ceanothus bush roots

Please help! I have a beautiful ceanothus bush by my (ground floor) bedroom window but neighbours are warning that due to its large size the roots are damaging the property and want the whole thing removed. I thought these were recommended for wall climbers so unsure if roots are really a problem - any advice much appreciated (this is my first post here!). Thank you. Roo

 

Hi Roo and welcome to the forum.

I don't really know the answer. But I wouldn't have thought so. A picture would be useful.

I think there are three different ways a tree/shrub can hurt a building.

1) If it is so big and heavy that it would damage the superstructure if it were to fall over. This is a serious problem with big trees, but not shrubs.

2) If the roots are very big and physically press against and damage the brickwork or foundations. But I wouldn't have thought that a Ceanothus was big enough, unless its very close.

3) A major problem with trees is that they suck up enormous amounts of water from the roots, and if you have clay soil like mine the clay expands in a wet winter and shrinks in summer and the building could subside. You can tell roughly the amount of water that a plant uses by the size of its canopy. All the leaves expire water, so the more leaves there are the more water it takes from the soil. If there was any problem of this sort you could minimise it by pruning the plant to ensure it didn't get too big.

 

How big is the Ceanothus? I would have thought it would have to be enormous for it to cause this sort of problem.

Sounds like your neighbours have other issues. Do you live in an apartment block - or does the shrub overhang into their garden?

 

I'd be surprised if a ceanothus was causing difficulties. Some people do seem to spend a lot of time fretting about plant roots. I once had a neighbour who was a bit like that. He saw no problem, however, in doing dodgy structural alterations to his house.

 

They're trying it on.

I'd do nothing.

Wait for "a letter."

Then send 'em one back.

That usually is the end of it.

 

Thanks so much! What great responses, they have really helped reinforce what I thought.

The 'bush' (I call it bush they call it tree) is pretty big and right up against the wall, apparently the roots are blocking drain inspection hatches too. The building is a converted Victorian block and generally neighbours are pretty nice, looking after one another and things in general. I think this is a case of too much time on hands so fretting about something that may not be a big issue...

I'll get back to them and see how things go - I love the plant it provides fantastic privacy and beautiful flowering so would be sad to see it go.

Thanks again for a great help.

 

Take photos, especially of it's location in proximity to the building the alleged blocking on drain inspection hatches.

 

Hi Roo, I have just dug out a Ceanothus it was bought as a prostrate type in a 5" pot, it had been in about 2 years was about 2-3ft tall and the trunk was about 3" thick and it took a lot of getting out, well as much as I could get out, with roots that do seem to go pretty far I chopped through the ones that were about 4" from the main trunk with the spade they were about 1" thick, I don`t know how far or how deep they have gone. I am hoping they do not sprout again. I hope this gives you some idea as to what to do about yours.

 

Hi Roo, and welcome to the forum.
I doubt if that Coenothis is damaging the property so I would just be polite and pleasant to the neighbours, act the daft lassie or laddie, do nothing and wait and see what happens next. I suspect the answer will be NOTHING.
A storm in a teacup I think.