This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?

Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell. One fell on my garage roof. No
damage to the roof, just the branches fell on it. The good thing
these are not heavy trees and generally bust off or do this stupid tip
over nonsense long before they get more than 10 inches of trunk. I
have another laying against my barn, and two more that are laying on
my livestock fences. I guess this is one reason that everyone around
here hates them. They are junky trees, make poor firewood, and have
little other use. When they are sturdy, they make good shade trees,
but they will just suddenly tip over for no reason, and they stay that
way. Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.

On Jun 23, 7:43?am, wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?

Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell. One fell on my garage roof. No
damage to the roof, just the branches fell on it. The good thing
these are not heavy trees and generally bust off or do this stupid tip
over nonsense long before they get more than 10 inches of trunk. I
have another laying against my barn, and two more that are laying on
my livestock fences. I guess this is one reason that everyone around
here hates them. They are junky trees, make poor firewood, and have
little other use. When they are sturdy, they make good shade trees,
but they will just suddenly tip over for no reason, and they stay that
way. Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.

weak trees, notice they arent heavy, by your report. heavier trees are
stronger.

just dont plant any new ones, or at least not where they can cause
grief if they fall over.

and start a replacement program, replace every tree that falls or you
cut down cause its a possible future hazard with something more durable

wrote:
...I have these box elder trees... A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?
....

They are what they are...

Not all people (or cattle for that matter) grow up to be the same...

--

wrote in
:

This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box
elder trees where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A
strong wind comes along, they bend over till the branches
touch the ground and they stay that way until I remove
them. They dont break, they just tip over. What the heck
is the deal with these trees?

Boxelder is native to portions of the southern tier of NY and
Susquehana Valley, but has become more broadly established
throughout many parts of the state. Boxelder grows commonly
along the banks of streams and rivers, and may occur as a
weedy species in urban areas where its seeds are able to
germinate. Boxelder has a soft wood that has no commercial
value, but is important for wildlife and the stabilization of
stream banks where it grows. Boxelder is not recommended for
horticultural plantings.

Boxelder is ok for carving (whittling), but it's not a
landscape or lumber tree. you can use it for syrup, but it's
not as good as sugar or red maple.
lee

Box elder trees grow in a much larger area than you indicated. Here they are
known as Manitoba maple trees. There are a bunch growing around here also,
in Southern Ontario. I have never seen the problems you are experiencing,
must be the generic stock you have. However they are weak and drop branches
constantly but they can give a quick ground cover especially in low, wet
lands.

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
wrote in
:

This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box
elder trees where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A
strong wind comes along, they bend over till the branches
touch the ground and they stay that way until I remove
them. They dont break, they just tip over. What the heck
is the deal with these trees?

Boxelder is native to portions of the southern tier of NY and
Susquehana Valley, but has become more broadly established
throughout many parts of the state. Boxelder grows commonly
along the banks of streams and rivers, and may occur as a
weedy species in urban areas where its seeds are able to
germinate. Boxelder has a soft wood that has no commercial
value, but is important for wildlife and the stabilization of
stream banks where it grows. Boxelder is not recommended for
horticultural plantings.

Boxelder is ok for carving (whittling), but it's not a
landscape or lumber tree. you can use it for syrup, but it's
not as good as sugar or red maple.
lee

On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 06:43:47 -0500, wrote:

This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?

Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell.

You have to realize that these trees have lumbago, arthritis, and
burisitis, which makes it hard for them to get back up. They are
elderly.

wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?

Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell. One fell on my garage roof. No
damage to the roof, just the branches fell on it. The good thing
these are not heavy trees and generally bust off or do this stupid tip
over nonsense long before they get more than 10 inches of trunk. I
have another laying against my barn, and two more that are laying on
my livestock fences. I guess this is one reason that everyone around
here hates them. They are junky trees, make poor firewood, and have
little other use. When they are sturdy, they make good shade trees,
but they will just suddenly tip over for no reason, and they stay that
way. Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.


I'm suprised no one has mentioned box elder beetles yet. They breed on
the female box elder tree:

http://tinyurl.com/2kfmd2

In the fall, when the weather cools down, I sometimes find hundreds of
them clinging to the siding of my house in places where it's been warmed
by the sun's rays.

Inevitably a few of them get inside the house where they freak SWMBO
out. But, from what I've read, they don't chew up anything, carry
disease, sting or bite. About the worst damage they do is to leave a
stain if you squish them, so I just let 'em be and eventually they
disappear.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.

On Jun 23, 6:43 am, wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees.

Hi,

Box elders are weed trees. The reasons you describe pretty well sum up
why. There was a row of 6 or 8 of them planted next to our old farm
house probably 50 years ago. They have gotten huge and fallen over one
another in a twisted mess that no life loving person would think of
approaching with a chain saw. Over the years these trees have dumped
thousands of pounds of their seed around the farm buildings. Box
elders sprout up anyplace that is not mowed. If you cut them down they
sprout up from the stumps twice as thick. The only way to really get
rid of them is poison or pulling them by the roots. It was the joke
around our place that any free time was devoted to the box elder
eradication program. Despite many many days working on this the box
elders won in the end. Maybe the next owner will root them out.

Have a great day!
David

In article ,
(enigma) says...

Boxelder is ok for carving (whittling), but it's not a
landscape or lumber tree. you can use it for syrup, but it's
not as good as sugar or red maple.

No kidding? Are there other trees that can be used for syrup?

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

Larry Caldwell wrote in
:

In article ,
(enigma) says...

Boxelder is ok for carving (whittling), but it's not a
landscape or lumber tree. you can use it for syrup, but
it's not as good as sugar or red maple.

