|
THE POWERFUL STORMS which pounded the Mendocino Coast on January 8 and March 8, 1995 proved that even large, firmly-rooted trees can come crashing down without warning, destroying houses and cars, blocking roads, cutting off power for days, endangering lives and making a general mess. A lot of former tree lovers now look at those large leafy objects with mixed feelings.
Trees can add value to property in many ways. Commercial species like redwood and fir may have substantial timber value. Trees can also provide wind protection, privacy, sound attenuation, shade, beautiful views, habitat for native plants and animals, and great aesthetic appeal. In fact, many potential buyers of property on the Mendocino Coast are attracted here by the natural forest environment.
But trees can also fall down, catch fire, block the sun and obstruct your view. How do you enjoy the benefits and value that trees provide while minimizing their hazards? This involves learning about the local habitat in which you live, how to prune trees, when to remove them and what to plant in their place.
The Coastal Prairie
The coastal prairie includes the shrubby grassland terraces and hillsides nearest the ocean. Shore pine (Pinus contorta) and Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica) are native to this zone and are the best trees to plant. These trees tolerate salt spray and mold themselves to the wind, providing dense low-growing windbreaks which preserve your (and your neighbor’s) ocean view.
Plant young trees after the first fall rains. Resist the temptation to plant exotic ornamentals or taller, faster growing trees which aren’t adapted to the harsh coastal elements. Native bishop pines will grow here, but they do poorly.
The Coastal Pine Forest
The coastal pine forest habitat is located just inland from the coastal prairie, and is more protected from the wind and salt spray. Many people build their homes here because the land is usually level and open to the sun and out of the wind. This forest environment is characterized by bishop or “bull” pine (Pinus muricata), grand fir (Abies grandis), shore pine, tanbark oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) and coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica).
Bishop pines, like people, become “senescent” and die of old age at about 70 to 90 years. As the trees age, large limbs die and can fall to the ground at any time. The coastal pine forest is naturally adapted to fire, so it’s important to keep the deadwood removed.
Remove native bishop pines only if they are old and weak, or if they are growing very close to your house. Have a professional tree climber or arborist take out dead trees and limbs which might fuel a fire or damage property or people if they fall. A professional pruning job will let in more sunlight, protect your house and bring out the hidden beauty of these trees. A skilled arborist will “lace out” rather than “limb up” a bishop pine, removing only the dead wood. To keep these trees healthy avoid unseasonal water or trampling near their root zone.
If there are grand firs or cypress (Cupressus sp.) growing near your house, consider removing them. Grand firs growing in the coastal pine forest are often weak and stressed from wind and salt exposure and seem to be healthier farther inland. If there are native cypress trees here, they are probably growing in a wet area and may be toppled by a strong wind.
Trees that have grown up exposed to wind develop a strong, branching wind-resistant structure. However, the same trees growing in crowded, wind-sheltered stands will become tall and weak. These spindly trees are much more likely to fall on your house if they become exposed to the wind. To protect your house from windfalls, keep any tall spindly trees a safe distance away, especially on the south side where the strongest storm winds blow.
The Redwood/Douglas Fir Forest
The redwood/douglas fir forest is dominated by the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the Douglas fir (Pseuodotsuga menziesii), two of the most valuable commercial timber trees in California. A mature redwood forest can be a lovely place to visit, but year-round forest dwellers can find this a cold, damp and sunless environment in which to live. Many coastal residents live in previously-logged second-growth forests which are still prime timber growing areas. Huge old-growth redwood stumps remain as a testament to the giant trees that once grew here and will probably rise again.
In this tall dense forest, homeowners usually remove a few trees to let in sunlight and provide some yard space. However, too much tree removal makes a hole in the natural forest canopy which would normally deflect the wind above the treetops. When a big winter storm comes along, these forest clearings take the full brunt of the wind and even big trees are likely to fall down. As a result, homeowners remove even more trees to protect themselves and their houses. This makes even bigger holes in the forest canopy, causing more wind damage, and so on until there is not much forest left between the houses.
People with small forested lots have to strike a balance between cutting trees and preserving the forest canopy. One solution is to take advantage of the natural forest succession process, allowing native pines and hardwoods to grow but preventing the redwoods and firs from replacing them.
People who live on larger forested lots have more flexibility. They can maintain a cleared home site apart from a stand of timber with an intact canopy. But they also face the challenge of managing the forest while maintaining their property’s residential appeal. A poorly-managed timber harvest can produce a loss in property value which offsets the timber revenue.
