in photobucket.. if you used the HTML code.. the pix would have popped right here .. take the names.. to the houseplant forum for further advice ... but none of them by name ... like to be sopping wet ... so try to avoid such ... but mostly.. good luck with grandma ... ken

I do not know how long this has been on the tree trunk/bark. It appears to be mud as opposed to disintegrated tree bark (but it could be). It runs from the base of the tree which is in pea gravel up to the main fork in the tree. I do not see any insects (termites or ants) and the neighbor closest to this tree is repairing termite damage as I type. We recently renewed our termite contract which called for a retreatment of the property. My husband pointed out the tree and was told it was okay. Any help is appreciated. Image link:

I guess for the most part I am probaly over reacting. This is all new to me. All of the plants seem to be doing fine, except for the peony. There were several of those bugs on the peony; not a full blown infestation (as shown above) but enough to cause some alarm. There were four to six on the under side of several leaves (which I think are springtails), 10-15% of the leaves are damaged. This is the plant that started it all for me. I have always loved peonies and picked it up one day at lowes. I was not sure where to plant it and once I did I thought well something else might look nice next to it and now I have a small garden along the fence on the side of my home. It still needs some work, but I am happy with it so far. The real challenge will be next year. The front of my house is f-ugly. There are several, leggy overgrown rhododendrums (sp) which I will cut back in a few weeks. The whole yard is shade; there is a super large tree that blocks almost all sun. I am planning on documenting the whole process from start to finish in my journal.

The HOA should have put a lien on the sale of the property from the last owner three years ago, I'd think and collected when the house sold if the previous owners had refused to remove it prior to the sale. Is there any way you can tell from association minutes if they had notified a previous owner to remove it? I am not up on trees out of my zone, but I can tell you for sure it isn't a sycamore. If it is a 'pepper tree' and you didn't plant it, my only other suggestion is to discuss this with an attorney who is versed in these types of contractual agreements. Oftentimes the initial consultation is at no cost, and should tell you right up front if you have no recourse to fight it. If you do have a chance of fighting it, you may also want to know if the previous owner had issues with the HOA and may have failed to disclose this when selling.