No kidding? Are there other trees that can be used for
syrup?

black birch (betula lenta) is good. it's also known as sweet
birch, river birch or spice birch. it makes really good
syrup, but has to be kept separate from the maple if you're
commercially producing maple.
lee

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 13:34:55 -0000, David
wrote:

On Jun 23, 6:43 am, wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees.

Hi,

Box elders are weed trees. The reasons you describe pretty well sum up
why. There was a row of 6 or 8 of them planted next to our old farm
house probably 50 years ago. They have gotten huge and fallen over one
another in a twisted mess that no life loving person would think of
approaching with a chain saw. Over the years these trees have dumped
thousands of pounds of their seed around the farm buildings. Box
elders sprout up anyplace that is not mowed. If you cut them down they
sprout up from the stumps twice as thick. The only way to really get
rid of them is poison or pulling them by the roots. It was the joke
around our place that any free time was devoted to the box elder
eradication program. Despite many many days working on this the box
elders won in the end.

This would make a great movie.

Maybe Pinocchio could play the hero.

?Maybe the next owner will root them out.

Have a great day!
David

Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.


It's probably a quality control issue. Contact tech support.

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?
Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell. One fell on my garage roof. No
damage to the roof, just the branches fell on it. The good thing
these are not heavy trees and generally bust off or do this stupid tip
over nonsense long before they get more than 10 inches of trunk. I
have another laying against my barn, and two more that are laying on
my livestock fences. I guess this is one reason that everyone around
here hates them. They are junky trees, make poor firewood, and have
little other use. When they are sturdy, they make good shade trees,
but they will just suddenly tip over for no reason, and they stay that
way. Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.


I'm suprised no one has mentioned box elder beetles yet. They breed on
the female box elder tree:

http://tinyurl.com/2kfmd2

In the fall, when the weather cools down, I sometimes find hundreds of
them clinging to the siding of my house in places where it's been warmed
by the sun's rays.

Inevitably a few of them get inside the house where they freak SWMBO
out. But, from what I've read, they don't chew up anything, carry
disease, sting or bite. About the worst damage they do is to leave a
stain if you squish them, so I just let 'em be and eventually they
disappear.

Jeff


At our house they get vacuumed out of the way.

--
They're locking them up today they're throwing away the key
I wonder who it'll be tomorrow you or me.

David wrote:
On Jun 23, 6:43 am, wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees.

Hi,

Box elders are weed trees. The reasons you describe pretty well sum up
why. There was a row of 6 or 8 of them planted next to our old farm
house probably 50 years ago. They have gotten huge and fallen over one
another in a twisted mess that no life loving person would think of
approaching with a chain saw. Over the years these trees have dumped
thousands of pounds of their seed around the farm buildings. Box
elders sprout up anyplace that is not mowed. If you cut them down they
sprout up from the stumps twice as thick. The only way to really get
rid of them is poison or pulling them by the roots. It was the joke
around our place that any free time was devoted to the box elder
eradication program. Despite many many days working on this the box
elders won in the end. Maybe the next owner will root them out.

Have a great day!
David



Box elders and soft maples are considered weeds at my place. As they
spring up from seed they get pulled up. If they get to the point where
they exist, anything smaller than my thumb gets pruned at the root line
by the brush cutter blade. Larger ones require pruning with a chain
saw but always at the root line. I push back the edges a few feet a
year and I'm currently staying ahead of them.

--
They're locking them up today they're throwing away the key
I wonder who it'll be tomorrow you or me.

On Jun 23, 7:43 am, wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?

Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell. One fell on my garage roof. No
damage to the roof, just the branches fell on it. The good thing
these are not heavy trees and generally bust off or do this stupid tip
over nonsense long before they get more than 10 inches of trunk. I
have another laying against my barn, and two more that are laying on
my livestock fences. I guess this is one reason that everyone around
here hates them. They are junky trees, make poor firewood, and have
little other use. When they are sturdy, they make good shade trees,
but they will just suddenly tip over for no reason, and they stay that
way. Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.

You might try sending that question to the Bronx Botanical Garden,
Bronx, New York

"safeharbor" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Jun 23, 7:43 am, wrote:
This is probably a little off topic, but I have these box elder trees
where I live. They are the stupidest trees. A strong wind comes
along, they bend over till the branches touch the ground and they stay
that way until I remove them. They dont break, they just tip over.
What the heck is the deal with these trees?

Where I used to live, we had hardwoods and conifers. None of them
ever did this. Rarely did they break, but if they did, there was an
actual break, normally a branch. We just had some high winds, and I
found several box elders that fell. One fell on my garage roof. No
damage to the roof, just the branches fell on it. The good thing
these are not heavy trees and generally bust off or do this stupid tip
over nonsense long before they get more than 10 inches of trunk. I
have another laying against my barn, and two more that are laying on
my livestock fences. I guess this is one reason that everyone around
here hates them. They are junky trees, make poor firewood, and have
little other use. When they are sturdy, they make good shade trees,
but they will just suddenly tip over for no reason, and they stay that
way. Why do they do this? They are not broke, but the trunk twists.
Is the wood just that weak, or is there some other reason that is not
obvious?

I should mention that the one that fell on the garage actually broke.
The 7 inch trunk just split and the tree was alive. At least they are
easy to saw up. Even a hand bow saw will cut them quickly.
They sure are irritating though.

You might try sending that question to the Bronx Botanical Garden,
Bronx, New York


We HAD 4 box elder trees in our back yard till one day, after 4 days of
good rain, one laid down on the garage.The roots come up out of the ground.
I checked some books and they all said that box elder trees are the weeds of
maples.
Did a Mr. "T" and had them all cut down along with 3 cottonwoods.( I did
replant
with sugar maple and oak)