Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Thursday - June 03, 2010

From: Denton, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Turf
Title: Maple roots in lawn in Denton TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I purchased a new home 4 years ago that came with a landscape package. There are 2 trees in the front yard that I think are red maple trees. I am now seeing their roots appear above the ground which is ruining my nice sodded lawn. What do I need to do?

ANSWER:

When we went to our webpage on Acer rubrum (red maple),and then to the USDA Plant Profile on that tree, we learned that while it is native to Texas, it is pretty well confined to East Texas. That doesn't mean it won't grow in Denton, and really has nothing to do with the roots being on top of the ground, we just always check to see if a plant has been put in where it is native. The Red Maple is a pretty tree, nice in the Fall and good shade, but all the members of the genus Acer are notorious for above-ground, invasive roots. The roots form  a dense, fibrous network, often preventing other plants from growing near its trunk. Very tolerant of most soils, it prefers slightly acid, moist conditions; which is why it is native to East Texas wooded areas. Those surface roots can lift sidewalks and driveways or interfere with mowing. We can't help but feel that your landscaper knew all of this, and just put the trees in anyway.

What can you do about it? Live with it, we're afraid.  Because of the aforementioned tendency to discourage plants growing near its trunk, your grass isn't going to do well, anyway. There really isn't any possible action to force those roots to grow deeper in the ground, that's a genetic instruction for the plant to have those roots. If there is no paving close that can be disrupted by the roots, you could choose to keep it for the shade and appearance. However, this tree lives to be very big, like up to 100 ft., and the circumference of tree roots is often from two to four times the circumference of the crown, and the circumference of the crown may well be nearly the height of the tree. Maybe you won't stay in that house long enough for that to happen to you, but someday, somebody will be dealing with it. 

From our Native Plant Image Gallery:


Acer rubrum

Acer rubrum

Acer rubrum

Acer rubrum

 

 

 

 

More Turf Questions

Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) and buffalo grass mixes
October 05, 2007 - I live in Austin, TX and have visited the Wildflower Center in the past and enjoyed the display of native grass mixes. Can you tell me about the variations of buffalograss mixes... which ones are most...
view the full question and answer

Grassy "weed" invasion in Bermuda grass lawn
July 09, 2007 - Our grass is being totally overrun by this weed.(I don't know what the name is but I do know it's not the dandelion weed or the thin grassy weed). It is Bermuda grass and I really don't know how to...
view the full question and answer

Native buffalograss in sandy loam
April 19, 2008 - I am in the Austin area and want to plant Native Texas Buffalo Grass in sandy loam from the Colorado River bed. Will this work?
view the full question and answer

Why are there no low-mow lawn grasses composed of only native fescues?
September 09, 2014 - Dear SP, Most blends of ecograss I see are a combination of non-native and native fescues (and sometimes buffalo grass, blue grama, etc.). Why are there (apparently) none that are composed entirely of...
view the full question and answer

Did pre-emergent herbicide for lawn kill oak tree in Austin?
May 10, 2010 - Your article in today's (May 1st)Austin American-Statesman advised against using herbicides around oaks. Does that include the "pre-emergents" that the lawn care companies use in the Spring? I ha...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.