In March 2024, we fortunately discovered a horizontal fracture through a large, mature Fagus grandifolia (American beech) just off the corner of the house. It didn’t look good, especially with many of the largest branches aimed right at the new kitchen and living room remodel we had just completed weeks before. The tree swayed menancingly. Unfortunately, it had to come down, immediately.
After my increasingly frantic texts to the arborist, he came over late afternoon after finishing another job nearby. He took one look and cabled the beech to a large oak at an angle away from the house, so that should it come over (which seemed imminent) it would at least swing away from the house. A couple calls later and he had a lift on its way and by 5pm that day it was on the ground.
However, the characteristic that made it dangerous for the house also made it great for wildlife — the trunk was hollow! So a bit of quick measurement … and we had the arborist leave us the bottom 30 feet. In the ensuing months we’ve had a family of pileated woodpeckers take up residence, so leaving the trunk was (so far) the right choice. I might reconsider if I find my measurement wasn’t correct and the thing comes over and takes out my deck. TBD.
