A large Deodar Cedar, a species of mature trees that is commonly found in our neighborhoods, fell down early this morning in the 500 block of Plymouth Blvd. in Larchmont VIllage. Thanks to Buzz reader Eileen Lanza who shared some photos of the early tree this morning.
When we stopped by late morning, we met property owner Ken Schaefer, who told the Buzz he’d noticed the tree was leaning several months ago. He reported it to the City’s department of Urban Forestry in November, which sent out an inspector several weeks later. The inspector confirmed the tree was in danger of falling, and told Schaefer that a Department crew would be back to take down the tree. Alas, they didn’t make in time to prevent the fall…but fortunately Schaefer alerted his neighbors, so no cars were damaged when the tree went down.
Upon closer inspection of the tree’s roots, arborist Nick Mook told the Buzz that it’s likely that root decay was the cause of the nearly 80-year-old tree’s decline. Once the roots are diseased and decayed, Mook said, they can’t hold the weight of the tree any longer, causing the tree to fall. Tree roots are actually shallow, explained Mook and they can develop defects early during their stage of development which can have long term consequences for the tree.
“Roots can get overwatered and rot out,” said Mook. “That’s why it’s always good to mulch around trees and redirect the water.”
Schaefer said he noticed the cracks in the ground around the base of the tree, which prompted him to contact Urban Forestry.
