Two weeks ago, I got a call from my tenants in Hancock Hill saying that part of our tree in the front yard had fallen in the middle of the night. I couldn’t believe it when I went to look at it. It was a huge tree and fell for seemingly no reason at all. Luckily no one was hurt and it only brushed the neighbors house so there was no property damage. When I called a few tree companies to have the fallen limbs removed, I learned quite a bit about the Bradford Pear tree and decide to have it removed. I thought I’d share these things with you because there are a lot of these trees in Steiner Ranch. For reference, these are the trees that have the beautiful white blooms in the spring.
- The tree company said that Bradford Pear trees are what keep them in business – typically when you hear of a large tree falling on a house or car, it’s a Bradford Pear – because they grow VERY fast, and the wood is weak. So, they get top heavy and split.
- They only live about 20-25 years. Our house was built in 1999 so the tree is probably about 17 years old, getting close to the end of it’s life. If you live in one of the older sections of Steiner, take note.
- If you have one, be aware of the new growth, you may need to cut it twice a year to keep it from getting top heavy. And, make sure you use a professional tree company, they will know how to cut it properly to take off the weight.
