why do you think its a root sucker??? .. already been scouting???

im not sure you can harvest suckers.. as they are usually on very large roots ..... and its hard to get them to reroot once severed ....

we will see what others say ...

yes.. knock on the door or drop a note ... done it many a time.. most peeps are willing ... some think your nuts.. but willing.. probably laughing once they close the door ... and some peeps are just boors ... nothing you can do about the latter ....

one thing for sure.. its probably not an august thing .. timing will be imperative ... most tree work in digging.. is done on dormant trees .... so to do it right.. you dont dream of a color show in your yard.. this season ... you work toward the future ...

ken

Leslie, are you certain this is a sugar maple? Not a tree known for root suckers. That would be my main concern-just what tree do you have here....and where exactly is this sucker.

I know nothing about the suckers, but if you are friendly and not threatening you can strike up some very nice conversation with the resident of a property in which you have an interested.

I have been know to photo grave the former homes of ancestors. Usually the way it goes when the resident first sees you is they come out, sometimes in a threatening way. Once you explain what you want, the conversation becomes quite civil and enjoyable as you talk about their house.

In one memorable case, the resident did just that. I was photographing the house the my mother was born in. I saw him coming out and from his apparent attitude I considered running myself. When I explained what I was doing the conversation quickly turned to the history of the house. I learned he had recently bought the house, and he learned it was at least 20 years older than he thought. Both parted with new knowledge about the house

Prb'ly not a root sucker, but a seedling. I get them, tho not nearly as many as black walnuts & black cherries. If it's RIGHT at the base, it may not be reasonable to dig it up. Plus, if it's a seedling, there'd be no guarantee to be exactly like the parent.

My BIL had his eye on a beauty near his office - he collected the "helicopter" seeds in the Fall, potted them up, and now years later, has a nice maple in his yard. I don't know if the fall colors are as gorgeous as the parent by his office but he's pretty pleased.

"if it is growing near the road, where you can grab it without going into their front yard, go ahead and get it."

Silly me, here in NJ, we call that trespassing and theft.

Since I have extra trees and shrubs I usually have something to trade. Cuttings is what I'm usually after. I've even done it at nurseries!

Mike

subtropix, this is NC where most landscapes are composed of callery pears, privet, and poison oak. Nobody cares about their landscape.

I vote for ask nicely. My yard is not very neatly manicured but I for example have a metasequoia seedling volunteer in the shade of my big tree which I plan on leaving there until next spring before I move it to who knows where.

If someone asks I might tell them to come get it in a month or two or next spring.

If someone walked 100 feet into my yard and started digging.....

While you are there digging up their tree while they are out and about, why not just work your way inside and see if they have any jewelry or, even better, cash laying around they probably don't want. Might as well pry open the garage door to see if the owner has any classic beauties you'd like to take for a spin since you have already gone through so much trouble to help them with their landscape.

Actually, yeah, you should get permission first and, assuming they say yes, work out a plan with the owner on how you are going to dig the likely seeding out and transport it to your place. There could also be buried lines "by the road" that would need to be marked before digging... Good luck!

I'm pretty sure it's a root sucker. I noticed it last year when the tree was ablaze with fall color. My plan is to ask when I see what color the sucker's leaves turn out to be in another month or two.

I'm glad to hear conventions exist for knocking on doors and asking for plants. It gives me courage to go for it! The worst they can say is no. And I can take rejection. :)

Do what Caldwell recommends around here and you might not live to tell the tale, and that's not sarc!

Good plan, Leslie.

As for Caldwell, could you imagine doing business with someone with that kind of ethics? As for folks in NC, the comment, "Nobody cares about their landscape" is patently untrue as many from NC are on these forums. Perhaps only Caldwell's customers don't care for their landscape.

tj

Pretty much, only my customers care about their landscape. Not all of them do, we have a nice variety of home decor during the winter season.

Caldwell, hard to believe but you've sunk to a new low. You're setting quite an example in professionalism and knowledge of your chosen field....you should be proud of yourself.

Leslie, count me as another who willingly knocks on doors to inquire about an interesting plant. It's a great way to make new friends.

I never, ever take cuttings, seeds, or plants from private or public property without asking for permission first. My husband and I have gained collecting rights to some great public gardens, historic cemeteries, and private homes.....just by asking.

And then there was the time when I caught a woman taking snips from roses in my front yard. I stepped outside and simply started taking pictures of her and pretended to take some of her license plate. She dropped her (my) roses and stalked to her expensive car.

Sheesh, I would have given her cuttings of the roses and much more, if only she had asked!

Do the right thing. Sure, there will always be people who don't care. But others care very much.

I occasionally collect from the woods, ALWAYS with the owners permission, and if I see something I like or am impressed with, I go to the door and knock, unless there are no trespassing signs.

When I first moved to the area, I saw an enormous white oak in front of a small, old house, typical of this area. The tree was open grown, had a huge spreading canopy, and dwarfed the house. I drove up and knocked at the door, which was opened by a lovely lady of many years. I commented on the tree. A great smile spread across her face as she told me her story, adding many people had done the exact thing I was now doing. She told me she was born in the house, her age, close to 100 IIRC, and that the tree was large as a kid. There was also a twin nearby that was destroyed in a thunderstorm years ago. She was very happy to talk to me about her tree. I've since learned that the tree is the largest in the county.

I have my own woods to collect from so.....

Two comments of the above discussion.

First callery pears. They are said to be invasive, however if they are it is talking years for them to do much invading, and this can be controlled with a mower.

Our neighborhood has many callery pears, most Bardfords. In the spring our neighborhood is covered in a cloud of white flowers. Since many of the interstate interchanges are planted with callery pears, they make the drive much more attractive with the white clouds in the spring. In the fall the attractive color of the leaves again adds to the the area.

