Palm fungus may force more Redwood City tree removals

The same fungus that caused the removal of five Redwood City palms around Courthouse Square and Theater Way may force the city to uproot all of its downtown trees.

The city has fought the infection Fusarium oxysporum with spraying for several years to keep it at bay but it is spreading beyond the initial palms, according to the city.

The fungus is common to palms and is the same one that previously caused the removal of several trees on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

The city is looking at its options but most likely will remove the remaining trees, said spokesman Malcolm Smith.

Downtown started with 29 trees but five have been removed so far, leaving 24 standing.

One tree removal is currently scheduled but any others will be held off until the new year to maintain downtowns ambiance during the holidays, Smith said.

Downtowns aesthetics and attractiveness are crucial components to its success, Smith said in a public announcement of the anticipated tree removal.

The removal requires a heavy-duty crane to pull it from the ground by the root ball because sawdust from cutting them down risks infecting neighboring palms. Tree removal costs between $8,00 and $10,000 a piece.

Replacing the fallen trees with other palms at a cost of up to $30,000 per tree is ill-advised because the infection remains alive underground even after the removal and will attack the new plant.

The City Council is expected to hear by years end some options to ease the aesthetic loss of the trees, including replacement with a more resilient species.

See more here:
Palm fungus may force more Redwood City tree removals