavy lateral limbs 42% and dense crown 11%. 15% reported no defects.
No decay was reported on 4 trunk, 48 branch (59%) and 10 root failures.
46% of the failures occurred in the months of November through March.
26 branch failures occurred in winds less than 5mph. All of the other failures reported winds over 5mph.
Precipitation: None:43, Some: 32
Yes, you can. E-mail me at treefail@mac.com.Tell me your name and e-mail address and I will send you the records you have submitted in Excel or FileMaker format.
No, there haven't.
Of 5366 reports in the CTFRP database to date, 24 are silver dollar gum, Eucalyptus polyanthemos. Mean age 20 years, mean height 41 ft. and mean DBH 20 inches. Failure type: Trunk 8, Branch 13 and Root 3. No decay was noted in 18 cases, some in 4 and unknown in 2. Other structural defects associated with the failures were heavy lateral limbs, multiple trunks/codominant stems, embedded bark and multiple branches arising from the same point.
It sounds as though you are doing the best you can to try to keep your tree safe. As the tree ages, it would be wise to have it inspected periodically by an arborist who is expert in structural analysis. See the American Society of Consulting Arborists http://asca-consulstants.org
There is only one report for Abies magnifica in the CTFRP database. This is a species that is seldom seen in urban locations, so perhaps someone from the Forest Service would be willing to share his/her experience with the species.
CTFRP data on redwood trunk failures has not changed since Comment #13 on 02/23/12. The likelihood of failure of any individual tree should be based on a careful examination of the tree by someone who has expertise in structural assessment.
We only have 15 reports on Ailanthus altissima. Trunk 7, Branch 5 and Root 3. Mean age 37 years, mean Height 41 ft. and mean DBH 25 inches. Decay was noted in 8 cases. Other structural defects include included bark (8 cases) and lean (4 cases). All of the reports originated from northern Californa Counties. No pruning at failure location was noted in 10 cases. No precipitation was noted in 10 cases and 9 failed in moderate to high winds
Of 5352 reports in the dabase to date, 42 are Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Mean age: 32 years, Mean DBH: 25 inches, Mean Height: 52 ft.
Trunk (7) Branch (31) Root (4)
The majority of the reports came from northern California counties and one from Riverside and one from Los Angeles county.
76% of the failures happened in the months November-March.
No decay was noted in 81% of the failures. Other commonly reported structural defects include Multiple trunks/co-dominance 32%, Heavy lateral limbs 22% and Dense crown 11%
70% of the failures happened in winds of over 25 mph.
These questions can't be answered by CTFRP data. An on-site evaluation of the tree is needed to determine what the results of root cutting might be. Contact the American society of Consulting Arborists http://asca-consultants.org.
CTFRP data is insufficient to accurately compare failure potential among species. As data accumulates, it is hoped that failure patterns for individual species will emerge. When a question arises about the hazard potential for an an individual tree, it is always best to have an expert analysis done. You can find an expert by consulting the American Society of Consulting Arborists website at http://asca-consultants.org
Eucalyptus globulus data summary:
287 reports of 5322
Mean age: 64 years, mean DBH: 43", mean Height: 81',
Failures at: Trunk: 14%, Branch: 42%, Root: 43%
Major structural defects associated with failures: Heavy lateral limbs 26%, multiple trunks/codominance 10%, dense crown 11%.
Decay was present in 55% of cases.
Precipitation: some 56%
Wind:<5mph 26%, 5-25mph 26%, >25mph 48%
For an expert opinion, you can find a consulting arbortist in your location at http://asca-consultants.org
There are too few reports on Sequoia sempervirens trunk failures to be predictive, but so far we have reports on 110 redwood failures and 54 of those are trunk failures. The mean height at the point of failure is 30 ft. The mean diameter at the point of failure is 16 inches. Multiple trunks/codominant stems was mentioned as a defect in 25 cases and included bark in 14 cases. No decay in 30 cases, some in 20 cases and in 4 cases decay was not reported. 39 failed in high winds.
