Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are The Most Common Tree Issues In Cleveland?
- 2 Does the City of Cleveland Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Cleveland?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Cleveland?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Cleveland?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Cleveland?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Cleveland?
What Are The Most Common Tree Issues In Cleveland?
Most people know Cleveland for hosting several breweries, the largest art gallery, and struggling sports teams (football, primarily) that are starting to change their tune and compete with the best of them. It’s the weather that really makes ‘The Land’ stand out, however, not only does it surpass the national average in rain, sitting at about 41.03 annually — but it also embraces every season with an intensity.
Our area likes to get really hot in the summers, regularly below freezing in the winters, and typically skips through spring and fall as quickly as possible because most of us enjoy it so much. Not to mention, the wind in Cleveland is fierce by Lake Erie.
This can make for quite a weather range for our trees to endure and certainly isn’t fit for every species. The most common tree species in the Cleveland area include:
- Cottonwood
- American sycamore
- Ohio buckeye
- Black walnut
- Butternut
- American and slippery elm
- Ash-leaved maple (also called box elder)
- Black rock maple
Still, even the best trees fit for our area don’t always survive the longest. This is because there are also common tree diseases that thrive in the area as well. They include the following.
Sudden Oak Death
In 2019, WOSU reported a Sudden Oak Death outbreak that was said to have been brought into Ohio through “rhododendrons shipped to Walmart and Rural King stores.” Unfortunately, it’s a tree disease that is easily spread through soil, plant materials, and other things — meaning it’s likely to stay a common occurrence in the area for the time being.
The tree disease is fatal and often shows signs in the form of shoot dieback, leaf spotting, wilting, premature falling, cankers, and more, depending on the species it infects and how progressed the disease is.
Pernicious Insects
Insects have always been a danger to trees. In Cleveland, the latest insects to take over our landscapes are the Asian Long-Horned beetles, Southern Pine beetle, and Hemlock woolly adelgid, and they’re primarily after our hemlocks, oaks, and pines.
The best way to get these pests is to pay attention to leaf colors, damage, thinning, holes, and an overall decline in health and tree growth. To combat these pests, many experts look to spray treatments and traps.
Oak Wilt Virus
Another serious oak virus to hit Ohio is the Oak Wilt Virus. It’s now common in the area, starting with sightings in the beautiful trees of the Rockefeller Estate in Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland. The spread was fast and intense as it went from just a few to dozens in a matter of 24-hours.
The disease often shows signs of wilting (of course), discoloration, premature leaf drops, vascular streaking – symptoms vary and depend on the oak species they’re infecting.
Does the City of Cleveland Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
Technically, the City of Cleveland does provide some sort of assistance when it comes to tree removals. If a tree is “dead, dying, infested with Emerald Ash Borer, or has significant structural defects that increase the risk of failure,” then Field Operations Foresters are willing to work with third-party contractors like Tree Triage to get them removed for the public’s safety.
However, if the tree is on your public property, the charges will go to the property owner for removing the tree. The city’s biggest responsibility is the safety of its residents, but it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to pay the costs for the tree removal on their private property. If the tree is on public property (right-of-ways, parks, alleys, etc.), the city takes care of its maintenance and removal.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Cleveland?
Speaking of responsibilities, it’s also important for all parties to know who is obligated to take on costs, damages, removal, etc., of trees in a given area. This will allow everyone to know and understand their part in the process.
With as much as a 1.7% tree mortality rate in Cleveland, it never hurts to know where you stand in a scenario where your tree or a neighbor’s tree is ready to be removed. Here’s how it works.
If you’re a homeowner?
Like with everything to do with your home and property, tree responsibility on your private property is your responsibility. There are some scenarios where you may share the costs with a neighbor or two (if the tree is on other property lines), or the neighbor would pay (more on the neighbor section), but the responsibility is typically on the homeowner.
If you’re a renter?
