QuestionWe have two beautiful River Birch trees in our yard that are within five feet of our home. They are my favorite trees, but my husband is afraid that they can cause foundation problems and would like to cut them down. Please give us your expert advice. Thank you and have a blessed day!
AnswerThis being a river birch, there should not be a problem with the roots. You should not have a problem with root damage from a river birch--their root system is fibrous and I could find no one who has sited root problems with this species. As the tree grows the limbs may rub against your house causing problems but this can be solved by pruning back the limbs. This all depends on how close the tree is to the house. Five feet is close and you will have to prune the branches near the house to keep them from rubbing the house. As the tree grow tall the lower limbs can be cut so they will not be a problem to the house.
