We are trying to get rid of a 60' Silver Maple on our 1/3 acre lot. It is a messy tree and "The roots are shallow and fibrous and easily invade septic fields and old drain pipes and can also crack sidewalks and foundations. It is a vigorous resprouter, and if not pruned, it will often grow with multiple trunks." - Wikipedia

We had a problem with our sewer drain being clogged by the roots, our driveway is cracked from them too and the shallow roots come up in the lawn. We constantly have to pluck the little sprouts and don't even bother mulching until it has dropped most of its seed pods - which will sprout in practically any condition.

I can't speak to how fast it will grow but they say they are planted to provide fast shade and also in wet areas to deal with excess water.

I just love this forum I always have an outlet for any negative thoughts or feelings I might have with the never ending silver maple threads ;>) The answer to your first question is YES your rose garden is a gonner unless you like non blooming or sparcely blooming roses with said blooms small and not very colorful...gangly leggy worthless roses with very pretty leaves although sparce and nicely shapen thorns ...Unfortunatly these trash trees can grow 10-15 feet a year under ideal conditions once it gets it's root system esablished...I would say in ten years a seedling will be around here 25-50 or more feet tall and wide with a trunk up the 2-3 feet in diameter...As far as the roots I really don't know much about them but I think it is kind of a moot point since you will be seriously effected anyway add to that falling branches from wind and ice and you've got a A#1 trash tree mess!! You are so close to it that likely any tree other than a dogwood or bush is going to effect you. I would suggest offering to buy a nice flowering red bud or dog wood for your neighbor if he would both cut that garbage down and plant the new one away from your rose garden ...your only other solution is to move your garden to a differnt rose friendly spot...which will be MUCH more work and still doesn't solve the inevitable problems you will have in the future from THEIR mis-judgement reguardless of what is on your side of the fence ..David

Ugh! Even worse than I feared.

Neighbor told me his dad grew this tree from a seed and is very proud of how well it's doing. I'd totally be willing to pay to replace it with something else -- wonder how he'd take it.

Thanks for the info.

If it has sentimental reasons good luck ...growing a silver maple from seed is about as hard as growing a green bean from one ...it would be harder to NOT have it sprout ...it bs by far the easiest maple to sprout and that is another reason to deep six them ...they will be springing up everywhere you look in a couple of years ...yah a real keepsake...kind of like inheriting her fathers debts sweet ;>) David

the issue is really why he needed to plant it only 7' from your fence. this is definitely a tree with roots that can upheave sidewalks and garage foundations. at the very least he ought to move it to the middle of his yard.

You could print out information about silver maples and give it to the neighbor and hope he will consider cutting it down and replacing with something else more desirable.

Sorry to say it won't be long before you not only have shade but things dropping from it constantly. I think the worst are those bud things in spring, then the spinners, finally leaves,... and small branches always. Our neighbor put one next to his house. Front or back may have been OK, but between houses is only about 40'. Now (admittedly years later, but its been going on forever)it drops its "stuff" on our garage (clogs gutters) and driveway and works its way into garage and eventually inside no matter how careful we are. Luckily they are North of us, but it still shades what used to be a little herb garden because of the spread.

I had a large one taken out of our front yard last summer and while they were here with a bucket truck had them trim neighbors tree back to the lot line. They had a fit! But it was perfectly legal--would sure get expensive to take that option regularly though. Hope your neighbors are saner than mine. Sandy

PS: Moss is growing thick under their roof shingles and I'm waiting for the darn thing to take down their foundation. Its only 5' from their house now and one of many junk trees. Poplars and cottonwood galore.

I have 2 silver maples in my front yard. The roots are
running under my sidewalk and hope not under my house.
Is there any way to cut the roots that we can see without
killing the trees. Can you give me some suggestions?

Curtting a few will not kill the tree immediately
Is a problem for infection though.

Any chance u could
Cut one tree down now and replace with something more size appropriate then come back in a few years and remove and replace the other?

I have worked out a similar deal with my neighbor. I'm going to plant two nice shade trees in the center of his front and back yard in exchange for cutting down two smallish popcorn trees along our property line.

The trees were already there when he bought the house so he's attached to them.