Marie's Hamilton Insider

Hamilton is still a magical place as fans have commented here.

From Traditions Director Nancy Kawata:
November 2018
Dear Neighbors,

Your Homeowners Association wants to help you when it comes to trees! Recently I had the
pleasure of walking the Traditions neighborhood with Mike Quierolo, an ISA Certified Arborist
with Treemasters. We surveyed the trees in our neighborhood and Mike pointed out which trees
need to be considered for removal, trees that are diseased, and trees that do well in this
environment. (Most of these trees were planted by the developers.) As we walked, Mike
expressed how beautiful our neighborhood is. It was a very nice compliment and I wanted to
pass it on to all of you.

Trees add value to your home. Several recent nationwide surveys show that mature trees in a
well-landscaped yard can increase the value of a house by 7 to 19 percent. On the other hand,
trees that are causing root damage or outlived their space and/or attractiveness could be a
deterrent.

Traditions has many varieties of trees. According to Mike, diversity is a good thing so that not all
trees will be affected if there is a disease that attacks one type of tree. Trees that will or may
need to be replaced are outlined below.

Redwood Trees
Redwoods should not have been planted in this neighborhood due to the type of soil we have
and the lack of space. Mike recommends that homeowners with Redwoods consider removing
the trees before or when they see damage occurring. Just remember, the bigger the tree, the
bigger the expense. We have Redwood trees planted in front of the pump station on Alconbury.
The sidewalk is already showing signs of root damage. Unfortunately, these trees will eventually
need to be removed and new trees planted.

Pear Trees
Pear trees have a lifespan of about 20-30 years at which time they will start losing branches and
die. In addition, many pear trees in this area are afflicted with fire blight disease which will only
hasten their demise. Our South Entrance is bordered by pear trees. These will need to be
removed someday and new trees planted. Once this is done, we can repair the light system that
has been damaged by tree roots. There used to be a pear tree in front of the pump station on
Alconbury. The tree was a safety hazard; it was removed and replaced with a crape myrtle.

Crabapple Trees
Crabapple trees are a good choice but they can also get fire blight disease.

Birch Trees
Birches are subject to a number of insect pests and diseases, and they aren't adapted to the
Bay Area climate. They like to grow where winters are colder, and they require extensive
summer watering to survive our dry summers.

Pine Trees
Pine trees will grow very large and are not fire resistant.

Cypress Trees
All Cypress Trees are prone to disease and bagworms and are not fire resistant.
Sycamore, Camphor, Pepper, Ash, Liquid Amber, Dutch Elm, and some Maples
These are beautiful trees but owners need to watch for sidewalk damage if trees are planted in
too small of a space.
Which trees are the best trees to plant in a small area?
Mike recommends the Eastern Redbud, Mayten, Saucer Magnolia, Pacific or Flowering
Dogwood, and Crape Myrtle (Indian varieties) trees. Homeowners can contact Treemasters for
advice. The Novato website also has a tree recommendation list at
https://novato.org/home/showdocument?id=418 .

Staking Your New Tree
1. Remove the nursery stakes, and find two or three stakes (wooden or metal)
2. Place the two stakes opposite each other and about 1.5' away from the trunk
3. Use a soft material, like canvas strapping or tree staking straps, to attach the stakes.
As the tree matures, the tree staking straps will need to be adjusted and eventually removed.

Just a reminder--
1. Homeowners are responsible for any sidewalk or street damage caused by trees.
2. Be proactive and evaluate your trees!
3. Don’t forget!! Before removing a tree and replanting, remember to complete the
Application for Architectural Design which is available on www.hamiltonfield.org .
4. One last thought...here is a link to fire prone trees/plants in Marin County:
https://www.firesafemarin.org/plants/fire-prone .
Many thanks to Mike Querirolo of Treemasters for his expertise.
Nancy Kawata
Traditions Director

novato.org