Do eucalyptus tree roots spread under house foundations? Help

[Denisec4502]

I have a eucalyptus tree in my garden that is 3 years old, It is beautiful, however I have been told that they get under house foundations. It is about 10 feet away from my house? Is this true.

[RATTER15]

10 ft is fairly close, the spread of the roots is usually about the same spread as the crown of the tree,the best thing to do is to keep the tree professionally pruned so that it doesn't get too big, that will limit the spread of the roots.

[Cetti]

My neighbour has just had a 30 foot snow gum felled which is wonderful for us - no more leaves and much more light.
I've just found a eucalyptus question similar to yours. The good news is that they are not shallow rooted, but grow straight down, so no problems with foundations. Have a look:

http://www.uk.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ukgard /msg030432176030.html

[alan30]

Sorry; I do not agree with the postings on the Gardenweb link. Eucalyptus is generally a vigorous large tree with an extensive rooting system although there are smaller species. There is no hard and fast rule whether they are shallow rooted or not; trees will put out a root system to meet their demands for nutrients, water and air and this will depend on the soil type and other often very local factors. Eucalyptus figure significantly in subsidence claims especially when you consider their small numbers compared to other species. The idea of removing a tree in stages was common based on the belief that the reduced water demand over a period of time allowed the soil moisture content to reach equilibrium slowly. The alternative was to remove a tree and allow a sudden uptake of now available water and risk soil heave which is potentially more damaging to structures than soil subsidence. Recent research at East Malling shows that crown reduction is not particualrly effective at controlling water demand from the soil unless carried out on a regular basis with a 70%-90% crwon volume reduction. In most cases that scale of reduction could be considered detrimental to the health of the tree.

Going back to the specific question; the answer depends on the soil type. If you are on a shrinkable clay then Eucalyptus 10 feet from the house is asking for trouble unless foundations have been specifically built deep to counter the effects of soil drying. On a clay soil managing the trees water demand by crown reduction and regular pruning is not an option. If you are on sand and/or gravel then the subsidence will not be a problem and tree roots are unlikely to cause direct damage to the foundations. You will still have a problem maintaining the crown to an acceptable size to prevent it touching the building. Move it or fell it before it gets too big!!

[Lonnie]

Hi Alan,
Glad you came on, I was about to put links to your past answers on this very subject, one of which was mine,

[alan30]

Glad to be of help.

[manofsteel]

An article in the Daily Telegraph sometime ago said that eucalyptus trees should not be grown in this counrty as they get plenty of water here and can reach over 50 feet in a very short time. If you let them grow you will lose the round leaf shape and it becomes elongated. They are native to Australia, as you probably know, and get very little water so don't grow as big. So keep it well pruned and about 5ft tall.

[dandini]

i just wanted to say that I have a eucalyptus tree thats bigger than my house about 50 ft but its in next doors garden. The tree is about 8 ft from my extension so ive . been very interested in your predicament. ive asked the landlord to get some information about the root system and if its likely to effect my foundations. I know why my garden is so dry now.

[LeggyJT]

I have a problem with a eucalyptus tree. It is at the bottom of a neighbouring garden but is separated from my garden by a public footpath. However its branches are only feet from the roof of my house and my garden is inches deep in shedding brown leaves. Its around 35ft high and I'm told it will grow even bigger. Is there anything legally that I can refer to before I write to the house owners asking if they could reduce its size, bearing in mind I am not in the true sense a neighbour - due to the intervening footpath?