Hi everyone
We have a grown up Jacaranda tree in the garden, it is now showing the roots on the surface, large area and roots are big big ! it is very close to the house and if it collapses it will cause a great deal of damage. my gardener says we should cut it or it will collapse ! Just because the roots are very spread out and showing over the surface.
it breaks my heart:( what is the best thing to do and avoid both damage and losing the tree?

thank you !

best

grace

Can you post some pictures?

Yes, pictures please. Don't rely on just a gardener's or neighbors' opinions either. If you're really concerned but would rather keep the tree, get a good certified arborist out to check it out, not just a landscaping service that sees money in the job of taking the tree down. Yes, it'll cost something but far less than tree removal, especially if it's unnecessary.

Henderman said:
Can you post some pictures?

Yes i will send a pic later on when im home thank you

Murky said: Yes, pictures please. Don't rely on just a gardener's or neighbors' opinions either. If you're really concerned but would rather keep the tree, get a good certified arborist out to check it out, not just a landscaping service that sees money in the job of taking the tree down. Yes, it'll cost something but far less than tree removal, especially if it's unnecessary.

Hi thank you 🙏 ☺️ pic is coming later on, meanwhile the tree is located back home in Bodrum - Turkey in my garden there:) there are no arborists as far as i know :)))
Since i dont trust the gardener and my neighbor behind would celebrate the tree gone i wanna do everything possible to save the tree. My sister is getting pictures from different angles so i can send you all. I do really hope to save it.
Best g

Are you able to grow it in Tennessee??? I though Jacaranda Trees would only grow in the balmiest of locations in the US (Hawaii, SoCal, south Texas, etc).

luis_pr said: Are you able to grow it in Tennessee??? I though Jacaranda Trees would only grow in the balmiest of locations in the US (Hawaii, SoCal, south Texas, etc).

the tree is located back home in Bodrum - Turkey in my garden there:) there are no arborists as far as i know :)))
Since i dont trust the gardener and my neighbor behind would celebrate the tree gone i wanna do everything possible to save the tree. My sister is getting pictures from different angles so i can send you all. I do really hope to save it.
Best g

luis_pr said: Are you able to grow it in Tennessee??? I thought Jacaranda Trees would only grow in the balmiest of locations in the US (Hawaii, SoCal, south Texas, etc).

My first thought too.
We can grow it here in San Francisco which nobody would call "balmy".

Do jacaranda trees often collapse?

They get big surface roots a lot and don't fall over. I would only remove it if it started to lean or had serious rotting going on.

Henderman said:
Can you post some pictures?

here are some pictures hope they can give you a better idea. thanks for your precious time xx

Murky said: Yes, pictures please. Don't rely on just a gardener's or neighbors' opinions either. If you're really concerned but would rather keep the tree, get a good certified arborist out to check it out, not just a landscaping service that sees money in the job of taking the tree down. Yes, it'll cost something but far less than tree removal, especially if it's unnecessary.

Hi nancy
here are some pics, hope they can give you some clue !

CalPolygardener said: They get big surface roots a lot and don't fall over. I would only remove it if it started to lean or had serious rotting going on.

that is what I thought should logically happen ! but they scared me to think that it will fall over to the couple of structures that are just next to it if you can see it in the pictures. one of them has an occupancy so I need to be very careful as to how to proceed with cutting proposal ! can you see the pictures I posted to the thread? if not let me know I will post again. sorry I am new to this system.
thanks a million xxx

I think your tree looks fine. I don't think it looks like it is in danger of falling over.

I would remove the light fixtures, electrical lines and attachments from the tree. Whatever you used to attach them to the tree could cause problems in the long run.

And I don't like the way those limbs were pruned far from the main trunk but I don't know anything about pruning a Jacaranda.

It looks like your tree was girdled at one time. That's the gouge going around the tree about 2 meters high. But it looks like it recovered from that. Be careful not to let that happen again. Girdling can easily kill a tree.

Good luck!

porkpal said: Do jacaranda trees often collapse?

I don't know the reason I had to ask the question here is because my gardener thought that the roots coming off of the surface mean that the tree is not holding strong to the ground ! that is his logic. and I have no idea if that is true or not.

It looks fine to me too.

Unless you get really,really strong winds, and it doesn't look like it does, the tree is fine. One other thing is that it is a Silk Oak (Grevillea robusta) and not a Jacaranda. It should have yellow/orange flowers if Grevillea and blue/purple if a Jacaranda. If it DOES have blue/purple flowers it isn't either one of them. The leaves aren't right for Jacaranda. We have lots of big (60'+) specimens of both of these that survive very strong (75 MPH) winds every Fall/Winter during Santa Ana wind events. They lose some branches, but the trunks very rarely fail.

CalPolygardener said: Unless you get really,really strong winds, and it doesn't look like it does, the tree is fine. One other thing is that it is a Silk Oak (Grevillea robusta) and not a Jacaranda. It should have yellow/orange flowers if Grevillea and blue/purple if a Jacaranda. If it DOES have blue/purple flowers it isn't either one of them. The leaves aren't right for Jacaranda. We have lots of big (60'+) specimens of both of these that survive very strong (75 MPH) winds every Fall/Winter during Santa Ana wind events. They lose some branches, but the trunks very rarely fail.

thank you so much, I am so relieved, as to the tree, it has purple flowers for sure I will post a picture here when it flowers, not sure when :)))))
what do you think it is then if it is neither of them ? or some other kind? I was told it was, it was planted 17 years ago into that spot, I cannot remember how big it was, I need to dig up some pictures, but i do want it to live past me

CalPolygardener said: Unless you get really,really strong winds, and it doesn't look like it does, the tree is fine. One other thing is that it is a Silk Oak (Grevillea robusta) and not a Jacaranda. It should have yellow/orange flowers if Grevillea and blue/purple if a Jacaranda. If it DOES have blue/purple flowers it isn't either one of them. The leaves aren't right for Jacaranda. We have lots of big (60'+) specimens of both of these that survive very strong (75 MPH) winds every Fall/Winter during Santa Ana wind events. They lose some branches, but the trunks very rarely fail.

and one other thing since I found you:) looking at the pictures, would you have any pruning suggestions at all ? based on the advice given here, I told them to remove all the lighting and cable stuff they attached to my tree so they will be cleared asap.

Henderman said: I think your tree looks fine. I don't think it looks like it is in danger of falling over.

I would remove the light fixtures, electrical lines and attachments from the tree. Whatever you used to attach them to the tree could cause problems in the long run.

And I don't like the way those limbs were pruned far from the main trunk but I don't know anything about pruning a Jacaranda.

It looks like your tree was girdled at one time. That's the gouge going around the tree about 2 meters high. But it looks like it recovered from that. Be careful not to let that happen again. Girdling can easily kill a tree.

Good luck!

thank you so much I have already told them to remove whatever is fixed on the tree and waiting for some pruning advice here if Im lucky! I told them not to touch the tree but boy they are fighting hard to make me believe that it would fall !!!!
best wishes
Grace