Living With Richmond’s Big Old Trees: A Guide for City Homeowners

Start by figuring out who owns the tree. Trees growing in the strip between the sidewalk and the street, and along alleys in some cases, are often city trees managed by Richmond’s urban forestry staff. Problems with those, like a dead street tree or a hanging limb over the sidewalk, are reported through RVA 311.

Trees inside your lot are yours to maintain. Trees right on the property line are usually shared, and it is best to agree with the neighbor before major work. In Virginia you can generally trim branches hanging over your side to the line, without harming the tree as a whole.

In dense neighborhoods, a large tree often stands a few feet from two or three houses. That makes regular checks important. Look for dead limbs high in the crown, cracks in the trunk, fungus at the base and new lean. Willow oaks and tulip poplars in particular can shed heavy limbs as they age, and many of the city’s trees were planted generations ago.

Pruning out dead wood and reducing heavy limbs over roofs can extend the life of a big tree and lower the risk. When a tree has serious decay at the base or a structural defect, removal may be the safer choice.

Richmond’s brick sidewalks and old walls show what big roots can do. If a city tree is lifting a city sidewalk, that is a city matter. On your own property, roots can lift walks, patios and driveways. Cutting large roots to repair hardscape can destabilize a tree, so it should be planned carefully, sometimes with the help of an arborist, before a contractor starts digging.

Many Fan, Museum District and Church Hill backyards are reachable only through a back alley or a narrow side passage. Tree work there is planned around access: the truck and chipper usually sit in the alley, the tree comes down in sections and pieces are carried out by hand. Neighbors’ fences, sheds and parked cars are part of the plan.

If you are getting estimates, mention how the backyard is accessed and where a truck could park. It changes how the job is done and how it is priced.

Parts of Richmond are designated Old and Historic Districts with their own review process for changes to properties. Most tree work on private land does not need approval, but if you live in one of these districts and the tree is prominent, check with the city before removing it.

Richmond sees strong summer thunderstorms and the remnants of tropical storms. The trees most likely to cause damage are the ones already showing problems: dead limbs over roofs, split trunks, Bradford pears with tight V-shaped unions and poplars with broken tops. Having those looked at in late winter or spring, before storm season, is the most cost-effective tree care there is.

We are based in Richmond and do removals, trimming and stump grinding across the city, north and south of the James. Texting a photo of the tree, plus a note about how the backyard is accessed, is a great way to start.

Richmond’s canopy only stays strong if trees keep getting planted. When an old tree on your lot has to come out, consider replacing it with a native species in a spot where it has room to grow: away from the foundation, the sidewalk and overhead wires. Oaks, red maples, blackgum and tulip poplars all do well in Central Virginia when they have space.

Fall is the best time to plant. Water deeply through the first two summers, and keep mulch in a wide, flat ring rather than piled against the trunk.

In dense Richmond neighborhoods, the tree that worries you is often on the other side of the fence. In Virginia, you can generally trim branches that overhang your property back to the line at your own expense, as long as you do not damage the tree as a whole. You usually cannot go onto the neighbor’s property or remove their tree without permission.

The best first step is a friendly conversation. Many neighbors are glad to split the cost of pruning a shared problem tree. If the tree is dead or clearly dangerous, put your concern in writing to the neighbor, which also helps if it ever becomes an insurance question.

Older neighborhoods like the Fan, Museum District, Church Hill, Northside and Forest Hill have some of the largest trees in the area. Willow oaks and red oaks line many streets. Tulip poplars, American elms, sycamores and old silver maples fill backyards. Many of these trees are seventy or a hundred years old, and some were planted when the houses were built.

Large old trees add value and shade, but they need different care than young ones. Light, careful pruning is better than big cuts, and root zones should be protected from digging and heavy equipment.

A big tree with a few dead limbs, a small cavity or some leaning branches is often worth keeping. Removing the dead wood and reducing heavy limbs can add years of safe life. Trees with a cracked trunk, decay at the base, a large dead section of the crown or a sudden lean are different, and removal is often the safer choice.

MG Tree Service works across Richmond seven days a week from 8 AM to 6 PM. Estimates are free, and we work in tight backyards and alleys with ropes and careful rigging when a tree cannot simply be dropped.