Are Chinaberry trees as weak as Hackberry trees (In Texas)?

April 7, 2015 6:15 AM

I'm having a hackberry tree removed today and I'm wondering if I should go ahead and take out the chinaberry tree. They're both close to my house and mature and therefore will severely damage my house if (when) they fall.
posted by kristymcj to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

I always think it's a shame to take out a mature tree. If it's healthy and pruned (NOT TOPPED - there is a big difference between pruning and topping) it might be worth keeping. Can you have your arborist evaluate the health of the tree?

One thing to consider is that the fruit of the Chinaberry tree is toxic. So if you have children or pets that might help sway your decision.
posted by Ostara at 7:06 AM on April 7, 2015

Yes. Yes they are. Not only are Chinaberries not native (and thus not really contributing to supporting native fauna), they're also weak and prone to disease and pest problems. Builders and landscapers like that they are fast growing trees, but that's means that they're also relatively short lived. Hackberries are truly God's curse upon this state, but Chinaberries ain't so great either.
posted by Gilbert at 7:38 AM on April 7, 2015

I live in Houston, and I have removed both hackberry trees and Chinaberry (Tallow) trees near my house. The primary reason was the relative weakness of these trees. Hurricane Ike was a confirmation of this, based on observations around the neighborhood after that storm. In addition, I have removed the Chinaberry trees because they are invasive, and have substituted sturdy oak trees.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 7:39 AM on April 7, 2015

(Don't confuse Chinaberry trees with Chinese Tallow trees, as they are not the same thing at all. Melia azedarach versus Triadica sebifera.)
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 8:08 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Chinaberries aren't as heavy as a hackberry, though, and almost never as tall, so there's that. They tend to be a bend-don't-break species. They typically have a lot of "cushion" to them in the form of their canopy, which can be trimmed to be attractive, and the wood is very pulpy, so at worst it's just going to lean over, not crash-roar-smash down to the ground like a hardwood or taller softwood. My beef with Chinaberries is the mess they make with sap and when they fruit--but if that doesn't bother you, a lot of bird species thrive on Chinaberry (like the much-maligned hackberry!!).
posted by resurrexit at 8:20 AM on April 7, 2015