We don’t often think about the roots of trees until there is a problem. A forester friend of mine called it a “fencepost mentality.” Being underground, they are often out of sight out of mind. However ...

We don’t often think about the roots of trees until there is a problem. A forester friend of mine called it a “fencepost mentality.” Being underground, they are often out of sight out of mind. However ...

As an introduction to the subject of roots, I cannot help but borrow words from “The Little Prince,” that famous children’s book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. “What is essential,” says the little ...

Ask someone to draw a tree and they will invariably draw a trunk and branches—leaving the roots out of the picture. In a unique study of tropical tree roots at the Smithsonian Tropical Research ...

I’ve had some recent interactions with people frustrated by tree roots that surface, causing mowing difficulties and potential ankle-twisting opportunities. What can be done with surface roots?

Steve Nix is a member of the Society of American Foresters and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. Tree root systems are seldom on the minds of forest owners, tree planters, ...