The Pygmy Forest
The pygmy forest is one of the rarest habitats on earth, with stunted vegetation caused by extremely acid and poorly drained soils. This phenomenon has been caused by rain leaching on land which has remained as flat as a billiard table for hundreds of thousands of years. It is unlikely that any tree in a true pygmy forest will grow large enough to cause much damage if it falls on your house. However, pygmy soil becomes waterlogged in winter which can cause some of the larger trees to topple in the wind. Because of development restrictions and the rarity of this habitat, pygmy dwellers should disturb as little as possible and imagine themselves living in a priceless bonsai garden.
Trees to Avoid
In general, It makes both economic and environmental sense to replace non-natives with native trees whenever possible. Trees which have spent millions of years adapting to local conditions are going to have a clear advantage over trees which evolved somewhere else or are simply cultivated varieties produced for the nursery trade.
Monterey pines (Pinus radiata) are still widely planted on the Mendocino Coast because they are readily available and grow quickly. In fact, they are the most widely planted pine tree in the world. But these trees are structurally weak and are a dangerous choice to plant anywhere near your house. Monterey pines have been removed from public parks and open spaces because they suppress native vegetation.
Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) were commonly planted in long straight windrows along the coast. The trees are bushy when young, but tend to grow very tall with most of their foliage near the top. The lone cypress makes a picturesque silhouette against the sky, but they fracture and blow down in high winds. Occasionally you find a strong branching specimen like the one on the Kelley House lawn in the Village of Mendocino, which will withstand the wind.
Thousands of acres of blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) were planted throughout California and Arizona in the late 1800s and early 1900s for windbreaks, firewood and a failed hardwood lumber scheme. The trees can be damaged by frost and are extremely flammable, as proven by the disastrous Oakland Hills fire in 1990. They also block views, break apart in high winds and suppress almost all other vegetation which tries to grow beneath them. If you have eucalyptus on your property, cut it down and turn it into firewood, kill the stump sprouts and let the native trees come back. Where eucalyptus trees have displaced merchantable timber, it makes especially good economic sense to remove them.
My Favorite Local Landscape Trees
My all-time favorite trees for residential landscaping on the Mendocino Coast are the native shore pine and the Pacific wax myrtle. Sunset Magazine describes the shore pine as “one of the best small pines for small gardens” and the Pacific wax myrtle as “one of the best looking native plants.”
Both trees are small (under 30 feet) but grow quickly. They often have multiple trunks which make them easy to prune and train. Because of their small size and branched form , they let in more sun and are less likely to grow very tall and fall on your house. They are also the perfect choice for wind breaks, and for providing privacy without blocking your view. Unlike most ornamental trees, they are drought-tolerant, disease-resistant and support birds and other local wildlife.
Topping, Pollarding and Lollipopping
Three of the most destructive pruning practices are topping, pollarding and “lollipopping.” These are the classic amateur pruning techniques which not only damage trees, but make them look bad. Like amateur workmanship in your house, bad tree pruning can turn off prospective buyers.
Topping is the practice of removing the top of a tree to limit its height. This weakens the tree and makes it susceptible to disease. Remove the entire tree instead, and replace it with a more appropriate specimen.
Pollarding is the practice of cutting tree limbs back to short stumps. Very few skilled gardeners know how to do this properly. The amateur gardener usually attacks an older tree with a chain saw. If a tree is too big for your yard, remove it and plant one that fits.
Lollipopping is the practice of removing the lower limbs of a tree. Overzealous suburban gardeners with electric hedge trimmers often transform entire landscapes into topiary fantasies resembling lollipops and gumdrops. While removing limbs may allow a person to walk and mow under the tree, many trees look better and stay healthier with their lower limbs intact.
If you have to remove the lower limbs of a tree, mulch heavily with wood chips out to the drip line. Human trampling and turf grass growing right up the trunk can stunt and even kill a tree. In fact, the best thing you can do to revive any plant growing in your lawn is to remove a circle of turf and replace it with heavy mulch.
Fire Danger
The California Department of Forestry (CDF) recommends that you maintain at least a 30-foot fire resistant area around your house, removing highly flammable vegetation, dry debris and deadwood. Homes on slopes and in high-risk areas should increase this distance to 100 feet. CDF recommends keeping trees and limbs at least 10 feet away from any chimneys or stove pipes. Make sure your access roads can accommodate large emergency vehicles when they’re needed.
For more information about trees, contact the University of California Cooperative Extension, California Department of Forestry, California Native Plant Society and your local tree and landscape professional.
-
|
|
|