A tree was damaged by wind and I'm wondering if it's a lost cause

Forgive the crap drawing but I thought it might be helpful to describe my issue.

Basically a small ornamental tree got damaged by wind and one of the main roots on one side broke. The tree is now leaning over but is still looking good.

If I pull the tree back up from leaning over I can see where the main snap happened on one of the major thick roots on one side.

I was about to dig the tree out and replace it, but just wanted an opinion first. Is there any point in pulling the tree upright and staking it? Or is the tree never going to get back to full health?

 

If you take it out, it's a goner anyway. Stake it for a year or three and see if it compensates for loss of anchorage

 

Maybe, a pruning would help take the load off the roots, but I cant see it, so difficult to say for sure.

 

In addition to the advice already given, what kind of tree is it, and when you say 'small' what do you mean? Approx size in feet/metres will help

It's hard to give truly appropriate advice without seeing it properly - ie a photo. It may well be fine if it's staked/supported as @flounder suggests.

 

Hi, sorry for the delay. I took some pictures and video.

Here's the tree. It's an Arbetus unedo or Strawberry Tree. It's leaning towards the left of the picture.



Here's another angle:




The broken root:



Here I pull the tree upright again and then let it fall back down






Here's a video of me pulling the tree to it's former postition:

 

That looks a very exposed site.

Just me, but if its still attached to roots ok I' would stake that as is , just to stop movement and let it grow like that.

Of course if you want it upright I think your going to struggle and might be best to remove and start again.

There are a few trees in my local park that went in a similar way to yours in 1987 and they just got left, they actually have compensated over the years and look, to me, different because of it.

It looks like your garden is not formal, which I like.

 

Hard to be sure. But it may well be ok. I've seen some newly planted trees close to me completely snapped in two (I assume vandalism, sadly), but the other day nearly all of them had fresh shoots emerging. It depends how much of the roots were exposed and whether there's an entry point for pathogens. Exposure could potentially help it if it means it is less likely to sit in water.

My experience is that most plants are resilient, but it takes a lot of patience, possibly months to see if we are successful.

 

Yes, it's very high and exposed which is why a lot of plants and shrubs went by the wayside but some have thrived and I have added lots of hedges and shrubs as windbreaks. In the first picture you can see a mass of bamboo and buddleja in the background which act as windbreak for a different area

When I'm buying a plant I stick to ones that are claimed to be able to handle exposed sites (which this actual one was supposed to), so I might just try a new one in this area.

 

As it's Arbutus unedo, I'd do whatever was necessary to save it! Beautiful tree! Unlike @pete, I'd pull it upright and stake it to within an inch of it's life.....stakes all round with a criss-cross of ties (old tights and stockings are excellent as soft but strong ties) until it's put out new roots on that side. If your garden is that exposed, it may well need permanent staking. As it's evergreen, the supports will be hidden by the foliage, so not a problem

 

We have several arbutus unedo in our garden, and I’ve been trying to get rid of some, as they are self seeded. I cut one down to the ground because it was growing in the path, but it comes back up every year! Others that I have pruned right back have recovered quickly. My guess is that they are almost indestructible, so I’d prop it back up and stake it. Do you have any more popped up elsewhere in the garden, in case you need to nurture a replacement?

 

I tend to think they are tough trees as well.
Mine is all twisted and may well have got blown sideways when young but most trees ,if they still have a foot hold , will survive as long as you can just stop them moving around.


In some ways I prefer the contorted branching over the dead straight upright tree.

 

I would give the whole tree a good prune, prop it up using X and or Y props, like the old fashioned clothes line props, then bandage the wounded area firmly using wide waterproof tape, I have used electrical tape but gaffer tape would do, and leave alone for at least 4/5 years.
Arbutus tend to have top heavy growth so reducing the top growth will help the tree recover. I used this technique when a neighbours' conifer fell onto a witch hazel and broke a thick branch. It took several years to heal but was as good as new eventually.
A nice deep mulch of anything around the the base will help the roots to get going as well.
Good luck.