The great benefit of being a renter is the big responsibilities are not on you, including tree removal. However, as a renter, you should always discuss any safety issues associated with a potential tree removal with your landlord so that they can take care of it as soon as possible. After all, if they don’t know about it, they can’t fix it.
If you’re a landlord?
Much like a homeowner, a landlord must take responsibility for tree maintenance, care, and removal. The only general difference between the two responsibilities is, a landlord is responsible for all of their renters and is liable to be sued or charged for any injuries or damages that result from tree neglect.
If you’re a neighbor?
These scenarios can be a little trickier on who is responsible, but for the most part – this is how it breaks down.
If your neighbor’s tree falls onto your property due to a natural occurrence (or vice versa), it is your responsibility to remove the tree or portion of the tree on your property. However, if the tree fell onto your property because the property owner wasn’t taking care of the tree and neglected to keep it healthy or remove it ahead of time, then the removal cost is on them — as well as any damages/injuries that may have happened.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Cleveland?
The state soil of Ohio is classified as Miamian soil and covers most of the Cleveland area. According to the Ohio Natural Resources Conservation Service, our soil series “consists of very deep, well-drained soils which are high in lime content [and] typically have a very dark grayish brown to brown silt loam or loam topsoil layer 5 to 10 inches thick.”
What this means is that our soils are great for several land uses and agriculture. The Soil Science of Society in America, “The large area of Miamian soil contributes to the fact that more than 50% of the land area of Ohio is classified as prime farmland” and “well-suited for hardwood trees.”
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Cleveland?
Ohio weather can play a significant part in tree health in Cleveland. While many of us can rely on getting all four seasons (and you’d think our trees would be used to it too), the weather can still be rather unpredictable.
There have been winters with 60+ degree weather and summers with cold nights. Not to mention our winter tends to go into spring on occasion, and our summer heat usually slips into fall (if winter doesn’t decide to take over early, that is).
On the other hand, tornadoes can also affect trees in Cleveland, most commonly in peak season between April and July (tornado season). However, it can, and has happened, any other time of the year, too, with touchdown hitting even our early months of January and February.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Cleveland?
Electric companies in the Cleveland area often go onto private property to take care of maintenance and tree trimming when it comes to trees too close to power lines. If a dead tree is near a power line in the city, an electric company (American Electric Power, AES Ohio (formerly Dayton Power & Light), Duke Energy, or FirstEnergy) has the authority to and will take care of the removal of the tree.
It is important that homeowners do not take on the job themselves and contact their electric company instead.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Cleveland?
Keeping in mind that the final cost of your tree removal service can vary dramatically depending on a few things, the average cost of tree removals in Cleveland is around $490, ranging from $250 to $1,900 in most cases.
With that being said, additional services, tree height, and the tree’s position will influence whether your final cost goes up or down in the end.
Additional Services – Land and Lot Clearing, and Tree Protection
Like with any service you require, there are additional services you can add on. With tree removal, this can include (but is not limited to) Land and Lot Clearing, and Tree Protection.
Land and Lot Clearing refers to all the tree brush, branches, leaves, etc., that covers your property after a storm or other disaster. Typically, the property owner is responsible for clean-up, but if you pay around $420 more, you can have our professionals quickly pick up and dispose of it all instead.
On the other hand, we also offer tree protection services for your replacement tree or some surrounding ones. It simply consists of a trunk injection that costs around $50 extra.
Tree Height
Another cost factor you should always consider is tree height. While a standard 30-foot tree could cost you around $490, anything higher is going to instead increase by the foot.
This is because it gets much more difficult for us and takes a lot more work, effort, equipment, and manpower to complete.
Tree Position – Standing/Fallen
You should also consider the tree position when making your budgeting plans and calculating your overall costs. By this, we mean whether your tree is still standing or has fallen over. If your tree is still standing, chances are it will cost around 50% more than one that has all the work done already and has fallen over already. This is because it will also take a lot more work, time, equipment, etc., to complete.
