See those roots on the surface of the ground? That's what you are missing- those roots can lift that foundation, crack those pipes, and cause general mayhem. The roots don't go down, they go out.
It is a beautiful tree, though. I have two still, and have removed three because they were too close to my house.

Well it depends on what you mean by invasive. Is it an invasive in that it reproduces wildly without artifical inputs threatening native ecosystems in SoCal? No. Are the roots aggressive and damaging? Yes. If that were my house in the pic, I would cut down that tree immediately before it cracked m foundation. It's only a matter of time.

The roots can be a problem. They will lift up and crack sidewalks. In some areas of Southern California they are being removed as street trees because of the damage they cause.

They are invasive here in s.ca,at least the roots are.We had one that ds planted in the front yard,and at the time we didn't have sidewalks here.Fast forward a couple years and the city decided to put in sidewalk as they had made a new expressway down the hill from our homes and it was no longer safe to walk in the street.

When they told us that i noticed the roots were almost out to the street,so I had ds and his friends come and cut it down and haul out the stump.

I didn't want to deal with roots pushing up the sidewalk,or getting into our pipes.
Kathi

I saw a beautiful old one far out from any man made structures. The roots were very large on the surface creating big pockets which could catch water. Kids were sitting on them like benches and walking along the lengths of them. After I saw that tree, I knew that they don't belong anywhere near a wall, walk, fence or pipe.

They are beautiful large trees in the right setting