Roots girdling the base of the trunk

Circling roots cause trees to lean
Girdling roots cause stress and decline
Girdling roots kill trees
Remove girdling roots on young container tree
Remove girdling roots from landscape trees

Roots that are not directed away from the trunk can cause health issues for the tree, and tree death in certain cases. Look for roots that are circling close to the trunk, roots that are embedded in the trunk, or those that are crossed over main roots at the base of the trunk. Roots circling or touching the trunk are often referred to as stem girdling roots. These can reduce the flow of water, nutrients, and sugars at this point on the trunk. On some species of trees, stem girdling roots cause death to the bark above the root.

Treatment: If these are less than about one-third the trunk diameter, and they can be removed without damaging the trunk, then carefully cut and remove them (see photos below). This will allow roots and trunk under the girdling root to develop properly. Some arborists have removed larger girdling roots with no adverse affects on the tree. Trees often respond to removing girdling roots with increased vigor.

This stem girdling root was visible at the surface without removing soil or mulch. Carefully cut the root at the point where it emerges from the trunk and remove as much of it as possible without damaging the trunk and other roots.	The tree on the left center is declining from stem girdling roots. One of the trees in this photo is also beginning to show signs of stress from girdling roots. This downtown shopping district will look very different with these trees replaced with new young trees.