monkey puzzle tree crystal palace road being felled this am

[Chuckd]

I have just found out this is happening and there is no tree preservation order on it. This is a real shame and I wish there was something we could do to save it. It's an East Dulwich landmark!

Help!

[MarkE]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Sure there are genuine reasons that it's for the best, but it'll be such a shame to walk past and not see it.

[*Bob*]

Nice tree. Too big.

Deemed a subsidence threat, I expect.

[SebsC]

How sad! My son loves this tree and we always have to stop when we walk past so he can look at it. I'm sure they have good reasons for doing it (if it is to stop subsidence) but still sad to see it go. :-(

[JohnL]

Can't it be moved .. to a park or green

or too big

[Chuckd]

Well unfortunately it's causung damage to the property and far too big for front garden so nothing to be done. Sad but inevitable.

[Jeremy]

Dig up the whole root system and transport it? Probably possible, and probably very expensive. They're not really that rare...

[KidKruger]

Not best place to plant a tree like that let's face it.

[Penguin68]

Monkey puzzles are extremely slow growing, or at least very slow to get going - for a (very) long time this will probably not have seemed a problem. Although large trees can be moved, the size of hole needed to be dug to remove the tree with sufficient roots intact is probably larger than the front garden it is in.

[rch]

What a shame. In my time as a councillor I had three street trees moved to Dulwich Park instead of being felled... I've found parks, tree section, and other council officers to be extremely helpful in this experimental process, so we were getting quite good at it. If I'd known ahead of time, I would have tried to see what we could do, but it sounds like it's too late. But PM me if there's anything I can do to help...

[*Bob*]

I'm not sure the council (ie us, by way of tax) should be footing the bill for moving trees from domestic properties - just because the owners haven't bothered to manage the tree properly themselves - over the course of twenty years or so.

[rch]

Granted, the other trees were council-owned street trees, but in these days of austerity there might be a good argument in favour of rescuing a free specimen tree. Plus, there is more than one way to skin a cat... the last tree was moved for free by a council subcontractor as a gesture of goodwill.

I can be quite effective at talking people into freebies when I put my mind to it...

[James Barber]

I received a number of calls first thing this morning.

Being around 40 foot tall moving it I would anticipate beyond a normal households budget.

The tree surgeons have collected lots of seeds and have offered them to neighbours so they can choose to grow their own Monkey puzzle trees. WE could have a Crystal Palace Road Monkey Puzzle glade.

And yes, the new owners have been told it is a problem for their house - and I expect it's a requirement of their insurers and mortgage company to fix ASAP.

[rch]

Drats, the tallest one we moved was around 30 foot, so I would have relished the opportunity to beat our record. But seeding a Monkey Puzzle Tree Glade sounds like a good follow-up.

Hmm, maybe I should submit a CGS bid to create a local East Dulwich community tree nursery...?

[jacks09]

James I am on Overhill, is it possible to get some seeds?

[EDmummy]

I've been worrying about the foundations of this building for years but will miss this fabulous tree. In early mornings during Autumn the boughs of this tree have appeared live with the gossamer webs of spiders laden with dew. I agree it had to go but it's given my kids a great deal of pleasure as we've walked past.

[James Barber]

Hi Jacks09,

Email me and I'll try and help get you hooked into this.

[Gubodge]

It's a lovely tree to pass, but I've always thought it wouldn't be much fun to live with and must make the front of the house very dark. The rootball almost certainly extends under the pavement and possibly the house as well, so moving it successfully could mean significant damage to both and not really a practical option.

Goodrich children will miss it; when I've walked down to the swimming pool with different classes they've all held their breath when passing the monkey puzzle. I don't know when the tradition started, but the tree being down will make that part of the trip to swimming much more straightforward in future years.

[kristen]

Many years ago I knew the person that lived in this house.

I always thought the added to the property - keeping out the noise and making it more private

I am so sad that it's been chopped down - over the past few years it seems like lots of the large trees are disappearing in the area. Outside my back window the view is very changed.

On my road nearly all the trees have been chopped down - recently a lovely little tree that I used to watch turning beatiful colours at this time of year. The trunk looked like an open wound for weeks - v.orangy red - I wish I'd known and had time to take a cutting. Only one tree remains & is hopefully far enough from anyones property not to be chopped.

[KidKruger]

James I have somewhere I can plant some adds too, if there's any seeds available.

[mortonhall]

Hi,

We got a couple of seeds if anyone wants one send me a PM. I was wondering if perhaps one could be planted in a Peckham Rye Park?

[numbers]

on noooo...not the monkey puzzle, ED will be unrecognisable soon!

you do know that whenever you walk past one of these fine trees you have to remain completely silent.

just hope hibbs is reading this thread.

[ruffers]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> The tree surgeons have collected lots of seeds and

> have offered them to neighbours so they can choose

> to grow their own Monkey puzzle trees.

And "Monkey puzzles are extremely slow growing, or at least very slow to get going - for a (very) long time this will probably not have seemed a problem" from someone else.

Be careful where you sow your seeds people..

[????]

numbers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> on noooo...not the monkey puzzle, ED will be

> unrecognisable soon!

>

> you do know that whenever you walk past one of

> these fine trees you have to remain completely

> silent.

>

> just hope hibbs is reading this thread.

Anything that kept hibbs quiet needs preserving

[Otta]

numbers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> you do know that whenever you walk past one of

> these fine trees you have to remain completely

> silent.

So it wasn't just us. Good.