nuisance tree

My neighbour has a tree, a once variagated acer which, due to neglectful pruning, has reverted to sycamore. The tree is becoming a nuisance in my garden. Apart from the little aeroplanes littering the lawns and flowerbeds now, the seedlings are multitudinous and in the autumn the leaves are ankle deep on the path and lawn.

The tree is over 40 feet high and casts shade over our garden during the afternoon.
The tree overhangs our garden as it is planted close to the boundary fence about 30 feet from our house. I've had a word with my neighbour and she is happy for us to cut off overhanging branches but this would not stop the shade, leaves or seedlings. She has no intention of removing her "favourite tree".

Any suggestions?

 

No advice im afraid, but am sorry you have such inconsiderate neighbours ... have some of my own so know how you feel!!

To be honest I would be inclinded to chuck back over the fence whatever I pruned off it along with all the leaves in the autumn and everything else :hehe:

 

I think by law you have to return any branches you remove from a neighbour's tree(s). Sounds like removing some of the offending, overhanging branches would help - but get a tree surgeon in rather than doing it yourself. Maybe you could talk with the neighbour about sharing the cost and see what the tree surgeon says about reducing it in size, but without removing the tree completely. If she doesn't want to play ball, not sure what the rule is in regard to her paying for her tree to be pruned, or if there is a law as to the size they are allowed to get to.

 

What a shame Alana. I would say whatever you do try to keep good relations with your neighbour as you have to live beside her. It's no fun living beside people you're at war with.

You are allowed to lop off any branches that overhang your property and you must offer them back to your neighbour. What you're not allowed to do is damage the tree so I would suggest get a tree surgeon to give you a quote then speak to your neighbour about sharing the cost.

Sadly there really isn't anything you can do about the seedlings and the leaves if your neighbour is determined to keep the tree.

 

I don't even think sycamore is any good for bonsai :( Would be nice to at least be able to do something useful with the seedlings.

 

On a positive note......sycamore is a native and is good for wildlife, assuming it's Acer pseudoplantatus.

 

Is it really? I thought it was introduced...

 

Ask the local enviromental officer to take a look at it. By law anyone with mature trees in the garden must have them checked every two years.:gnthb:

 

There's quite a dispute about that one but most opinion is that it is a native of central mainland Europe but not of the UK:thumb:

 

Are you sure..We have such a tree in a neighbours garden our gardens are so tiny and this thing shadows mine and others gardens they did chop lumps off it in the winter and for the 1st time in three years my climbing rose has flowered,where can I find this info and forward it on to them,I don't think they are aware of this as i was not.

 

Originally Posted by Redwing
On a positive note......sycamore is a native and is good for wildlife, assuming it's Acer pseudoplantatus.

ROB this is still in debate,

Although some people believe sycamore to be native (eg, Harris 1987), both ecological and historical evidence support the view that the species was introduced around the fifteenth century, although a Roman introduction cannot be excluded (wood said to be sycamore has been found at Langton Villa). The native range of sycamore does not extend as far as the Channel, the North Sea or Atlantic coast, but its introduction and spread has been recorded throughout the coastal areas from Brittany to Norway.

 

Aha - thanks for that.

I'm trying really hard to love sycamore, but struggling. I have it coming up all over the place!

 

Contact your council - they'll have a tree person/department who deals with this, but mention the tree is in a private garden, not on public space.

Try to keep on friendly terms with your neighbour though - war with them is really not fun.

 

OK, sorry but as a native to Europe it is still going to attract a lot of invertebrate life and be good for attracting birds......so still good for the environment.

 

Sorry to go a bit off topic,

My local council is talking of cutting down all the trees in our park that are not native, most were planted in the sixties and seventies and are in their prime or still a bit young now.

Seems a very strange idea to me, a stupid fad that the environmentalists are going through, and we will probably regret in the future.

Does it really matter what is native, after all we are told that there are no real native people left in Britain, so why should we be that bothered about whether our trees are native.

We wipe out wildlife when it suits us, so a few non native trees arn't going to matter, at least the place has not been concreted over,.....yet.