Stupid Tree

[Ron Hardin]

What kind of stupid tree breaks under its own weight? No wind or anything, no damage.

I have smooth sumac on the south wall of the house, providing a canopy of shade with no leaves at window-level; and it's a light-weight tree so it won't damage the house by banging on it. Very pleasant, like an annual awning, waving fronds and filtered light and all that.

But when the leaves get wet, the branches weigh more, and now the damn things are breaking off, exposing the house to SUN. It's the best branches that go first.

Fortunately they grow fast. Like weeds in fact.

[Allview]

Aren't sumac trees always brittle? I remember them growing wild in the fields behind our house in PA when I was a kid. Now I see people planting them on purpose in their yards. They are very pretty.

Marilyn

[J. Del Col]

Sumacs are weak, brittle trees. They lose leaves and branches all the time and are a mess to clean up. Essentially they are a trash tree. Why people plant them is a mystery.

J. Del Col

[Ron Hardin]

You get dense shade that's clear at ground level, without much tree bulk at hand. The fronds are nice. Birds like the berries in the winter, when everything else runs out. Progeny pop up all over and add to the shade, but are easily snipped when in the lawn.

There's no cleanup that I know of, except removing fallen limbs.

[Bob S.]

There's your first clue. Compare that to the weight vs strength of oak, hickory, and other hardwoods.

Bob S.