Just a little bit of levity, and something to think about....

[yfdp]

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_8063034?nclick_check=1

Sunnyvale homeowners told to cut redwoods that block solar panels

Comments

[albionwood]

Situation like this always make me wonder what else is going on between the parties. Redwoods are extremely resilient and live quite happily after being topped - they then grow like enormous hedge-trees and can be maintained at any height. So why exactly don't the tree-owners want to do that to a few trees, thereby preserving the privacy (stated reason for trees in the first place) and yet allowing the neighbor his sunshine (and complying with the law)? I suspect there is more to this dispute.

Redwoods, btw, are not a tree to be planted without considerable forethought. They can grow very rapidly to great heights, throwing considerable shade in the winter months, and they can be messy. Their roots are unbelievably invasive, and will go anywhere for water, even up into gutters. They are amazingly shallow-rooted for such tall trees; typically going down no more than 3 feet. That means they have poor wind resistance when planted singly or in rows... so at some point in the future, these trees are likely to come down on somebody's house, unless they are topped first. And they grow so large that eventually they will have to be topped and/or trimmed just to reclaim the yard. And cutting them down does not kill them, you just get dozens of new trees sprouting from the stump and roots...