Q: Our older cluster home has a large Japanese maple just outside the front door. Its roots have damaged a drainage pipe. Would a landscaper want to remove the tree for transplanting?

A: It all depends on the form of the tree and the species. Lyle Collins (www.southerntrillium.com) says if the tree was growing next to a wall so that one side is bare, it has little worth to a professional.

If it’s a common Japanese maple that can be easily bought at a nursery, a landscaper would not want to expend the effort to dig your plant when they could buy a healthy one, loaded onto their truck, at the nursery.

If you are convinced your maple is outstanding, take several pictures of the plant from all sides and send them to local landscapers (www.georgialandscapepro.com).