A giant California Sycamore tree in the parkway in front of 243 N. Norton Avenue in Windsor Square fell down over the weekend. Fortunately, there was no damage to the home due to the deep setback of the house on the lot.
City crews were at the scene removing the tree this morning after being notified yesterday, according to one of the workers. One worker also said the tree seems to have suffered from some form of root rot, as one side of the had almost no roots anchoring the tree to the ground. Otherwise the tree appeared to be healthy, with plenty of foliage and no signs of infestation by the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle that has infected so many of the city’s sycamore trees.
Looking back at historic photos available on Google, the tree appears to have struggled like so many of our street trees during the extended drought. A recent photo from February shows the tree without any foliage. Experts say it may take 3-4 years of rain before trees will return to good health with robust leaves. Root rot is likely caused by some kind of fungus, and it’s almost impossible to tell what’s ailing a tree until it’s too late.
