The tree that ate my lilac. Please help.

We moved into our home in early 2005. On the south side of the house, we found a beautiful lilac bush. That year before it filled out we noticed a little weed or tree sapling growing up in the middle of it. We cut it off and dabbed Roundup on it. Next year it was back, a little bigger. We chopped it off closer to the ground, and Roundup-ed it again. Next year, it was a little bigger and the branches of the lilac were spreading around it. Hubby used pruning shears to get it out and drove a copper nail into it, swearing that it would do the trick. It seemed to actually love that treatment, so in 2008 it was a subsantial tree by springtime. We sawed it off at ground level, bored a hole into the root stump, and poured brush killer into it. It also seemed to think that was great, sprouted up huge, and last year it became a full blown tree taller than our house. We stared at it with our jaws open, totally stumped. The lilac is not doing too well. It still lives and blooms, but it has become flat and doughnut shaped from growing around this mighty tree in the center of itself. I think, from my best guess at identifying the leaves, the squatter is a basswood tree. I don't particularly want a basswood tree in among my perennials. Besides which it's right close against the house and I don't imagine that's very good for the foundation.

We cannot kill this thing. It is immortal. It is invincible. What can we do?

For starters, Roundup is only effective when you apply it to the foliage of a plant. The leaves draw in the chemicals and then they are drawn into the root which is then killed. When applied to the trunk or stems of a plant, usually just the surface cells are killed. I'm not sure how to solve your problem but in the future you'll find that Roundup usually works if it is used properly. Good luck! :)

If you score the stump first with a saw (pretty deeply) and pour your round-up concentrate FULL STRENGTH it will work. Be sure to wear gloves and use a brush or do what I do, pour into the cap and just dribble it on. Be careful not to splash it around.

But at this point, will Roundup kill a full size tree taller than the 2 story house? And if it does, well... then what???

Forgot to say THANK YOU for the replies.

In two years it has gotten taller than two stories? That's weird. You should cut it down and dig it out. Can you dig out the lilac first? If not, you should sacrifice the lilac for the good of the house and dig them both out.

sounds like a royal empress

I don't think the empress tree would be hardy in MN--as far as I know MN is zone 4 and it's only hardy to zone 5. Or even if it did survive, it would die back to the ground each winter and although it does grow fast, when it gets killed down to the ground each winter it would never get the size of a two story house.

I know -- I should have said it behaves like a royal empress.

Actually some sites say it is hardy in zone 4 ---without mention of dying to the ground, but that is a surprise to me, I always thought of it as a tree for zone 7 and higher. I've never messed with the tree --so invasive.

This message was edited May 2, 2010 3:43 PM

Sonnet - you are right to be concerned about the tree. If it is fast growing it probably isn't all that strong and those fast growing trees tend to snap in wind. You wouldn't want it to fall on your house at any time, but would really be a horror in the middle of a snowstorm. And if it is a poplar - the roots would become an issue for you.

The empress trees are root hardy in zone 5/6 but they typically die back every year (at least on the colder end of that range--some parts of zone 6 they may not always die back). Zone 7+ the top won't die so they can get to be big trees. So if it even could survive in zone 4 I am sure it would die back over the winter. But regardless of what the tree is you're right that something that grows that big and that fast is not something you want right by the house!

This message was edited May 2, 2010 3:04 PM

We're zone 4 here, and pretty much EVERYTHING goes dormant over the subzero winter, but this doesn't die back to the root every year.

Regardless of what it is, am I correct in inferring that the general concensus is.... call a tree service and get everything removed? (The roots are WAY too deep for me to dig out.) I can always plant a new lilac.

Thanks again to everyone.

Yes, I'd get it out. Just the fast growing aspect and the vigorous roots would be enough of an issue to take it out. Of course...... I am known to take risks...if the trunk were big enough...I'd hammer a bunch of long nails in the darn thing and make a bottle tree for the side of the house -- at least for a few years. :0) .

Have you ever tried using the stump rot stuff? I'm not sure exactly what it is, but one of my neighbors used it when he cut down his tree.
My OH killed a large bush/ almost tree in the abanded house next door by applying excessive amounts of fertilizer everyday. Of course,you'd have to sacrifice the lilac- but if it's gonna mess with your foundation. If you are desperate, maybe you could try it. Just an idea- hope you figure something out!