There are 154 reports of P. pinea failures in the database. 57 of those are root failures and only five are from Alameda and San Francisco counties. None of the five report root cutting or root pruning, but kinked/girdling roots are listed as defects twice.
For all 57 of the root failures, two mention root pruning, two root cutting and kinked/girdling roots are listed as defects 12 times.
London plane is the most widely planted street in the San Francisco Bay area, yet out of 5253 reports to date, only 17 failure reports have been filed for the species. Trunk: 6, Branch: 9 and Root:2
Mean Age: 32 years, Mean DBH: 20 inches, Mean Height: 36 Ft. Mean Crown spread: 22 Ft.
Decay: present at point of failure: none: 9, some: 4, unknown: 4
Other structural defects: failed portion dead: 2, multiple trunks/codominance: 2, dense crown: 1, uneven distribution: 2, kinked, girdling roots: 2 none: 3, data missing: 3
Months of failure: November-April: 8, May-October: 8, data missing: 3
Site use: High: 13
Wind: Some: 9, data missing: 8
Precipitation: none: 6, some: 3, data missing: 8
This phenomenon has occurred in several locations in the Bay Area and a fungus disease may have been involved in some cases. There is no information about it in CTFRP data, however. Your question will be referred to someone who may have better information. Stay tuned.
There are only 22 reports for E. polyanthemos. 8 trunk, 11 branch and 3 root. Mean Ht. 41ft., mean DBH 18 inches and mean age 20 years. 17 failed between November and March. 19 reports originated from northern California counties and 3 from southern California.
For the branch failures, 7 failed at the point of attachment. There was no decay noted in all but one of the branch failures. Most commonly reported defects were included bark and heavy lateral limbs.
For the trunk failures, 2 failed at ground level and the remainder from 6-30 ft. above ground. No decay noted in five trunk failures and multiple trunks and codominance were the most commonly reported structural defects.
Two of the 3 root failures reported no decay.
Weather factors: 19 failed in moderate to high wind. 3 did not report wind speed. 14 failed in the rain.
There are 550 reports on Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak) failures. 208 (38%) are root failures. 72% of root failures occurred when the trees were between 26 and 100 years old. 83% of the root failures had a DBH of between 13 and 42 inches. Mean crown diameter is 45 ft. 82% of the root failures occurred in the months of November through March.
Root decay was a factor in 73% of cases. Other commonly reported structural defects include: lean (18%), failed portion dead (16%), uneven/one sided (14%), multiple trunks (12%), and dense crown (12%).
Other factors commonly reported include: root cutting (18%) and grade change/fill (17%)
Soil conditions were reported as: saturated (56.2%), good (29.9%), compacted (11.9%), dry (5.7%), shallow (1.0%) and other (3.3%).
Irrigation: none (55%), up to 3x/month (45%)
Ground covers include: bare soil (21%), mulch (8%), turf (12%), other plants (56%) and paving (3%).
Weather conditions include: rain (68%) and wind speed (< 5mph 34%), (5-25mph 33%), (>25mph 33%).
CTFRP data shows that of 18 redwood branch failures reported, 15 (83%) failed at the point of attachment. Cultural practices such as watering and fertilizing are not reported for branch failures.
This is not a question the CTFRP data can answer. You'll need to consult experts in "large tree removal" to evaluate your situation.
CTFRP data on valley oaks is insufficient to answer your question. However, it is not unusual for large old oaks to have decay and other structural defects that can lead to failure. Check the American Association of Consulting Arborists website http://www.ASCA-consultants.org for someone in your locality who can do a structural assessment of your tree.
Posted by Donald Gasser on August 30, 2024
Our data doesn't provide an answer for this. Lightning is very rarely mentioned in cooperators comments and only twice in the data. Look in STORIES and click on LIGHTNING STRIKE for an example of lightning striking a live tree. This incident is not part of our database.