Hi everyone, hoping to pick your minds about this mulberry tree that is planted adjacent to our house/foundation. We recently purchased a 35~ year old home. At some point, this mulberry tree was planted to the side presumably to provide shade cover to the adjacent window. It is now quite large, probably about 25+ feet tall. My question is whether this mulberry tree should be removed to mitigate the risk of damage to our house foundation now/in the future.
Currently, there are not any obvious foundation damage/cracks that we can appreciate. My understanding is that mulberry root networks can be quite vast and expansive. It is planted < a foot away from the side of our house. Since the tree is so large, is the "damage already done" if any? Obviously the best situation would have been that this was never planted so close in the first place, but having purchased the house in the winter, it was not obvious that the tree was so large. Would cutting down the tree cause root death, soil shifting, and then possibly create issues?
Hoping to get some perspective from the experts here. We are also looking into consulting a local arborist as well. Thank you in advance!
by baoj
9 Comments
If the foundation is solid (no cracks from settling), it’s unlikely that the roots will cause damage to the foundation. Most problems with roots exist where the foundation already has some cracks; the small feeder roots enter the cracks and then enlarge them as the roots grow.
I can see several reasons to remove this tree (overhanging roof, messy fruit on the window), but I don’t believe the foundation is one of them.
Yes, unfortunately it will likely cause issues in the long term as mulberries can grow *quite* a bit larger than that. Given that it’s up against the house I’d consult someone about best practices for removal, you can of course cut it down and paint the stump with tree killer, and should, but mulberries have a large, deep Taproot that might cause issues as it rots and leaves a void that could be a point of water infiltration next to the foundation.
No human planted that tree, that was planted by a bird.
Mulberries can get pretty big. No large tree should really be planted within about 20 feet of a structure.
The foundation itself probably isn’t the issue, but the structure will eventually be at risk from the tree, and the longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to remove.
Plus, you might want to look into whether that’s an invasive white mulberry, anyway.
As someone with a giant mulberry tree you need to remove it. They can get quite large and grow quickly.
I love my mulberry tree but would not want it near my house.
Remove it. That mulberry will get extremely large. My parents have one and Iy is so big that I can’t even wrap my arms around it.
Given those shiny, round leaves and the color of the (relatively) young trunk that looks like an invasive white mulberry anyhow. I doubt anyone planted it there on purpose – it is quite common for white mulberry seeds being spread by birds pooping to grow near the sides of structures.
As others have said, these things will get massive over time and it will start to become an issue just based on how big the trunk will get. White mulberry roots can be pretty aggressive. They won’t break into the foundation, but if the foundation already has existing cracks where moisture tends to collect then the tree might grow roots into it over time and slowly start causing some damage. More than that, though, I can imagine the trunk and the root flare itself starting to push in against the foundation when it gets big/tall enough that the wind exerts more force on an every expanding canopy. Imagine like a giant pry bar shoved into the dirt pressing against your foundation every time there is a storm and the wind blows a certain way.
TL;DR, get rid of it. Wait until the fall when the leaves start changing color, then cut it down. IMMEDIATELY paint the stumps with at least 25% glyphosate or a herbicide containing triclopyr. The tree starts drawing everything it can into the root system in the fall, so it will draw in all of the glyphosate or triclopyr and die. If you just cut it down without using herbicide then it will start sending up new shoots.
Get rid of it. Plant something nice 10-15ft away from the house.
Take it out now while it is small. It is way too close to the foundation, any tree that close to the foundation is a no go. I wouldn’t even want a bush that close.
If you love the tree – consider taking some cuttings and trying to root them, and then you can choose where to plant it. Just note – the tree is large, the berries stain, and they are hard to pick up. They attract a lot of flies and bugs right in the middle of the summer when you want to be enjoying your yard…