Trees in your yard are there for your enjoyment. If you don't want it there any longer, get rid of it. It's possible I have an issue with cutting down trees. I live in the suburbs, and an entire orchard (apples) was cut down to make room for boring production homes. I feel a sense of obligation to restore some of the beauty that was taken away. I know, it's a little ridiculous (my entire family thinks I'm a little nuts). My neighbors planted dwarf apple trees (different variety, though) the same summer as us, and have been getting apples for 2 years. So I think our tree may have a problem that prevents it from production. I will post in the fruit and orchard forum though, thanks. heather

Think of all the bird eggs that could fall out of a tree that huge! Can you live with that if you leave it as is? Besides I think that would be an AWESOME PLACE for a new multi level parking garage. Honestly, I can't help but imagine what it looked like before it lost those other limbs. What a gigantic spread it must have had. I wonder if branching to the ground is an evolutionary advantage to deter damage from hurricanes. I have an old post with only a 50' spread that branches to the ground and, of course, has never seen a hurricane so I might be way off. Below is a vid of Mr. Willow warming up for the big tree takedown! Here is a link that might be useful: YEEEEHAAAAAAWW This post was edited by j0nd03 on Fri, Nov 30, 12 at 10:58

I am really leaning toward removing the one in the front yard for sure, but the one in the back yard is so large it would definitely cost a pretty penny to have removed. So it will get a reprieve for now while I attack the Brazilian peppers trying to get a foothold back there. I do have some cardinals I see every year and I love those birds so I will consider planting a red bay should I remove the camphor in the back yard. I have never seen berries on the one in the front yard, maybe it takes a while for them to fruit? So I don't think the cardinals would mind if I removed that one. I kind of have my heart set on some sort of fruit tree for the front yard and I don't have much space anywhere else for a tree. The big camphor shares the back yard with a good sized loquat. I don't think any other tree could get enough sun back there. I guess I could put a red bay in the front and then when I can get the other camphor removed I can put my fruit tree in the back yard. The camphor takes up so much room that I might be able to get two fruit trees back there. I am a tree hugger and the idea of cutting down trees does bother me but I have seen what that darned punk tree has done to this state (and me, they really set off my asthma) and I don't want to contribute to helping another invasive tree. I do actually like the smell of the camphor but I don't think that's enough reason to keep it. Hey, I wonder if I could grow one bonsai size? ; ) Thanks for all the responses, You've given me some more to think about.

Yes, the poorly-named "eastern red cedar" is neither a cedar nor is it related closely to "western red cedar"! It is a juniper, Juniperus virginiana botanically speaking. It can achieve some size, but takes a while to get there. Eminently prunable, one could theoretically hold a juniper to a certain size almost indefinitely if they so desired. But such pruning is a personal choice, not something the tree needs to have happen. Do you like this plant? That should be your number one guidance on whether or not to retain it in your landscape. Considerable wildlife value, decent aesthetics, it is an invasive pest in some south-central parts of the country where fire previously held it in check, this of course no longer happening with farms, cities, shopping malls and highways covering the land. +oM