Old willow oaks around here are 70' tall, at least as wide, and 4' in diameter. Your decision.

I'd do it.

do what tom.. leave it??? ..

24 feet sounds great ... i might insure.. that i remove some branches that head toward the house ... over the next decade or so ...

i know thats rather vague ... but we could address that in 5 years.. with some pix ...

ken

Why have people become afraid of shade trees in their front yard? Mature trees are one of the factors that can increase ($$$$$) propery value.

transplant it during the winter. They make really nice shade trees in the landscape.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to leave it where it is and move the rose bush it's growing under. I was happy when it popped up there but everyone was throwing in their $.02 about it damaging the foundation and flattening the house, etc.

It will most likely be fine. My favorite oak. all though I do like nuttal and post oak as well.

KM are you sure it's not a Live oak? I've never seen you post here before, you could be a tree expert or a newbie, that's why I ask. I guess any tree lover would likely take the time to know their trees. I have a couple Willow oaks here, but mine are not very vigorously growing. One is a deer magnet....good luck with yours anyways.

I doubt it would be live oak. Never seen these volunteer before, willow oak commonly volunteers (especially in my yard) but I don't have the extra room to squeeze one in on the little bit of free space on .75 acres.

Okay Logan, but, lets see what KM says, we don't really even know where he/she is. But, unfortunately, it sounds like from what KM is saying if it is either tree maybe it wont have much room anyways. Logan, KM is in zone 7b and likely not too close to you, so lets see what they say as to where they are, and what trees they have seen growing around them etc.

I am in the piedmont of NC, and am from south FL so unfamiliar with the trees and plants that grow here. I've seen plenty of live oaks growing in parts of FL but I can't recall seeing any around here. My Florida background is probably why I'm nervous about having trees near the house - in my experience anything over 15 feet eventually falls on it in a storm.

If you are in NC, most likely willow oak. These are nice trees that commonly volunteer around here. Large trees typically are not downed in storms, unless they have issues (I don't feel like defining that). They can make a mess with leaves, so i would move it away from any "formal" garden beds. What county are you in exactly? I may be wrong, but I think NC is only compromised of Zone 7a. Then again, I am at the foot of the mountains. Live oak isn't common around here.

I'm close to the SC border, according to the USDA's interactive plant hardiness website I'm less than 5 miles from being in zone 8.

Ok, so somewhere in or near mecklenburg county. Live oak may be a bit more common in your area since you are that close to SC. I do not see it planted often. I know it will grow here, most people just don't consider it as an option (I never heard of it until I started reading this forum). I am thinking about replacing some silver maples with one.

Just make sure it's not Water Oak, those darned things grow all across the Deep South, they get huge fast and then break apart.

Well, I've seen large Willow oaks in pics and they look nice. I am getting a tree protective shelter for one of mine. My deer magnet Willow oak will have to be replaced. That leaves me with one willow oak in my yard, it is squat and wide shaped, I have to use a tree shelter to try and get it to grow taller and more upright. But anyhow KM 24 ft from your house should be okay, but, I have heard of a couple things that could pose a problem when I was going to sow a Q. Alba acorn about 15 ft from my house. If you have clay soil (1) and if that clay dries out the soil will shrink (2) and that could make your slab settle and crack. So I guess if you have a sandy soil that wont matter. I have a full basement, but do have clay and loam on top. But maybe KM zone 7b NC is sandy soil near the ocean (?) especially if you KM are near zone 8 border. Anyway, for all my guessing, I am thinking Km you could likely get away with a Willow oak tree 24 ft from your house, and on the SW corner is the best place you could ever need it in summer. I envy you that you can plant a tree on the direct SW corner of your house, that is where my septic system is. I do have a Chestnut oak a ways away from my septic tank, it is in the drainage field actually, but is too far away from the house to provide it any shade. Well, I do have an oak that will shade a good bit of the south of the house eventually, but, it's kinda southeast of the house now. It will get huge and shade the SW of the house in about 30 years, I may be around then. KM good luck, I think your plan will be a good one. If you have clay soil, you'll need it to not get dried out and cause foundation problems, but, I am kinda thinking if you are NC near zone 8 you are near sandy soil. Good luck.

They grow fine in clay. Clay is a wonderful thing, if you know how to use it. Water oak looks nothing like willow oak.

It took me so much time to post my response to Km that 2 people have posted here before I could post my response to him/her, yeah Logan try a Live oak. I am trying the hardiest one there is the Quartz mountain Live oak. You can surely grow one Logan, you lucky Duck. Yeah KM, Listen to Alabamatreehugger, Water oak grows in your area also, well, KM CAN YOU POST A PIC? Post a pic of the tree you have a volunteer of? Water oak will even grow in zone 6 where I am, they'll grow fast and from Yahoo images, they can look really nice in their prime. I almost bought one and planted it in my yard, it looked like a Live oak (almost) in the pic online. But, I realized, I could grow another oak that would take longer to get impressive, but, once it was impressive, I didn't need to remove it cause it was rotting then, (like the Water oak) Q. Nigra. Sorry if this is overkill KM. But, at least you know that you can (if you have the room) plant a Live oak tree.( Live oaks can live almost a century). And not to plant a Water oak Q. Nigra

Poaky, a Quercus virginiana can live much much longer than 100 years, if left unmolested by human activity. The deep South is full of such ancient specimens. Check out the Angel Oak near Charleston, SC, my old stomping ground.