Yes they break easily, BUT most of the time it is one limb which because of their shape is usually not noticed. They are a disposable tree. They are not every going to be consider stately, but always beautiful.

The other comment; "if it is growing near the road grab it". I live in North Carolina and we maintain our properties to the edge of the road. (Some farmers on gravel road in many areas, plant crops into the road.) If I have planted or promoted something near the edge of the road, I did it intentionally and do not want you to come a long and steel it. Same goes for the rough areas of my yard. While not manicures as a golf course, I work hard to keep it looking natural and don't want thieves steeling what I have worked hard to promote.

If you are interested in a planting in either area please knock on the door, I love to talk.

callery pears are invasive, just take the time to look. I typically do not take plants out of other's landscape. If there is a root sucker coming from a neighbor's tree, I would take responsibility to remove it.

Well then, as long as you don't typically take plants out of other's landscape.

Would you steal plant material from krnuttle's property? He might be your neighbor.

most likely not, usually only from wooded areas along roadsides.

I have been lurking around these forums for years now, since
the gardenweb days and when there were no “pro” designations. As a clueless new homeowner I received some
great advice on all things yard. I hardly post, but by just lurking and reading
topics that are of interest to me, I have seriously expanded my abilities. I would probably still be making mulch
volcanoes, amending the heck out of planting holes, and other such terrible
things that I did back in the time before I discovered the wonderful world of this
forum. However, I hate to admit this.......but
part of the reason I keep lurking…….. is for the mini dramas! (I know, I lead a pretty dull life) The strong
personalities, (you know who you are) who routinely post, their comments and
the interactions between them all are really sometimes very entertaining. When I started reading Caldwell’s posts, I
envisioned some amazing internet forum rivalries in the future. However the more I read, the more I thought
that this guy has to be young, as in a kid.
So, with a few clicks and examining the about tab of the Caldwell Home
& Garden Facebook page my suspicions were confirmed. So just as a heads up, before anybody
crucifies him and what seems to be their family business. Caldwell appears to be around 13. Given that, he is fairly knowledgeable for a
13ish year old. Caldwell, sorry if I blew
your cover and I’m not trying to be a jerk, but you really should really
consider that as a “Pro” you are representing your family business (and it might appear not in the most positive way).
Also, I would have (did) participate in some renegade plant digging from
the “woods” (that somebody who was not me owned) when I was a teen, so I withhold
my judgement on your smash and grab technique recommendation. So as a summary of my rant, the “Pro” label
may not carry as much gravitas as HOUZZ would like, and use Google so you don’t
get into internet rivalries with 13 year olds.

I will not confirm, or denounce your assumption. I do not disclose any personal information with general public. If you still believe your assumption, no offense to me, if not also no affect. I will continue to post here as long as my business exists. I have read these forums since 2011 (although not as a pro). I don't think 8 year olds lurk in gardening forums ;).

If Al Gore had invented the internet when I was 8, and GardenWeb existed then, you can damm well believe I'd have been on it.

With your answer above Caldwell, you might want to consider politics when you grow up.

I deleted my original post.

Joe, it sure looks like you are absolutely right! Logan is a youngster.

Oh my!

Gardenweb posts Google does like for some reason. I dunno if Houzz is msssing that up, but on the furniture forum I would help or hurt businesses with the truth as I saw it necessary.

Generally posting here probably creates more of an internet presence for a business.

I wish this forum had private messaging like some do...

After I wrote above I ALMOST deleted it.

Houzz is deleting over on Hot Topics.

I'd hate to be banned...

kentrees, you CAN message anyone who has enabled in their Houzz profile. You'll see if the person is set up for off-forum discussions by clicking on their profile.

"most likely not, usually only from wooded areas along roadsides"

To you it may look like a wooded area along the roadside. To me it is the rough area on my property where I have worked to promote the plantings that look good in the area.

I totally understand natural plantings ;). Usually by wooded area, I mean groves of privet and ailanthus (neglected property) that I took some privets from (for topiaries in pots, otherwise privet is useless) and a small eastern redbud and japnese barberry.

"I totally understand natural plantings ;). Usually by wooded area, I mean groves of privet and ailanthus (neglected property) that I took some privets from (for topiaries in pots, otherwise privet is useless) and a small eastern redbud and japnese barberry."

I don't care how "neglected" you feel the property may be; it still doesn't give one the right to trespass and take without asking. It's that simple. This sounds really bizarre and disturbing to me, especially that you seem to just be rationalizing trespassing and stealing from an individual's property. And if you do get caught, it might prove to be embarrassing if not worse. What am I missing here?

Well, as Dr. Phil has probably said....Logan Caldwell is a child and children's brains aren't fully developed. He's incapable of adult decision making and seems determined to prove it every day.

I wonder who the responsible adults are in his family?

Leslie, if the tree is close enough to spit out seeds/helicopters in your yard or on the road or public property, take a few and start your new tree. Put the tip of the seed into the ground and protect from critters, and even start some in a pot to increase success. My neighbor has several Silver maples, and the seed/helicopters fly very far from the tree onto my land pretty far out. I personally have gone onto "someone?" elses property along the road to collect acorns before. They had so many acres they never saw me. I don't advise it. But, I grabbed about 10 acorns. I had dug up trees from the woods before, never thinking, this is someone elses property. It was right by the road. It was stupid of me. But they were among larger trees and would've stayed small for years. That was before I got a computer and knew you could order trees. Leslie, I would ask for some seeds and get it over with, unless they were getting blown all over your yard anyway. Good Luck.