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Sorry, that was a typo on my part. I meant circumference not diameter. A tree with a 48 in. diameter would be many hundred years old.

• wahern 4y ago
  Different tree species have different growth factors. Tree species planted for shade or greening will tend to be selected for fast growth rates (i.e. low growth factors). Moreover, because of the relatively favorable environment--e.g. good sun, low competition, occasional maintenance--they'll tend to grow faster than average for their species. 48" circumference / 15" diameter could be 15-20 years old, if not younger, for some commonly planted trees. The horrible strawberry tree planted at my curb by the previous homeowner couldn't be much older than about 15 years (they bought the house circa 2007), and it's already close to that diameter even though it's categorized as a slow grower. The trunk splits just above chest height, giving it an advantage by that metric relative to how it grows in the wild, but that probably wasn't an accident. (I couldn't find a proper growth factor number, perhaps because the growth rate of the trunk isn't uniform through its life?) It's a common tree in San Francisco as it is (or at least was) a favorite of the Friends of the Urban Forest, but it creates too much detritus and is now disfavored by the city. Fast growing species of maple and cottonwood are especially common out in the suburbs.
  • zibby8 4y ago
    Even if the tree takes “only” 15 years to replace, that’s still a long time. That’s someone’s entire childhood. It’s definitely worth giving proper consideration to its removal.