Sorry Rhizo, I actually did know better, Live oaks Quercus virginia or Q. Fusiformis can live several hundred years old Q. virginiana can be 1,000 years old in some situations Q. Fusiformis can likely be several hundred years old also. I have a book titled "Living witnesses", so don't think those oaks don't live too long.

Okay, sorry, KM, but, yeah your Willow oak is likely to do fine 24 ft from your foundation if the soil is sandy. If it's clay, I can see why you may be afraid to keep the willow oak there. But, seriously, I do think that this area has sandy soil and I would leave the damn Willow oak roots and tree as is.

I have never seen a willow oak tree fall. They grow fine in the red clay here (I am most likely about 2hrs from the OP)

This is what you can expect in about 15-20 years.. (trees on right are Q.phellos and on left are Q.lyrata)

Logan what I was trying to say is that if KM had that Willow oak near his/her house with clay soil it could make the pad/foundation crack if the soil dried out. And that the Live oak would live 1,000 years in the best of situations, but, Willow oak would surely be a fine tree and live 200-300 years in the best situations. I wasn't worried about the Willow oak in the clay soil, but, the house fou ndation, or cement pad cracking if it dried out, which could happen to clay ina drought. This I am saying because I had seen it mentioned in many posts before when others have asked about tree roots near their homes. But, I guess sometimes foundations leak with no trees roots around, not sure if they crack. Tree roots should'nt enter any space unless there is a crack with access to water. I will admit to planting an oak fairly near the SE side of my house, Km should be safe. That's a cute little house bama, it makes me think of a little church.

I'd do it. The ones here are beautiful, and much more "upright" than "spreading" type growers. Of course, that area is about 60 years old...so I'd assume the oldest are mo more than that. We have one between two duplexes that is around 8 ft from both sides of the homes, and it's 2-3 ft in width!

poaky, I understand what you are trying to say now. It makes sense.

Good. I was drinking Sat night, that's likely why it was confusing.

Interesting that the willow oaks in treehugger's pic look like young pin oaks. Young willow oaks often do. Perhaps there is some close relation between the two.

Ken, good catch. What I meant was, I would go ahead and allow this tree to flourish in its present location. Oaks-as we all know-are inherently soundly-structured trees and it's not uncommon for there to be a tree in such a relationship to a house and for the combo to work out just fine. Of course, no guarantee can be offered, no way to allow for all potentialities. But just for comparison, when my folks built their house 15 years ago, I readily planted two swamp white oaks in their front (west-facing) yard, and while it is true that I've had to do a bit of pruning to keep one of them off the neighbor's garage area, and just general structural pruning and raising up for clearance, every indication is that this will work out fine. The trees have grown rapidly and are already pushing thirty feet or so, so I'm getting a pretty good idea of how things are going to shape up. Yes, my folks are well into their 80s and won't be around to see the full development of those two trees, but already they have had good enjoyment from them.

The Carolina piedmont can be subject to devastating ice storms. About 2 years ago here (mid TN) we had a moderate one that lasted about 5 days and ended with a strong south wind that gusted to 50MPH. The trees that sustained the most damage, more than Siberian elms, pines, and red and silver maples, were willow oaks. Their very twiggy nature enabled every drop of rain that landed on them to freeze.

Ice storms really aren't that common here. We had an ice storm last year that killed all of the early blooming plants, but didn't cause any major damage just killed the top layer of leaves on some loropetalums.

Is this a Willow oak? willow oak

definitely a willow oak.

Wow your fast Logan, I got pics of the mature Pin oak at the nunnery also, I am looking for the post where you posted your pin oak so i can show tyou the pics i took today of the Pin oak at the nunnery.

I would like to see the pictures of the pin oak. I wasn't the one who had a pin oak, but I remember the thread.

Hmm.... Maybe it was Daniel or ED Lincoln with the Pin oak, that explains why you didn't think my pic looks like a Pin. I hope whomever it was finds the pics, I thought it was someone newish on here. Oh well.

It may have been daniel. I have been here since 2014, I was CH&G until august.

Well, Logan if you changed your name I think that's what made me think you were new, I am guessing CH&G was short for something or you hardly ever came on the tree forum? If not I never knew you were on here before.

CH&G (Caldwell Home & Garden). I was here on and off until this year.

Honestly, 24' away is fine.

Okay, sorry Logan, I remember you now. :)