Is the root system of a mature crepe myrtle a foundation concern?

We bought a house that has a mature crape myrtle a foot away from the house above where the basement is located. I hate to take the tree down but should I be concerned about damage to our foundation from the roots?

Is the root system of a mature crepe myrtle a foundation concern?
Hi:

A Crepe Myrtle has a root system that basically goes straight down into the ground. There are some runners but not like other trees. I do have a concern about the location of the Crepe Myrtle. It is too close to the house. I have seen this type of tree planted too close to the foundation. The tree does not grow properly and any plant should be at least two to to three feet out from the foundation or your basement. I agree with you about not wanting to cut the tree down. I don't believe the roots will damage your foundation, but depending on the age and size of the tree, will depend on how healthy it is and will be in the future.



I hope this has helped a little and good luck in your decision to keep or take down the tree. If it isn't an old tree, you might be able to transplant it. I will link you to the landscape article section of my website. It has a page on transplanting shrubs which would be the same for trees. I will also link you to the site map, as this page has everything that is on the website. Browse through the sections and see if there is any other information that may be helpful to you. Have a great day!

Kimberly



http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...



http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...
Reply:Hey jjferman,



Mature Crepe Myrtle is an awesome plant. One foot away from the foundation indicates a lack of planning on the part of the person that originally planted that one.



You can drastically prune Crepe Myrtle, which will slow or halt root growth, and lower the plant. Consider cutting it down to 3 or 4 feet tall and let the shoots come from the remaining branches.
Reply:down in texas we plant a lot of crapes, the roots grow down and only a few small feeder roots grow out but they will not harm the concrete, in fact we have planted them that close to houses before and we have planted them in small spaces about 1 foot square, remember if yo remove it, usually another will grow in the same spot because it will grow from a root that will still be in the ground, just keep it properly prunned and you will be fine